Customer Reviews

Birnbaum's Walt Disney World Without Kids 2000: The Official Guide for Fun-Loving Adults (Birnbaums Walth Disney World Without Kids, 2000)

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I have visited Walt Disney World six times over twenty years. For the last few trips, I've bought several travel guides. I find two to be the most useful: the Birnbaum guide and Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide. The Birnbaum book contains up-to-date essential information and is invaluable for choosing hotels, dining experiences and planning your stay. However, I must say that this is not the most objective guide -- you won't find too many critical evaluations here. The latest edition is a big improvement in layout and content over the previous year's version -- it's fun and easy to read, and packed with useful tips. The Unofficial Guide is a far more cynical and critical book -- buy both books and get everything you need for a great time at WDW!

This guide to WDW is invaluable to first time adult visitors and a great refresher course to repeat visitors. Concise and well written, it provides an honest review of attractions, hotels, restaurants and entertainment. Here you'll find how to book a room, a round of golf or a cruise on the lagoon, what's available for room service, which rooms will be the most convenient and quiet, and what kind of weather and crowds to expect. The review of the parks is packed with time and energy-saving tips designed to help adults fully enjoy the experience. It's a little bit larger than pocket size, it's just the right size for a purse. A must for Disney lovers!

My husband and I visited Disney in 1997 with the assistance of the regular Birnbaum guide. I had been to the resort a number of times (since 1978) prior and found the regular guide very helpful. The "Disney Without Kids" left a lot to be desired. I had hoped for a very detailed listing of restaurants as was found in the regular guide. Instead were a listing of Birnbaum's best bets, many of which we had tried before and found to be OK as far as Disney meals go. If I were planning a trip to Disney, be it with children or not, spend the extra $2 and buy the regular Birnbaum's guide. It was much more informative.

This book is a great read, but is written from the perspective of Disney's Marketing Dept. and at best can qualify as a supplemental guide to other guides. The book is short and to the point, but with the usual Disney flare. Overall I enjoyed the book, but found its usefullness dwindling compared to Bob Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide to WDW. I will admit, however, that if you are staying in the WDW resort and not planning on going anywhere else, the book is "good." But for critiques of rides, restaurants, etc. you are going to need a different guide.

Hyperion & Hearst published the book and B. Dalton's sold it, but it might as well have been mailed to me free of charge by the folks at the Disney marketing department.

While the authors occassionally give a luke-warm review of certain Disney attractions and services, they seem to give just about everthing an equally unabashed, THIS-is-the-BEST-thing-since-sliced-bread recommendation. Even if it's true, it's not helpful.

A terrifically informative book, with some time-saving and fewer money-saving ideas, for those seeking a "guide" in the true sense of the word.

The New York Daily news calls it "'official' yet insider..." but the "insider" here isn't exactly a whistle-blower.

For those looking for a book to frankly tell you, "Don't waste your time or money here"--you'll have to turn to an "unofficial" guide.