The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner: A Complete Organizer, Journal, and Keepsake for Your Unforgettable Vacation (Disney Hidden Magic Gift Series) Diary – Organizer, April 15, 2012

I purchased the Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World book when it was first published and was greatly impressed with it. Instead of telling me where I should run off to next to enjoy my WDW vacation, it instead showed me how to elevate my appreciation of the parks to a whole new level. As a result, when I speak with veteran WDW guests who believe they've seen it all, I frequently recommend the book to them as a way to take their visits to the next level. So, imagine my surprise when I happened to look on Amazon the other day and discovered that two of my very favorite WDW experts and authors had published a brand new planner. Without even being certain exactly what I was ordering (though certainly having a good idea), I immediately placed my order for the new planner and received it today. I haven't fully digested all the information in the new planner yet, it's simply too full of great information to help plan and remember my wonderful WDW vacations. While the Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World was well suited for the experienced WDW visitor, I would highly recommend this to the fairly inexperienced and veteran traveller alike. It's chock full of information to help someone plan their trip to WDW, from choosing a resort, to visiting the parks, and enjoying some great family dining experiences along the way. And there are ample sections in the book placed appropriately to allow one to make memorable journal entries along the way, along with numerous "pocket pages" to collect receipts and photos. They can all be kept permanently in this planner, or transferred to a scrap book later on. Indeed, for the well seasoned visitor, much, if not most of what is in this planner can be found elsewhere. However, for the pitance that this planner cost me, I anticipate a return on my investment many times over as everything I require to enjoy my WDW trip, and all of my vacation memories, are all collected in one convenient location to help simplify my vacation planning, reduce my planning stress and bring me many years of wonderful vacation memories.

My wife and I used this book when we took our children and grandkids to Walt Disney World last week. I found it had good tips that the official Disney guide did not offer. We stayed at a Disney hotel, and this book had good information about that, too. There is also lots of other material that makes the book useful, especially trivia. I found the book similar to  PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2012: The Unique Travel Guide, Planner, Organizer, Journal, and Keepsake! , which has the same "planner" idea but less information.

Do not buy this to plan a trip. It is extremely outdated. It still has Camp Minnie Mickey in it. It’s cute if you like reading about past Disney World. It would’ve been helpful 10 years ago, not today. I should have read the reviews first, but now I’ve wasted $10 on a planner I cannot use. Very disappointing. Was not clear in the description how old this information was.

This planner is a great thing to have/use for a typical family during “normal” times. This type of planner isn’t necessary right now during this pandemic.

I have been wanting a planner but not the price. Got this as a used book and plan to gather data for our trip to Disney World next year. Love the fact that each section has several pages for notes so I can add my own information.

I would recommend this planner for any person planning their next Disney World vacation! It has so many helpful tips and secrets, even for veteran visitors. I really love the pockets for keeping flight tickets, park tickets, Magical Express tickets, etc. You won't be disappointed if you purchase this planner!

At a glance I noticed several current rides and attractions are not listed while others that are listed no longer exist. There is information about the Orlando Airport. There is no information for the Orlando Sanford Airport (where my family will be flying in to). The spiral binding is also made of paper and will wear out quickly. There seems to be some useful information in this book, but I will still have to research the outdated information. Kind of defeats the purpose of buying the book. I am not happy about spending $10 for an outdated book with limited information.

Great planner for a trip to Disney. The book describes the rides, shows and events and where they are located. A map of each park is included. The book included space for your "own experiences".

Really helpful for Disney fans

Das (englische) Buch "The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner: A Complete Organizer" hat mich ziemlich enttäuscht. Ich habe gleichzeitig auch Martin Köllns "Park-Planer" bestellt, das deutlich besser ist.Der "Organizer" besteht aus einem Ringbuch, in dem auf 350 Seiten die folgenden 9 Kapitel rund um Disney World enthalten sind: Planung, Unterkunft, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Water Parks, Nachtleben sowie Dining. Leider sind die einzelnen Kapitel kaum strukturiert, so dass es schwer fällt, alle Attraktionen eines Bereichs zu überblicken.Die Seiten sind recht dünn und groß bedruckt. Nach jedem Kapitel gibt es leere Seiten für Notizen sowie einen ausklappbaren farbigen Plan des jeweiligen Parks. Mit über 3cm Dicke (bei ca. DIN A5 Format) ist der Organizer kaum etwas für's Handgepäck.Leider sind die Inhalte recht spärlich. Die allgemeinen Informationen beinhalten äußerst grundlegende Tipps für den Kauf der Tickets, zum Reisen mit Kindern etc. Dass man bei Hitze viel trinken soll, ist einer der häufigsten Ratschläge. Insgesamt ein guter Überblick, aber sehr dünn gehalten.Auffallender ist der dürftige Inhalt bei der Beschreibung der Parks. Beispielsweise dem Magic Kingdom sind rund 50 Seiten gewidmet, in denen alle Attraktionen, Restaurants und Shops beschrieben werden (bspw. 13 Seiten für das Fantasyland, davon 10 für die Attraktionen). Die Beschreibung ist dabei sehr oberflächlich und nicht hilfreich. So wird zwar z.B. bei "It's a small world" auf einer ganzen Seite ausführlich erklärt, welche Regionen man nacheinander sieht, dass das eine eher langweilige Bootsfahrt ist, kann man aber nur einem Nebensatz entnehmen.Eine Wertung wird ausschließlich durch ein Sterne-System (1-4) vorgenommen. Zusätzlich gibt es einen "Scare Factor" und einen "Motion Factor", die aber kaum hilfreich sind. So wird z.B. das Kinderkarussell "Mad Tea Party" als "extreme physical sensation" mit dem höchsten Motion Factor bewertet. Die Beschreibung dieses Karussells (10 Zeilen) beinhaltet dann primär die Einleitung, dass man als geschrumpfte Alice auf der Nichtgeburtstagsparty des verrückten Hutmachers gelandet sei...Man muss sich also durch viel dahinplätschernde Prosa lesen, und daraus die wenigen Informationen selbst extrahieren. Teilweise gibt es kurze Einschübe zu "Reality Check", "Hidden Magic" und "Rookie Mistakes", denen ich jedoch keinen Mehrwert abgewinnen konnte. ("Hidden Magic" nennt z.B. die Namen der Disney-Mitarbeiter, die sich in Wandgemälden im Cinderella-Castle verewigt haben.)Zusammenfassung:Der "Organizer" mag dabei helfen, daheim einen ersten Eindruck über die Attraktionen Disney Worlds zu bekommen. Für eine wirkliche Planung sind die Informationen jedoch zu dürftig, und für die Handtasche ist das Buch schlicht zu sperrig.

This book is very good. We used it every day - and we were there 21 days! You need to use it in conjunction with the free Disney maps available in each Park, but really very good. The only criticism is its a bit heavy - but we only took a few items with us each day.

I good book for its day, but may items are obsolete and don't exsist anymore.

Really useful for planning a trip to WDW, essential if you are to make the most of your time there. Full of information and tips and plenty of room for your own notes. Great read.