Bob Sehlinger - The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2022

Please note that prices fluctuate in the course of time and that travel information changes under the impact of many factors that influence the travel industry. We therefore suggest that you write or call ahead for confirmation when making your travel plans. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information throughout this book, and the contents of this publication are believed to be correct at the time of printing. Nevertheless, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions, for changes in details given in this guide, or for the consequences of any reliance on the information provided by the same. Assessments of attractions and so forth are based upon the authors own experiences; therefore, descriptions given in this guide necessarily contain an element of subjective opinion, which may not reflect the publishers opinion or dictate a readers own experience on another occasion. Readers are invited to write the publisher with ideas, comments, and suggestions for future editions. There is a risk of contracting COVID-19 in any public space. The Unofficial Guides are not liable for any illness or injury. Consult a physician regarding your risk factors before booking travel.

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Copyright 2022 by Robert W. Sehlinger. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923; 978-750-8400; fax 978-646-8600; or on the web at . To contact us from within the United States, please call 800-678-7006 or fax 877-374-9016.

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ISBN: 978-1-62809-123-6; eISBN: 978-1-62809-124-3

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LIST of MAPS and DIAGRAMS

DISNEY ACCOMMODATIONS

ORLANDO AREA

THEME PARKS

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

FOR the LOVE of DISNEY

DEAR READER , weve been writing The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World for 36 years. Youve really got to love a place to cover it for that longand we do. Millions of you do too. Comments like these arrive at our office every day:

Disney World was definitely the most magical and the best family vacation we ever had.

Holiday of a lifetime. Meticulous planning required, but amazing.

Weve already booked another trip.

Disneys theme parks are among the worlds greatest man-made vacation destinations. At their best, they combine unparalleled imagination and storytelling with new technologies, all presented with optimism and an unwavering faith in humanity. Walt Disney World in particular is essentially a purpose-built city: a place designed to entertain, amaze, and inspire.

WHY DISNEY WORLD NEEDS a 750-PAGE GUIDEBOOK

WE KNOW WHAT YOURE THINKING. The child-rearing classic What to Expect When Youre Expecting clocks in at 656 pages, and a typical version of the King James Bible is around 1,200. Does the advice needed for Walt Disney World really fall somewhere between childbirth and Gods manual for living?

If its your first time, yes.

The thing that surprises most new visitors to Walt Disney World is that a Disney vacation requires much more planning and effort than most other vacations theyve had.

Why? The main reason is capacity. Around 60,000 people visited Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom theme park in a normal, pre-pandemic day. Most of them would eat at its most popular restaurantBe Our Guestif they could get in. But the restaurant can serve only a tiny fraction of those who want to dine there. Visitors who cant get into Be Our Guest often end up at restaurants with worse food, higher prices, or both.

Capacity also affects Disney Worlds popular rides: For some rides, there are far more people who want to ride than the ride can handle. As a result, some visitors will wait just 10 minutes to experience a ride, and others will wait 80 minutes or more for the same attraction on the same day.

Dont panic. If you love theme parks, Disney World is as good as it getsthe best in the small-w world. If you arrive without knowing a thing about the place and make every possible mistake, chances are about 90% that youll have a wonderful vacation anyway.

The job of a guidebook is to give you a heads-up regarding opportunities and potential problems. Were certain we can help you turn a great vacation into an absolutely fabulous one.

A mom from Streator, Illinois, who was amazed at the size of the Unofficial Guide, came back saying this:

It had been 10 years since wed been to WDW, and I was shocked by how much your book grew. After going, Im surprised that its so small.

WHAT MAKES THIS BOOK DIFFERENT?

THE ADVICE IN THIS BOOK is different from what youll find on the internet or in other books, in three important ways.

First, the team that produces this book is totally independent of the Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney World, and all other members of the Disney corporate family. We dont accept free trips, gifts, special favors, or other compensation from Disney in exchange for our coverage; we pay for everything we review. Disney doesnt request, influence, edit, or approve anything youll read here.