The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation [Paperback]

Steven Barrett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 2001

Barrett's guide cuts the fluff and cuts to the chase, offering only the essential information you need to enjoy every park and WDW property.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Make your visit to Walt Disney World a magical experience with this guidebook...especially good for parents with young children." -- Endless Vacation, July-August 2003,

An ideal planning guide, and most especially recommended for vacationing parents with young children in tow! -- Wisconsin Bookwatch, February 2003, p. 3

The essential information you need to know. -- Fran Fawcett, Fox News, KRIV-TV-Fox 26, Houston, November 16, 2001 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Author

No doubt about it, Walt Disney World is one of the most entertaining places anywhere. Yes, I admit it, I’m a rabid WDW aficionado. I have yet to find a ride or attraction at WDW that I didn’t enjoy, and I’ve experienced all of them many times. I began trekking to this mecca of tourism years ago on vacations once or twice yearly. Now I live nearby and can explore the wonders of WDW whenever I have the time (that is, as often as I can manage it).

Early on, I noticed an anomaly as I wandered the parks. Despite the worldwide appeal of WDW, some visitors weren’t enjoying themselves! Many of these folks had planned their monster vacation months ahead of time and weathered their kids’ salivating impatience for weeks, only to arrive at WDW and quickly wither in the crowds, the heat, and the ubiquitous long lines. Recently, I was on a boat ride from the Magic Kingdom to Fort Wilderness, and a man uttered a complaint that I’ve often heard at WDW: "This is supposed to be a vacation? I’ve been here five days, and I’m more tired than when I left home. I don’t feel like I’ve had a vacation at all!"

I began to wonder: What could people do to enhance their WDW experience? Some of the answers are obvious and have been mentioned in many other guidebooks. Some of the advice is not so obvious and is mentioned only in this book. What I’ve tried to accomplish in these pages is to give both first-time visitors and seasoned WDW pros the nuts and bolts tips and information for a hassle-free WDW vacation. If you follow my recommendations and touring plans, you will be as prepared as possible for a successful voyage to WDW. Enjoy!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: The Intrepid Traveler (September 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887140387
• ISBN-13: 978-1887140386
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,207,796 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't use this to Plan Your Vacation, June 6, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation (Paperback)

There are a LOT of very good Official and Unofficial Guides to Walt Disney World - this is not one of them.

First off the author, Steven Barrett, confesses he is "a rabid WDW aficionado. [He]has yet to find a ride or attraction at WDW that [he] didn't enjoy..." This was my first tip off that the forthcoming information was going to be biased. For this kind of 'guidance' I should have stuck with "The Official Guide" by Birnbaum.

Secondly there is nothing 'special' or different about this book when compared to "The Unofficial Guide" In fact, "The Hassle-free Vacation" is seriously lacking in key areas of information:. For example: WHERE to stay is covered in only 5 pages. A brief synopsis of each On Resort property is listed (you can get more complete information off the Walt Disney Web site) and only one paragraph is listed about Off Property hotels. (You're given the names and phone numbers of a few hotels plus the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau phone number. HOW TO GET AROUND the resort is less than one page long with the recommendation that you rent a private car. If you are staying on the Disney property and plan to use their bus services you are told routinely to 'check your Transportation Guide'.

What I DID like about this book are the following: A nice breakdown and brief description of each attraction in each park. (Keeping in mind that Steve likes everything. His touring plans, btw, seem to be very similar to the Unoffical Guide - I haven't compared them side by side/line by line, but generally appear to reinforce each other) Also, I liked the listing of full-service restaurants and the maps of each 'world'.

Bottom line: This book is good for people who just want to know a little bit about what to expect from the attractions at WDW. It is NOT a tool for planning your vacation. Those people who are nit-picky planners who want to research every aspect of their vacation (like me) will find the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World the best source; The Unofficial Guide is also good for people like me who mentally start their vacation while planning it. (Don't let it's enormous size intimidate you.)

This book WILL NOT HELP YOU figure out How Long to Stay, Where To Stay, How to Get the Most Bang for Your Buck, How to Save Money when Booking or Planning your Vacation, Which Park Ticket Option to Buy or What Special shows/events/attractions are available but not widely publicized.

For me this book was a waste of money - much of the same information could be found in guide maps and brochures available within the hotels and parks.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't visit Disney w/o reading this book first!, November 6, 2001

By 

R. Benfield "Ron" (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation (Paperback)

The author really knows his way around Walt Disney World! The book is written in a concise, easy to read, entertaining manner. He gives great advice on what to see and what not to waste time on. The detailed itineraries given are especially good, to help avoid the crowds and get the most fun into a day. I live in the Orlando area and know the parks fairly well, but I learned a lot to make my next visits even more interesting! Have seen several other books about WDW, and this is by far the best!! Highly recommended!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars OUT OF DATE, December 5, 2006

By 

Danielle Suzanne (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation: 2006 Edition (Hassle Free Walt Disney World Vacation) (Paperback)

While this may be an OK guide, please note that it was reprinted in 2006 withOUT being updated. Much of the information here is no longer true -- there are tips for attractions that don't exist anymore! Particularly troubling are inaccuracies related to ticketing, park hours, special events, on-site amenities, and dining/recreation/reservation policies. Some hints are still applicable and therefore helpful, but unknowing first-timers (or anyone who selects this guide as his/her sole source of information) will be misled in significant ways.