by Susan Veness
3 stars
Uncover hidden magic in this interesting guidebook that dives in to all things Disney World.
I really enjoyed reading about some of the hidden magic to look for around Disney World. Veness provides a variety of different details, some of which are obvious while others are a bit more cryptic to figure out.
The book is broken down by the different parks: The Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. There is a short introduction before Veness dives in to the different rides, shows, and details around the parks. Each chapter also includes a timeline of the park, recounting different attractions and changes through the years. Within the chapters, there are also “Fascinating Fact” and “Imagine That!” sections that give more information about imagineering and bits of history.
As of 2026, the book is 6 years old so there are quite a few things that are out of date. Attractions like Muppet*Vision 3D, Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy, and It’s Tough to Be a Bug!, as well as all of DinoLand U.S.A. are no longer running. It’s easy enough to skip those sections or read through to learn the cool details that used to be there, depending how much time you have.
A fun read. It’s a little dated, but a lot of the information is still relevant. I’d recommend looking at what attractions are still open before reading the section and picking the ones that are relevant to you.