Walt Disney World and Orlando for Dummies

by Laura Lea Miller

If you want to escape to a world full of fun and fantasy, head for Walt Disney World & Orlando. The area is the No. 1 family vacation destination in the U.S., and this guide will show you hundreds of reasons why. Whether you're taking your kids or grandkids or treating your "inner child", you'll find tons to see and do. You can count a shark's teeth up close or swim with a dolphin . Tour some of the world's most unique countries at Epcot or the Haunted...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764596608
• ISBN13: 9780764596605
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: For Dummies
• Length: 382 Pages
• Weight: 0.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A Great Resource

As usual, Frommer's has produced another well written guide to the Walt Disney World complex. This, as well as the Unofficial Guide should be your 2 "must purchase" resources when planning any Disney trip. It covers everything from hotel and dining reviews, to concise touring plans for each park. The dining reviews alone are worth the price of the book. As for accurate touring, that is up to the individual. After 10+ trips to Walt Disney World, I pretty much know what to do and when to do it like the back of my hand. As for the review by Law Student, there is NO WAY you experienced everything Walt Disney World had to offer in 4 days, let alone adding in other Orlando attractions. There is NO WAY, and I repeat NO WAY humanly possibly to do the Magic Kingdom AND EPCOT in a single day! You easily missed 50% or better of each park, and at least 1 of the night time shows. There is no way to do Wishes! and Illuminations: Reflections of Earth in the same evening, due to scheduling and travel logistics. I definitely recommend this book as a planning resource. Take touring at your own pace, and realize that the average person will need at least 6 days to experience everything the 4 parks have to offer.

Great planning resource

My husband and I just went to Orlando for 4 days, and with the use of this guide, we were able to see the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Disney-MGM, Sea World, and Discovery Cove in those 4 days without feeling like we missed anything. We especially liked the 1-day planning guides for each park, which tell you what you must see if you only have one day at any particular Disney park (we were able to use these to see both Magic Kingdom and Epcot in one day, but keep in mind we have no kids in tow and we move fast!). We've used many, many Frommer's guides in the past, and some have been better than others. This one in particular was extremely helpful, and we have Frommer's to thank for the awesome time we had in Orlando.

Refreshingly Helpful

This is an incredibly astute, wittily written, and helpful guide with refreshingly accurate information about DisneyWorld. It includes honest tips to save money and economize on time while visiting the Disney complex. It inspired my trust (in part because it doesn't seem to follow the regular Disney marketing point-of-view) This book has honest (and sometimes humorous)insights about the ups and downs of Disney vacations for visitors of all ages.

We found this book to be a great resource!

My husband & I went to Orlando for the first time over Xmas 2006. This book really gave great information and suggestions for our time there. We enjoyed the restuants that they recommended and great reviews of the parks (what to see & what to skip) were very helpful!

Make the Most of This Special Vacation

The Dummies series uses icons in the margin to help you find info (Tips, Bargain Alert, For Grown Ups, Reminders). Here's the Table of Contents, so you can see what's included: Part I: Introducing Walt Disney World & Orlando. Chapter 1: Discovering the Best of Walt Disney World & Orlando. Chapter 2: Digging Deeper into Orlando. Chapter 3: Deciding When to Go. Part II: Planning Your Trip to Walt Disney World & Orlando. Chapter 4: Managing Your Money. Chapter 5: Getting to Orlando. Chapter 6: Catering to Special Travel Needs or Interests. Chapter 7: Taking Care of the Remaining Details. Part III: Settling into Orlando. Chapter 8: Arriving and Getting Oriented. Chapter 9: Checking In at Orlando's Best Hotels. Chapter 10: Dining and Snacking in Orlando. Part IV: Exploring Walt Disney World. Chapter 11: Getting Acquainted with Walt Disney World. Chapter 12: Magic Kingdom. Chapter 13: Epcot. Chapter 14: Disney-MGM Studios. Chapter 15: Animal Kingdom. Chapter 16: Enjoying the Rest of Walt Disney World. Chapter 17: Shopping in Walt Disney World. Part V: Exploring the Rest of Orlando. Chapter 18: Universal Studios Florida. Chapter 19: Islands of Adventure. Chapter 20: SeaWorld & Discovery Cove. Chapter 21: Discovering Orlando's Other Attractions. Chapter 22: Shopping in Orlando. Chapter 23: Going Beyond Orlando: Two Day Trips. Part VI: Living It Up After Dark: Orlando Nightlife. Chapter 24: Taking in the Dinner Shows. Chapter 25: Hitting the Clubs and Bars. Part VII: The Part of Tens. Chapter 26: Top Ten Cheap Alternatives to the Theme Parks. Chapter 27: Top Ten Fitness Activities in Orlando. I'd recommend if you're going to Disney World/Orlando, to get several guides to read ahead of the trip. Each has its strengths and none can cover all the attractions completely with so much to see in the area. Other titles to consider are: Beyond Disney: The Unofficial Guide to Universal, SeaWorld, and the Best of Central Florida Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Walt Disney World Fodor's Walt Disney World with Kids Frommer's Walt Disney World & Orlando with Kids