[brumcg]

I was asked to review the 2002 Passporter when I received it, and Amazon.com finally got around to sending it to me.

The Passporter is a combination guidebook, organizer, and planner in a ring binder format. I bought the deluxe edition for $27.97 at Amazon.com; there is a non-Deluxe edition available for $21.95. I think that the difference is the deluxe edition comes with an unexpectedly nice faux leather cover. A nice touch...refills are available from the publisher for $17.56; if you like the PassPorter, you don't have to buy the whole kit again - just the annual update. Also, I noticed that they have printable page updates from their website, and that's a great service considering how fast things can change at WDW!

I had seen a previous version in a bookstore, but it didn't get on my shopping list until my wife and I did the "I don't have the priority seating list, you do, no you do, I'm sure I gave it to you, no you didn't" routine (for the record, she was right, of course!).

As I see it, there are 2 key elements to the "book"; one is a nice 286-page guidebook and the other is the planning pages/envelopes. I'd rate the guidebook as the second best that I've seen (the best is Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide, IMO). The planning page/envelopes are, however, what makes this different from any other guidebook.

The GuideBook itself uses planning as its theme. Throughout are lists and worksheets to work out budgets, travel, lodging, attraction visiting, etc... It spends whopping 87 pages on lodging - 64 on reviewing the Disney properties. A great map and lots of useful information accompany each resort. IMO, it covers the resorts better than any other publication.

Surprisingly, the 4 main parks themselves only get a total of 54 pages. Each attraction is covered in a paragraph or so, but they do pack quite a few things into each entry: 3-4 ratings, type of attraction, popularity, age appropriateness, any possible warnings (i.e. "loud", "sudden drops"), what kind of line to expect, how long the attraction lasts, a mostly factual description of the ride including height restrictions and wheelchair access, and possibly an Allie's Kid Tips. Each attraction has a rating by Author Jennifer Watson, Author Dave Marx, a Reader rating (I believe tallied from their extensive website), and maybe an Allie Marx "A-OK!" rating. Allie is the 9-year-old daughter of author Dave Marx, and an "A-OK!" means she thinks it's fine for kids. Her "Allie's KidTip" at the bottom of the descriptions range from the sublime (recommendations on where kids should sit) to the ridiculous (letting kids know the volcano in Epcot's Mexico isn't real!). Personally, I love the compactness of each entry, but I rarely look at any of the ratings other than the Readers. For example, Jennifer rates Tower of Terror a 3 out of 10 and Allie doesn't like it (Dave and the Readers give it a 9/10). I like Sehlinger's rating breakdowns more. Oh...each Park has a great fold out map! A huge plus in my book!

The extras (Water Parks, Downtown Disney, Disney Quest, etc...) are covered in the same detail as the attractions in the 4 main parks - a nice touch. Dining gets 41 pages. I LOVE to eat at WDW, but the author's tastes are quite a bit different than my own, and I found this section disappointing. Most other areas get a page or two (Childcare, Backstage Tours, Special Events, etc...). Oh...there is a FANTASTIC list of web sites in the book - the best list I've seen - although the best website isn't listed - DisneyCentral! Must have been too new...

Another important note... All of the 2002 books drive me crazy since they were written around May 2001. Because of the late publication date, PassPorter was written through November 2001; the bonus is that they have all of the info regarding the cutbacks.

From a visual perspective, the maps get high praise from me, but photos are few and far between and all in black and white. I'm not a fan of Birnbaum's text content, but if I want to get the kids jazzed about Disney, no other publication has the same effect as Birnbaum's with the great pictures and color graphics.

On to the PassPockets...the planning pages/envelopes. In the deluxe edition, I received 14 of them... One for "Our Journey", one for "Our Lodging", ten "Day" pages, one blank page, and one "Our Magic Memories" page. Each is an envelope that you could put receipts, coupons, pictures, whatever. Each page has spaces (front and back) for exactly what you would think - stuff like flight information, rental car, "things to do" checklists, budget/expense tracking, "notes for next time", reservation info of all kind, and plenty of places to write down the memories that you want to make sure to jot down. If you want/need more envelopes, you can order additional from the publisher.

I like what I see in the Passporter, but I'll withhold my final judgement until my trip is complete (in Early June). The planning aspect of the book is what makes it unique and somewhat pricey; if you don't use the planning bits, then you'd be much better off with Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide. I’m hoping that I’ll fully utilize the planning and journal aspect of the PassPorter, and then I’ll have a permanent record of our trip to supplement my dodgy memory.

Whew! Thanks for reading! I’ll be happy to answer any specific questions.

Bruce