Table of Contents

Introduction How Come "Unofficial"? About This Guide A Quick Tour of a Big World PART ONE Basic Considerations Is Walt Disney World for You? The Age Thing About Inviting Your Children's Friends A Few Words for Single Parents "He Who Hesitates Is Launched!" Tips and Warnings for Grandparents Order and Discipline on the Road PART TWO Getting Your Act Together Gathering Information Allocating Time Planning Your Walt Disney World Vacation Budget Babysitting Special Programs for Children PART THREE Where to Stay Some Basic Considerations Walt Disney World Lodging Walt Disney World Hotels: Strengths and Weaknesses for Families HOTEL INFORMATION CHART Lodging Outside Walt Disney World How to Childproof a Hotel Room PART FOUR Dining Eating Outside Walt Disney World WHERE TO EAT OUTSIDE WALT DISNEY WORLD Dining in Walt Disney World WALT DISNEY WORLD BUFFETS AND FAMILY-STYLE RESTAURANTS THE TOP 10 SNACKS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD WALT DISNEY WORLD RESTAURANTS BY CUISINE PART FIVE Disney Boot Camp: Basic Training for World-Bound Families The Brutal Truth about Family Vacations Mental and Emotional Preparation SMALL-CHILD FRIGHT-POTENTIAL CHART Physical Preparation Developing a Good Plan Logistic Preparation Remembering Your Trip Trial Run PART SIX Get in the Boat, Men! Ready, Set, Tour! Some Touring Considerations ATTRACTIONS AND RIDE RESTRICTIONS Character Analysis CHARACTER-MEAL HIT PARADE Strollers When Kids Get Lost PART SEVEN The Magic Kingdom Main Street, U.S.A. Adventureland Frontierland Liberty Square Fantasyland Tomorrowland Live Entertainment and Parades in the Magic Kingdom Magic Kingdom Touring Plans Magic Kingdom Trivia Quiz PART EIGHT Epcot Kidcot Fun Stops Future World World Showcase Live Entertainment at Epcot Epcot Touring Plans Epcot Trivia Quiz PART NINE Animal Kingdom The Oasis Discovery Island Camp Minnie-Mickey Africa Asia DinoLand U.S.A. Live Entertainment at Animal Kingdom Animal Kingdom Touring Plans Disney's Animal Kingdom Trivia Quiz PART TEN Disney's Hollywood Studios Live Entertainment at Disney's Hollywood Studios Disney's Hollywood Studios Touring Plans Disney's Hollywood Studios Trivia Quiz PART ELEVEN Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Universal Orlando Universal Studios Florida Disney's Hollywood Studios Versus Universal Studios Florida Universal Studios Florida Attractions Live Entertainment at Universal Studios Universal Studios Florida Touring Plan Universal's Islands of Adventure Islands of Adventure Attractions Islands of Adventure Touring Plan SeaWorld PART TWELVE The Best of the Rest The Water Theme Parks Wet 'N Wild Aquatica by SeaWorld Downtown Disney Outdoor Recreation Accommodation Index Restaurant Index Subject Index Clip-Out Touring Plans Unofficial Guide Reader Survey

About the Author

Bob Sehlinger, a Lowell Thomas Award-winning journalist, is best known as the creator and producer of The Unofficial Guide series. He is credited with being the first to apply research techniques from the fields of operations research and statistics to travel guides. Among other projects, he was able to develop mathematical models that could save theme park patrons more than three hours of standing in line in a single day. He is the founder and co-owner of Keen Communications, a book publishing company that includes Menasha Ridge Press, Clerisy Press, and Wilderness Press. The author of 27 books, Sehlinger is a past president of the Publishers Association of the South, and he has served at the invitation of the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Information Service on educational missions for publishers in Hungary, Romania, and Russia. He lives in Birmingham, AL. Liliane J. Opsomer was born in Belgium and has lived for the past 25 years in New York City. She works for the Tourist Office for Flanders and is passionate about travel, Disney, and Hobbits. Liliane freelances for the New York Daily News, travelmole.com, and undercovertourist.com, and she is a regular contributor to johnnyjet.com. A lifelong Disney theme park fan, Len Testa has coauthored Unofficial Guides to Walt Disney World and Disneyland, as well as Britain's Best Days Out. In grad school, Len's master's thesis described new computer techniques for generating efficient theme park touring plans, for which Len was awarded a U.S. patent. These days, Len leads the team at TouringPlans.com, the website and research arm of Unofficial Guides. Len has stayed at every Disney hotel, experienced every Disney ride, and eaten at every Disney restaurant and food cart in the U.S. When he's not at a Disney theme park, he lives in Greensboro, NC.

Reviews

"I would highly recommend it to all of my Fans and Clients traveling to Disney." -- Kelly Ortiz, WDW Guru Travel Agency "If you're looking for a reliable guidebook, the leader is the Unofficial series." --The Mail (London) "A Tourist's Best Friend!" --Chicago Sun-Times "Indispensable" --The New York Times