Having used both "Unofficial Guides" and "Birnbaum's" books as guides to get me through my first two trips to Walt Disney World, I can say that I'm familiar with two of the most used and/or referenced books on the matter of visiting Mickey's place in Orlando, FL. When given the opportunity to review Fodor's "Walt Disney World With Kids 2012" guide, I jumped at the chance to see how author Kim Wright Wiley would tackle the park and all of its wonders.
What I got was a book that takes the vacation planner's hand and guides them along on every step of the planning process. The book opens with a comprehensive list of helpful phone numbers, websites, and other references that can help any person get a good idea as to what they are getting themselves into. From there, the book's first four chapters gives the reader tips and suggestions on how to do everything from planning and booking the trip to discussing how much time can be spent in each park or at each attraction. These chapters also give hints on how to save time and money during this first stage of the vacation process.
From there, Wiley focuses on each Kingdom, giving each one a chapter. In each chapter, she gives helpful hints on how to plan out your time at the park, a quick guide to the attractions, explanations of attractions (including attraction tips on things such as "Scare Factors" and "Hidden Mickeys"), "Don't Miss" lists, and a "Last Hour" guide.
She follows this up with a dining guide for all of the full-service restaurants in each Kingdom and includes tips on making reservations, whether your children will enjoy the atmosphere of the different establishments, and a price guide. She also addresses the dining packages available in the park in the early chapters and briefly in the dining chapter.
Wiley also tackles spending time in the park in the evening, with and without the kids. There is also a chapter on the Disney Cruise Line. The book finishes with a brief look into Orlando's other theme parks, and gives a nice nod to the "low stress experience" of SeaWorld when compared to all of the other parks. Although I've never been to SeaWorld in Orlando, I have visited the park in San Antonio and can say that it is a much calmer park to visit.
Overall, this book is packed with great tips for everything from funds to food, and also places the focus on family fun. If you've never been to Disney World, I highly recommend it. I also recommend this book to you, even if you don't have children.