What Planning Guide to Use?

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I want to order a planning guide from Amazon just in case I forgot to ask something on Intercot and was wondering, what is everyone's favorite guidebook?

[DisneyorBust]

My wife and I like the Unofficial Guide, buy one every year. Some folks don't like the fact that it gives the pros and cons, claim that it is too negative. We have found it to be accurate in most cases.
Birnbaums is good also, but it seems to be more of an advertisement than a guide book to me.
Hope this helps!

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

My wife and I like the Unofficial Guide, buy one every year. Some folks don't like the fact that it gives the pros and cons, claim that it is too negative. We have found it to be accurate in most cases.
Birnbaums is good also, but it seems to be more of an advertisement than a gude book to me.
Hope this helps!

Thanks it does help.

[playdead88]

passporter - i use that thing to plan and i carry it with me to keep all my papers in - its got pockets for everything! :thumbsup:

[Norwellian]

Try the Complete Guide to Disney World by Mike and Julie Neal. It's the best one I've ever seen. You can get it on Amazon.:number1:

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

;) Wow, maybe I'll just get them all

[fielin]

Another vote for the passporter !

Full of great information, very useful pockets for keeping everything organized by day, along with the maps of parks and of hotels, a short review of every restaurant, every tour, etc...

The only thing it doesn't have is picturs but hey, you'll be there anyway, why would you need pictures ?

[starrmomof2]

Another vote for the Passporter for planning/organizing!! This is our second trip and my second Passporter. But for all around info and bright glossy pictures and fun to prepare and get excited for your trip, I also second the book by Mike & Julie Neal. I just bought mine a month ago and it's my new favorite Disney info book. It's got great pictures (I like pictures) and explanations on each attraction's back story, some of which I have ridden not knowing the story, but am looking forward to riding again now that I can put the ride in it's perspective.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

We're fans of the Unoffical Guide. We actually find ourselves just reading it for interest.

I like that it seems to give a lot more details than the other books, and although some people think it is negative, I like hearing all sides, and many opinions.

You really can't go too wrong, they all offer something different!

[MickeyMomof2]

Another vote here for the Unofficial Guide!

[Soul_Power]

My vote goes for the Passporter, too!

My boyfriend bought it for me when we planning our first trip last year, and it's a great tool in trip planning (in addition to Intercot, of course). :mickey: I loved the pockets in the back - there's places for you to write out what you're doing on each day and even reflect on the day later on and it's a great place to put your paperwork and receipts!

[biodtl]

Try the Complete Guide to Disney World by Mike and Julie Neal. It's the best one I've ever seen.

I'm not one to meticulously plan - I pretty much make vague plans of which parks on which days and some ADRs. So I didn't buy a book with the intent of taking it along or anything. But this book is great!

[Kairi_7378]

Thumbs up for the Unofficial Guide! The dining reviews are very good. Birbaum's is great too... I love all of the colorful pics and park maps.

[Beast_fanatic]

Just wanted to point out that if you decide to order through Amazon, if you use this link (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=intercotcom&path=subst/home/home.html) then your purchase helps support INTERCOT! And, that works for any purchase through Amazon, not just guidebooks.

[tinksmom02]

If you're planning on taking a guidebook with you, I think the Passporter is the one for you. Like others have said, it's got pockets, and the maps fold out, etc. I really, really like it.

The Unofficial Guide is an awesome guidebook, also, but it's very comprehensive. A very heavy book, not one i'd like to be carrying around all day.

The Complete Guide is a good guidebook, too.

[sardanem]

My suggestion is going to your local library and seeing them all before buying your favorite one. I just went to my library and reserved all the 2008 editions. No surprise they are all out, but I am not going until August so I have plenty of time. Whichever one you pick, have a great time.


Lisa

[wdwnomad]

I say save the money for a Dole Whip! You can get all of the information in the books and everyone's opinions here on Intercot for free.

[Tink#64]

My suggestion is going to your local library and seeing them all before buying your favorite one. I just went to my library and reserved all the 2008 editions. No surprise they are all out, but I am not going until August so I have plenty of time. Whichever one you pick, have a great time.


Lisa

:thumbsup: Great idea Lisa & I totally agree! We all have our fav's, I've actually purchased all of the aforementioned guides over the years, but my personal fav is the Unoffical Guide for the nitty gritty info! I buy a new one every trip! I love the layout & the grit! :number1:

[playdead88]

thanks for the link! im such a freak planner and didn't have the mike and julie neal book but now i do - or at least i will in about 5-7 business days - i think that about makes my collection of disney planning books complete! they say the first step is admitting you have a problem :mickey:

[DISNEYLOVERS5]

i BOUGHT BOTH THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE AND PASSPORTER AND I LOVE THE BOTH THEY EACH HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS TO HELP WITH.

[Tygger7]

I purchased a Passporter for the first time and I love it! Not only does it have a lot of great information, but the organizational tools are fantastic. The daily "pocket" pages at the back will help me tremendously, especially with keeping track of receipts while I'm there. They are very inexpensive and worth every cent!

[GrumpyFan]

I like the Unofficial Guide, but I use it as more of a reference. At 864 pages it's just too big, and sometimes difficult to find what you're looking for, but it is enjoyable to read. However, even in all those pages, I found it lacking in a few areas, but nothing major.

Passporter is much smaller at 296 pages and covers much of the same material in a better organized format. Also, Passporter is a good step by step planning guide.

The big thing that the Unofficial Guide has to offer that Passporter does not, is off-site hotel information and other attractions around Orlando.

[Young@Heart]

We don't "do Disney" w/o buying a new Passporter. We've been buying them since 2001, and although DH picks on me about it (I carry it everywhere for months and months before our trip), he even appreciates how much it helps organize everything for us.
Right now, I've got our package confirmation papers in there, our rental car confirmation papers, and will soon be adding the hotel ressies for our drive down/back. We even put our dogs vaccination records in there for the kennel, plus lots of note cards w/ info for buying, packing, parade times, etc.