Brit's Guide to Disneyland Resort Paris 2008-2009

View other editions of Brit's Guide to Disneyland Resort Paris 2008-2009.
View books by Simon Veness, Susan Veness.

Disney Guide - Rated
We have just returned from short trip to Disney Paris. This book was quite useful, but best read with a degree of caution. The authors seem to be lacking any real objectivity and are so gushy about the resort some parts of the book are nauseating to read. Whilst I would agree Disneyland is a great experience for children and a lot of fun for all, the authors don't point out the poor points clearly enough. e.g. the hotel accommodation (we stayed at the Vienna Dream Castle) is below par for the star ratings given, I imagine because they have a captive audience and can get away with murder. Also the food outlets are all extortionate.

Don't Leave Home without It - Rated
Having bought this book for a trip in July, we found ourselves needing it sooner as made an impromptu visit last week. The book is well structured and written and gives an accurate view of the parcs and village.

With children ranging in age from 3 to 7 the description of the rides and attractions made selecting what we were going to do and when easy. Also the information about the "shortcuts" for moving about in the main parc worked perfectly.

What's more, food is not cheap in in the village and we dined at Planet Hollywood where we took advantage of the 20% discount awarded on showing this book. The money saved was actually enough to pay for this book more than twice over.

Far from Up to Date - Rated
I bought the previous edition of this book for a trip several years ago and found it completely invaluable. With tonnes of tips and tricks of the trade, it helped us get the most out of our trip to DLP.
A return visit last year was also helped by the same copy of the book.
We are going yet again this year and I had a look at this new edition with view to updating my knowledge of the parks. I was a little disappointed...
Since this book seems to be only renewed every two years, this current edition is already vastly out of date. Because DLP has an on-going evolution unlike any other Disney park in the world, this makes it difficult to be bang up to date with information.
Since this book has been published, we are now about to begin DLP's 15th Birthday celebrations, will soon see the opening of two new rides (Crush's Coaster and Cars Race Ralley in June) with another on the way early next year (The Tower of Terror in January reportedly). This book does not even cover the Buzz Lightyear ride in any great detail nad that has been there since last April.
Saying all of this, you cannot find a better guide than this for DLP and it is certainly recommended that this book be bought before your first visit to the parks (well before if possible as it includes excellent info about booking and where to stay as well as how to prepare for your trip). I suggest augmenting this book with the accompanying website that has up to the minute info on all that is going on.

Good but Misleading - Rated
We bought the 2006 edition and though it was full of information, well presented and good value, it proved to be far from up-to-date and the presentation/accuracy of information misled us on important points. It covers lots of subjects, but doesn't come across as very objective because it thinks everything Disney is wonderful. Fine for general info and tips but didn't answer a number of questions that another smaller book did.

Good book for those who don't know Disneyland! - Rated
My husband and I are taking our two young sons to Disneyland Paris soon and knowing nothing about it wanted a guide. We have found this book to be excellent for people who have never got involved with the Disney experience before. The author gives excellent Brit Tips and a guide to what is suitable for which age groups. There is an honest guide to the hotels and restaurants, with tips on how to beat the queues and eat as cheapily as possible in the park. If you know a lot about Disney then this book may just tell you what you already know, but for a beginner I think it is ideal. It is also easy to read and the enthusiasm of the author for Disneyland Paris is infectious. I was dubious about my visit before reading this book, but now I am really looking forward to it.