“The Complete Disney World 2009” is pretty as a picture

Jim Hill

16 years ago

“What’s the best Disney World guidebook out there?”

This is a question that I get asked a lot. From JHM readers as well as by friends & families. And — to be honest — I never know quite what I should say in response.

Why For? Because different people respond in different ways to the various WDW guidebooks that are out there. Take — for example — the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. There are a lot of people who absolutely swear by this book. They won’t get on a plane to Orlando unless they have the latest edition tucked away in their carry-on bag. So that these WDW visitors can then follow Len Testa’s carefully crafted touring plans around the Parks.

On the other hand, there are a number of Disneyana fans who regularly take issue with the Unofficial Guide. Mostly because its publishers have chosen to hire some boob to provide semi-amusing anecdotes for their book. Maybe you’ve heard of this guy? Jim Hill?

Anyway … The point that I’m trying to make here is that — when it comes to all the Disney World guidebooks that are currently on the market — your mileage may vary. You could be the type of person who just loves the Birnbaum Guides (which — given that this series of guidebooks
are actually published by the Walt Disney Company — they kind of redefine the terms “upbeat” & “positive”). Or perhaps you’re someone who longs for a luxurious Disney World vacation experience. Does the very idea of going to Orlando makes you feel like a Complete Idiot? If so, there’s a WDW guidebook out there that will suit your needs.

So how’s about this: Rather than talking about which Disney World guidebook is the best, why don’t I tell which WDW guidebook is the best looking? And — in that case — it’s really not a contest anymore. Julie & Mike Neal’s “The Complete Walt Disney World 2009” (Coconut Press, December 2008) wins by a country mile.

“The Complete Walt Disney World” describes itself as being ” … the only photo-driven guidebook for the No. 1 vacation destination.” And it’s easy to see why.

Filled with over 400 full color photographs of the Walt Disney World Resort, this 336 page guidebook could almost double as a pictorial souvenir of the place.

But the Neals … They don’t want “The Complete Walt Disney World” to just be known for all of its pretty pictures. They want to make sure that their guidebook is actually loaded with up-to-date information about the WDW Resort.

Which is why — just prior to the publication of their 2009 edition — Julie & Mike completely reworked the front part of their guidebook. Adding an 8-page “What’s New” section as well as several articles that detail how to save time & money while vacationing at the Resort.

And did I mention that full page of “cheats” for “Toy Story Mania” ? Which will then allow you to rack up ridiculously high scores at this new interactive attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The end result is a guidebook that’s easy on the eye as well as an extremely informative read. In short, “The Complete Walt Disney World” is the sort of guidebook that will actually make you excited about your upcoming WDW vacation. Rather than start you fretting about how early you should get to the Parks and/or what attraction you should run to first.

Okay. I know. There are lots of JHM readers who take their trips to Walt Disney World very seriously. They want to do all sorts of advance planning because they’re looking to avoid hassles
or because they’re on some sort of special diet and/or an extremely tight budget.

But if you want a WDW guidebook that you can leave out on your coffee table once you get back home, so that your friends and family can then see beautiful full color photographs of where you just went on vacation, there’s really only one book that you should pick up. And that’s Julie & Mike Neal’s “The Complete Walt Disney World 2009.”