Beyond the Attractions: A Review

GIVEAWAY DETAILS BELOW:



Traveling to Walt Disney World with small children is a whole new ballgame.  It's the reason this blog began.  I wanted to share what I had learned about taking my daughter to the World, among other topics.  Lisa Battista had a similar experience.  She visited WDW as a child but really became smitten on her honeymoon.  After realizing she no longer thought children should wait until at least the age of five for their first visit, Lisa dove into researching travel with preschoolers and Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers (2011) is the result.  The 2011 edition of the book was recently released and is available in paperback and Kindle versions.


I loved reading the book to prepare for this review.  Lisa provides lots of great tips, and while there are some excellent general WDW guide books out there, it's nice to have one so well geared to a specific audience.  Throughout the book, she maintains the focus of travel with preschoolers and we all know if we keep the little ones happy, the rest of the group has a much better time.


Beyond the Attractions is well-organized to make it an easy quick reference guide.  There are chapters covering topics ranging from preparing for your trip to bringing home the magic and just about everything in between.  The lodging chapter goes over the pros and cons of each category of resort based on how well they work for preschoolers.  Her dining and attractions chapters give a quick overview of each option as well as tips on what to keep in mind for your child, ex. locations with theming that may be too intense for some kids, such as T-Rex.  My daughter loves fresh fruit and Beyond the Attractions even includes the permanent locations where this is available for a quick snack.  Another section I'd wanted to highlight for myself (but I was reading from a pdf) reviewed the playground areas at Walt Disney World.  Alas, my beloved Epcot comes in last...  The chapter on child care and safety won't be found in any general WDW guide and has some valuable information for keeping your kiddos safe while away from home.


Lisa has done a terrific job of including some of the lesser known experiences that can add just a bit more pixie dust to your vacation.  Is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique a little too expensive for your taste?  How about a trip to the Harmony Barber Shop near the Emporium at Magic Kingdom?  For $7.50, your child can get a hairstyle with  colored gel and pixie dust.  Have an aspiring pirate at home?  Children ages four and over can take a pirate cruise from one of four resorts.  And if it's still open, Goofy's Barnstormer has first roller coaster certificates available.


Speaking of changes, Walt wanted his parks to always be growing and evolving and that they are.  This is a great thing for the guests but it makes writing a guide book a bit like nailing jello to the wall.  To solve this problem, Lisa offers an updates section on her website.  Simply check it prior to your trip for the most up to date information.


In the back of Beyond the Attractions are about 25 pages of reference material.  WDW phone numbers, planning websites, addresses for the local grocery stores and urgent care facilities are just some of what you'll find.  Lisa also gives you a list of FASTPASS attractions, character greeting locations, and must do attractions for toddlers and preschoolers.  Dining rates and park maps showing kid-friendly attractions are at your fingertips.  Comprehensive planning and packing check-lists round out the section.


Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers (2011) will be a valuable resource to anyone planning a trip to WDW with small children.  Even if you've braved it before, I'm sure you'll learn something new from this excellent book.

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Ready to enter to win a copy of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers (2011)? 

You get one entry for each of the following. Please note each as a separate entry in the comments section below so I know what you have done. (If you are already following us through any of these channels, just note that. Hey, free entry!)

MANDATORY ENTRY:  Visit BeyondtheAttractions.com and comment below on the best tip you learned from Lisa.  Other entries won't count unless you do this one. 


ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: 

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• Tweet about this giveaway, one entry per day. Feel free to use this: "Visit www.growingupdisney.com and enter to win a copy of "Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to WDW with Preschoolers" #giveaway #Disney"
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This contest ends at midnight Central time on Monday, October 18, and is limited to residents of the United States and Canada. The winner will be chosen at random from all eligible entries. You'll be notified via email and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received this book for reviewing purposes. No monetary compensation was received or offered. All opinions expressed are my honest thoughts on these products.


The winning comment is #23. Congratulations Lynn!