Birnbaum's 2023 Walt Disney World: The Official Vacation Guide

by Birnbaum Guides

Overview

Prepare for your Walt Disney World vacation with the one and only official, up-to-the-minute insider's guide to America's most popular travel destination!

Updated annually with expert advice and reviews, coupons, and more!

Trust Birnbaum as your 2022–2023 guide for:

• insider tips for budgeting, scheduling, and navigating the theme parks and resorts
• detailed descriptions of all the attractions, resorts, and eateries
• money-saving strategies and more than $400 worth of coupons
• colorful maps, photos, Disney character illustrations, and more

Get the scoop on what's new at Walt Disney World:

• Rocket through time and space at EPCOT’s new thriller: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind!
• Navigate Disney’s Genie+ Lightning Lane Service
• Add to your "must-do" list: the groundbreaking attraction Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance; the exciting Slinky Dog Dash; the zany Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway; and the Disney Skyliner, the aerial gondola system connecting EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and four resorts

Inside this book, find out how to:

• Catch the Magic Kingdom’s nightly fireworks extravaganza
• Make a splash at the Disney water parks
• Have a meal with Mickey Mouse and his Disney pals
• Enjoy Disney Springs, a vibrant dining, shopping, and entertainment district
• Detect Hidden Mickeys throughout the theme parks
• Soar on the back of a mountain banshee at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park attraction Avatar Flight of Passage
• Choose (and book!) a Disney dining experience with our extensive restaurant coverage
• Book a backstage tour or fireworks cruise
• Get great value at Disney’s Art of Animation and Pop Century resorts
• Fly high in Toy Story Land, a cheery play zone at Disney’s Hollywood Studios park
• Meet favorite Disney characters

Planning a trip to the Walt Disney World with your family?

• Be sure to also pick up Birnbaum's 2023 Walt Disney World for Kids: The Official Guide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781368083539
Publisher:	Disney Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/25/2022
Series:	Birnbaum Guides
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	1,008,768
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

When Steve Birnbaum launched this guide in 1981, he made it clear what was expected of anyone who worked on it: The book would be meticulously revised each year, leaving no attraction untested, no snack or meal untasted, no hotel untried. First-hand experiences like these, accumulated over the years, make this book the most authoritative guide to Walt Disney World.
Our expertise, however, is not achieved by being escorted through back doors of attractions (although we would enjoy that). Instead, we wait in lines with everyone else, always hoping to have a Disney experience like that of any other guest. While Walt Disney World has vastly expanded, and so has our knowledge of the most popular vacation destinations on the planet. We believe the best way to gather useful advice for a Disney park guest is to be one. Over and over again!
—Jill Safro, editor

Table of Contents

PAGE 7: GETTING READY TO GO
Here is all the practical information you need to organize a Walt Disney World visit down to the smallest detail: when to go, how to get there, how to save money and work within a budget, how to secure theme park tickets and reservations, and how to customize a Walt Disney World MagicBand. Plus sample schedules and hints for parents, international travelers, travelers with disabilities, singles, couples, and older visitors.

PAGE 61: TRANSPORTATION & ACCOMMODATIONS
Two big questions about Walt Disney World are where to stay and how to get around. The accommodations range from concierge suites to modest campsites, with thousands of rooms and villas in between. Our guide describes every Disney resort, with details presented in a handy chart. And we explain the World’s vast transportation system, to boot.

PAGE 113: MAGIC KINGDOM
The enchantment of Walt Disney World is most apparent in the wealth of attractions and amusements that fill this, its original theme park. Our land-by-land guide describes all there is to see and do in this classic play zone, plus plenty of other insider tips and the scoop on new additions for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration.

PAGE 143: EPCOT
A gleaming silver geosphere introduces Disney’s wonderland of discovery—an ambitious exploration of the world of the future as well as the present. The park’s four neighborhoods offer every visitor the opportunity to be a global and cerebral voyager, without setting foot outside Florida. Here’s how to make the most of this uniquely fascinating destination.

PAGE 175: DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Now’s your chance to be part of Disney’s Hollywood adventure! Everything from controlling the Millennium Falcon to a Frozen sing-along to a trip to The Twilight Zone™ and the excitement of daring stunts and special effects is waiting to be enjoyed. There are also opportunities to bond with Disney characters and experience a thrill ride or two. We have developed strategies for seeing this Tinseltown, ensuring the most fun possible.

PAGE 197: DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM
The most sprawling member of WDW’s theme park lineup celebrates the circle of life and the wonders of Earth’s animal kingdom. Amid nature’s majesty, guests experience a stirring safari, dodge dastardly dinosaurs, and ride raging rapids. Our coverage, which includes the beloved land, Pandora—The World of Avatar, guarantees a fun-filled trip to a place where humans are humbly reminded of their role in the natural world.

PAGE 217: EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD
Beyond the theme park boundaries lie countless acres full of just the sort of wonders for which Disney is famous: state-of-the-art water parks and the dynamic Disney Springs entertainment, shopping, and dining district among them. So if you want to ride down watery slides, dance the night away, shop at elegant boutiques, pamper yourself at a spa, or experience behind-the-scenes tours, this chapter will help you find your way.

PAGE 245: SPORTS & RECREATION
Walt Disney World has more tennis courts and golf greens than most posh resorts, plus plenty of places for boating, biking, horseback riding, swimming, and fishing. Here’s how to combine these options with the rest of the WDW fun.

PAGE 253: GOOD MEALS, GREAT TIMES
Restaurants around Disney World property run the gamut from simple snack shops to bastions of haute cuisine. Choices are nearly endless, so we’ve organized them in an area-by-area directory that lets you know where each restaurant is located and what specialties it offers. We also tell you about the Disney Dining Plan, WDW’s reservations system, dinner shows, where to dine with Disney characters, and where to enjoy an after-dinner drink.

PAGE 317: DISNEY CRUISE LINE
Many guests choose to make a Walt Disney World visit even more magical by pairing it with a cruise to the Caribbean or the Bahamas—the ultimate Land and Sea vacation, Disney style. This “bonus” chapter tells you how to plan it.

PAGE 349: HAPPY 50th ANNIVERSARY, WALT DISNEY WORLD!
Walt Disney World is marking 50 years of memory-making magic with an 18-month-long, pixie-dusted party. We offer you a peek at The World’s Most Magical Celebration!

WHAT’S NEW?
To spotlight attractions, shows, restaurants, and events that are making (or have recently made) their debut, listings are marked with the icon shown at right. Look for it throughout the book. Here are some of the highlights:

Club Cool: PAGE 148

Disney Enchantment (fireworks): PAGE 137

Disney KiteTails: PAGE 208

Disney’s Riviera Resort: PAGE 86

Harmonious (nighttime spectacular): PAGE 171

Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana: PAGE 150

La Crêperie de Paris: PAGE 270

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway: PAGE 188

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure: PAGE 161

Roundup Rodeo BBQ: PAGE 274

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser: PAGE 112

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance: PAGE 189

Space 220: PAGE 263

The Swan Reserve: PAGE 91

TRON Lightcycle/Run: PAGE 131

The World’s Most Magical Celebration: PAGE 349

Editorial Reviews

"The Official Guide is also the best." ―The New York Times

One of "10 Gift Ideas Theme Park Fans Will Love . . . While giving a Disney vacation is a gift out of most people's price ranges, you still can help loved ones plan for their next theme park vacation. The best Disney guidebooks are from Birnbaum's, and [release] ahead of the New Year. . . . The guidebooks offer everything from tips on how to maximize your park experiences to restaurant reviews." ―International Business Times

One of "10 things I learned from our Disney vacation: If you plan to go, plan ahead. The average American wedding takes 8-12 months to prepare. That's a reasonable baseline for researching, booking, and preparing for a Disney trip, in my limited experience. And take advantage of the information that's available. . . . Birnbaum's Walt Disney World guidebook filled in a lot of other gaps." ―NPR

One of "19 great coffee table books for Disney fans" ―Business Insider

From the Publisher