New book now out!
111 Places in Orlando That You Must Not Miss - an essential read for Orlando locals and visitors alike.
Published by Emons and now available in all good bookstores, including Amazon.com.
With full-colour photography by local photographer Kayla L. Smith, this makes for a great coffee table book - and an essential insight into the real Orlando beyond the theme parks.
See more on the Emons website on this link.
If it all started with a mouse for Walt Disney, then it all started with a book about the Mouse for us. The Brit Guide to Orlando & Walt Disney World was the product of late-night inspiration for Simon, who figured - 30 years ago - that the British market was woefully under-served for a good guidebook on the UK's top long-haul destination.
The book quickly established itself as the go-to guide for all things Orlando for Brits and it has consistently been a best-seller in the guidebook world, with more than 450,000 copies sold to date. Having survived through the non-travel era of the COVID pandemic, the 2024 edition was the 29th to take on the Brit Guide to Orlando mantle, and it marked a fitting end point for this unique little publication, which took on the big-name brands and gave them a good run for their money.
If the Brit Guide set things rolling, Susan's Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World kicked
things into high gear in 2009 when she put a lifetime's expertise of getting under the skin of the Disney theme parks to good use.
The Hidden Magic isn’t a guidebook. Instead, it walks readers through each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks, pointing out the attraction backstories and wonderful “hidden” details (over 600 of them!) that add the essential ‘layers,’ making Disney's Imagineers’ work so realistic and compelling.
Discover the secret of the concentric circles inside the Temple of Heaven in Epcot’s Japan pavilion; find references to The Twilight Zone television show throughout the Tower of Terror in Hollywood Studios; seek out dozens of “symbolic signatures” hidden in every attraction by the Imagineers; and find out just why they had to be covert about personalizing their work.
The initial runaway success of the Hidden Magic - with more than 100,000 copies sold in its first edition - spawned two further titles in the series in the next four years, with
the Hidden Magic Planner following in 2012 (a full-on Walt Disney World guidebook, journal and keepsake provider) and Hidden Magic Trivia a year later. Meanwhile the original issue of the Hidden Magic was fast being overtaken by changes and updates at Walt Disney World, hence it led to a Second Edition in 2015, amounting to a complete re-write and another 300-plus 'secrets' of the parks, much to the delight of Disney fans and publishers Adams Media (an imprint of Simon & Schuster).
The first two editions are a must-have for all devotees of the Disney Parks, and the third edition, in 2020 (left), added even more to the endless Disney appeal and fascination.
In the meantime, Disney fans will definitely want to know about Susan's other work for Adams Media, Walt Disney World Hacks - 350+ Park Secrets For Making the Most Of Your Disney Vacation. This 2019 volume provided more ways for people to maximize their time (and expenditure) at the House of Mouse, as well as give them some more inside track on how to enjoy the whole experience. The fully revised second edition in 2024 added even more value to the Disney experience, especially with so many changes post-COVID. This was also the year we published our first book for German publisher Emons, as part of their internationally renowned 111 Places series. Our 111 Places in Orlando That You Must Not Miss took our Orlando writing to a whole new level, delving into the back-stories of the city's history, art and culture. A wonderful challenge to undertake, and it led to us falling in love with our city all over again.
With Simon's background in sports journalism (see our Sportswriting Page), it was almost inevitable he would base
his first biography on the founder of the Orlando City Soccer Club. He had complete, official access to owner Phil Rawlins, the team's stars, coaches and front office, and the definitive guide to the team's creation was published by the University of Nebraska Press in November 2017 as Defying Expectations (right). The biography received great critical acclaim, and remains the most definitive and comprehensive work on the history of the soccer team to date.
Other books we've written in the past 20-some years that underline our passion for travel include the Brit's Guide to Cruising, which was published in 1997 and subsequently saw another six annual editions, and 2007's Silver Surfer's Colour Guide to Travel & Holidays, both for Foulsham. We also collaborated on seven editions of the Brit Guide to Disneyland Paris from 2004-2015. What's next? Quite a lot, including works on our various travels in the USA, Europe and southern Africa, including another biography. Stay tuned, now...
