Mini-Mickey '98: The Pocket-Size Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World [Abridged] [Paperback]

Bob Sehlinger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1997 | Series: Unofficial Guides

The renowned Unofficial Guides "RM" are trusted by millions of readers. No other series dares to be this candid -- the Unofficial Guides "RM" are the "Consumer Reports" of travel guides. Every hotel and attraction is rated and ranked by a team of unbiased inspectors.

Value-conscious and loaded with tips that help readers avoid wasting time and money, each guide is easy to use, with detailed descriptions of a wide range of hotels and restaurants in all price categories. Readers love the rating system used to objectively evaluate attractions, hotels, and restaurants. Handy charts demonstrate how each place stacks up against the competition.

The Unofficial Guides "RM" contain the most honest evaluations of the Disney parks on the market (with each ride rated and given a suggested age group), and offer proven strategies for enjoying them with a minimum of hassle. Unofficial "RM" Las Vegas rates and ranks the casinos, and provides useful strategies for beating the odds.

Each guide is tailored to provide convenience and insider advice on each destination, and addresses the needs of families, business travelers, and more by giving them the lowdown on what's really worth their time and money. Also included are accurate maps, plus detailed information on shopping, nightlife, sports, and more.

Look for a contemporary new cover design on this fall's list!

A concise, pocket-size version of the best-selling Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The series aims to help people outsmart queues, advises which rides to avoid, where to shop and dine" (Essex Style, Norfolk Journal & Cambridge Style, January 2008) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World

"A Tourist's Best Friend!"
—Chicago Sun-Times

"Indispensable"
—The New York Times

Five Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide:

1. Insider advice on when to go: the best times of the year and the best days of the week

2. A complete ranking of accommodations both in and outside "the World," with commuting times to all four Disney World theme parks

3. Concise overviews of all theme parks and no-nonsense evaluations of the most popular attractions

4. Practical tips on making the most of your time, including easy-to-follow one- and two-day touring plans of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM, and the Animal Kingdom

5. The straight story on how to avoid long lines for rides, shows, and meals

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan General Reference (December 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028620356
• ISBN-13: 978-0028620350
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,821,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bob Sehlinger, a Lowell Thomas Award winning journalist, is best known as the creator and producer of the Unofficial Guide Series published by Wiley Publishing Inc. and sold worldwide.

He is credited with being the first to apply research techniques from the fields of operations research and statistics to travel guides. Among other projects, he was able to develop mathematical models that could save theme park patrons more than three hours of standing in queue in a single day.

Sehlinger and his research team (pictured) have had numerous adventures and developed some unusual methodologies. Here's a sampling from research for The Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World:

"We've slept in every Disney resort multiple times and more than 80 Orlando-area properties. Only once did we wake up covered in bugs. (It was a non-Disney hotel.)"

"We test hotel room soundproofing using a sophisticated digital sound meter and a copy of The Who's Greatest Hits."

"The first time we did Orlando spa reviews, one of our researchers had an eyebrow burned off during a waxing that went horribly awry."

"We once logged more than 700 miles in one week on buses to test Disney's transportation system, and never left Disney property. The bus drivers got so used to us being on board that one forgot we were there and took us back to the bus garage when his shift ended."

"We test pillow fluffiness using a measurement process we invented. We intended to use a fake human head as part of the test, but worried about getting it through airport security. We settled on a gallon jug of water, which is about the same size and weight as an average adult's noggin."

"When we test counter-service restaurants, we order at least one of everything on the menu, and break up in to small teams to sample each thing. We've tried every counter-service food item in every American Disney theme park."

"Our crowd prediction models take in to account everything from the day of week and time of year, to the vacation schedules of the fifty largest school districts east of the Mississippi, to weather phenomena including temperature, rainfall and humidity."

Bob Sehlinger is founder and co-owner of Keen Communications, a book publishing company that includes Menasha Ridge Press in Birmingham, Alabama; Clerisy Press in Cincinatti, Ohio; and Wilderness Press in Berkeley, California. The author of twenty-seven books, Sehlinger is a past president of the Publishers Association of the South, and has served at the invitation of the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Information Service on educational missions for publishers in Hungary, Romania, and Russia.

Before becoming involved in writing and publishing, Sehlinger was CEO of SAGE, inc., a wilderness arts teaching and expeditional company that produced courses in kayaking, rock climbing, survival, and backpacking (among others) for high schools and universities in a 7-state area. During this period Sehlinger served as president of the Eastern Professional River Outfitters Association. Sehlinger makes his home in Birmingham, Alabama where he continues to be an avid river runner and mountain biker.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Down-sized Unofficial Guide, March 30, 2000

By 

Carol McCardell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mini Mickey: The Pocket-Sized Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2000 (Unofficial Guides) (Paperback)

I compared Mini Mickey to the full sized Unofficial guide 2000, and here are the differences. There are star ratings on hotels and restaurants, but Sehlinger eliminated the paragraph descriptions on each hotel and restaurant. That's the main way he took the bulk out of the book for a pocket sized edition. If a traveler does his homework before traveling to Florida, he will already know what hotel he wants to stay in, and have a general idea what pricy restaurants he wants to try. Go to your local library and review the full-sized edition for lodging and dining details. Buy this Mini Mickey to take with you to the park, and you will have relieved yourself of some valuable weight and bulk.

Mini Mickey still has all the detailed descriptions of each attraction. The only real weakness I see is that Sehlinger rates some of the simulation rides and roller coasters as 3 stars for preschoolers, when they won't even make the height requirement. These rides aren't appropriate for preschoolers anyway. I think Sehlinger has a tendency to overlook the special needs of our youngest children. Any parent can read the description and realize that the ride is too intense for their little guys and disregard the star ratings.

Missing from the 2000 edition is a description of Disney's new Fast Pass. Guests can use their tickets to get a 'reservation' time to go to the front of certain popular rides. That way they can enjoy other areas of the park while they wait. The only catch is that they can only reserve one ride at a time.

Also missing is the fact that Bear in the Big Blue House has a live stage show at MGM Studios. That's a big plus for parents of toddlers like myself. My grilfriend went to MGM Studios last February (2000) and was surprised to find Bear! Disney is always changing their parks to keep them fresh, and it seems that this development missed the press time.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Small Book, Big Knowledge, January 7, 2001

By 

R. J. Vaules "disneydig.com" (Idaho) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mini Mickey: The Pocket-Sized Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2001 (Unofficial Guides) (Paperback)

I call this the "travel version" of Sehlinger's "Unofficial Guide to WDW". The difference is one is a planning guide, while "Mini Mickey" holds just enough insightful information to use while you are already at WDW. The same "battle" plans for a variety of touring desires are included. These plans have saved my family hours of time a day from having to stand in line, and this is beyond the time that Disney's Fast Pass now saves.

The information is blunt and its pull no punches style is intended to make your vacation run well with the true "insider" information, not the PR information that Disney feeds another series of guide books.

This book fits well into my fanny pack, and I can quickly access the information and plans to keep well ahead of the crowds. I include this book in all of my WDW travel plans, and also give it to friends and family as a present to help them keep their WDW vacations sane and stress free.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have for Walt Disney World Visitors!, April 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mini Mickey: The Pocket-Sized Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 1999 (Frommer's Unofficial Guides Travel Series) (Paperback)

We used this guide to visit MGM, Magic Kingdom and even Universal and rarely waited more than 30 minutes in line. He tells you exactly when to go where. It made doing one park each day very easy. Most of all, it saved us a 3 hour wait at Space Mountain. We waited 10 minutes!