Your Ticket to a Magical Family Vacation!
Inside this new edition is all the information you need to have the family vacation of a lifetime at the Orlando theme parks. Up-to-date and written with the help of more than 500 families, this guide is packed with details on all the attractions at Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld. It's user-friendly, fun, and designed for at-a-glance reference. And it will help you and your family plan the vacation each of you wants.
Inside you'll find:
• Time- and money-saving tips, insider’s secrets, and scare factors for every ride and venue
• Clear, easy-to-read maps
• Full restaurant and hotel descriptions, with star ratings
• Quick Guides, Don’t Miss Lists, and favorite attractions by age group
• Updates on Disney’s Fastpass system and Universal’s Express system
• Know-how for Disney cruises
Helpful Phone Numbers ix
Helpful Web Sites xi
List of Maps xi
List of Quick-Guide Reference Tables xi
Abbreviations, Terms, and Icons xiii
Preface xiv
Chapter 1 Before You Leave Home 1
Map of Walt Disney World 2
What Time of Year Should We Visit? 4
How Long Should We Stay? 8
Should We Take the Kids out of School? 8
Should We Buy a Package? 12
What Kind of Tickets Do We Need? 18
Theme-Park Ticket-Price Chart 20
Transportation 23
Countdown to Disney World 27
Things to Discuss with Your Kids Before You Leave Home 30
Don't Leave Home Without 34
The Frantic Factor 36
Chapter 2 Choosing a Hotel 39
Map of On Site & Off-Site Hotels 41
General Information About the On-Site Disney Hotels 42
Is It Worth the Expense to Stay On-Site? 43
The Advantages of Staying On-Site 46
Rating the On-Site Disney Hotels 50
Quick Guide to On-Site Hotels 55
Off-Site Hotels: Which Location Is Best? 81
Quick Guide to Off-Site Hotels 83
Great Off-Site Hotels for Families 87
Chapter 3 Once You Get There 99
Bare Necessities: Strollers, Babies, and First Aid 100
More Things You Don't Want to Think About 105
Saving Money 110
Meeting the Disney Characters 112
Chapter 4 Touring Tips and Plans 117
General Disney World Touring Tips 118
Money-Saving Tips 126
Touring Tips for Visitors Staying On-Site 127
Touring Tips for Visitors Staying Off-Site 128
Tips to Save Your Sanity 129
Tips for Big Families 132
Tips for Guests with Disabilities 135
Tips for Pregnant Guests 138
Tips for Grandparents 139
Birthdays and Special Occasions 140
How to Customize a Touring Plan 141
Chapter 5 The Magic Kingdom 149
Map of The Magic Kingdom 151
Getting to the Magic Kingdom 152
Getting Around the Magic Kingdom 153
Tips for Your First Hour in the Magic Kingdom 154
Quick Guide to Magic Kingdom Attractions 159
Main Street 160
Fantasyland 163
Tomorrowland 168
Adventureland 174
Frontierland 178
Liberty Square 182
Food Choices in the Magic Kingdom 184
Afternoon Resting Places 186
Best Vantage Points for Watching the Parade 186
Tips for Your Last Hour in the Magic Kingdom 187
Tips for Leaving the Magic Kingdom 189
Chapter 6 Epcot 191
Map of Epcot 192
Getting to Epcot 193
Getting Around Epcot 194
Tips for Your First Hour at Epcot 194
Epcot Touring Tips 195
Future World 197
Quick Guide to Epcot Attractions 201
World Showcase 208
Food Choices at Epcot 211
Epcot Extras 213
Afternoon Resting Places 218
Tips for Your Last Hour at Epcot 218
Chapter 7 Disney's Hollywood Studios 221
Map of Disney's Hollywood Studios 222
Getting to Disney's Hollywood Studios 223
Getting Around Hollywood 223
Tips for Your First Hour at Hollywood 224
Hollywood Touring Tips 224
Hollywood Attractions 226
Quick Guide to Hollywood Attractions 229
American Idol 236
Meeting the Characters at Hollywood 241
Food Choices at Hollywood 242
Tips for Your Last Hour at Hollywood 243
Chapter 8 The Animal Kingdom 245
Map of Disney s Animal Kingdom 246
Getting to the Animal Kingdom 247
Getting Around the Animal Kingdom 247
Tips for Your First Hour in the Animal Kingdom 248
Animal Kingdom Touring Tips 249
Quick Guide to Animal Kingdom Attractions 250
Animal Kingdom Attractions 253
Food Choices in the Animal Kingdom 262
Tips for Your Last Hour in the Animal Kingdom 264
Chapter 9 The Disney World Water Parks 265
Map of Typhoon Lagoon 266
Getting to the Water Parks 267
Water Parks Touring Tips 268
Typhoon Lagoon 270
Blizzard Beach 275
Map of Blizzard Beach 276
Chapter 10 The Rest of the World 281
Map of Downtown Disney 282
Getting to the Rest of the World 284
Downtown Disney 285
Downtown Disney Marketplace 286
Downtown Disney West Side 288
DisneyQuest 289
Cirque du Soleil 291
BoardWalk and the ESPN Club 292
Disney Extras 293
That Sportin' Life: On Water 303
That Sportin1 Life: On Land 305
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex 308
Chapter 11 Dining at Disney 309
Full-Service Restaurants at Disney 310
Making Reservations 313
Finding Healthy Food 315
Rating the Disney Restaurants 316
Definition of Quick-Guide Ratings 318
Quick Guide to Full-Service Restaurants in the Magic Kingdom 319
Magic Kingdom Restaurants 317
Epcot Restaurants 320
Quick Guide to Full-Service Restaurants at Epcot 323
Restaurants at Disney's Hollywood Studios 326
Quick Guide to Full-Service Restaurants at Disney's Hollywood Studios 327
Animal Kingdom Restaurants 329
Quick Guide to Full-Service Restaurants in the Animal Kingdom 331
Restaurants in the WDW Hotels 330
Quick Guide to Full-Service Restaurants in the WDW Hotels 337
Restaurants in the Rest of the World 343
Quick Guide to Full-Service Restaurants in the Rest of the World 345
Chapter 12 Disney After Dark 349
Disney World After Dark with the Kids 350
Disney World After Dark Without the Kids: Finding a Sitter 352
Dining Without the Kids 356
Chapter 13 The Disney Cruise Line 359
The Cruise Vacation Options 360
Approximate Costs 362
Lodging 366
Dining 366
Kids' Programs Onboard 372
Onboard Entertainment 374
Chapter 14 Universal Orlando 377
Map of Universal Studios 379
Should We Stay On-Site? 381
What Kind of Tickets Do We Need? 385
Tips for Your First Hour at Universal Studios 386
Universal Studios Touring Tips 388
The Scare Factor at Universal Studios 389
Universal Studios Attractions 390
Quick Guide to Universal Studios Attractions 393
Tips for Your Last Hour at Universal Studios 406
Chapter 15 Islands of Adventure 407
Map of Islands of Adventure 408
Getting Around Islands of Adventure 410
How Scary Is "Scary"? As Dr. Seuss Would Say, "Very!" 410
Tips for Your First Hour at Islands of Adventure 413
Quick Guide to Islands of Adventure Attractions 415
Port of Entry 417
Marvel Super Hero Island 418
Toon Lagoon 423
Jurassic Park 426
The Lost Continent 429
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter 432
Seuss Landing 436
Afternoon Resting Places 439
Meeting the Characters 439
City Walk 440
Chapter 16 SeaWorld and Discovery Cove 445
Sea World 446
Discovery Cove 454
Aquatica 455
Index 461
Mommy25Ms
Posted November 22, 2011
This book has been a great help on planning our 1st Family Trip to Disney. Everything you need to know is in this book!!! Where to stay, where to eat. When to go to certain parks, when to avoid.
Food Plan information... Information on all the rides and attractions!
Plus so much more!!!
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 3, 2012
Great book for the parks!!!!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 31, 2012
Fantastic book that gives you tips, reviews, and great ways to save money. Highly recommended for planning your next trip to Walt Disney World!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 14, 2012
This wonderful guide book tells you everything that you could possibly need to know about Walt Disney World! Having reviews and descriptions of not only restaurants and the parks, but also of the resorts makes it even more Fantasmic (get it Fantasmic?) Anyways I would definetely reccomend this book to anyone who has been to Walt Disney World or is planning to go soon.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 7, 2012
Nsdjdbfkdk8$/#,@+d
0 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 7, 2012
I borrowed the 2010 edition from a friend when planning our first trip and then bought the 2011 edition when planning our second trip. Excellent reference book! It tells you everything you need to know about planning your Disney vacation from start to finish. We also visited Universal Orlando's Island of Adventure and this book helped with that also. I recommend reading it at least 7 months before your trip to help with planning and reservations. I read the book at home during the planning phase and then took it with us on vacation. I plan to purchase the newest edition for planning our 2013 trip!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 2, 2012
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Overview
Your Ticket to a Magical Family Vacation!
Inside this new edition is all the information you need to have the family vacation of a lifetime at the Orlando theme parks. Up-to-date and written with the help of more than 500 families, this guide is packed with details on all the attractions at Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld. It's user-friendly, fun, and designed for at-a-glance ...