Cover of the book
Back of the book
by Soarin’ Diva
I’m no social media expert by any means, but I am getting the hang of it. It was as I was sifting through Twitter one day, that I happened upon a new book set to come out within the next few months, “The Adventurer’s Guide To Walt Disney World”, by Collin Kendall. Hmmm…and adventurer’s guide? Now that sounded intriguing, my interest was piqued. I now have my hands on a copy of the book, which has since been released, and I have read it in its entirety.
When I opened the package containing the book, I was struck by the thinness of it, comparing it to other book I had read about Disney parks. It’s a lightweight, fairly thin paperback book. I was very curious as to why a guide book to a place as huge as Walt Disney World Resorts would be so thin. I cracked it open, eager to read it, beginning with the details about why the author, Mr. Kendall, wrote the book. It’s actually here that I learn the reason for the sizing of the book. Collin Kendall wanted to provide a guidebook for tourists that would be lightweight enough to carry in your park bag. Ahhh. I get it now. I love my other Disney books, but, he’s right. They are very thick and not very conducive to toting around in my backpack all day. This book is designed as a quick go-to for any questions you may have about a ride, attraction, restaurant, and/or resorts.
At just a half inch, the book is a great size to carry to the parks with you
I found all the details the author included about Disney parks, attractions, rides, restaurants and resorts to be very accurate from what bit of knowledge I’ve gained over the years. Naturally, due to the deliberate size of the book, every single detail could not be included, but he does include the most important details, the need to know’s, if you will. I love the way he also included little secrets on some of the subjects.
A sneak peek at what the book contains
Mr. Kendall begins the book with the Walt Disney World Resorts, detailing every Walt Disney World owned resort, what they are like, what type of person those resorts are well suited for, and even the downside of the resorts, if there are any. That’s something I love. Let’s face it, not everything in this world is perfect, and I love when people are honest and upfront about some things that would be considered a downside.
From the resort section, this book moves on to the best part, the Disney parks, beginning with Disney’s Magic Kingdom. The layout to describe the parks was in a fashion I had never seen in a book before, but I actually liked it. The book goes from one section of the park (such as Fantasyland) to the next, describing every attraction, restaurant and detail about each park section before moving on. In other books, they usually group all restaurants together, all rides together… and so on. The way this book details, going by what section of the park you are in, makes it easy for someone to find what they need to know about that particular area of the park. Again, this is part of what makes it a great book to actually take into the parks with you.
Each of the four main Walt Disney World Resort parks, Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Epcot Center, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, are described in as much detail as possible, while still keeping the book slim enough to carry in a pack. You have enough details in each of these parks to learn about each of the attractions, what type of food is served, and a few other secrets, to give you a great idea of where you want to go in the park, what you want to do, and even what you want to eat. This book also includes a little about Disney’s Monorail, a short synopsis of the Disney Dining Plan, and a little about Fast Pass Plus.
I do have to mention that if you are into characters, this isn’t the book for you. There really isn’t much mention of the characters, other than meeting Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater, or having a character meal. That’s okay, though, this book isn’t supposed to be about the characters, but about the parks themselves. If you or your kids really want to meet the characters, and don’t know where to start, just grab a guide map on the way in, they give all the locations for characters and times for meet and greets. I also need to mention that Disney Springs isn’t really talked about in this book, it’s really just about the four main parks, resorts and restaurants. Another thing I want to mention, but note it does not actually detract from the book, is the fact that the author, Collin Kendall, does give his opinion on many of the attractions and restaurants mentioned in the book. That doesn’t bother me at all, I certainly impart my own opinions in my articles, but if you aren’t into hearing someone else’s opinions, you are forewarned.
The only real thing that bothered me was a lack of many pictures in the book. I’m an extremely visual person. I love to read, but I also love to see pictures of the places I’m reading about. There are a few pictures, just not very many. I do understand why not many pictures could be included, again, we are trying to keep the size of the book manageable so people can carry it to the parks with them. I can’t really fault them for lack of pictures when that’s the case, it really is a thing of necessity.
All in all, I found The Adventurer’s Guide To Walt Disney World a very useful and interesting guide book. I would recommend this book for someone who is new to hitting the parks at Walt Disney World Resorts, or someone who just hasn’t learned their way around yet. If you are interested in purchasing your own copy, you can click here and order today. I suggest you read it all the way through before you even embark on your vacation, then carry it with you. You can choose to keep it at your resort, as a quick go to before taking off for your day of Disney fun, or, being that it’s so light weight, carry it in your park bag as a reference guide. I hope you enjoy it as I did.
If you think this book may be useful to you on your next Disney trip, we have some good news! Collin Kendall has generously offered to give us a copy of his book for one lucky reader! To enter, just scroll to the Rafflecopter information below. Best wishes and happy reading!
****Disclaimer: Collin Kendall did very generously provide a copy of The Adventurer’s Guide To Walt Disney World for me to review, as well as an additional copy to give away. Though these books were complimentary, 100% of all thoughts and views I have expressed in my review are my own, and influenced by no one else.
