December 4, 2006 - It's interesting to pick up this book and see the author, Steven M. Barrett, because Steve is best known as the de-facto expert on Hidden Mickeys. Steve's other "claim to fame" is the author of the Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation 2007 Edition which is all about "stress-free touring plans" of Walt Disney World. This book (and previous editions) offers a different take on theme park touring by making you believe commando-touring and having fun can go together.

The first thing I noticed about the book was its ability to be concise and convey lots of information. Excluding the index pages, the book comes in at 242 pages long and covers planning your trip, the four theme parks, Downtown Disney and other Walt Disney World amenities such as the water parks, Boardwalk area, etc. On the cover of the book is the phrase "Savor the magic...Avoid the madness" and this book is all about fun at Walt Disney World. Throughout the book you will find tips and suggestions on fun things to see or do. It further separates itself from other guide books by offering suggestions for the least-crowded bathrooms or good areas to rest in the parks. At first these don't seem like a big deal but to be honest, who wouldn't want to know the best restroom to use or a nice place to sit down and "decompress" for a little while.

Being that this site is about the Disney-MGM Studios and I'm of the opinion one should write what they know about, I'll focus on the Studios portion of the book. The Studios chapter jumps right into attraction reviews and offers a description of the attraction, "Steve Says" which is Barrett's personal opinion of the attraction summed up in 5 words or so, a rating system as well as tips, warnings and suggestions for the attraction. Some attractions have tips on where to sit or how best to enter the attraction while other attractions will have warnings for parents who have young children (or immature adults) in their party who are sensitive to loud noise and/or the dark. The reviews tend to be on the "sunny side" of things but do accurately describe the attraction so any first timer will know exactly what they are getting themselves into.

Following the attraction reviews, Steve lists attractions with (usually) minimal wait, attractions that may frighten children, least-crowded restrooms, good resting places and Hidden Mickeys. It's with this sort of information that this guide really shines because there are some great tips for each of the categories because it's these little things that can make a vacation to Walt Disney World that much more enjoyable.

There are two touring plans provided for the Studios: one-day touring plan for either Extra Magic Hour day or Non-Extra Magic Hour day and a two-day touring plan for Extra Magic Hour days or Non-Extra Magic Hour days. Each plan is fairly simple and I'd say it gives a good general plan of attack for the Studios. In keeping with the book's mantra of being stress-free, the touring plans advocate taking an afternoon break and taking time for snacks which can really help with those energy levels, especially on multi-day trips.

The bottom line for this book is if you're looking a guide with a different take on theme park touring with some interesting tidbits not commonly known, this will be a good buy. It's great for people who have been to the parks a few times but want to get more out of their trips.

Overall score: 7 out of 10

Link to buy this book