Guaranteed to Add MORE Hassle to Your Vacation
Written: Jul 22 '06 (Updated Jul 30 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: At least he gives star ratings
Cons: Literally, everything else
The Bottom Line: This is the last book I would ever recommend to anyone planning a Disney vacation.
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| chelledun's Full Review: Steven M. Barrett - The Hassle-Free Walt Disney Wo... |
My personal collection of Walt Disney World Guidebooks numbers in the dozens. Some were purchased for planning purposes and many just for fun. This one, The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation, has the distinction of being the absolute worst one I’ve ever read. A good guidebook is critical to planning a Walt Disney World vacation. This, however, is NOT a good guidebook, so you should avoid it like the plague. Pick up the very excellent Unofficial Guide instead.
Book Contents
This guidebook is written by Steven M Barrett, an Orlando-area resident who claims to visit the theme parks weekly. He has written a relatively popular book on Hidden Mickeys. Hassle-Free features a psychedelic cover and is relatively slender compared to many others. It offers a general planning section, section on each of the four major theme parks, one on Downtown Disney, and one on other things to do in WDW. A star rating system is used for both restaurants and attractions.
Within each theme park section, the following subsections can be found:
1. Attractions Described and Rated
2. Attractions with Minimal Waits (Usually)
3. Attractions that May Frighten Children
4. Least Crowded Restrooms
5. Resting Places
6. Hidden Mickeys
What I Like
The one thing I can say that I honestly appreciate is that the author does give opinions on attractions and restaurants in the form of ratings. Too many guidebooks take the “everything’s equally wonderful!” approach, which is not helpful at all. Since there are so many attractions, restaurants, and shows that no one could ever cram everything into one visit, the star ratings are at least a start in helping visitors to sift through their options and find the best ways to spend their time.
What I Don’t Like
Honestly, practically everything else. The book has a decidedly unprofessional feel about it, down to the bizarre fonts used in the headings. A section at the end devoted to a game of identifying various sites around Disney World turns out to be a joke, as half the pictures are of signs saying the attraction’s name! It is as if the book was whipped up at the last minute and never edited, although I know it has had several editions. Probably my biggest complaint about the book is the very poor coverage devoted to planning everything except the actual days spent at the theme park. Things like travel plans, resort accommodations, deciding when to go, making restaurant reservations, and taking advantage of money-saving specials are very important, but are given a very cursory coverage in this book.
The hotel and resort section is particularly weak. “Where to Stay” is given a measly seven pages of coverage, when it is really an important decision that will affect a guests’ ultimate enjoyment of their vacation. The descriptions given to the on-site resort hotels are so brief and generic I question whether the author has actually visited many of them. Additionally, I’m not sure where he gets his prices. He quotes the Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge at “Over $199 per night” when I have rarely seen either of them below $250. However, he quotes the Swan and Dolphin at “Over $325 per night” when they can regularly be found for $150 to $184. Barrett also does not list any of the well-respected Disney discount code sites, such as www.mousesavers.com, or suggest other means of obtaining discounts. Basically, he does not seem concerned with saving guests money on accommodations, perhaps because he himself lives in the Orlando area. This is a huge oversight, in my opinion. Regarding off-site hotels, he gives only a few names and phone numbers.
Restaurant coverage is similarly weak. If the author has dined in many of the restaurants, I wouldn’t have known it from reading this. Each of the table-service restaurants is ranked in a chart with a one to five star rating. The vast majority receive three stars. There is little discussion of menu specialties, atmosphere, or character availability. A visitor would have an extremely difficult time planning meals based on this guidebook alone. Additionally, I think part of the fun of planning a vacation is reading about mouth-watering descriptions of fine restaurants. Barrett, however, addresses dining in a perfunctory manner that takes much of the joy out of the meal-planning experience. This is not a book written even in part for a food-lover like me.
Finally, I simply disagree with many of Barrett’s touring plans. He sends guests early in the day to attractions that I consider a waste of time. During the Adults and Teens Magic Kingdom Touring Plan, the suggested second stop is Stitch’s Great Escape. I think this is one of the worst attractions in the park and if this were the second thing I rode on my first visit ever, I would be severely concerned. He also sends guests on a train ride around the entire park early in the day. While I love the railroad, this is an attraction that virtually never has a line, and should be saved for a hot afternoon when everything else is mobbed. If you’ve never visited these theme parks you have no idea what I’m talking about, so I’ll leave this paragraph by simply saying that based on my own extensive personal Disney experience, I would never follow these touring plans or advise anyone else to follow them.
Overall…
In case you can’t tell, I do not like this guidebook. It seems to be written without a real sense of passion for the subject, which is surprising. Coverage of things that tourist really want to know about, such as saving money, is minimal. Touring plans that take up the bulk of the book are full of questionable advice. I can safely say that I could do a guidebook much, much better, even without living in the Orlando area. The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation is pretty weak. I would go so far as to say it is amazingly bad. Try The Unofficial Guide instead.
*Planning a trip to WDW? These other reviews might be helpful...
Top Ten Things You Must See on a First Visit
Top Ten Places to Eat at WDW
Magic Kingdom for Adults
Epcot Center's Hidden Treasures
Animal Kingdom - One Day Touring Plan
Disney-MGM Studios
Blizzard Beach
Pleasure Island
Downtown Disney Marketplace
Recommended:
No
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