Birnbaum's 2024 Walt Disney World for Kids: The Official Guide

by Birnbaum Guides

Overview

Thoughtfully updated each year, this is only guide to Walt Disney World that is written for kids under the renowned Birnbaum name.

Real kids give honest advice for the most awesome vacation at Walt Disney World. Trust Birnbaum as your 2023-2024 guide for:

• insider tips for young readers
• kid-friendly descriptions of all theme park shows and attractions
• colorful maps, photos, Disney character illustrations, and more

Inside we'll also tell you how to:

• Enjoy the Magic Kingdom's new thrill ride: Tron Lightcycle Run
• Zoom through Space at the EPCOT's new Guardian of the Galaxy —Cosmic Rewind. You can also dream like Walt Disney at the park's new Dreamer's Point.
• Pilot the Millennium Falcon at Star Wars — Galaxy's Edge in Disney's Hollywood Studio
• See Animal Kingdom's new stage show: Finding Nemo: The Big Blue...and Beyond!
• Meet your favorite Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse!

Planning a trip to the Walt Disney World? Be sure to have all the official guides from Disney Editions:

• Birnbaum's 2024 Walt Disney World
• The Hidden Mickeys of Walt Disney World

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781368083737
Publisher:	Disney Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/19/2023
Series:	Birnbaum Guides
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	84,945
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	770L (what's this?)

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

Read an Excerpt

You’re Going to DISNEY WORLD!
When you first heard the news, you could not believe your ears. Could it be true? Were you really going on a vacation to Walt Disney World? Well, believe it or not, it’s true! Before you know it, you will be in the sunny state of Florida. It’s the home of Walt Disney World and the most famous mouse on planet Earth. (Big hint: His name starts with M.)

If you have ever been there, you already know that it is a mighty big place with tons of stuff to do. In fact, there is so much going on that it can get a little confusing. That’s where this book comes in handy. It describes everything in the World, from the Magic Kingdom theme park to yummy meals with Disney pals. And it’s filled with advice from kids like you. There is no right or wrong way to read this book. You can start on the first page and read straight through to the end. Or you can skip around, read your favorite parts first, and come back to the rest later.

No matter what you do, one thing is for sure: When you are done, you will be a true-blue Walt Disney World expert. Soon folks may start asking YOU for advice on how to have the most awesome vacation at Walt Disney World!
 
Pack a Pen and Take Me Along with You
Don’t leave this book behind when you head for the parks. It is full of tips and information that you will want to remember. There are pages for photos and autographs, too — don’t forget to bring a pen and your camera. Here are some ways to use this book while visiting the wonderful world of Disney:
 
Track Your Trip
Each time you check out a Walt Disney World attraction, check it off in this book. Then you’ll know what’s left for your next visit!
 
Line Time
Nearly every Disney attraction has a standby line. That’s where you wait until it’s your turn to ride. Those lines are available to everyone — and can get a bit long sometimes. That’s when it’s fun to pass the time playing games such as Eye Spy or the Disney alphabet game — A is for Aladdin, B is for Bambi, and so on. (Read more about “waiting games” on page 131.) Another way to enter an attraction is to use the Lightning Lane — a service that offers a shorter line for an extra cost. To learn about Lightning Lanes, ask a parent or guardian to visit disneyworld.com.
 
We’re Warning You!
Disney rides are full of surprises. That’s part of what makes them so much fun. But not everyone enjoys surprises. If things like loud noises or wild turns scare you, look at the book’s attraction reaction warnings before you go on each ride. That way, the only surprises you come across will be good ones!
 
Search for Hidden Mickeys
Disney Imagineers have hidden images of Mickey Mouse all over Walt Disney World. (Many look like the three connected circles that form Mickey’s head.) You might see them in shadows, lights, drawings, or even in the clouds at some attractions. Look in this book for each HIDDEN MICKEY ALERT! to find a clue. Keep track of the number of Hidden Mickeys that you discover. When your Walt Disney World trip is over, write that number on page 149 of this book’s Magical Memories section.

The Last Word
The last pages of this book are for autographs!
 
#1 Reader Pleaser
Look for the Reader Pleaser stamp throughout the book. We’ve placed it by readers’ favorite Disney World shows and attractions. If you’d like to vote for next year’s Reader Pleasers, send us a letter or an email and we’ll send you a survey form. Use one of the addresses in the orange box below.
 
Reader Tip
Keep an eye out for this sign. Every time you spot one, you will find a great tip sent in by a reader. Do you have any Walt Disney World tips? We would love to hear them!
 
Reader Reviews
Every reader who was sent a survey also got an application to be a Birnbaum Ace Reporter. Some of their Reader Reviews appear next to the attraction descriptions in this book. Use the advice from Ace Reporters to decide if an attraction is worth the wait or is one to skip!
 
Meet the Readers
What do the kids who helped with this book have in common? They love Walt Disney World! How do we know? They told us so! Every kid who wrote to us last year received a survey form. The surveys came back filled with opinions about Walt Disney World. The forms also helped us find out about readers’ interests and hobbies. What did we learn? For starters, a lot of you enjoy reading, writing, playing sports, making music, and using computers. You also like to draw, sing, and dance. Your top Disney hotels are Port Orleans Riverside, Polynesian Village, Beach Club, and Animal Kingdom Lodge. Not all of you are crazy about dark or scary rides. But wild rides like Expedition Everest, Space Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain are at the top of your list. You think Blizzard Beach is the perfect place to splash around. And when you can’t find a Mickey Mouse ice cream bar to snack on, you love popcorn, Mickey-shaped pretzels, a turkey leg, or a frozen pineapple treat called Dole Whip. Yum!

To everyone who filled out a survey form, THANK YOU! This book could not have been written without you. And feel free to write again. We love to hear from our readers!
 
Meet the Editor
Hi. My name is Jill. I’m one of the big kids who helped put this book together. Mickey and Minnie helped us out, too!

Table of Contents

4: YOU’RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!
Plan, pack, and party as the countdown to your vacation officially begins.

16: MAGIC KINGDOM
Read how to zoom through space, fly with Peter Pan, twirl in a teacup, and meet Mickey Mouse in the most magical place in the World.

52: EPCOT
Discover the Disney version of tomorrow, take a high-flying world tour, ride a Frozen attraction, and meet Anna and Elsa.

79: DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Step into imaginary worlds from TV and movies—Toy Story, Star Wars, The Muppets, and more—and enjoy attractions with a showbiz twist.

103: DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM
Want to visit real wild animals? Fly on the back of a dragon-like banshee? Or take a wild, watery raft ride? This chapter tells you how.

125: EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD
Learn what’s at Walt Disney World besides theme parks—water parks, mini-golf courses, and tons of other fun spots. There are awesomehotels and hundreds of restaurants, too.

146: MAGICAL MEMORIES
Save the precious memories of your Disney trip before you start planning the next one!

Editorial Reviews

"A nice complement to Birnbaum's Walt Disney World for adults, this slimmed-down version, 'by' kids as well as for them, is ideal for getting children involved in family vacation planning. . . . Because the kids' enthusiasm is contagious, readers with a visit to Disney looming large won't be able to put this down." ―American Library Association Booklist

"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

From the Publisher