Customer Reviews

Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers (2009)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My husband and I have been to Walt Disney World 30+ times, some trips with grandchildren in the primary grades and other trips with teens and seniors. I purchased this book, sight unseen, from Amazon expecting to add it to my collection of guidebooks that I share with friends, co-workers, and family. Unless you are a novice and either have limited experience with Walt Disney World or have never been there, I suggest that you BORROW a copy of this guide. The book appears to be self-published and the copy that I received is not shelf-ready. The front cover is attractive, but there is no title information on the spine. The Table of Contents lists entries up to page 68, then lists page 68 for the rest of the entries to the end of the book. Any experienced editor would have caught that gross error. There is useful information, but there is also misinformation and items that are extremely misleading. Several of the suggested activities are available at a cost that is never discussed. For example, if you plan to take your daughter to a tea party at the Grand Floridian you can expect to pay anywhere from $43 to $281, depending on the experience you choose. Parents of preschoolers need relaxing diversions, not an unexpected chunk taken out of their vacation budget. For a more complete guide that includes pros and cons of various activities as well as cost involved, get a copy of PassPorter's Walt Disney World by Jennifer and Dave Marx. Another option is PassPorter's Open Mouse by Deb Wills and Debra Martin Koma, which addresses special needs of families, including age limitations, medical concerns, dietary restrictions, or simply a multi-generational family.

We used the tips and information in the e-book version during our trip with my three year old and he had a great time! I had only been to Disney once or twice before and never with kids, so I was looking for some help to make Disney more manageable for my family. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a parent's perspective on how to make Disney special for their kids. The best thing about this guide is that it contained lots of practical tips and information to help plan our Disney trip. This book contains the information that really matters if you are going to Disney with young children. There is information on rides, character dining, character greetings and even a list of special events that run at different times of the year. It was very useful to have a complete list of additional activities, such as fishing and pirate cruises that are available for kids. Overall, I think it was a good resource at a reasonable price.

very useful book for those who have never been to disney. The content is simple, flows easily and has many helpful tips.

If you're planning a trip to Disneyworld with young kids, this guidebook will be very helpful. It's a quick, easy read and contains a lot of information specific to visiting Disney with younger kids. This is the best Disneyworld travel guide I could find focusing on this particular age group.

One of the most helpful parts of the book was a chapter called "Hidden Activities" which contains a list of lesser known activities that would appeal to young kids. I never realized there were so many simple and fun activities to keep the little kids entertained while the rest of the family enjoys the larger rides.

Unfortunately, this is a self-published book that both looks and feels like one throughout. Excessive misspellings and poor grammar make this a very difficult book to read. You would be wise to stick with Birnbaum's or Fodor's guides for kids as alternatives to this attempt at a self-published on demand book.