Customer Reviews

Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation 2010

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

As a frequent business traveler to Orlando, I have upon occasion found myself with some spare time on my hands. Steve Barrett's book has enabled me to maximize short trips to Disney. I have also found his book essential in "scouting" the best locations and activites for the times my family (husband and sons, ages 8 and 10) are able to join me. His book is a must read in order to make the most out of your vacation time whether traveling alone or with the whole family. Whether you have just an afternoon or the luxury of an entire week.

I purchased this book and two others. Quite frankly the others were rubbish. One of the other giudes suggested hints to save money on food, "don' eat", hardly a good guide.

Steve or Uncle Steve as we called him after a week of using his book knows his way around Disneyworld. His schedules whilst not perfect will allow you to see as much as humanly possible in the time you have allocated.

Here is the only problem, can you and your family keep up with his pace? I found that after four days of his schedules we were just about shot. If you are going to go "hardcore" and use his schedule then plan in a rest day somewhere in the middle. You can also just take a time out and miss a ride in the middle. Good ones to do this on are the little kiddy rides. On a rest day just go to the pool and maybe catch dinner and a Disney firework show, then get an early night for the next day.

Last year I went to Disney on 4 separate occasions, one 5 day, 2 3 days and a 2 day. Having Steves book made sure I got value for money. I have been on EVERY ride (except Dumbo) at least once, and my favourite rides 3-5 times in this period.

I truly feel sorry for people who don't use a guide and go to Disneyworld and wander aimlessly through the park. They may get 4 rides in a day, if they are lucky. If you are spending up to $1000 or more on tickets for your family to visit then get your moneys worth.

Buy the guide, read it, read it again and take it with you. It will be one of the cheapest things you buy related to Disney anyway.

The strength of this book is its touring plans. Dr. Barrett has clearly spent a lot of time in careful consideration of the pros and cons of different touring styles for each of the Disney theme parks. The book seems to favor a relaxed style of touring that is popular with many families and seniors, rather than plans that minimize one's wait in line. Good advice on general touring plan strategy is also provide.

Unfortunately, "The Hassle-Free WDW Vacation" did not help decrease our WDW "hassles". Actually, I suspect that anyone who tried to follow any of the "Touring Plans" detailed for the WDW parks would end up feeling like their vacation was more work than play. Here are some of the reasons I would not recommend buying this book:

1) The book is essentially a book of lists..."what to do on arrival day" (a confusing array of suggestions), "what to do on departure day"-that list includes "revisit attractions (!) , look for Hidden Mickeys" -(..hmmmm-there's a "Hidden Mickey" book also written by this author) , and what to pack (this is the one helpful list!)

2) The bulk of the book is a series of minute to minute one and two day plans broken down by visitor age groups.
I suppose some WDW visitors would wish to "attack" the parks, list in hand with the plan to run to the most coveted ride at opening, sprint to the first FastPass in the next 20 min, "exit and turn left" and approach the character greeting place, etc. However, these plans are going to fail at the first changed mind or missed step. Also there is a lot of generalization about what would appeal to an age group without taking into account individual needs.

3)The plans also include suggestions that have actually (believe it or not) been tested for accuracy and disproved elsewhere...such as the frequently stated (by this author) "choose the left queue". That "truism" is at the level of an urban myth by now.

4) If visitors do want to attack the park this way- following plans step by step- the weather, time of year, crowd level and make-up all need to be considered. These plans do not take these factors into account.
(For example if you go to WDW-as we did- when school is "in"- Fantasyland will be packed with the tiny tots, while rides appealing to grade school and older kids will be less in demand. For the few times we actually "went on attack" it really helped to take this factor into account.)

5) There are frequently vague suggestions in the plans such as "Take in a show"...there is significant variability as to the amount of time a visitor needs to set aside for each and every show in any of the parks in WDW- Each show is different and needs specific timing and cannot just be randomly plugged into a timed out "plan for the day".

6) There is little other helpful information or details in the book.

I would only recommend this book to someone who has one or two days to spend at all of WDW and wants to seriously prioritize. And if you are one of those people, check the book out at the library, look over the ideas then make your own schedule, using information from guide books that are a better buy for the money.

This book is worth its weight in gold. We did not use it for any other purpose other than to figure out how to tour the parks (although he does give you a really great comprehensive packing list - loved & used it). We had already decided where to stay. That is what the internet and travel agents are for! What is incredibly difficult is figuring out how to see everything in these parks in the little time you actually have. Your answer is in this book. The author gives several touring plans depending upon your family type (i.e., with young kids, adults with teens, seniors, etc.). He also provides 1 or 2 day touring plans and those considering the early and late entry hours. We just returned from Disney and each day I ripped out the pages for the park we were visiting and USED his touring plan. They WORK! We never waited more than 15-20 minutes for a ride. We did not leave the park for a break and come back since the parks never got overwhelmingly crowded (we went in June - if you go in the summer pack a cheap rain poncho per person per day because it rains each day; get them 2 for a dollar at the dollar store). We did find that going right when the parks opened (with the early morning hours and avoiding the days the parks were extremely crowded - this info is available on the internet) was extra-ordinarily helpful. You will see the most in those first 2 hours or so if you do this. We stayed until around 1-3. Then we rested a short time and had an early dinner. Most critical component not stated in ANY book is to get a LOT of sleep. We saw so many angry, cranky parents dragging around sleepy crying (very young) kids. These were parents going OUT to the fireworks when we were coming BACK after dinner (to go to bed)! The other thing not mentioned is that my parents took me when I was 12 and I could go on all the rides. I took my kids when they were 10, 12, and 14 - they had the time of their lives and *they* went on all the rides and had the time of their lives ("best vacation ever"). We saw parents coaxing their kids to go on rides that the kids did not want to (I saw a mom tell her kids ages 4-5, "it is like floating - you'll LOVE it!" for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - yikes!) and the kids crying miserably afterward. It goes on and on... Don't do it! If you want to really enjoy the parks with the kids - use this book to go on all the rides, use a travel agent to help you find a place to stay, and go when you kids are older so you CAN go on all the rides (added bonus - they will actually remember the vacation too)! Oh -- don't forget to SLEEP!

This book helped us make the most of a 3 1/2 day trip from Jan.3-6, 2010. We successfully followed
his "game-plan" for WDW, EPCOT, and making restaurant reservations. Everything worked out perfectly--
his restaurant reviews were right on the money---everyone very good. Highly recommend this book.
Our group was 2 teens and 2 forty year olds. We stayed off-site (one mile away and saved tons of money
as compared to staying in a WDW property).

No trip to WDW is completely hassle-free, but Mr. Barrett's touring plans and advice allow you to make the most of your time in the parks. His touring plans may seem too structured at first but you must remember his "Basic Rules for Touring" and adjust your day as necessary. Tips for the least-crowded restaurants and restrooms are invaluable on those hot, shoulder-to-shoulder days. The book was just as valuable on our third trip to Disney World as it was on our first.