Fodor's Walt Disney World®, Universal Orlando®, and Central Florida 2006 (Fodor's Gold Guides)

By Fodor's Travel Publications Inc.

Book Overview

The most magical guide of all, updated every year Ratings of every attraction in Disney's Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, Universal Studios, Sea World, Busch Gardens, Cypress Gardens, and beyond Top tips for parents--including what's scary for kids How to make a splash at the wild water parks Sights to see in Orlando and side trips to Cocoa Beach Where to stay and eat, no matter what your budget From dinner shows to Disney character breakfasts, elegant restaurants to 24-hour diners, Thai food to French fare Hotels, motels, resorts, and villas from cheap to posh Fresh, thorough, practical--off and on the beaten path Costs, hours, descriptions, and tips by the thousands All reviews based on visits by savvy writer-residents 22 pages of maps--and dozens of unique features Important contacts and smart travel tips Disney-at-a-Glance Guide What's Where Pleasures & Pastimes, the don't-miss activities New & Noteworthy Background essays Festivals Complete index And more

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679035443
• ISBN13: 9780679035442
• Release Date: August 1997
• Publisher: Fodor's Travel Publications
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.0" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Solid, but not the best

As you might expect from the title, the bulk of the material in this book is focused on the various theme parks in the Orlando area. In addition, you will find all the standard Fodor's material covering restaurants, hotels, and general information about visiting the area. The information provided is useful and accurate. Fodor's updates it once a year and subject to constant little changes in the real world, they do a good job of keeping it current. Still, if you're interested in anything like the Disney Dining Plan that can change at any time it always pays to go to Disney's web site and check for the most current information available. The theme parks are covered pretty comprehensively. The strategies offered for avoiding long lines at the theme parks are helpful. The book also gives descriptions and ratings of every ride and attraction at each park. The descriptions are almost too detailed (if you want any surprises) and their ratings are sometimes a bit generous. Still, the material is helpful in deciding which rides to make sure you see and what can be skipped if time is short. All in all, this is an above average guide. It does, however, suffer in comparison to The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World 2009 (Unofficial Guides), which is the ultimate help in planning a trip to Orlando. The Unofficial Guide is hundreds of pages longer and every bit of it is crammed with useful information with the hotel and dining coverage proving especially weak here compared to it. Still, Some travelers are actually put off by the sheer volume of information in the Unofficial Guide and this might be a choice that would be less intimidating and more easily digested if you prefer to invest a bit less time in the planning stage of your trip.

Solid Guidebook to make the most of your trip

The 2005 edition adds another 50 pages of info over the previous edition. Hotels, restaurants and admission prices can change rapidly in the area, so it's worthwhile to have the most recent guidebook. I live in the area and count on the Fodor's to give the detail essential to a successful excursion with our visitors. There is soooo much to see at Disney and around the area that you will miss a lot if you don't have a good guidebook like this. I like the "Strategies" highlights that give the best times to visit certain attractions and the "Need a Break" inserts that clue you into quick, but satisfying snack places. They also mark in the margin "Fodor's Choice" to help you find some of the best activities.

An excellent travel guide

As is fitting for a guide on Orlando, the bulk of this book is focused on the various theme parks. In addition, all the standard Fodor's material is here covering restaurants and hotels.The information is very useful and accurate. The strategies offered for avoiding long lines at the theme parks are spot-on. The book also gives descriptions and ratings of every ride and attraction at each park. The descriptions are almost too detailed (if you want any surprises) and their ratings are sometimes a bit generous. Still, the material is quite helpful in deciding which rides to make sure you see and what can be skipped if time is short.All in all this is an excellent book that was extremely helpful to me on my trips to Orlando. The writing is clear and concise, the information is organized logically, and the information is accurate and useful.

An essential travel tool

As is fitting for a guide on Orlando, the bulk of this book is focused on the various theme parks. In addition, all the standard Fodor's material is here covering restaurants and hotels.For the most part I found the material to be very useful and accurate. The strategies they give you for avoiding long lines for rise at the theme parks are spot-on. The book also gives descriptions and ratings of every ride and attraction at each park. The descriptions are almost too detailed (if you want any surprises) and their ratings are sometimes too generous. Still, the material is often helpful in deciding which rides to make sure you see and what can be skipped if time is short.All in all this is an excellent book that was extremely helpful to me on my trips to Orlando. The writing is clear and concise, the information is organized logically, and the information is accurate and useful. You won't find a better guide to the Orlando area and its theme parks.

Get to know Orlando/WDW

I bought this book and thoroughly enjoyed every page! The information is excellent, and will assist you with everything you need to know about Orlando, and Walt Disney World. The tips are very helpful, and will provide the opportunity to make the most out of your stay. Orlando, and Walt Disney World need such publications to help travelers navigate the area and attractions! If you are planning a vacation to Orlando, or Walt Disney World-I highly recommend this book as part of your luggage.