Beyond Disney: The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld & the Best of Central Florida

I have found this review book to be useful in trip planning. Being somewhat unfamiliar with Universal Studios, I found the experience a bit hokey in terms of the superhero themed rides. The bad guy wants POWER! Bwaahaaa! The description of the Harry Potter experience was spot on. The Forbidden Journey is incredible and by itself justifies the entry fee into the park. I was a bit disappointed that guidelines for pedestrians were notably absent. Our free hotel shuttle to Universal Parks stopped at five hotels and took 50 minutes. The other hotels were to the south of our location. After we stopped at the hotels, we drove back north, past our hotel, to the parks. We walked back to our hotel in 25 minutes, but only after getting lost in the parking deck and discovering that a missed turn at the park entrance was the only pedestrian escape hatch from the park.

Unlike planning a trip to the land of the giant rodent, which seems to require a 4 year degree from a institution of higher learning, planning a trip to the rest of Orlando's attractions is actually relatively simple and stress-free. In fact, I am fairly confident that if my trip were to begin tomorrow, I could plan every detail today and not miss out on anything. This guide is every bit as good as the UG for Disney World and the layout is similar. Being a total Universal newbie, I wasn't sure where to begin because all we had ever done is Disney. Now, I am not only prepared for my first Universal trip, but I am excited as well.

The Unofficial Guide's Beyond Disney tome is both comprehensive yet light on detail. Because each park is assigned only a single chapter (rather than the entire books devoted to Disney World) there isn't a lot of room to elaborate on touring strategies and plans, so this is mostly a series of summary reviews of the various parks, rides and restaurants around Orlando. This isn't a bad thing though, as even Universal Studios isn't nearly busy enough to require Disney-level preparation and planning, although it would be good to see more of the anecdotes and stories littered through the other books in this series.

Love these books! Have read several by the sane author. Would definitely recommend to any one going to Orlando area.

Great guide to Universal Studios and LEGOLAND. The ratings were spot on - I especially liked how the rides were separately rated for different ages. Very useful before and during the trip.

Love this. Great planning trips for our eventual trip to Disneyworld with the family. Looking forward to using all the info and tips.

Love these Unofficial Guides. Lots of information (though not as much as the Disney version) in a straightforward manner.

This series hasn't let me down yet! Can't go wrong and follow all their advice!

Very useful for preparing which theme parks we wanted to visit and also which rides to prioritise in which order.Best tip of all though is that the universal on site hotels are worth the extra money to get the free unlimited fast pass for the rides - queue busting smugness especially in the hot summer holidays! We stayed at Loews Royal Pacific and loved it. Great to be able to take the relaxing water boat ride to the park entrances and also means you can easily pop in and pop out and not so much need the marathon day planning that the book helps you with.

Have been a huge fan of "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" for many years. Whilst this offers some excellent advice on some of the non-Disney parks it is, by comparison, poor value for money. The subject matter is obviously not as great and one gets the feel that the hotel and dining sections are their to pad out a guide that would be otherwise even smaller.

Having used the Walt Disney World guide last year and had a great experience with it, I wanted to use this to find out on other places in Orlando.The book is very helpful and I used it to decide where to stay, when to go, what to do etc. Recommend for anyone no matter what your holiday budget is.

Helpful, but way too much detail if you want precise information quickly. We found it handy, very. An eSpirit's Guide: 37 Steps To Finding Yourself In A World Of Chaos (Ps. Sssshhhhhh! Without Becoming a Recluse, a Monk or a Nun)An eSpirit's Guide: 37 Steps To Finding Yourself In A World Of Chaos (Ps. Sssshhhhhh! Without Becoming a Recluse, a Monk or a Nun)

Must have guide! There is so much to see and do that it is so worth buying this guide which is full of hints and honest opinions. We found it really useful and I would recommend it if you are going here on holiday, especially if it's your first time.