Frommer's Walt Disney World & Orlando with Kids, 3rd edition

Frommer's Walt Disney World & Orlando With Kids is one of several Florida books written by Laura Lea Miller. The previous edition was published in April 2006.

Format: Paperback
Page: 384 pages
Publisher: Frommers
Date: April 7, 2008
ISBN: 0470134712
Size: 7.9 x 5.1 x 1 inches

She has also worked on Frommer's Walt Disney World & Orlando 2008, Frommer's Florida from $70 a Day, Frommer's Florida 2007 and Walt Disney World & Orlando For Dummies 2008 as well as running a web site for families visiting Central Florida.

Like all Frommer books it is backed up by a website which gives you updates since the book was published.

As you might expect from the same author and publisher, Frommer's Walt Disney World & Orlando With Kids is very similar in layout to Frommer's Walt Disney World & Orlando 2008 but the book is aimed at parents, grand parents and carers who are vacationing in Central Florida with children from toddlers to teenagers. Throughout the book you will find specific children related references, for example hotels that offer cribs, restaurants that have high chairs and children's menus and ride restrictions and warnings.

A good alternative guide book is Fodor's Walt Disney World with Kids 2008 or if you want a book your kids could read, Birnbaum's Walt Disney World For Kids by Kids! 2008.

The books starts out with a How to Feel Like an Orlando Family chapter giving you recommendations on the best family experiences including thrill rides and water rides, best hotels for all budgets, best restaurants and best online web sites.

There is then a comprehensive Planning a Family Trip to Walt Disney World & Orlando chapter which is particularly useful if you've never been to Florida or visited Walt Disney World before. Regular visitors can probably skip this chapter though there are useful tips on travelling with children, family package deals and ideas to get the kids interested in Orlando.

There is a short orienteering chapter on Getting to Know Walt Disney World & Orlando and then a whole chapter on Family-Friendly Accommodation which covers all the official Disney hotels (split by price band) and some other local hotels plus selected hotels in the Kissimmee and International Drive areas. Details are given of kids entertainment including kids clubs and other activities like pools, video arcades and baby-sitting services.

This is followed by Family-Friendly Dining which covers a selection of restaurants in the Disney theme parks, Disney character meals, Universal Orlando, International Drive and other local restaurants. There is a list of restaurants by cuisine and price if you are looking for a particular type of food and kids menus are described where available.

The sixth chapter, What Kids Like to See & Do in Walt Disney World covers the regular stuff about how to get there, best time of year, best day of week plus ticket options and also suggests itineraries depending upon the age groups of the kids. It covers all the Disney Theme parks including the Water parks and Disney's Wide World of Sports.

There are descriptions of each ride, show or attraction rated from A+ (your trip wouldn't be complete without it) to D (don't waste your time) with recommended age ranges, any height restrictions and warnings about loud noises or darkness etc. There are also details on FastPass, behind the scenes tours and hidden Mickeys.

There is more to Orlando than Disney, so What Kids Like to See & Do Beyond Disney covers all the other major parks in the Orlando area including Universal Orlando and SeaWorld plus some of the smaller attractions like Gatorland and Wet 'n Wild.

If you can tear yourself away from Walt Disney World, then Orlando for Active Families covers lots of sports you can either participate in or be a spectator plus city parks and state parks, kids' camps and classes.

Shopping for the Whole Family covers local factory outlets, malls and shops within the theme parks plus ideas if you are after something a little different like antiques, comics, games, toys etc. The chapter on Entertainment for the Whole Family looks at dinner shows, amusement arcades, movies, theatres, concerts and music plus places for parents to go without the children such as Disney's Pleasure Island and Universal CityWalk.

If you feel like venturing a bit further afield, Side Trips from Orlando covers both the West and East coasts including Tampa, Daytona and Cocoa Beach plus Cape Canaveral with guides to Busch Gardens and the Kennedy Space Center.

An Appendix gives useful information for International visitors and covers specific requirements for residents of other countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia.

The book has no photographs but it does have a number of maps, both theme park maps and maps of some of the main tourist areas in the Central region.

Note that most guide books are re-published annually so you can often pick up a bargain if you don't mind last year's edition.