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By Cruisin’ Diva

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When I volunteered to read the 2017 Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids, I was anxious to see if any of their tips and tricks matched mine. I have been traveling to Walt Disney World for as long as I remember, and according to my parents, since I was a baby. When I had children of my own, I knew that I wanted them to experience Disney as much as I had. The twins first trip was a Disney Cruise at the age of 5 ½ months; they are now 9 years old, and have gone on 8 cruises and been to Walt Disney World numerous times. My youngest also experienced a Disney Cruise as his first trip at the age of 7 months old, and has been to Walt Disney World twice already, he is now 2 ½. We have always planned our own trips, from rides to when to take off days to where to eat. Since the inception of My Disney Experience and Fast Pass Plus, we still haven’t come fully on board and joined the bandwagon. We are so old school, but we understand that times have changed and technology is now a part of life. With that being said, when I started reading this book, I was completely overwhelmed. I am not one to organize a trip in depth, at all. We like to fly by the seat of our pants and just go with the flow, for the most part. There is tons of information in this book, and believe me, it is great information that goes into great detail. For me, it was a little too much info all at one time. If you were planning a once in a lifetime trip, this book is a must, especially if you are an organizing guru. This book is great, don’t get me wrong, it’s not something my family would need or use to plan an entire trip, but I definitely will reference it for tips and tricks.

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This book is broken down into 12 different parts and each part addresses a different part of your trip, from what to pack, where to stay, each of the 4 parks at WDW, the water parks, and even parks outside of Disney. It also includes maps and where some of the best viewing places are. First though, why is it called “unofficial”? The team of authors and researchers are all independent of the Walt Disney World Company and all of the affiliates. They are extreme Disney fanatics, like most of us are, and want to help make your trip the most memorable it can be.

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The twelve chapters are pretty self explanatory:

  • Basic Considerations
  • Getting Your Act Together
  • Where To Stay
  • Dining
  • Know Before you Go
  • Ready, Set, Tour!
  • The Magic Kingdom
  • Epcot
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios
  • Universal Orlando and Sea World
  • The Best of the Rest

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In my fantasy world, everyone should love all things Disney, but in reality, it’s not for everyone and this book really helps you decide if a Walt Disney World vacation with Kids is the best option for your family. In all honesty, if you do choose to go on a once in a lifetime vacation, get this book and start planning. There is really no wrong way to do Disney. Every resort is amazing, there is no shortage of places to eat where the food is phenomenal, and there are endless fun activities going on for all ages. This book will help you choose the best route, the best resort, the best restaurants, what to pack, where to park, and tons of other tips that will best suit your family’s needs. At 480 pages, it’s quite a read, so make sure you get it in plenty of time to read and plan your trip.

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If a Disney vacation, of any kind, is in your future, be sure to pick up a copy of the UG book that would best fit your needs. Here are the ones that are available (click the link to be taken directly to Amazon):

What’s even better than buying one of these guidebooks? Winning one! Just enter our contest and you will be entered to win your very own Unofficial Guide! Once you’re ready to start planning your vacation, don’t forget to contact Patricia Payne at All For Dreams Travel!

Disclaimer: Liliane Opsomer from The Unofficial Guide series provided me a complimentary copy of The Unofficial Guide to Disney World With Kids 2017 to review.  She also generously has allowed Tips from the Disney Divas and Devos to give away a copy of another Unofficial Guide book to our readers.  I received no other compensation for my review, and my opinions are completely my own.

Also, all of the copyrights for the photographs used in this article belong to Liliane Opsomer and are being used with their permission.

 

***Disclaimer – We at Tips from the Disney Divas and Devos hope you enjoy reading our articles, and encourage you to share any you feel may be of interest to someone else. We do ask, however, if you choose to share the photographs attached to our articles, you give credit to the photographer. Thank you for your cooperation and sharing our love of Disney!

 

***GIVEAWAY*** Enter to win your choice of any of the Unofficial Guide books!
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