Fodor's

I have been to Disney many times and I love Disney. But the thing is, in the whole central Florida area, there are a huge number of things to do and unless you has unlimited time and unlimited money you need A PLAN.
And many visitor do not have a clue, yet alone a plan.
Without one, you will waste money and time, not get the most out of your trip and end up being one of those families you see on Main Street at the end of the day, as the park is closing, the mother exhausted, the father show more red-faced and angry and the kids crying. Folks, this is suppose to be fun!

So please, please, before going to see the Mouse...or Harry if you swing that way...buy and read a book. A comprehensive travel guide like this very good guide. There are many, many decisions to be made and you need help. You need help just knowing how many decisions you need to make. How are you getting there? Where are you staying? In park..out of park? How are you going to get around? Do you want to rent a car? Where do you want to eat..and what about the Disney food plan? What do you have to see, because know, you will not see it all. Decisions must be made and this is a very fine book to assist you in doing that.

There is a huge amount of material to be covered and Fodor does about as good a job as is possible in presenting that without overwhelming the reader. From the very beginning of your planning, through your arrival at the parks, to how to spend your days, all the topics are covered. Whether you are traveling with little kids, or teenagers, are an older couple or even alone, the various unique issues each situation presents are covered. A huge list of hotels, in and out of WDW are rated, as are many, many restaurants, again both in the parts and resorts and outside the Mouse Empire. Each park and the must see attractions are discussed. A great deal of helpful information, all presented in a very clear and logical way, is at the heart of this book. And it is also presented in a very attractive format, with a very large number of very nice, full-color photographs and many helpful maps and graphics and a very nice pull out map.

About 1/2 the book is devoted to WDW, about 1/4 to Universal and Sea World, and the remaining 1/4 to the greater Central Florida region, from Tampa to the Kennedy Space Center. Yes, even my beloved Gatorland is discussed.

The book is very up to date, which is refreshing. Theme parks are always changing a bit, adding and subtracting attractions and this book is on top of what is going on in the parks.
For someone planning a first trip, this is a must have. For others, who have made trips, even many trips in the past, this is still a very useful and enjoyable book. Full of fun facts, countless things I am sure you don't know and tons of helpful information. show less

Do you know the old saying, “Buy the dress, the event will come”? That’s how I feel about travel guides. (I pick up a few guides to Hawaii, the next thing you know I’m drinking piña coladas in Waikiki.) I’ve dreamed of a trip to France my entire life. It is, unquestionably, number one on my dream destination list. Even if it wasn’t, after checking out Fodor’s guide, it surely would be!

This is a hefty little book (which is, technically, not ideal for travel) coming in at 892 show more pages. The first thing you’re likely to notice is the photographs. There are hundreds of them, making for a well-illustrated book. All are full-color, and the majority of them are relatively small. They serve a purpose. A few of them, however, are one- or two-page spreads and they are staggering, take-your-breath-away gorgeous! I mean, if you’re looking for inspiration to get on a plane, it’s there.

When it comes to travel guides, there are several publishers whose books I like for different reasons or attributes. But if I had to pick just one book, it would probably be Fodor’s every time. The pretty photos are nice, but what I really value are the detailed reviews of hotels, restaurants, and attractions. Beyond basic contact info and prices, these are substantive reviews sharing specifics, opinions, pros, and cons. Standout establishments are noted with a star and/or “Fodor’s Choice” designation. I’ve done very well following their recommendations over the years. When I’m trying to figure out where to go, I really value that—even if I’m still at home in my armchair.

The guide opens with an overview of the entire country. After that, there are chapters on Paris, Ile-de-France, the Loire Valley, Normandy, Brittany, Champagne Country, Alsace-Lorraine, Burgundy, Lyon and the Alps, Provence, the French Riviera, The Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon, the Basque Country, Gascony and Haute-Pyrénées, Bordeaux and the Wine Country, and the Dordogne. Wherever you’re thinking of going, it’s covered. And, in addition to a high-quality folding map that can be pulled from the back of the book, there are more than 50 maps within the text. In short, you should be able to find everything you need for an exhaustive trip to France in this book. What are you waiting for? Buy the dress! show less

A heavy block-of-a-book on the outside, Fodor’s Italy 2009 (from the Full-Color Gold series) is packed with informative, well-organized and pleasingly presented material inside.

The entirety of Italy is an ambitious scope and Fodor’s tackles it, with depth and breadth, according to geography: Rome; then northern Italy (e.g. Venice, Milan, et al); central Italy (Florence, Tuscany, and others); and southern Italy (Naples, Sicily, etc.). Each area gets some history, local culture, color show more photographs, and transportation info; but the emphasis is on vetted recommendations for sites/attractions, restaurants, lodging, entertainment and shopping. In urban areas, accompanying maps and charts convert the text into at-a-glance summaries.

I especially like the suggestions for walking and driving tours, and the “Need a Break?” recommendations for places to pause for a glass of wine, sandwich, pastry or gelato. The only odd and iffy aspect is the inclusion of “Word of Mouth” quotes from Fodor’s online community of travelers -- mostly vacuous comments attributed only by screename -- that might fit on a casual website but strike a discord with this text’s otherwise polished tone. Overall, the book’s scope (and 960-page weight!) suit it best to armchair travel or as a starting point and planning tool -- indeed, I went from casual familiarity to an enthusiastic interest in visiting Italy as I read through this terrific guidebook. show less

I read this guidebook almost cover-to-cover before and during a multi-day trip to Seattle. I found a lot of the suggestions quite good, and I did use the highlights and suggested itineraries to plan my trip. I only ended up hitting 3 or 4 neighborhoods but I felt like I was able to see a lot in the amount of time I had. The boundaries between neighborhoods were not great; I spent a lot of time flipping back and forth between different maps when I had only walked a block or two. A little show more overlap might have been nice. The book’s coffee suggestions were particularly great. There were several places I read about in the book that were closed or had incorrect hours/pricing. Inevitable, but sad since this guidebook is only a year old. show less