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View Full Version : What's the worst Disneyland-related book ever?



Mark Mywords
05-25-2005, 10:31 AM
A thread I was looking at yesterday got me thinking about this. While I've read some VERY good books/guides/publications related to Disneyland (David Koenig's books immediately spring to mind), I have run across a few that are, to put it kindly, not-so-great. My most un-favorite Dland book: Birnbaum's Unofficial Guide to Disneyland.
"Highlights" from this year's edition include:

Country Bears is listed as a good attraction to jump on at the last minute.

Haunted Mansion really should have been located in Fantasyland

and, of course, the attraction details/review of "Flash Mountain".

pirateabbie
05-25-2005, 10:53 AM
A thread I was looking at yesterday got me thinking about this. While I've read some VERY good books/guides/publications related to Disneyland (David Koenig's books immediately spring to mind), I have run across a few that are, to put it kindly, not-so-great. My most un-favorite Dland book: Birnbaum's Unofficial Guide to Disneyland.
"Highlights" from this year's edition include:

Country Bears is listed as a good attraction to jump on at the last minute.

Haunted Mansion really should have been located in Fantasyland

and, of course, the attraction details/review of "Flash Mountain".

Are you referring to the book published by Birnbaum with all the glossy Disneyland photos or the book entitled The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland?

Mark Mywords
05-25-2005, 12:05 PM
Are you referring to the book published by Birnbaum with all the glossy Disneyland photos or the book entitled The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland?

Ooh, my bad. Don't know why I thought it was associated with Birnbaum. It's this one:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0764559702/qid=1117051156/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/104-3374282-8756763?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

pirateabbie
05-25-2005, 12:29 PM
Ooh, my bad. Don't know why I thought it was associated with Birnbaum. It's this one:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0764559702/qid=1117051156/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/104-3374282-8756763?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

I thought that was the one you meant. I actually like it quite a bit. They don't rewrite the entire book every year so there are always a few details that are out of date, but I like how honest they are in their reviews even when I don't agree with them.

Just out of curiosity, why do you not like the "flash mountain" part? It always makes me chuckle.

Terri
05-25-2005, 12:30 PM
Country Bears is listed as a good attraction to jump on at the last minute.

Haunted Mansion really should have been located in Fantasyland

and, of course, the attraction details/review of "Flash Mountain".

I've read and re-read the unofficial guidebook cover to cover and I don't remember reading any of that! I'll need to re-read it again tonight...

mickeynminnie
05-25-2005, 12:36 PM
I know what you mean on Birbaum's. There are multiple references to Country Bears. Also, on the Flash Mountain section I think it's absolutely horrid of them to include this, it only promotes the behavior. This behavior is definitely not something I want to see encouraged by such a popular guide book. I mean really, are parents going to have to resort to covering their children's eyes as they walk past?

Terri
05-25-2005, 12:55 PM
Glad I've never read birbaum's...I've read fodor's, frommers, the unofficial guide, and the Disney Detective and have enjoyed all of these. A lot of the others seem geared toward the "simplistic" tourist - the one who is just going to go to the park because it's there...like the eiffel tower or the hoover dam, etc.
I'm interested in what other books appear here...

danyoung
05-25-2005, 01:23 PM
Just to reiterate - the original poster was not talking about Birnbaum's book, which is the Official Guide. He was talking about the UNOFFICIAL Guide, which is written by Bob Sehlinger.

Terri
05-25-2005, 01:43 PM
yep...got it.

ralfrick
05-25-2005, 01:57 PM
Don't know if I've read the UoG to DL, maybe years ago, but the UoG to WDW is generally considered the favorite on most WDW boards.

Cheers.

Mark Mywords
05-25-2005, 02:46 PM
Just out of curiosity, why do you not like the "flash mountain" part? It always makes me chuckle.

Eh, I guess partly because it's old news. Also, IMO it smacks of trying to be "Hip and edgy" (as does alot of the rest of the guide). I mean, yeah I'll crack a joke at the mouse's expense with the best of 'em, but the overall tone of the guide is pretty cynical and jaded. The flash mountain part fits in with that tone. That's too bad, because I think it really takes away from the good parts of the book(the hard info, especially the touring plans, presented is actually OK, for the most part).

Or, maybe I'm just bitter because I received 4 (unreturnable) copies of it for my last birthday. ;)

The old man
05-25-2005, 07:35 PM
Are you sure they refer to County Bear? It's not in my Unofficial 2003 edition. I find it hard to believe they added it in the 2005. Could you get the page number?
David

Mark Mywords
05-25-2005, 09:24 PM
Actually, it is! Page 100.

Did I mention, that in addition to my multiple copies of the 2005 edition, I somehow inherited my mom's copy of 2003?

Can't find my 2005 copy (I never thought I'd catch myself uttering the phrase "Why did I give my 3 extra copies of the 2005 Unofficial Guide away?" :p ). In the 2003 edition, the haunted mansion comment is on page 130.

bradk
05-30-2005, 05:07 AM
i don't have my unofficial guide here, but let me say this.

i've read sehlinger's unofficial, birnbaum's official, and hidden disneyland, and the unofficial is by far the best of the lot.

i can't speak for the country bears, but you have to 'bear' something in mind. the books usually have a publication date 6 months before the year that's on the cover. that means by august 2004, the 2005 edition has to have been written/updated, proofread, edited, proofed and ready to go to press. so it will undoubtedly be out of date by the time jan 2005 rolls around, let alone october 2005.