Dave Shute

Dave by day is a strategist and problem solver for clients ranging from the Fortune 500 to local not-for-profits. At night and on weekends he writes yourfirstvisit.net, and, lately, Disney World guidebooks. All the time he's a husband, dad, son, and brother. The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit, co-authored with Josh Humphrey, is his first book, and is now in its sixth edition.

He has a BA from the University of Chicago, and both an MA in English Literature and MBA from the University of Virginia, where he also completed the majority of work for a PhD in English Literature. He spent almost a decade as a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Co., Inc., and since then has largely operated as an independent strategy consultant.

He founded yourfirstvisit.net more than ten years ago--the first Disney World site aimed squarely at first-time visitors who may never return. He visits Disney World six to ten times a year, and in 2017 he stayed in his 150th different Disney World hotel room.