Wondering about the best Disney guidebooks? Read my reviews below and get great discounts on them, too! In addition, I've scouted out some excellent deals on "behind the scenes" books, classic Disney art books and lots more.

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The Best Walt Disney World Guidebooks

		The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2012 Of all the guidebooks, the Unofficial Guide is the the most thorough. Authors Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa pull no punches in telling you the best way to organize your trip and avoid hassles and rip-offs. The "touring plans" in this book are excellent and can be a huge timesaver, particularly if you're visiting Walt Disney World during a busy time of year. The book covers all the basics in depth -- descriptions and reviews of all the Walt Disney World attractions, the hotels, the restaurants and more. There is also some excellent information on the two Universal theme parks and SeaWorld. The tone of the Unofficial Guide is humorously cynical. Some people think it's too hard on Disney: I find it funny and usually right on the mark. This terrific book includes articles by experts about things like how to decide whether to buy a vacation package. Many of the write-ups about the attractions provide fun and interesting background information. There are lots of maps and charts, including an amazing chart that tells you what the crowd levels will be for any specific day of the year, and which of the parks will be best and worst to visit on that particular day! Wow. (And this information is kept updated year-round at TouringPlans.com.) If you haven't bought a guidebook for your upcoming trip to Disney World, get this one. I know you'll be astonished at the amount you'll learn. The Unofficial Guide offers frequent online updates that you can print out and add to your guidebook.

The Unofficial Guide: The Color Companion to Walt Disney World - I have to admit, when Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa told me about their plans for this book, I was dubious. I really didn’t see the need for yet another guidebook, even one with lots of color pictures, when there is already the incredibly comprehensive 850-page Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. However, now that I’ve had a chance to look at the book, I have to say I was wrong. The Color Companion is an especially great guide if you are a more “visual” kind of person; if you are a first-time visitor; or if you want a more compact version of the Unofficial Guide. With 560 full-color photos, this book allows you to see what you’re getting yourself into as you plan a trip to Walt Disney World. It covers everything important in a little over 350 pages, so I guess a picture really is worth a thousand words! Just to make sure you’re paying attention, the authors have thrown in some whimsical, silly and just plain funny stuff. All in all, this guide is well worth your time and money. Plus, the information in the book is kept updated year-round at TouringPlans.com.

Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2012 - This is the official guide, produced with Disney's blessing. Yet surprisingly enough, it's a pretty honest and objective book with a lot of great information, and it's nicely compact (much thinner than the other guidebooks, though the pages are larger). Since this is a Disney guidebook, it does not cover other Florida theme parks and attractions, unlike competing guides. There are a few nice coupons in the back.

PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2012 - This book is a Disney fan favorite, and justly so. I'm especially impressed with the way this guidebook manages to cover everything important, and yet remain concise. Plus, the useful pockets in the back of the guidebook -- to hold your plane tickets, passes, hotel confirmation and other important documents -- make the PassPorter different from any other guide. The PassPorter offers frequent online updates that you can print out and add to your guidebook.

Specialty Walt Disney World Guidebooks

PassPorter's Open Mouse for Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line - This book, which in its first edition was titled PassPorter's Walt Disney World for Your Special Needs, was written by Deb Wills and Debra Martin Koma from the excellent resource website AllEarsNet.com. It's exceptionally useful for many people planning a vacation at Disney World and/or on the Disney Cruise Line, including some who don't think of themselves as having "special needs." Among the issues it covers are hearing and visual impairments, mobility problems, ADHD, autism, dietary issues such as allergies and vegetarianism, many medical conditions from diabetes to epilepsy, pregnancy/breast-feeding, size (tall/big) and age (infants and seniors). The new edition is considerably expanded and covers an astonishing varity of situations, offering useful advice for each. One of the best parts of the book is a set of charts for each attraction, which is very helpful for those wondering if they can safely or comfortably ride.

The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids 2012 - Co-authored by Liliane Opsomer, Len Testa and Bob Sehlinger (Len and Bob are the authors of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World), this book is based on survey of more than 12,000 families who answered in-depth questions about their Disney vacations. The book is full of excellent information about how families can prepare for a thoroughly enjoyable Walt Disney World vacation, including detailed information on which attractions are scary for kids and why. As with all of the Unoffical Guide books, this one has excellent information about avoiding crowds and minimizing wait times, and the information is kept updated year-round at TouringPlans.com.

Birnbaum's Walt Disney World for Kids 2012 - If you have children old enough to enjoy their own Walt Disney World guidebook, this book would make a good gift and help them prepare for the trip. It's pretty much the same material covered in the regular Birnbaum guide, but designed and written on a level that kids can enjoy.

Disneyland Guidebooks

The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2012 - The best overall guide to Disneyland. Includes information about how to save money as well as excellent strategies for maximizing your enjoyment and avoiding long lines. There is thorough information about both Disneyland Park and Disney's California Adventure theme park, plus coverage of Universal Studios Hollywood. Plus, the information in the book is kept updated year-round at TouringPlans.com.

Birnbaum's Disneyland Resort 2012 - This is the Official Guide, produced with Disney's blessing. Naturally it tends to glorify Disney a bit, but it provides plenty of useful, in-depth information about the two parks and the three Disney hotels. Since this is a Disney guidebook, it does not cover other Southern California theme parks and attractions, unlike competing guides. There are a few nice coupons in the back.

Disney Cruise Line Guidebooks

PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line and Its Ports of Call (August 2011 edition - a new edition is due out in April 2012) - This excellent guide by Jennifer and Dave Marx, the authors of the popular PassPorter's Walt Disney World, covers Disney cruises in splendid detail. Jennifer and Dave tell you everything you need and want to know, from embarkation to debarkation. They provide helpful pre-planning information including how to decide when to cruise and how to pick a stateroom -- there are even detailed deck and stateroom plans. And once you've booked your cruise, the book provides a wealth of detail about what to expect and how to maximize your enjoyment. It explains how Disney's unusual "dining rotation" scheme works, gives excellent information about the ports and shares important tips and tricks. Even if you don't currently have a Disney cruise planned, this is great armchair reading. It certainly took me back to happy thoughts of my last Disney cruise, and made me want to plan the next one!

Birnbaum's Disney Cruise Line 2012 - This official guide to the Disney Cruise Line is a very small (almost pocket-sized) volume that offers basic information about the 3-night, 4-night and 7-night Caribbean cruises. The reviews of the various shore excursions are useful and surprisingly critical. Considering that this is an "official" Disney publication, I was surprised to find the authors stating that some of the excursions are not worth the money or not very enjoyable. That's good to know! This book is nowhere near as in-depth as PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, but does have some worthwhile information and it's inexpensive, so if you're hungry for info, it's worth taking a look.

Disneyland Paris Guidebooks

Be sure to read the information about Disneyland Paris discounts here on this site, which should be the most up-to-date you'll find in English.

The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland Paris - Hooray! At last there's a fantastic guidebook in English, produced by the same people who bring you the Unofficial Guides to Walt Disney World and Disneyland (California). This extremely thorough 300-page guide, published in July 2010, covers everything you'll need to know about the rides, shows, Disney hotels and close-by hotels not operated by Disney, tickets and transportation to and from the resort. And of course, the Unofficial Guide team offers great touring plans to save you time in line. All this, plus an attractive section of color photos. While the main market for this book is UK residents, it's written to include information useful to US residents as well. Truly this is the only guide to Disneyland Paris worth buying. Note: the link above is for US residents. If you live in the UK, use this link.

Tokyo Disney Resort Guidebooks

I have extensive information about Tokyo Disney Resort here on this site, based on two visits and extensive research. As far as I know, MouseSavers.com has the best information available in English about Tokyo Disney Resort discounts, and it's FREE! Click here to read it.

Travelers Series Guide to the Tokyo Disney Resort is the only printed guidebook in English. This fairly comprehensive book, published in October 2010, has good coverage of a lot of important stuff at the resort, including descriptions of each attraction, dining location and shop. It also has worthwhile material about the Disney hotels. It doesn't go into much depth about how to save money (but fortunately you have this site for that) and it doesn't have touring plans or tips on the best strategies for avoiding lines, though it does list which attractions have FASTPASS and Single Rider Lines. It also compares Tokyo Disney to the American parks, which is helpful for those who just want to "hit the highlights" and do attractions that are different from their American versions. All in all, a worthy effort and well worth buying if you're planning a trip to Tokyo Disney for the first time.

Behind the Scenes at Disney

Walt Disney's Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park - Authored by former Imagineers Bruce Gordon and Jeff Kurtti, this book explores the relationships between Walt Disney and the visionary Imagineers who created the Disney theme parks. It delves into their rivalries, creative breakthroughs and more.

The Imagineering Field Guide to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World - This book is like visiting Magic Kingdom with an Imagineer leading your tour! It's a modestly priced, pocket-sized volume that provides lots of "behind-the-scenes" details. The most recent edition was published in December 2009.

The Imagineering Field Guide to Epcot at Walt Disney World - Second in the Imagineering Field Guide series, this book is chockful of fun details about the theming and planning of Epcot. Lots of fun for the Disney fan who wants to know how things work! The most recent edition was published in April 2010.

The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World - Third in the Imagineering Field Guide series, this guide provides fascinating Imagineering insights into Disney's Animal Kingdom Park.

The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World was finally released in July 2010 and was certainly worth the wait!

The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland - Another entry in the Imagineering Field Guide series, this guide promises to provide fascinating information about the creation of Disney's first theme park.

Designing Disney: Imagineering and the Art of the Show - The author of this book is John Hench, who remained an active Imagineer (Senior Vice President of Imagineering) until his death in 2004 at age 95. Mr. Hench designed attractions for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris and Toyko Disneyland, and was a true expert on the subject of how Disneyland, in particular, was created. If you are fascinated by Disney's attractions, architecture and designs, you won't want to miss this fantastic book.

Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies - If you're a Haunted Mansion fan, you will love this book! It's jam-packed with information about how the attraction was developed and how things work. It includes great drawings and photographs of the various versions of the Haunted Mansion, too. The most recent edition was published in August 2009.

Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies - Jason Surrell, Disney Imagineer and author of Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies, returns with another fascinating backstage look at how an E-Ticket Disneyland attraction was developed and how it eventually became a popular movie (soon to be a movie trilogy). I was fortunate enough to hear Jason Surrell lecture on this subject and he has really done his research -- plus, he's a very entertaining storyteller. This book is unfortunately out of print, but you may be able to buy a used copy.

Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look at Making More Magic Real - I love this book! This is the official Disney book about "how it all happens," and is written by Imagineers. The illustrations are absolutely stunning and there is some really fascinating material, including descriptions and drawings of attractions that were never built, explanations of how some of the attractions changed during the design process, and insider information about how the magic is created. The price is extremely reasonable for such a beautifully designed, full-color "coffee table" book.

Disney Art & Animation Books

The Disney Treasures - Expensive, but worth every penny to a Disney aficionado! Not only does this book cover the history of the Walt Disney Company from its founding until Walt Disney's death, it reproduces dozens of intriguing items, such as letters written by Walt Disney and tickets for Disneyland's opening day. Many of these items can be pulled out and examined!

The Art of Walt Disney: From Mickey Mouse to the Magic Kingdoms - If you want the single most comprehensive book on Disney art and animation, with some fascinating biographical information about Walt Disney and the Disney Company thrown in, this is the book for you! Includes many beautiful color photos, drawings and illustrations.

The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation - A phenomenal book by Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas, two of Disney's earliest and best animators. This book has inspired many young people to become animators and is considered to be probably the best book ever published on character animation.

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