Birnbaum’’s 2022 Walt Disney World: The Official Vacation Guide

Walt Disney World honors its fiftieth anniversary with ＂The World’s Most Magical Celebration,＂ an incredible 18-month event that begins October 1, 2021. As the resort celebrates and continues to grow and evolve, trust Birnbaum as your 2021-2022 guide for:

• insider tips on how to see and do it all--and according to enhanced health and safety measures
• detailed descriptions of all attractions, resorts, and eateries
• money-saving strategies
• a fold-out property map on the inside back cover
  

• The latest additions to your ＂must-do＂ lists: t he groundbreaking attraction Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance the, the exciting Slinky Dog Dash, the zany Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and the Disney Skyliner--the aerial gondola system connecting EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and four resorts.
• Epic new resorts: the now-open Disney’s Riviera Resort and the forthcoming Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser experience.
• The insider’s updates on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, the upcoming expansion at EPCOT, and more!
  

• Plan a Walt Disney World vacation that’s right for you, including deciding when to go
  
• Stretch your dollar with money-saving tips and great value resorts like the Art of Animation and Pop Century
• Choose (and book) a Disney dining experience with our extensive restaurant coverage
  
• Understand the Disney Dining Plan program
  
• Reserve a breakfast with Mickey Mouse and his Disney pals
  
• Enjoy Disney Springs, a vibrant dining, shopping, and entertainment district
  
• Sign up for behind-the-scenes tours
  
• Detect dozens of Hidden Mickeys throughout the theme parks
• Plan the ultimate ＂land and sea＂ vacation with our Disney Cruise Line bonus chapter
  

• Birnbaum’s 2022 Walt Disney World for Kids
• The Hidden Mickeys of Walt Disney World
  

When Steve Birnbaum launched this guide in 1981, he made it clear what was expected of anyone who worked on it:
The book would be meticulously revised each year, leaving no attraction untested, no snack or meal untasted, no hotel untried. First-hand experiences like these, accumulated over the years, make this book the most authoritative guide to the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts.
Our expertise, however, is not achieved by being escorted through back doors of attractions (although we would enjoy that). Instead, we wait in lines with everyone else, always hoping to have a Disney experience like that of any other guest. We also take advantage of Walt Disney World’s ambitious (and free) FastPass+ attraction reservation system whenever we can. We’ll continue to keep a close eye on it and other additions to the Disney vacation-planning universe, homework we’re happy to do for readers like you.
While Disney World and Disneyland have vastly expanded, and so has our knowledge of the most popular vacation destinations on the planet. On some occasions we’ve encountered sweltering weather and swelling crowds, times when even the happiest of travelers can turn into Grumpy for a moment or two. Had we known then what we know now, we could have spared ourselves some trying experiences.
In one case, a staffer waited more than an hour to get on an attraction. Standing in line with a notebook, she was asked by another guest if there was a quiz at the end. When she explained what she was doing, he expressed surprise to learn that she was waiting with the masses. But that’s always been our strategy.
We believe the best way to gather useful advice for a Disney park guest is to be one. Over and over again!
--Jill Safro, Editor