What a disappointment! Despite its title, this 220-page book devotes just 48 pages to Walt Disney World. There are only eight pages on the Magic Kingdom, 12 on Epcot, 10 on Disney-MGM Studios and four -- four! -- on Disney's Animal Kingdom. As you can imagine, the information is skimpy. Many attractions are reviewed with just one sentence, sometimes even just a phrase. The coverage of It's a Small World is, in total: "a waterborne journey through a series of animated tableaux." As for hotels, each gets three sentences.
Though the book claims to be "Annually Revised," much of the information is out of date. This "2007" edition -- which, according to Amazon, was published in March 2007 -- still lists among its attractions Cinderellabration, Timekeeper, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Tarzan Rocks, all of which shut down in 2006. Tarzan Rocks closed in January 2006, for heaven's sake!
In fact, I wonder exactly when this book was written. It states that the Tiki Room was "recently much improved," though that show's rehab occurred in 1998. It says another "recent" attraction is Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, a ride that debuted in 1998. Hmmm.
There is no mention of anything that's new. No "Finding Nemo -- The Musical." No "Laugh Floor Comedy Club." No new version of "Pirates of the Caribbean." And yes, I checked my copy. It's copyrighted 2007.
There are also, by the way, no park maps.
Even worse, a lot of the book is just plain wrong. Describing Disney's ticket choices, the authors say "Park Hopper" is the name of Disney's multi-day ticket. It's not! "Park Hopper" is an extra-cost option for the right to go to more than one park a day.
As for attractions, I'm not sure these writers have ever seen them. They say the Hall of Presidents features the current president "joining in on readings by the great presidents of the past." In truth, as even the most casual Disney fan knows, only the current president and Lincoln speak -- none of the others have ever said a word! The authors say Epcot's Spaceship Earth is the history of technology, when it's really the history of communication. They call Animal Kingdom's TriceraTop Spin "a roller coaster with spinning cars" when it's actually a Dumbo-like hub-and-spoke ride. How, exactly, does this "marvel of writing," to quote the back cover, get things so wrong?
For restaurants, again I doubt the writers have even been there. They list Bongos Cuban Cafe as being in the Magic Kingdom. It's actually in Downtown Disney -- five miles away!
The rest of the book proports to be about Central Florida and Orlando. I can't vouch for the accuracy of those pages -- I don't know, or care, about Flea World, Orlando's city bus line or that Denny's No. 3162 is open 24 hours. But I have my doubts. For restaurants the authors list Chili's -- yes, the chain -- as "Mexican food at its best." |
Walt Disney World Resort Books In Print, Audio Books.