Mini Mickey: The Pocket-Sized Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (Unofficial Guides) - Softcover

Bob Sehlinger, a Lowell Thomas Award-winning journalist, is best known as the creator and producer of The Unofficial Guide series.

He is credited with being the first to apply research techniques from the fields of operations research and statistics to travel guides. Among other projects, he was able to develop mathematical models that could save theme park patrons more than three hours of standing in queue in a single day.

Bob Sehlinger is founder and co-owner of Keen Communications, a book publishing company that includes Menasha Ridge Press, Clerisy Press, and Wilderness Press. The author of 27 books, Sehlinger is a past president of the Publishers Association of the South, and has served at the invitation of the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Information Service on educational missions for publishers in Hungary, Romania, and Russia.

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Ritchey Halphen is a project editor at Keen Communications. His 18 years of publishing experience include editing stints at Cooking Light, Southern Living, and Health magazines. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama.

WHY THIS POCKET GUIDE?
THE OPTIMUM STAY AT WALT DISNEY WORLD is seven days, but many visitors don’t have that long to devote to Disney attractions. Some are on business, with only a day or two available for Disney’s enticements. Others are en route elsewhere or want to sample additional attractions in Orlando and central Florida. For these visitors, efficient, time-effective touring is a must. They can’t afford long waits in line for rides, shows, or meals. They must determine as far in advance as possible what they really want to see.

This guide distills information from the comprehensive Unoffcial Guide to Walt Disney World to help short-stay or last-minute visitors decide quickly how best to spend their limited hours. It will help these guests answer questions vital to their enjoyment: What are the rides and attractions that appeal to me most? Which additional rides and attractions would I like to experience if I have any time left? What am I willing to forgo?


[Attraction profile from Epcot chapter]

Spaceship Earth 4 stars

Appeal by Age
Preschool 4 stars
Grade School 4 stars
Teens 4 stars
Young Adults 4 stars
Over 30 4 stars
Seniors 4.5 stars

What it is Educational dark ride through past, present, and future. Scope and scale Headliner. When to go Before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Special comments If lines are long when you arrive, try again after 4 p.m. Authors’ rating One of Epcot’s best; not to be missed; 4 stars, Duration of ride About 16 minutes. Average wait in line per 100 people ahead of you 3 minutes. Loading speed Fast.

DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This ride spirals through the 18-story interior of Epcot’s premier landmark, taking visitors past Audio-Animatronic scenes depicting mankind’s developments in communications, from cave painting to printing to television to space communications and computer networks. The ride shows an amazing use of the geodesic sphere’s interior.

Scenes are periodically redone to keep things fresh. Interactive video screens on the ride vehicles allow you to customize the ride’s ending animated video. A postshow area with games and interactive exhibits rounds out the attraction.

TOURING TIPS Because it’s near Epcot’s main entrance, Spaceship Earth is inundated with arriving guests throughout the morning. If you’re interested in riding Test Track, postpone Spaceship Earth until, say, after 4 p.m. Spaceship Earth loads continuously and quickly. If the line runs only along the right side of the sphere, you’ll board in less than 15 minutes.

WHY THIS POCKET GUIDE?
THE OPTIMUM STAY AT WALT DISNEY WORLD is seven days, but many visitors don’t have that long to devote to Disney attractions. Some are on business, with only a day or two available for Disney’s enticements. Others are en route elsewhere or want to sample additional attractions in Orlando and central Florida. For these visitors, efficient, time-effective touring is a must. They can’t afford long waits in line for rides, shows, or meals. They must determine as far in advance as possible what they really want to see.

This guide distills information from the comprehensive Unoffcial Guide to Walt Disney World to help short-stay or last-minute visitors decide quickly how best to spend their limited hours. It will help these guests answer questions vital to their enjoyment: What are the rides and attractions that appeal to me most? Which additional rides and attractions would I like to experience if I have any time left? What am I willing to forgo?


[Attraction profile from Epcot chapter]

Spaceship Earth 4 stars

Appeal by Age
Preschool 4 stars
Grade School 4 stars
Teens 4 stars
Young Adults 4 stars
Over 30 4 stars
Seniors 4.5 stars

What it is Educational dark ride through past, present, and future. Scope and scale Headliner. When to go Before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Special comments If lines are long when you arrive, try again after 4 p.m. Authors’ rating One of Epcot’s best; not to be missed; 4 stars, Duration of ride About 16 minutes. Average wait in line per 100 people ahead of you 3 minutes. Loading speed Fast.

DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This ride spirals through the 18-story interior of Epcot’s premier landmark, taking visitors past Audio-Animatronic scenes depicting mankind’s developments in communications, from cave painting to printing to television to space communications and computer networks. The ride shows an amazing use of the geodesic sphere’s interior.

Scenes are periodically redone to keep things fresh. Interactive video screens on the ride vehicles allow you to customize the ride’s ending animated video. A postshow area with games and interactive exhibits rounds out the attraction.

TOURING TIPS Because it’s near Epcot’s main entrance, Spaceship Earth is inundated with arriving guests throughout the morning. If you’re interested in riding Test Track, postpone Spaceship Earth until, say, after 4 p.m. Spaceship Earth loads continuously and quickly. If the line runs only along the right side of the sphere, you’ll board in less than 15 minutes.