[Jen]

Just received my Unoffical Guide to WDW 2005 in the mail on Friday. (from Amazon.com through this site) I'm a bit overwhelmed! Looks like one of my books from college!

Here's my question:

Should I read this cover to cover - or pick out sections to read? How can I use this book to it's fullest? I'm an avid reader - but this book is a bit daunting - graphs and percentages looks like homework, lol!

Also, I purchased the Offical Guide to WDW (much smaller, AND it has PICTURES!) and was wondering what readers thought of their sample park intineraries.


I've barely had a chance to look at either of these books since this is mid-work week for me - so I'm looking for suggestions on where to start.

Thanks!

Jen

ps Dana, if you read this thread - love your new Avatar!

[mickaholic4077]

The Unofficial Guide is great!!! I would read it cover-to-cover,except for the portions that totally aren't in my purview(WDW for Seniors,etc). To me the Official Guide,while it has pictures,gives you the company line and not necessarily the truth.

[Dana]

I have read each one cover to cover. I love the pixie dust in the official one, but the honesty of the unofficial one much more. The touring plans in the official one are not nearly as timed for crowd conditions as the officials. You aren't going to need touring plans for January, but it's nice to have a skelton plan to give you some kind of direction while there. Fast passes are hardly going to be necessary with the crowds, so the plans don't make sense for you. They are meant for the extreme or modereate crowds. Definately read it through. they have excellent budget tips and all kind of neat tid-bits about the attractions. Enjoy!

[llama]

I just have to echo what others have said. The pictures in the Official are great - but obviously, it's a tad biased. The Unofficial is absolutely the best. Just put it on your nightstand and read some every night. Of course, you don't have to read what you're not interested in or the sections that don't apply to you. One of the best things in the Unofficial are the letters and opinions of others. And the humour is great. And the plain truth is, the better you're prepared for WDW, the better time you'll have.

[roxie]

Originally Posted by llama

Just put it on your nightstand and read some every night.

That's what we did!
You'll find that you will go back and re-read alot of sections, too. It's a great source of information - you will love it.

[Jen]

Thanks! I'm going to get a little reading done tonite. Cold grey day - so it's to bed early with that giant book!

Jen

[anaheimboy]

I like to skim through it and kinda pick out sections that I wanna read first. Then finish the rest when Im done looking at the other sections first. :-)

[disneyguy]

Here is what I do, I start out saying "I am going to read this cover to cover!". I know a lot about WDW, so if I reach a section that I A) don't need or B) already know about then I will skip it. Also, there is a lot of pages devoted to resturaunts and Universal. I would read it cover to cover, you know what you need so just read what you need.

[chiasgirl]

I actually do end up reading the whole thing cover to cover (several sections more than once). I don't do it in 1 or 2 sittings but over the course of planning. I even read the section on WDW for Seniors as I love the humour and there are things there that do apply to me even though I'm not even halfway to being a senior!

[Dana]

I read even the sections that don't apply to me. You would be surprise how many times I have been able to answer a question on here from reading sections that really aren't for me. I enjoy their take on things to tell you the truth. The blunt humor is great.

[disneyguy]

Originally Posted by Dana

I read even the sections that don't apply to me. You would be surprise how many times I have been able to answer a question on here from reading sections that really aren't for me. I enjoy their take on things to tell you the truth. The blunt humor is great.

Now you guys are just plain tempting me to read the Seniors section, as well as the section for kids. LOL...

[Dana]

Originally Posted by disneyguy

Now you guys are just plain tempting me to read the Seniors section, as well as the section for kids. LOL...

Those sections have the best humor in them. My favorite part is the first few pages where they do a character scenerio. They change it every edition and it's nuts. This year it's the characters eating to much and mickey on atkins or something...too funny.