Customer Reviews

Walt Disney World with Kids, 2003: Including Disney Cruise Line and Universal Orlando's CityWalk and Islands of Adventure (Travel with Kids)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

i've used this guide for four years in a row and find it to be the best on the market for parents with young kids. Two areas are especially useful to us - Miss Wiley gives full reviews of all the Disney hotels with lists of pluses and minuses for each hotel. I have found her recommendations to be accurate in each of the hotels we've stayed at. The other big plus is that she rates the rides in terms of how appropriate they are for kids of different ages. None of the other books do this and you can really tell that she has kids of her own. She is right when she says that scaring a child to death first thing in the morning by making him ride Space Mountain will guarantee he won't try anything else the rest of the day, even Dumbo. (I learned this one the hard way before I started buying books about Disney world.) We had Miss Wiley's book last time down when our extended family contained kids who ranged in age from 2 to 14 and the "scare factor" ratings and ride advice was very helpful.

I have mixed feelings reviewing this guidebook. I found its recommendations - particularly the "scare factor" ratings and "don't miss" lists of rides and attractions, and the restaurant reviews - to be better than those of the other book I used to plan my recent Disney World vacation. However, the overall presentation of information is not well-organized enough to be helpful to visitors unfamiliar with Disney World, and vacation-planning information is not nearly as comprehensive as that of other guides. The guidebook is written in a cheery conversational tone that makes for easy reading but is not well-suited for quick reference use. "Helpful hints" and "insider's tips" are presented in marginal text boxes: the information is helpful but hard to refer back to quickly. Touring tips and suggestions for developing a touring plan may be useful to those who are already somewhat familiar with Disney World but didn't help me (a Disney novice) at all; furthermore, most of the suggestions are not applicable to off-season travelers. Finally, the guide includes detailed reviews of on-site hotels but no reviews of off-site hotels. If you are a return visitor to Disney World looking for some updated help in planning your stay, this may be the only guide you need. If you have never been to Disney World, or if you are considering staying off-site, this book is worth buying but don't expect it to have all the information you need.

This is one of the best travel books ever written. We have been using it since we first traveled to Disney World in 1992, when our child was small. It was indispensable for a first-time Disney family, giving valuable hints about what to see and when to see it, to get the most out of a limited vacation time. This book is also fun to read-a very witty and breezy style, packed with information but not hard to get through while planning your trip. Over the years, we have continued to use the book every time we traveled to WDW. Each new edition has up-to-date information, and this one is no exception. There are always some helpful tidbits even for experienced park-goers. Although the book is all about managing the trip with kids, there are fantastic suggestions for what adults will enjoy seeing too, and some of the better grown-up dining experiences. You won't regret buying Wiley's book, especially at this price!

As a Disney nut, I have looked at every Diseny guidebook on the market trying to get the best scoop for my family's favorite theme park. Walt Disney World with Kids, by Kim Wright Wiley is hands down my favorite. I use the book each year and give a copy to friends as soon as they plan a trip. Ms. Wiley is a shrewd theme park navigator with a mother's heart. You can trust her to tell you where to be and when and what rides are appropriate for any age child. Her restaurant reviews are also on target. Buy this book without reservation. ..You won't be disappointed.

I was disappointed to learn the author works for Disney. As a result, you only get the message, "Disney can do no wrong." For example, she praises every Disney hotel, but implies that hotels outside of the Disney park may be sleezy or in bad neighborhoods. (I know from experience that many hotels in the "Maingate" area of Orlando are a MUCH better value than the over-priced, less-than-impressive Disney "All Star Resorts.") Although there are some good tips for taking along your children, the book fails to provide an unbiased account that helps my family plan an economical, but fun trip. I did not feel I got my money's worth with Kim Wiley's book.

I would instead recommend the "Unofficial Guide to WDW," which gives a much broader and well-balanced approach to planning a trip to Disney. This book saved us both time and money on our last trip.

I am perhaps a trifle obsessive compulsive when it comes to Disney; I have read a total of 8 guidebooks in preparing for my next trip. In each book I have found something worthwhile, and enough reading pleasure, to justify the purchase price. However, if I was only going to read one guidebook, this would be the one.
Discounting the strong advice to stay onsite (a very expensive option), I found this guide to be the most sane, and the most well designed to give you a happy, well remembered vacation. The author omits touring plans in favor of common sense advice; my favorite is the recommendation to identify every person's top three attractions and focus on seeing these, rather than attempting to see everything. A priceless feature is a table that shows height limits and fright factors for each ride in each park (including the Universal complex). This simple compilation makes it easy to prepare your kids for what they will and will not be able to see on your vacation.
If you have enough time and energy, I would recommend adding Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide to balance the lighthearted tone of this book with some down-to-earth cynicism. Given a choice, however, this is the one book I think will most contribute to my vacation.

Each time my family of five descends upon DisneyWorld, we take along Wiley's guidebook. Particularly helpful are her assessments of what rides are appropriate for what ages, i.e. the "scare factor," as well as her recommeded order of amusements for a day filled with fun rather than fright and fears, ending in tears. Wiley writes with great clarity and authority. It is evident through the narrative that she has been there, done this with her own kids, and kindly passes on her expert tips for an enjoyable time that satisfies all ages. I have used other guides and this is THE best guide for parents with kids of all ages.

Waste of money for me. If you have never been to Disney before this book may be helpful to you. I have been several times with husband, friends, and adult family. We have our first trip coming up with our new family member - our 18mo little boy. The focus of this book is "with Kids". There was nothing of use to me in this book that anyone who has been to Disney even 1 time would not know already. Not much "kid specific" information. Disappointed. So if you've been to WDW before and are now taking your kids you should know everything in this book already. Good for 1st timers only.

I have every edition of this book. Even now that my child is almost 17 I still purchased the book for our 2003 trip to Disney World. It is a great resource for families as well as adults traveling without kids. Not only does it come in handy to plan park visits, but we also rely on the information to select our Disney World hotel. The author has a great sense of humor which makes the reading fun!

This book was awesome and such a great help for our trip. The charts for each park that shows fear factor and height requirement was super helpful. We also bought the other unofficial guide to Disney and this one was by far the best. This one is easy to read and direct. The other book adds alot of unneeded jibberish.