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Category Kids

The Color Companion to Walt Disney World (The Unofficial Guide)

, Category: Book Review, Disney World, Family Vacations, Kids, Travel Guides, Traveling Tales

The Color Companion to Walt Disney World (The Unofficial Guide)
By Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa
Keen Communications
Retail Price $19.99
Amazon Price: $15.75

Book Description: 

Following in the best-selling tradition of The Unofficial Guides series, The Unofficial Guide: The Color Companion to Walt Disney World gives readers the inside track on visiting Disney World and making the most of their time in the park. Complete with hundreds of full-color photographs, this essential visual guide is a must-have for any Disney World vacation. With hundreds of pages of highly detailed information on planning, staying, and surviving a visit to Walt Disney World, The Color Companion by Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa takes the Unofficial approach while also showing readers exactly where they’ll be staying and what they’ll be doing, all in a trim little book that’s perfect for tucking into a backpack.

Review

When I travel, the “Unofficial Guide” books are the guidebooks I turn to that help me plan a marvelous trip with no unwelcome surprises!  Time and again, following the day plans, we’ve had stress-free trips that actually leave us with plenty of time to see everything that interests us.   This book helps you plan your days (and nights) in the most strategic way.   You will find great tips on which hotels will suit your family, the shopping experience , and what time to visit which ride/attraction.   The book is well written and has fantastic photographs and is small enough to take with you to help you navigate different parks while you are visiting.  I wouldn’t even try going to Disney World without it!
~Reviewed by Mary B.

 

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    Global Mom

    , Category: Book Review, International Travel, Kids

    Global Mom
    By Melissa Dalton-Bradford
    Familius
    Retail Price $17.95
    Amazon Price: $13.73

    Book Description: 

    After more than twenty years living internationally—sixteen addresses, eight countries and five different  languages—writer Melissa Bradford shares a fantastic journey of motherhood that will inspire any family.

    Follow this family of six on their passage—extraordinary, hilarious and heartbreakingly poignant—from Bright Lights (of New York City) to the Northern Lights (of Norway) to the City of Light (Paris) to the speed-of-light of the Autobahn (in Munich).  Continue deep into the tropics of Southeast Asia (Singapore) and end your voyage in the heights of the Swiss Alps (Geneva).

    As varied as the topography—the craggy fjords, the meandering Seine, the black forests, the muggy tropics, the soaring Alps—this multicultural tale traverses everything from giving birth in a château in Versailles to living on an island in a fjord. From singing jazz on national Norwegian T.V. to judging an Indonesian beauty contest. From navigating the labyrinth of French bureaucracy and the traffic patterns of Singapore to sitting around a big pine table where the whole family learns languages, cultures, cuisines—where they, in short, learn to love this complex and diverse world and, most importantly, each other.

    Review

    The author has lived a life that others only dream of, traveling the globe and raising her family in a variety of interesting, life-enriching settings.  Not that her life has been a picnic.  She has suffered loss, had to endure change, and make a consistent life for her children though her living conditions were anything but consistent.  Due to her situation, Melissa has learned to see her life as an adventure and shares how to live life in the moment.  She encourages the reader to see their lives the same way, no matter where they live, and to make hospitality a way of life.  It was a fantastic read!
    ~Reviewed by Allie B.
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      DK Eyewitness Travel Family Guide: Washington, D.C.

      , Category: Kids, Travel Guides, Traveling Tales

      Family Guide Washington, DC

      Eyewitness Travel Family Guide Washington , DC
      By DK Publishing
      Dk Publishing
      Retail Price $25.00
      Amazon Price: $18.87

      Book Description: 

      A family-focused guidebook to Washington, D.C., for traveling with children ages 4 to 12.DK Eyewitness Travel: Family Guide Washington, DC gives parents with children ages four to twelve the specific, family-friendly information they need to plan a vacation to a city with an abundance of history, outstanding museums, and beautiful parks. Decode secret messages at the Spy Museum, kayak along the Chesapeake River and Ohio Canal, and explore can’t-miss sights such as the The White House and Capitol.

      What’s in the book:

      • Each major sight is treated as a “hub” destination, around which to plan a day, plus, DK’s custom illustrations and reconstructions of city sights give real cultural insight.
      • “Let off steam” suggestions and eating options around each attraction enable the entire family to recharge their batteries.
      • Maps outline the nearest parks, playgrounds, and public restrooms.
      • “Take shelter” sections suggest indoor activities for rainy days.
      • Dedicated “Kids’ Corner” features include cartoons, quizzes, puzzles, games, and riddles to inform and entertain young travelers.
      • Listings provide family-friendly hotels and dining options.

      Written by travel experts and parents who understand the need to keep children entertained while enjoying family time together, DK Eyewitness Travel: Family Guide Washington, DC offers child-friendly sleeping and eating options, detailed maps of main sightseeing areas, travel information, budget guidance, age-range suitability, and activities for Washington, D.C

       

      Review

      I was planning a trip to Washington DC with my 10 year old granddaughter and I wanted a good guide that would help me to plan a trip with the needs of a child in mind.  I loved the format of this travel guide.  There were a lot of short pieces of fun information presented in kid-friendly fonts and colors that made it enjoyable by the both of us.  We were excited to plan our trip using suggestions from the book. I found the book to be great for planning your way around the city with just a few days to spend in it. Since the book features the highlights of DC, I could focus on what a 10 yr. old would want to see and figure out what we could fit in. This was exactly what I was looking for in a travel guide for a young person, and worked really well to inform this time-pressed Grandma!

      ~Reviewed by Allie B.

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        Mini-Mickey: The Pocket-Sized Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World

        , Category: Kids, Travel Guides

        Mini Mickey: The Pocket-Sized Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World

        Mini-Mickey
        By Bob and Halphen Sehlinger
        Keen Communications
        Retail Price $14.99
        Amazon Price: $11.83

        Book Description: 

        Mini-Mickey: The Pocket-Sized Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World is the condensed version of the Unofficial team’s comprehensive Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. Though its format is slightly larger than true pocket-sized, this is an indispensable take-along guidebook. Straightforward, tightly organized, and well indexed, Mini-Mickey is the perfect resource when you want the most important information fast.

        For readers on a short or impromptu trip to Walt Disney World the contents of Mini-Mickey can easily be digested on the flight or drive down, or at the hotel the night before visiting the parks. Scientifically created touring plans for each park will save four or more hours of standing in line.

        For those who do not have time to plan their Disney trip in depth, Mini-Mickey takes the guesswork out of visiting the parks and ensure that the reader sees as much as possible with the least amount of stress and effort. This book provides expert authority on how to make the most efficient and most practical use of any family’s time.

        Because every minute and every dollar counts, Mini Mickey: The Pocket-Sized Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World provides the information needed to tour Walt Disney like a pro.

         

         

        Review

        Sometimes the sheer size and amount of information packed into a travel guide is daunting.  I’ve been known to get so overwhelmed that I sent the guide down, never to pick it up again!  If you find this happening to you as well or if you want the guide to be used by your children, this small guide to Disney World is the perfect resource for you.  I bought this for my 8 year old daughter to help her prepare for her first trip to Disney World. It helped her to plan which rides she wanted to go on and which ones she might be scared of, ahead of time. It is the mini guide so one can’t expect all the info & maps a bigger guide would have but it is a very handy, useful guide with enough tips to make it worthwhile. This was a fantastic find!

         

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          Beyond Disney

          , Category: Kids, Travel Guides

          Beyond Disney: The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld & the Best of Central Florida

          Beyond Disney
          By Bob Sehlinger and Rober N. Jenkins
          Unofficial Guide
          Retail Price $17.99
          Amazon Price: $13.86

          Book Description: 

          Beyond Disney: The Unofficial Guide to Universal, SeaWorld, and the Best of Central Florida, by Bob Sehlinger and Robert Jenkins is a guide to non-Disney theme parks, attractions, restaurants, outdoor recreation, and nightlife in Orlando and central Florida. New features include the latest information on the new Harry Potter attractions at Universal Studios as well as step-by-step touring plans for Universal Studios and Universal’s Island of Adventure. Complete chapters are devoted to the Universal parks, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Legoland, and the NASA Kennedy Space Center among others. Leading you step-by-step, it’s the guide that puts you ahead of the crowd and keeps you there.

          Review

          If your trip to Orlando is going to include more than a visit to Disney World, than you will want to get a copy of this travel guide.  It has a ton of information on the other parks and attractions in the area and it has lots of helpful information and tips. There were several attractions listed in the book that I had never thought of going to before and now I will add these destinations to our trip. If you are not familiar with Orlando this book is a very good guide. I am happy with my purchase.

          ~Reviewed by Becca R.

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            The Unoffical Guide to Walt Disney World 2014

            , Category: Kids, Travel Guides

            The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2014

            The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2014
            By Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa
            Unofficial Guides
            Retail Price $19.99
            Amazon Price: $15.62

            Book Description: 

            Compiled and written by a team of experienced researchers whose work has been cited by such diverse sources as USA Today and Operations Research Forum, The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World digs deeper and offers more than any other guide. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World explains how Disney World works and how to use that knowledge to make every minute and every dollar of your vacation count. With advice that is direct, prescriptive, and detailed, it takes the guesswork out of travel by unambiguously rating and ranking everything from hotels, restaurants, and attractions to rental car companies. With an Unofficial Guide, you know what’s available in every category, from the best to the worst and step-by-step detailed plans allow the reader to make the most of their time at Disney World.

            Review

            If you are going to take a trip to Disney World, then you will want to get a copy of this book.  I am such a fan that I always purchase the latest edition every time it comes out.  They are always adding new information.  With this guide you get straight forward, honest info of resorts, food and things to do. I especially like the tips they have on WHEN to do certain things so you spend less time waiting in lines and what attractions NOT to bother with.  The book is well organized and easy to find what you are looking for. I would recommend always using current year as it fills you in on any changes.  This is a must-have if you are going to enjoy your Disney experience to the max!

            ~Reviewed by Kathy S.

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