Has anyone purchased "Tour Guide Mike/" Is it worth $18.95?

[tink1978]

I did it just to do it and see what it was about.....anyways, I hardly ever go onto the site...I get better information here and his site is hard to navigate.

 

[jacksonsmom]

I recommend his site. I brought it for our trip and the longest wait I had for our trip (9/30-10/7) was 15 mins for the Jungle Cruise.
My family could not believe that we walked on Buzz Lightyear & Space Mountain in the middle of the afternoon.

His best days were right on the money. Our MGM day we walked right on EVERY ride/attraction without a fastpass, even Tower of Terror and Rock n' Roller Coaster. My son was able to ride RnR 7x during our trip because of TGM!

I would get it again for our next trip.

 

[bengalfreak]

I don't want to be the only one poopooing TGM's advice, but I just signed up and I have to say I'm a little disappointed. If the biggest draw is the least crowded park days, I'm bummed. I just went thru the charts for the dates we are attending and it recommends (every single day I might add) the exact park I already had us scheduled to attend. Even the MVMCP was the date I had already bought tickets too. I'm gonna reserve final judgement until I go thru the recommended itineraries and we get back from our trip. I'll give a full report before Christmas.

I'll give you a hint though, you can find most of the information on least crowded park days that TGM gives here on the DIS.

 

[sparmeland]

I'm going to Disney in a little over two weeks. I'm sooo excited and have read a few books with guides to avoid lines and other information. I was thinking of also subscribing to tour guide Mike. Is the information that different then what you'd get in a book? Do you think its worth it even thoiguh my trip is in 16 day?

 

[boBQuincy]

I have been to WDW more than 50 times and know my way around the parks and crowds pretty well. Still, there's always more to learn so I subscribed to TGM for the next trip, to see just how good Mike is.

TGM showed almost exactly what my plan already had *but* I spent hours finding and poring over the information to get to that point. TGM charged less than $20 and the information was right there.

So Mike's plans were at least as good as mine, I still learned some new tips, and could have saved hours by going with TGM in the first place.

If you have a lot of free time, the information is out there, but $20 to save hours of searching and planning sounds like a good deal to me.

 

[Patches]

Spring Break- March 17-24th. Will TGM help for that week? I was under the impression that EVERYTHING will be crowded during spring break. I would love to purchase TGM- if it will help even during spring break!

 

[go cowboys]

We purchased TGM for the first time and have found the site so confusing I rarely go to it. I don't know if I am just not smart enough or what but its very "busy" and hard to find what you are looking for. I think if you only have one trip to WDW planned and need to have some direction maybe TGM will help, but otherwise this board is much easier to use.

I was very impressed with the support I got when I had an issue. Prompt and helpful.

 

[lordog]

This website suggests the best/worst days to attend the parks? Would this be similar to TGM?

 

[Dsnymouse]

Sounds good from DIS reviews. Can anyone tell me is it worth the price for a short trip (3 days), during spring break?
Thanks

 

[lordog]

are we that commercial that our posts need to be censored from competitors other than "sponsors". Just trying to offer other helpful information--sorry

 

[deekaypee]

I can't speak to RideMax for WDW, but I used it for DL this July. I found it to be excellent--and fun to play with! I mean, seriously, I would just plug in different itineraries to see what different schedules were out there. And when I used it...oh, yeah!

I got to ride Dumbo--the GOLDEN Dumbo--on the very first flight. It taught me to prioritize rides that I would have normally skipped over the first time in order to go straight to the weenies (like Space Mountain). With RideMax, I saw more than I think I could have otherwise!

So, I don't know if RideMax for WDW is comparable, but I highly recommend it for DL.

 

[marivaid]

I suscribed to TGM a few weeks ago and as others have stated,the site is very confusing.There IS a lot of info to be found,but if you dont have the patience to go through dozens of pages to find that one piece of info then you'll end up like me, only going on the site when you have nothing else to do.

I didnt like the fact that it advertises an "automated" planner when in fact, it is not a planner, and it's DEFINITELY not automated. And the whole "insert name here" thing really, really gets on my nerves.
BUT as I said, TONS of great info to be found.I switched park days and changed ADRs because of what I read on his site,so IMO I got my money's worth.
You can always sign up,take a look around,and if it's not for you request a refund.

OK now I want to go to the site and hunt for more tips

 

[hmmerr02]

OUr best use of TGM has beenf or trips during crowded times (ex. 4th of July, mid summer, etc). That's when the plans are critical. We usually like to go also after Labor Day and anyone could walk around and do what they want to do. Pay particular attention to the suggested park touring days, what time to get ADR's, what parades to see and when. We love the abreviated touring schedules that are available for each park (except EPCOT, maybe?). It's a great investment and extends the excitement of planning your vacation over time. I love the time I take with TGM. (sorry to sound like a commercial...)

 

[gymborocks]

I have been to WDW more than 50 times and know my way around the parks and crowds pretty well. Still, there's always more to learn so I subscribed to TGM for the next trip, to see just how good Mike is.

TGM showed almost exactly what my plan already had *but* I spent hours finding and poring over the information to get to that point. TGM charged less than $20 and the information was right there.

So Mike's plans were at least as good as mine, I still learned some new tips, and could have saved hours by going with TGM in the first place.

If you have a lot of free time, the information is out there, but $20 to save hours of searching and planning sounds like a good deal to me.

While it's true that a lot of his info is "out there" somewhere, it would take 50x as long to find it all! Plus he emphasizes what's truly important, as opposed to just mentioning tips and leaving you to figure out which ones you should incorporate into your touring. I'm a convert!

 

[jennobrn01]

Do you think its worth it even thoiguh my trip is in 16 day?

Yes it is absolutely worth it. But... you will have a huge amount of information to digest. Mike does have ways to read the info quicker, and there is always the forum members who are very helpful.

Spring Break- March 17-24th. Will TGM help for that week? I was under the impression that EVERYTHING will be crowded during spring break. I would love to purchase TGM- if it will help even during spring break!

Everything will be crowded. Mike readily tells you that. I read somewhere on his site that you will see the crowds and be keenly aware of them, but they will not have as strong of an effect on you. In short, you will learn how to always keep ahead of everyone. I have read trip reports from those who used TGM during the very busiest times... it is amazing how his tips work!

The research, reading, and planning done on TGM has been so fun! It has made the anticipation even greater.

 

[ajcolorado]

I suscribed to TGM a few weeks ago and as others have stated,the site is very confusing.There IS a lot of info to be found,but if you dont have the patience to go through dozens of pages to find that one piece of info then you'll end up like me, only going on the site when you have nothing else to do.

I didnt like the fact that it advertises an "automated" planner when in fact, it is not a planner, and it's DEFINITELY not automated. And the whole "insert name here" thing really, really gets on my nerves.
BUT as I said, TONS of great info to be found.I switched park days and changed ADRs because of what I read on his site,so IMO I got my money's worth.

One of the things that is both a blessing and a curse is that he offers lots of links to additional information. It is easy to go from link to link and never get a good overview. I have to reign in my clicking impulses - read the whole article and then go back and follow the links. Do the AVP overview first. Be sure to join the club for your trip's month. The people on the forum are very nice.

I completely agree with you about the name inserted all the time. It just doesn't go with my personality but I think he's trying to make it personable and to empower people to think they can manage planning a trip to WDW -something that can be overwelming.

As for the automatic aspect - I think he tries to be very clear before you buy that the information is automatic. If people are wanting custom touring plans done for them, www.buildabettermousetrip.com is a good option.

 

[rie'smom]

OMG! I just clicked the link to build a better mousetrap! These are the prices per day:
Planned Days
Itinerary & Park Plan (IPP)

1 $45.00

2 $70.00

3 $95.00

4 $120.00

5 $145.00

6 $170.00

7 $195.00

For 18.95 from Mike you can get excellent touring advice as well as least crowded days for each park. Mike was a VIP tour guide @ WDW and knows the short cuts. What I'm posting is directions for Mike's site and in no way am I sharing advice or touring tips. This is just to help newbies navigate more easily.
My hint to new subscribers is:
1.after logging in click on your month's express planner
2.Scroll down to How do I plan my vacation itinerary then go to Step 3
3.click on your dates for least crowded parks
4.Find the least crowded park for each of the days you plan to visit WDW
5.Then on the left side of the page,you'll see a list of steps. Go to step 6.
6.Click on the sample tours for each park.

It's that simple. That's how I start. I learned this through trial and error.This will be the 3rd trip following MIke's advice. After following the above steps,look through the rest of his site for dining,parks,and all of the other great info he has. I always print my info on cards and carry them in my purse.The forums are another way to share and ask questions.

 

[marivaid]

As for the automatic aspect - I think he tries to be very clear before you buy that the information is automatic.

Somewhat true,however if it wasnt called "automatic" in the first place no one would expect it to be

It's a good help.Honestly.IF you have time to go through all the articles.

For the touring plans, I use another site.. dont think we're allowed to post the link here but it's owned by the same people who wrote the Unofficial Guide. It costs $11 for a year. Not bad at all !

Even if you buy one guidebook, subscribe to TGM and subscribe to UG website it only comes up to about $50. Money well spent IMO. Good luck and enjoy planning!!

 

[taters]

Hey there! We used TGM on our last trip and are most definitely using him for our trip next month!!!! His info is right on the money. We went in May a couple years ago & never waited in a line more than 5 minutes. The one time we went against TGM, (our last day & wanted to ride Buzz one more time- we waited what seemed like forever) we were so thankful for our experience with TGM. When we started our planning for next month, there was no question...call TGM!!!!! This is round-about way of saying, YES, TGM is worth the money!

 

[Shifletjl]

Does his site continually update as WDW changes the scheduled EMH's? We are going mid-June and need good advise if we are to accomplish all we want to tour this year. Two years ago, we used UG and we felt successful at avoiding the big crowds. However, park schedules greatly influence touring plans and ADR's etc. I'm looking for the most up-to-date information.