Unofficial Guide News

2011 Unofficial Guide Is Available Now

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We’ve just received our copies of the new 2011 Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and the 2011 Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World With Kids.  That means that major retailers such as Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble should have them available online any day now, and bookstores should have them in a week or so.

We’re extending a discount of 35% on an annual website subscriptions to those who purchase the book.  That discount will be available through the end of 2011.  We continue to support the 2010 edition (and its discount) through the end of 2010, too.

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Len Testa

Len Testa is the co-author of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, and has contributed to the Disneyland and Las Vegas Unofficial Guides. Most of his time is spent trying to keep up with the team. Len's email address is len@touringplans.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @lentesta.

67 thoughts on “2011 Unofficial Guide Is Available Now

  • Awesome! Your Welcome. Well I saw it was coming out in September and we don’t plan on getting our WDW Annual Passes until November so I have time.

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  • I was going to order the 2011 unofficial guide but noticed that the 2012 unofficial guide is coming out in September so I pre-ordered it. Will you be offerring a discount for touring plans?

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    • Hey Beth Anne,

      Yes, there’ll be a discount for subscribing to the site. Thanks for pre-ordering the book!

      Len

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  • Hi,
    I tried subscribing via http://www.touringplans.com. Unfortunately, it is not processing the 50% discount that’s supposed to be accorded to those who own the book. What do I do now?

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  • Help! I have the 2011 Kindle version (love it!) and really want the discount for the website – but the Kindle does not have page numbers! What should I do?

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  • 5 Hey very cool web site!! Man .Excellent .Amazing .I’ll bookmark your site and take the feeds also…I am happy to find a lot of useful info here in the post, we need develop more techniques in this regard, thanks for sharing.

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  • Hi, I really like visiting your website, how long have you owned the site for? It looks like it has taken a while to get it this good

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  • I receieved my 2011 Guide and saw where those that purchased the book recieve a discount for a touring plans subscription. My question is…
    1- Stupid question but where is the discount code? (I’ll admit I haven’t read it front to back yet but Im having finding anything in the obvious places)
    2- If you order the 2011 guide, does your subscription begin on 1/1/2011 or as soon as you register?
    Thanks!

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    • Meant to say “having trouble”

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    • Hey Heather,

      Thanks for reading the book! Your subscription begins as soon as you register. To get the discount, visit the subscription page and click on the link titled “Own a current Unofficial Guide?”

      We’ll ask you two simple questions from the book, such as “What’s the first word printed at the top of page 99?” Answer those correctly and we’ll automatically provide the discount. Let me know if there’s any difficulty with that, however.

      Thanks again!

      Len

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      • Thanks Len! From what I’ve read so far, this book is great! So much helpful information for our upcoming trip. BTW-love listening to WDW Today.

  • Got mine yesterday. Was so excited. Then I was let down. I am a little disappointed to learn today that we only get a discount to touringplans.com where we used to get a years subscription just for purchasing the book. 🙁
    Oh well… so much for that. Still thanks for a great book.

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    • Hey Bryant,

      Yeah, the policy has changed. Here’s the thing: it costs a lot to keep the site running, and our share of the book revenue contributes less than 2% of that cost. Subscriptions are what powers the website. Without subscriptions, there’d be no site.

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      • Hey Len, no worries. I was just disappointed. That is all. I understand about the cost of running the site.

  • Hi,
    Is the 2011 version of Unoffical Guide much different than other versions? Does it have new or changed info? Thanks!

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  • How about an Adobe format for the Unofficial Guide Disneyland book. I am a B&N ereader owner & Kindle ebooks only work on Kindle. Thanks.

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    • Except that, the current Adobe product doesn’t work on anything but a computer. 😉 What they have out is not a pdf…it’s something else. But I’ll agree…we’ve also got a Nook, and would like something that would hopefully be readable on that. (So, Len, cross platform, ok? {grin})

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      • You can send PDFs to your Kindle and read them there. It is not so pretty, but it works OK. Works better with text than with tables, though. Having Lines on my iPhone sort of makes up for not have the Unofficial Guide on my Kindle.

      • Yes, as you can on the Nook. But the currently available “Adobe format” is *not* a pdf…and it states it clearly. Just wanted to be clear that just saying “Adobe” doesn’t clarify what’s needed for an e-reader.

        http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-047058324X.html

        Read what it says under “Important ebook information”. This type of ebook requires special software and is not readable on Kindle or Nook.

      • Luckily I have a Pandigital Novel, it reads the Adobe ebook format & interfaces with B&N. I have downloaded and am reading the 2010 Disneyland edition, but I want the 2011! Please publish it this way for all of us Non-Kindle folks.

        Thanks.

  • Hi Paul in Wigan,

    That was indeed me. I met a lovely family whose daughter had done a major school project on WDW. I asked her to email a copy. I was in the UK for almost a month ostensibly working on The Unofficial Guide to British Theme Parks but mainly trying to survive the roundabouts and driving on the left side of the road. I almost threw in the towel in Scotland when I encountered a road sign reading “Warning – Oncoming Traffic In the Middle (!!!) of the Road.”

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    • If you’re still in the UK and like Roundabouts, visit an otherwise dull town called ‘Hemel Hempstead’. They have a roundabout affectionately referred to as ‘The Magic Roundabout’ which allows people to drive both directions…scarier than ‘The Big One’ at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Hemel_Hempstead)

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  • Will it be available in the uk..for dispatch before the 6th Sept….or put another way, will I stand a chance of getting a copy before I hit Riverside.
    Also a colleague of my partners aparrently bumped into Bob (or a bloke claiming to be bob) in a bar over here, near Chorley, he was doing the uk parks.

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    • Entirely possible about Bob, Paul. He was there earlier this month on assignment. I’m headed to Alton Towers, Blackpool, Legoland, Chessington and Thorpe Park as of this Friday.

      Don’t think the book will make it to the UK before 6 September. The Orlando airport’s bookstore will have copies, however. 🙂 Good luck with your trip!

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    • Like you I want my 2011 book yesterday but Amazon have the UK release date as 13th September.

      My retro 1997 version arrived today (since I binned my version 10+ years ago once I had a newer one) and it brought back all those memories since for me (chronologically) it is Sehlinger #1.

      The description of what Test Track would be was interesting “the track you are navigating is simulated on film and totally surrounds you”.

      I was horrified that I have entirely forgotten an attraction…what the hell is Dreamflight? Is that ‘If you had wings’ rebranded?

      The only flipside of the new old book is I want to book dinner at the Fireworks Factory at Pleasure Island…

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  • Len, will there be an e-book version (i.e. one for an e-reader, NOT the Adobe book version…which is really not very useful…just sayin’)?

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    • I’m told yes. I can’t imagine we’ll ignore the Kindle market – it’s just too big.

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  • Should get my book Wednesday. Can’t wait!!

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  • “is that Primeval Whirl on the cover again?! (Is it because it is “unofficially” one of the worst rides in WDW?)”

    LOL, when you think about it, which rides are going to be cluttered with the least number of paying guests, so that you have a chance to position your models and do a photo shoot for the book cover without causing a lot of disruption? (HINT: not Everest or Dumbo)

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    • I think we just need a bunch of really attractive, photogenic folks (like y’all!) to throw yourselves on to any outdoor attractions, the next time Wiley’s photogs are in WDW.

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    • Yay me too – hee hee hee

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      • I just bought the 1997 version too

      • I got an entire collection through eBay for under $50, one book at a time.

      • Wonderful. You’re as crazy as the rest of us.

      • I think that each edition is like a little time capsule of WDW for that year. Ok, maybe “little” is the wrong word…

        I got mine today! My UPS man remarked that for such a little box it was really heavy. My reply, “Of course it’s heavy. It contains all of the necessary information to be truly happy!” He asked me if it was that book, The Secret. He gave me a pretty funny look when I responded, “NO! It’s the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World!” I don’t think he’s going to chat with me as much as he used to… 😉

  • Fabbo – bought it every year since 1997 and LOVE IT. Ta guys 8:o)

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    • Here’s a question for you. What do you do with old copies…keep them….recycle? I’m at the point where I’m trying to figure out what to with them because I don’t have the space. I would think that they are no good to anyone since they are outdated.

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      • Debbie – I keep all my old copies. They just hang out in my bookcase with all other “retired” Disney guide books and other Disney stuff. I can’t bear to throw any of them away….there’s history in those books. 🙂

      • TOP TEN NEW FEATURES IN THE 2011 UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO WALT DISNEY WORLD
        10. Most domestic airlines consider it a single piece of checked luggage.
        9. By riffling the pages quickly you can hear the word “U..N..I..V..E..R..S..A..L.”
        8. Chapter 7 is printed on three-ply bathroom tissue to use in emergencies.
        7. It lists the Extra Fastpass kiosks where you can get a time to get a regular Fastpass.
        6. Thirty percent fewer calories than a Dole Whip!
        5. It can be unfolded for use as a deck chair.
        4. Every copy is autographed by the late Stephen Birnbaum.
        3. When soaked in water, it expands to become a life-saving device
        2. All restaurant reviews now feature “scratch n’ sniff” ink.
        1. Two words: Worldwide deforestation

      • Hilarious, Roger! Shouldn’t #9 read “By riffling the pages quickly from back to front…”

      • Once I’m clear of the changes, I ditch the old copies. I kinda wish I still had the 1997 version though, I used it to plan our trip in 1998.

        I don’t carry the guide in the parks though…my family call me Disney GPS as its my mission to memorise the best time to visit and location of all attractions by each visit.

        Next trip due in 168 working days (late May), I come as often as I can afford (I live in England) and my last trip was September last year.

        I use a few guides (Brits Guide, Birbaums) but the Unofficial is always the best, most useful and most fun… and the colour companian is hilarious. Now where can I get me a Buzz Lightbeer?

        Oh and on the subject of the cover – I used to love the not so hidden mickey covers using oranges – WAY better than Primeval Hurl.

      • A stack of three keeps my extra computer screen at work at the correct height. 😉 Your mileage may vary!

  • Len, I’m sure you appreciate our business, but you must think we’re crazy to buy the book every year. They don’t change that much…you guys definitely have a fan club…and you do such a fantastic job with supplying us with useful information…so thanks. By the way Amy, we leave in about a month and I too have my spreadsheet that I’ve been off of the last 5 months!

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    • Have fun Debbie! We went last year the first week of October and had a blast, in spite of the near record-setting heat wave. Hopefully you will have a great time, but won’t have 99 degree weather. Part of the reason I plan and prep so much ahead of time is that I enjoy it so much. For me, the planning really adds to the whole fun of the trip. As long as I have a vacation to plan, I’m happy.

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      • I feel the same way.

  • What is the difference between the regular one and the one “with kids”. For a family with kids, should we get both or just one? Which one

    I bought the regular one in the past and wanted to know the difference. I am a freak planner.

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    • There is some different info. in the w/kids book. I don’t buy a new kids one every year, but I do get a new regular guide. I would suggest that you check w/Kids out from the library and see if you want to purchae it or not. Definitely, if you are only going to buy one book, get the regular Unofficial Guide. It has more information and is much bigger than the w/Kids version, and it does have a chapter on WDW with kids. (I’m a serious planner, too. I have my spreadsheet for our December trip all set up, and my only thing left to do is our Candlelight Processional Reservation.)

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    • Hey Marie,

      I think Amy’s post summarized the differences well. The With Kids book focuses on the kid-specific things you need to know about the parks, restaurants, etc. So everything that’s presented is done so in the context of “this is how children react to …” The big book is a consumer-oriented review of those things, with a bit of kid advice.

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  • Awesome! My annual purchase of the Unofficial Guide to happen soon!

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  • Great!! My forklift just got back from repair so I’ll be able to pick it up soon.

    Any chance there are any witty Top Ten lists in it?

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    • Ah, the witty top 10 lists will have to wait for the next revision. We didn’t have the page count this year. (We were 45 pages over our limit.)

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  • Mine was pre-ordered and will be here on Wednesday. Looking forward to reading it.

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  • Any chance of an ebook (kindle, etc) version for this one?

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    • I’m told yes. We have an Adobe e-book format for the 2010 edition, and supposedly a Kindle 2011 in the works.

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  • Pre-ordered at Amazon. Hope to get it soon and start planning our 2011 Spring Break Trip. Going at that time of year, I know we will need a good plan!

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  • Mine should arrive at the house on Monday, as well. Downside is, I won’t be there until Wednesday. I just popped back over to amazon.com to look at the cover. Once again, hubby will say, is that at Universal? And I will roll my eyes, again.

    I think it was Matt and Newell who had some ideas about printing up some alternative cover art to paste over the 2010 edition. If anyone has time to be entrepreneurial about this, maybe someone could (please) set something up with Cafe Press, or Shutterfly, or Smugmug so that folks could print their own or select from stock and get an alternative picture printed on adhesive stock all nicely die cut to fit The Guide. I’m thinking the idea has legs. 😉

    Would it help if we all wrote un-fan mail to Bob? I like Bob and appreciate his efforts, but I’m questioning his judgment here. That kind of cover fosters the notion that WDW is an amusement park. It’s almost as if he doesn’t “get it.” Sigh.

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      • I feel better now that I know Bob didn’t pick that. I’ll see what sort of influence I can call upon to adjust the attitude at Wiley & Sons. Sigh.

  • Pre-ordered both on Amazon awhile ago. Got my notice that they shipped, and thanks to Amazon Prime will be here Monday. Yippee!

    But seriously…I didn’t believe it when I heard it on WDW Today…is that Primeval Whirl on the cover again?! (Is it because it is “unofficially” one of the worst rides in WDW?) It’s like a threat: Read this book or you’ll find yourself on this ride. This poor family didn’t read our book. They’re smiling now, but in a few short moments… 😉

    Love the Guide, love the website, just know I’m going to love Lines. You guys are great!

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    • no need to wait for a trip to use Lines… is it wrong I study it 9 months in advance from 4000 miles away 😉

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    • Thanks Amy! Yes, Primeval Whirl is on the cover for year #2. I can’t believe it either.

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