Is it your dream to head to the happiest place on earth? Do you have questions about how to plan your Disney vacation? I know for us, as first-timers(at least with our own family), it was an overwhelming experience. When we were younger, you bought tickets and off you went. Now it takes months to plan your Disney vacation, but thanks to these books, it is a lot easier.

If you go to any bookstore, there are a TON of guidebooks out there to help you plan your Disney vacation. So where do you start? I think it depends on your family and the ages of the people going with you. Our sons were already teenagers by the time we took them, so it was less stressful because we didn’t have to worry about character breakfasts.

Anyway, back to the books. There were two choices that made planning for our trip easier. Keep reading to find out which books helped to make our Disney vacation the best it could possibly be. 

*I am sharing the books with my affiliate links. They don’t cost you anything, but if you purchase the books through me, I get a portion back. That helps me continue running this blog and bringing you more informative posts.

Plan Your Disney Vacation With These Great Books:

This trip was so exciting to us because this is the first time we were taking our boys to Walt Disney World. Yes, they are a bit older than typical first time visiting kids. But, with that aside, this Mom wanted to make it a memorable experience. Planning it took many, many hours(some pretty late into the night) and a few arguments. Thank goodness for our Disney vacation planning books. 

The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World:

The first book that I picked up at the bookstore as soon as hubby told me that we were going to Disney World and needed to start planning was the Unofficial Guide to Disney World. I had joined a few Facebook groups geared towards going to Walt Disney World, and this was a frequent suggestion. 

Even though we didn’t stay on Disney property, I liked how they broke down all the lodging options so that someone who was new to planning a Disney vacation would have all the needed information right at their fingertips.

Another feature of the Unofficial Guide is the anecdotes shared by people that have already been to Walt Disney World. So you get the author’s viewpoint and observations and recommendations from real people.

Another bonus of this book is that each park in Walt Disney World gets its own chapter. Since we weren’t going to Animal Kingdom, I could skip that chapter all together. Can I tell you again how much fun it is to plan your Disney vacation?

PassPorter’s Walt Disney World Deluxe edition

Before I go any further, I just want to add one thing. The PassPorter is more than just a book, it is a community. There is a whole website that is dedicated to planning for your Disney vacation, and my favorite is the PassPorter Forum. You can ask questions, read about others’ trip, and drool over all the pictures other travelers have shared.

So why do I like the PassPorter Deluxe? Well, first off, I LOVE  that it is a binder style. This allowed me to keep what I needed, and take out what didn’t apply to us. Since we weren’t staying onsite, I was able to remove all the information about lodging. 

I also like the maps that could could be removed and slipped into a bag or purse. There is a separate one for each park, so you can take what you need, and not have anything you don’t need to take up precious space that you can use for your other vacation essentials. They are also good to give to a child that is not riding on an attraction so they can wander a bit while they are waiting.

There are also sections for “feasting in the World”. I love that term, because it is a feast for the senses. There is also a whole section dedicated to rating the various attractions located in each theme park.

The PassPorter Deluxe also covers other sections of the theme park area. I really enjoyed the section on Disney Springs, which helped us make the decision to visit there as well. Well, that and the HUGE Star Wars store. Again, for my husband, not the kids!

Another fun option is to use these guidebooks as momentos. Or, have the kids use a travel journal to help decide what sites they want to see.

BONUS SUGGESTION: Birnbaum’s Walt Disney World Guide:

Similar to the Unofficial guide, Birnbaum’s The Official Guide comes with coupons as well, most of which are geared towards the younger kids. Since our kids were teens, we didn’t get that version. But, at the bookstore where I work, there are tons of families that purchase this title. 

So these are my favorite Disney vacation planning books that helped to make our trip as smooth and organized as possible. It may have been a lot of work, but it was so worth it in the end!

Will these books help YOU to plan your Disney vacation? Of course they will.

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Tags : Books For Planning, Disney World, Everything Related To Disney, planning essentials