TourGuide Mike Up to date?

[Markstudy]

I know TGM use to work at Disney giving people tours...so that's how he got to be an expert and start a web site.

Does anyone know what MIKE now does for a living?

I would guess he doesn't just do his web site as a full time job?...or you guys wouldn't be complaining about it not being updated as fast as you want.

I just wonder what the man went on to do....and how he keeps his eyes and ears on the parks these days for his continuing understanding and fine tuning of plans as things go forward?

I might give his site a try in the future. I keep waiting to hear he has orgainized the informion better (I don't have much free time....for hunting)

 

[carmiedog]

Does anyone know what MIKE now does for a living?

http://www.michaelsvips.com/

private disney tour guide business. i'm pretty sure disney is his life.

 

[yxe dad]

I used TGM for 3 trips and have never had any issues with his site or advice. I feel/know that some of the info is available for free at other sites, but the some is not not. I'll gladly pay $20 for short lines and the right park on the right day/night. Sample tours are just that, samples. If you want a detailed plan telling you what to do every minute of your trip then TGM is not for you.
But if you want to educate yourself on the planning and systems that he used as a VIP tour guide at WDW and apply that to your trip, then it's a great site. I'm using him for my Oct trip, but if somebody will pm a better site I'll give it a try. Hey, I don't want to wait in lines, I just want to go on EE, ToT, and RnR as many times as I can!!!

 

[Markstudy]

http://www.michaelsvips.com/

private disney tour guide business. i'm pretty sure disney is his life.

Looks like Mike is a good busienssman

His company has some kind of business agreement with Disney to give Tours (something Disney offers itself) ....Mike's Private VIP tours at Disney speaks for itself, I'm sure it must be hard for any private business to earn Disney's stamp of aproval.

 

[daisy_77]

I have used TGM for our last trip and I was very pleased with his website. I plan on using TGM again for our trip next year.

 

[Hook's Girl]

Looks like Mike is a good busienssman

His company has some kind of business agreement with Disney to give Tours (something Disney offers itself) ....QUOTE]

I don't think this is correct that he has an agreement with Disney. Can you provide a source?

 

[Markstudy]

Looks like Mike is a good busienssman

His company has some kind of business agreement with Disney to give Tours (something Disney offers itself) ....QUOTE]

I don't think this is correct that he has an agreement with Disney. Can you provide a source?

Nope! I didn't think he could be running such a business without Disney allowing it?

I guess he can just buy a ticket like everyone else and then be a tour guide? Is it that easy?

 

[werfamily]

I've seen lots of posts about people using TGM for upcoming trips, but very few from people who have used it for past trips. I'd love to hear from folks who used TGM and what their experience was (and the dates of their trip, so we have some idea of crowd sizes). Thanks!

 

[speakupjc]

I find the best days chart very valuable and worth the price. I go to the parks 2-3 times a year for 7-8 days at a time and find him to be right in what he publishes. I went one Thanksgiving and everyone was talking about how huge the crowds were my reaction to this "was what crowds" because thanks to Tour Guide Mike I didn't have to wait longer than 15-20 min for anything.

 

[ChairborneRangr]

Nope! I didn't think he could be running such a business without Disney allowing it?

I guess he can just buy a ticket like everyone else and then be a tour guide? Is it that easy?

Well, yes it can be that easy. Anyone can be a tourguide if they can find people to pay them. But, yes he is familiar with Disney. He was a Disney VIP tour guide for years. And, yes Disney knows about him, and yes they have arrangements.

 

[mickeysaver]

More importantly, he tells you WHY you should visit that park on a particular day. A stubborn person like me needs some convincing. ***************** simply tells that such and such day is a "4." I need to know WHY it is a 4.

See, I just don't get that. Why do you need to know Why? Touring Plans has been around a lot longer than TGM. They are selling the info for a lot cheaper and they have a ton or research behind their predictions. They tell you what the best park(s) for the day is/are. They tell you which park(s) to avoid. It's not rocket science to deduct that if it's a crowd level 6 day and there are two parks that are listed as being the "good" parks, that those would be the parks to visit. I don't need to know why. I just want to know which. I gave them my business several years ago and haven't been steered wrong yet. Maggie

 

[mickeysaver]

Maggie, I understand about posting of best days...I've seen it happen a couple times but I don't know if that's average or an exception. I know Mike has to wait until the park hours are published, but he should be able to get something up as soon as they are. Mike is a little gabby, but I wish he would post just a list of the best days then he can add all his reasons in later. If you're waiting on him before you make a hard to get ADR (i.e. CRT), you could lose out. I get the impression that Mike is a "do it yourself" kind of guy, but he could really use a hand on the website. I still owe my first amazing trip to Mike.

In all honesty, the thing that chapped my behind about the October Least Crowded Park Charts delay was that he had the park hours up about 5 days before they were up on Disney's website, so Mike had a jump on getting those charts together, yet it was, I believe, over 2 full weeks later when he finally released the charts. He blamed it on lots of things including an illness in the family and being busy with his Mike's VIP's business. No one could reach him via email. The moderators were in the dark too, so we were just left in the dark. Several people were ticked off because they missed their ADR windows. I just feel that he needs to work on his communication skills with his clients and that he needs to do devote a lot of time updating his website. Maggie

 

[mickeysaver]

I don't know about you, but it just makes me curious to know. What is ************************?

Search any decent search engine, like dogpile.com for the words Touring and Plans and WDW and you will find your answer. Maggie

 

[pearlieq]

See, I just don't get that. Why do you need to know Why?

The "'why" is actually what made my TGM subscription worthwhile. I joined shortly after he started and while I've long since outgrown the information, the thing I appreciated most was the "why" behind the best days because it taught me how to think about the parks and crowds.

Anyone can see a number and react to it. Knowing the theory behind the determination taught me how to make my own choices about crowd levels. Sometimes plans changed midday or mid-vacation. I can't stop at the TTC and pull up UG and ask it to tell me where to go. But I can use what I learned on TGM to think through the various factors and come up with an alternate plan.

Doesn't really benefit TGM as a business, but it was a valuable service for me.

Also, does TGM still split best days into AM/PM? I found that quite valuable since we tend to do a morning-break-evening schedule. I also appreciated the information about why the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th parks were rated as they were--again, it helped in the decision making.

 

[babar41]

I've seen lots of posts about people using TGM for upcoming trips, but very few from people who have used it for past trips. I'd love to hear from folks who used TGM and what their experience was (and the dates of their trip, so we have some idea of crowd sizes). Thanks!

I have used TGM for our last 3 trips and am using him again for our upcoming trip. We go to WDW the Sunday after Thanksgiving for 2 weeks.

My experience has been very positive, which is why I keep renewing my subscription. As many have already pointed out his best days chart definitely are worth the price to join. Although I have been to WDW many times, I was surprised at the number of things I learned on TGM. Is some of the information available through other resources? Sure. Is all of the information available through other resources? No. Or at least not the other books and web-sites I've visited.

TGM is not for everyone. It is for me. But from a totally selfish point of view here, the fewer of you that join TGM, the fewer of you know his "secrets", the better it is for me!

 

[werfamily]

Well, here's my problem...I subscribe to both TGM and ************, and for my WDW visit, they give completely contrasting recommendations for 4 of the 7 days. So, I am really at a loss for which guide to follow!

 

[nikjd68]

I went to the site connected to the UG: double-u, double-u, double-u, touring plans dot com.

All the info is up-to-date. For instance, when I punched in my particular dates it told me Tusker House at AK would be closed and Haunted Mansion at MK would be closed.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Well, here's my problem...I subscribe to both TGM and ************, and for my WDW visit, they give completely contrasting recommendations for 4 of the 7 days. So, I am really at a loss for which guide to follow!

I admit that I have never subscribed to TGM.

I stick with the UG and its website because they do the work to keep themselves up-to-date and have never steered me wrong. When I need a plan, they're my go-to guys.

But, I'm sure you'll have a great time no matter which way you go.

 

[2infinityandbeyond]

Also, does TGM still split best days into AM/PM? I found that quite valuable since we tend to do a morning-break-evening schedule. I also appreciated the information about why the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th parks were rated as they were--again, it helped in the decision making.

Yes, the best days are split for AM and PM recommendations.

As for why "why" is important, I'd rather read and learn so I can make informed decisions (and know what I'd have to deal with if I went "against the grain") as opposed to being told what to do and not why I should do it.

 

[Kaiya]

It's pretty hard to use the planning tools when information from only five months ahead is not out -

It would be better if he wrote his best guesses for March 09 rather than have us look at LAST March's info as the breaks/holidays are quite different this year.

Does UG offer more up to date information?
Thank you