Summary

Prepare for your Walt Disney World vacation with the one and only official, up-to-the-minute insider's guide to America's most popular travel destination!

Updated annually with expert advice and reviews, coupons, and more!

Trust Birnbaum as your 2023–2024 guide for:

insider tips for budgeting, scheduling, and navigating the theme parks and resorts
detailed descriptions of all the attractions, resorts, and eateries
money-saving strategies and more than $400 worth of coupons
colorful maps, photos, Disney character illustrations, and more

Get the scoop on what's new at Walt Disney World:

Race through the Grid on TRON Lightcycle/Run, the Magic Kingdom’s high-octane newcomer
Have a blast at EPCOT’s dazzling new nighttime spectacular
Add these groundbreaking attractions to your "must-do" list: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance; Slinky Dog Dash; Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway; Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind!, and the Disney Skyliner, the aerial gondola system connecting EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and four resorts

Inside this book, find out how to:

Catch the Magic Kingdom’s beloved fireworks extravaganza: Happily Ever After
Make a splash at the Disney water parks
Have a meal with Mickey Mouse and his Disney pals
Enjoy Disney Springs, a vibrant dining, shopping, and entertainment district
Detect Hidden Mickeys throughout the theme parks
Soar on the back of a mountain banshee at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park attraction Avatar Flight of Passage
Choose (and book!) a Disney dining experience with our extensive restaurant coverage
Book a backstage tour or fireworks cruise
Get great value at Disney’s Art of Animation and Pop Century resorts
Fly high in Toy Story Land, a cheery play zone at Disney’s Hollywood Studios park
Meet favorite Disney characters

Planning a trip to the Walt Disney World with your family?

Be sure to also pick up Birnbaum's 2024 Walt Disney World for Kids: The Official Guide.

Author Biography

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 the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts.
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. On some occasions we've encountered sweltering weather and swelling crowds, times when even the happiest of travelers can turn into Grumpy for a moment or two. Had we known then what we know now, we could have spared ourselves some trying experiences.
In one case, a staffer waited more than an hour to get on an attraction. Standing in line with a notebook, she was asked by another guest if there was a quiz at the end. When she explained what she was doing, he expressed surprise to learn that she was waiting with the masses. But that's always been our strategy.
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

7: GETTING READY TO GO
Here’s all the practical information you need to organize a Walt Disney World visit down to the smallest detail: when to go, how to get there, how to save money and work within a budget, how to secure theme park tickets, how to use Genie+ and access Lightning Lane entrances, and how to customize a Disney MagicBand. Plus sample schedules and hints for parents, international travelers, travelers with disabilities, singles, couples, and older visitors.

63: TRANSPORTATION & ACCOMMODATIONS
Two big questions about Walt Disney World are where to stay and how to get around. The accommodations range from concierge suites to modest campsites, with thousands of rooms and villas in between. Our guide describes every Disney resort, with details presented in a handy chart. And we explain the World’s vast transportation system, to boot.

119: MAGIC KINGDOM
The enchantment of Walt Disney World is most apparent in the wealth of attractions and amusements that fill this, its original theme park. Our land-by-land guide describes all there is to see and do in this classic play zone, plus plenty of other insider tips and the scoop on new additions to the Kingdom.

151: EPCOT
A gleaming silver geosphere introduces Disney’s newly revitalized wonderland of discovery—an ambitious exploration of the world of the future as well as the present. The park’s four neighborhoods offer every visitor the opportunity to be a global and cerebral voyager, without setting foot outside Florida. Here’s how to make the most of this uniquely fascinating destination.

183: DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Now’s your chance to be part of Disney’s Hollywood adventure! Everything from controlling the Millennium Falcon to a Frozen sing-along to a trip to The Twilight Zone™ and the excitement of daring stunts and special effects is waiting to be enjoyed. There are also opportunities to bond with Disney characters and experience a thrill ride or two. We have developed strategies for seeing this Tinseltown, ensuring the most fun possible.

205: DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM
The most sprawling member of WDW’s theme park lineup celebrates the circle of life and the wonders of Earth’s animal kingdom. Amid nature’s majesty, guests experience a stirring safari, dodge dastardly dinosaurs, and ride raging rapids. Our coverage, which includes the beloved land, Pandora—The World of Avatar, guarantees a fun-filled trip to a place where humans are humbly reminded of their role in the natural world.

225: EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD
Beyond the theme park boundaries lie countless acres full of just the sort of wonders for which Disney is famous: state-of-the-art water parks and the dynamic Disney Springs entertainment, shopping, and dining district among them. So if you want to ride down watery slides, dance the night away, shop at elegant boutiques, pamper yourself at a spa, or experience behind-the-scenes tours, this chapter will help you find your way.

253: SPORTS & RECREATION
Walt Disney World has more tennis courts and golf greens than most posh resorts, plus plenty of places for boating, biking, horseback riding, swimming, and fishing. Here’s how to combine these options with the rest of the WDW fun.

261: GOOD MEALS, GREAT TIMES
Restaurants around Disney World property run the gamut from simple snack shops to bastions of haute cuisine. Choices are nearly endless, so we’ve organized them in an area-by-area directory that lets you know where each restaurant is located and what specialties it offers. We also tell you about the Disney Dining Plan, WDW’s reservations system, dinner shows, where to dine with Disney characters, and where to enjoy an after-dinner drink.

337: DISNEY CRUISE LINE
Many guests choose to make a Walt Disney World visit even more magical by pairing it with a cruise to the Caribbean or the Bahamas—the ultimate Land and Sea vacation, Disney style. This “bonus” chapter tells you how to plan it.

365: COUPONS
We’ve stuffed the final pages of this book with valuable coupons to help you save hundreds of dollars on Walt Disney World food, merchandise, recreational experiences, and more!

WHAT’S NEW?
To spotlight attractions, shows, restaurants, and events that are making (or have recently made) their debut, listings are marked with the icon shown below. Look for it throughout the book. Here are some of the highlights:
296: BoardWalk Deli
297: The Cake Bake Shop
297: Carousel Coffee
164: DuckTales World Showcase Adventure
155: Dreamers Point
159: Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana
306: Rosa Mexicano
276: Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya
294: Summer House on the Lake
129: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
140: TRON Lightcycle/Run

Supplemental Materials

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.