Are any of the following books good to read prior to a First trip to DL?

[Jodi1980]

101 Things You Never Knew About Disneyland: An Unauthorized Look At The Little Touches And Inside Jokes

Disneyland Detective: An Independent Guide to Discovering Disney's Legend, Lore, & Magic

Mouse Tales: A Behind-The-Ears Look at Disneyland

More Mouse Tales: A Closer Peek Backstage at Disneyland

 

[eduk8r26]

I'm not familiar with the first two, but I've read the two Mousetales. They give you inside info about Disneyland past mostly. If you're looking for info on rides, where to eat, that kind of stuff, Birnbaum's guide (can't remember the name) is probably your best bet. He's written for both Disneyland and WDW for years and they are updated annually.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

I'm not familiar with the first two, but I've read the two Mousetales. They give you inside info about Disneyland past mostly. If you're looking for info on rides, where to eat, that kind of stuff, Birnbaum's guide (can't remember the name) is probably your best bet. He's written for both Disneyland and WDW for years and they are updated annually.

I second that...I buy Birnbaums guide to Disneyland every year...just got my 2006 copy in the mail

 

[blackjackdelta]

The new Passporter for DLR and So Cal should be on in march. You mat want to look at it also.

Jack

 

[JanetRose]

I'm looking for a book with secrets, things to look for, the history of Disneyland, etc.

 

[disneedee]

Unofficial Guide to Disneyland . by Bob Sehlinger is very helpful to first timers

absorbing the magic of disney the first time

learning the secrets of disney is better after you've experienced the magic

 

[kuusimo]

I totally agree with the Unoffical guide book. They even have in there schedules that you can follow. Lot's of good tips as well!

 

[Albertan mom]

Doesn't really have anything to do with the books you asked about, but if you have kids, I would recommend they watch Aladdin before they see the show. My kids hadn't seen the movie first, and were kind of lost. (Just because they skip some parts, to shorten it). So I wish they would have seen the movie first.
Just my opinion!

 

[littlegreydonkey]

I've just ordered the mouse tales books, but in the reviews I've read people said they didn't want to know some of the stuff, particularly in the second book. It's apparently not just disney trivia - (ie there's a basketball court in the matterhorn) but also true life tales of dissent and accidents. I haven't read it yet though so I may be wrong, but doesn't sound like stuff you want to know when you haven't been yet, possibly a little too magic destroying.

 

[ZeusNike]

I am a huge DL fan and have read all three books mentioned. They do tell you lots of inside stuff (some of it on the less positive side) but I really like to have "inside info" so it doesn't spoil the magic for me at all. It actually makes me more amazed that they can pull off what they do everyday.

For a guidebook I agree with the suggestion to pick up Birnbaum's Guide to Disneyland. The Passporter should be great too (the WDW one was invaluable on our first trip there) if it is ready in time.

 

[Judy from Boise]

I personally would avoid the "mouse tales" books as things I don't want/need to know about a place I visit for escape. However, "101 things" book ( Kevin Yee ?) I think would be exactly what you are looking for.

 

[JLSM97]

I got the 101 things book for Christmas. There were about 11 things I didn't already know by reading all the other books. It was a fun read, but didn't thrill me much. If you want to read some of the secrets of the parks, I recommend www.snopes.com and www.hiddenmickeys.org.

 

[sahbushka]

I read the disneyland Detective book before my last trip and it was great! However, it might be better before a second or third trip as on the first trip it seems to be better to just really enjoy everything and get a sense from the park and the next couple of trips looking more in depth at things. Also a lot of the info has you not really paying attention to the ride you are on as you are looking for the "detective" part. This is great for people who have been on the ride 100 times but not for a new rider!
Sarah

 

[tiggersis]

I would have to agree with the Mouse Tales books, some of the stuff in there is untrue.

 

[SeansMom]

I admit it...I LOVE books...for first timers, I would suggest the following:
Birnbaum's guide to Disneyland, 2006 (because it coupons in the back valid only for 2006, and lots of great info.!)

The Unofficial guide, becuase it give good and accurated information on rides, including scariness factors, which is a must if you have small kiddos (de-rail...on our last trip I started talking with a family who's youngest, about 7, was in tears. Evidently they choose Indiana Jones for their first ride...can you say OOOPSSS!) They also have the prefab schedules, but I'd look into Ridemax.com (can I say that here?)

Los Angeles and Disneyland for Dummies has some great info, especially if you plan on stepping foot outside DL resort.

I think Disneyland and Beyond is worth mentioning. It has great line buster games in it, as well as a slightly different slant. I don't know if they have printed an updated version, though.

I'd try the library for all of these; then choose one or two to purchase *unless you're like me and want a small collection of Disney (and other) books*.

 

[darph nader]

defintly (sp?) the unoffical guide. very funny and unbiased.