Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I'm torn over how much I like this version of the Disney Character Encyclopedia. I bought my daughter the 2009 edition, but decided to get the updated one to use as an autograph book for our upcoming WDW trip. Pros: It includes a lot of the new characters, from Frozen, Planes, Up, and even The Pirate Fairy. I personally like the clean new style of the pages, particularly the solid band of color on the side with the character's names - it makes it very easy to flip through to the right page. They removed some of the more obscure characters that I just don't care about (does anyone even remember the names of the "Dinosaurs" characters?) The hardbound edition is nice, & the book jacket can help keep your book from getting dinged. The pages also seem a little thicker and nicer quality, but that may just be an age issue. Cons: My 12yo daughter much prefers the old style, with each character having a font that fits them or their movie style. The old edition had more fun facts about the characters, including things like their favorite colors, etc. The new version seems like a little bit drier read. I miss the 2-page spreads for main characters. Especially using this as an autograph book, that extra space was nice. Some people may be upset about the characters that were removed. There's no page for the Prince from Snow White or most of the Neverland Fairies, both of which are still available for autographs occasionally. I haven't actually weighed the books, but the new version seems a little heavier. This may not be a problem if you're just using it as a normal book at home, but lugging it around the parks may get cumbersome. (I plan to carry ours in a stroller.) Overall I like the book and if you don't have access to the older edition I'd definitely say it's worth getting. But honestly I wish they'd found a better compromise between the 2 editions. Ideally I'd combine them and make one that would work better for my purposes. Or better yet, if Disney had made this book with the intention of it being used for autographs and kept all of the older characters from the parks along with the new additions, I would love it.