The tagline on the back of this guide book urges readers to “Discover the Sophisticated Side of Mickey Mouse.” Okay, a little silly, I will admit. I go to Disney World frequently for many reasons, sophistication not being one of them. However, since I have read virtually every Disney guidebook cover to cover, I decided to give The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World by Cara Goldsbury a try.

What’s the Info?
The first chapters focus on general trip planning information, with discussion of which times of the year are least and most crowded. There is a list of websites, many of which I was already familiar with, that I think are very helpful for people planning a Disney trip. Information is also provided about what to pack and how to find essential services near the Disney area.

The third chapter deals with accommodations. The author outlines the benefits of staying at Disney, and provides basic information about the Deluxe and Home Away from Home resorts. She particularly focuses on luxury services such as concierge floors and the amenities provided at each resort.

The book also provides basic information on the theme parks and star ratings for the different attractions. Rough touring plans are included for parties with small children as well as those with adults and older children. In addition to Disney’s major and minor theme parks, there is also information available on Universal Studios and other area attractions such as Sea World.

An entire chapter is devoted to shopping, both within the theme parks and in the area surrounding them. Another section focuses on dining. Information is provided about the variety of restaurants at resorts, hotels, and in Orlando. Particularly helpful is the portion discussing how much in advance priority seatings can be made at different restaurants.

The Good
The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World clearly hits its target audience, which after reading I have realized is not me. If you are ready to spend big bucks at Disney for an absolutely luxurious experience, this book will tell you how to do it. Goldsbury goes into a lot of detail about the amenities available at the resorts, even to the extent of listing the various appetizers available at the concierge levels of each hotels. I had no idea what perks were available for a price until I read this book. Currently, I am unable to pay for concierge level at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but if I were it would be good to know that for an additional $50 per person I could enjoy a 6:30 a.m. safari across the Animal Kingdom followed by a buffet breakfast. I’ll file that one away for now.

Additionally, it is nice that this book includes specific information about Universal Studios and general information about other area attractions. If you are still in the early stages of planning, its good to be able to examine multiple options in the area in a single guidebook. In general, this book does a better job than most in recognizing that there is life in Orlando outside of Disney. My husband lived in Orlando during the year we were engaged and during part of college, so we can vouch for this.

This book also included some interesting tips and tidbits that I haven’t run into in any other guidebook. I enjoyed the small sections scattered throughout covering topics such as “Magic Kingdom’s Best Snacks” or “Specialty Drinks at World Showcase.” The general attitude here is that enjoying a trip to Disney World is about really taking in the whole experience, not just rushing from ride to ride until your kids are about to drop. This is an attitude I definitely agree with.

The Not So Good
Clearly, this author is anxious to be seen as having a “luxury” focus. The book doesn’t even touch on, for example, moderately priced on property accommodations. As a result, I could never recommend this book as an exclusive source for all one’s planning information for a first trip to Disney. The Moderate category resorts at Disney, although they don’t offer a concierge level, have beautifully themed and maintained public areas that would be competitive with many “luxury” hotels elsewhere in the world. I think it would be reasonable to assume that a person may decide to save a bit on one area (such as lodging) in order to allow for more luxury experiences in other areas (such as dining or shopping). This is what my mom and I are doing on my October trip, while on other trips we have prioritized in other ways. Basically, I wouldn’t recommend using this book exclusively unless you are just absolutely convinced on buying the most expensive everything on your trip.

My only other complaint is that this book, while informative, seems to suffer a bit from lack of strong opinions on restaurants and attractions. Perhaps I have been spending too much time on this website, and this is why I notice. Throughout the descriptions of the attractions and restaurants, the author rarely says anything negative. I’m a huge lover of all things Disney, but I’m well aware that some attractions and restaurants are really in need of improvement. By failing to offer criticism, it would be difficult for a first time visitor to separate the excellent from the average. You can’t see everything in one trip, but it would be a pity the best experiences due to wasting time on the just ok ones. When reading a guide book, I don’t mind hearing “X is just not worth a long wait,” or “The service at X is slow and the food is sub-par.” I may disagree with an author’s opinions, but they would be a place to start.

Overall…
This is a great resource for a certain type of consumer. For a first time visitor who has little knowledge about the parks or hotels, I recommend supplementing this with a book such as the Unofficial Guide. However, if you have an extensive budget for your Disney vacation, some of the information in this book will help clue you in to the truly magical experiences offered at the parks and resorts. For those of us who don’t have an extensive budget at the moment because we have spent too much on traveling this year already, it’s still fun to read!

*Planning a visit to Disney World? Here are some other reviews on the subject.
Disney's Greatest Hits - Ten Must Sees for a First Time Visitor

Hotel Reviews
Beach Club, Coronado Springs, Grand Floridian

Restaurants
Victoria and Albert's, San Angel Inn, Top Ten Places to Dine

Attractions
Stitch's Great Escape, The Living Seas, (Finding Nemo Update) Primeval Whirl, Peter Pan's Flight, Dinosaur, Imagination Pavilion, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mexico Pavilion, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean

Theme Parks
Blizzard Beach
Pleasure Island
Magic Kingdom for Adults
Epcot Center's Hidden Treasures
Downtown Disney Marketplace


Recommend this product?