Have you tried tourguide mike's plans

[kizmac]

Are these useful and/or needed if you are going in a lower crowd time of year? Namely early Oct. Not sure if they are really needed then. thanks!

I would say YES! It is a lower crowd time, but no where near deserted. We always go in Sept. and once early December, both lower crowd times of year. No where near the wait times experienced during busier times, but long lines still happen at times, depending on time of day & EMH etc... I joined TGM a couple weeks ago for this Sept. trip. I had never used him before but with the free dining and potential to be busier than normal Sept, I wanted to have a plan.
Totally worth the $18.95 I paid. His tips make perfect sense and while you can do WDW on your own at that time of year and most likely be fine, his tips can only enhance your trip for the better. Especially if you have never been there before. I also figured since we will be spending more of our time eating than usual I wanted to make the most of our park time so we can enjoy our sit down meals without feeling we have to hurry cause we got so many rides to hit yet.

Now the only thing that makes me wonder is what happens to Mike's plan if too many people find out how wonderful he is? Can you just see everyone bolting the same direction at rope drop!

 

[crzy4dsny]

Is it really that good?? With all the tips I have gotten here.... there can't possibly be any left

 

[kizmac]

TGM was wonderful. Don't subscribe unless you can put some time into it. The more you read and delve into it, the more you understand WHY you're doing what you're doing. QUOTE]


I echo this too! It isn't just all laid out for you. You really do have to spend time reading and organizing the info. I spent most of the afternoon yesterday, copy and pasting tips into word and planning our MK days.

 

[CuteKatCar]

Once I were to subscribe, how do I get the info. Do I have to sit and read it at my computer, does it come in the mail - I'm clueless .

Anna

 

[kizmac]

Once I were to subscribe, how do I get the info. Do I have to sit and read it at my computer, does it come in the mail - I'm clueless .

Anna

It's all done online....nothing comes in the mail. You have acess to all his info, tips, touring plans, messageboard, etc. You can print stuff out if you desire. I found it best to bring up Word and copy the tips I want to remember into that instead of printing out everything.

 

[CuteKatCar]

Thanks for the advice kizmac. I went ahead and subscribed!!! I see what you mean. I'm gonna use word. It's something to feed my addiction!!!!!

Anna

 

[NCombs]

To those of you asking whether it is worthwhile to purchase during slower times of the year.

My answer would be yes because it is so much more than a touring plan. That is what people talk about a lot but it is a lot more than that. The touring recommendations are important and are great but it's not the only thing there.

It's similar to a printed guide book as far as having information about the resorts, detailed restaurant information-reviews and menus, attraction descriptions, activity descriptions. There is information on transportation and how to get the reservations you want. All sorts of stuff. The great thing about it is articles and information are constantly being updated as things at Disney change.

 

[missypie]

To those of you asking whether it is worthwhile to purchase during slower times of the year.

My answer would be yes because it is so much more than a touring plan. That is what people talk about a lot but it is a lot more than that. The touring recommendations are important and are great but it's not the only thing there.

It's similar to a printed guide book as far as having information about the resorts, detailed restaurant information-reviews and menus, attraction descriptions, activity descriptions. There is information on transportation and how to get the reservations you want. All sorts of stuff. The great thing about it is articles and information are constantly being updated as things at Disney change.

The up to the minute stuff is essential. I can't tell you how many things have changed since I left WDW on June 5th...Ice Station Cool closed, Noodle Station, monorail repairs, free dining for a time, charging younger kids adult prices for meals, etc., etc. If all that happens in less than 6 weeks, a guide book updated once a year hasn't a chance of staying up to date.

I know we are updated on the DIS, but Mike updates his touring plans. When Soarin' opened, Mike was all over it, trying out various new Epcot touring plans.

 

[Brian Noble]

Another happy customer. We went during President's Week this year. We never waited more than 15 minutes for *any* attraction with one exception, which was an intentional deviation from TGM's advice. We did wait longer for some shows, but that was to get better seats as suggested by TGM. In addition to the go-where-when advice, he also has tips for each attraction and dining location to help you experience it to the fullest: how to seat your party for the best views, etc.

Other sources are sometimes a bit faster to get information out (but by hours or days, not weeks.) The delay is usually because Mike confirms the details of changes with CMs he personally knows. So, you might see the same information in other places a bit sooner, but you'll see six different variations of it, and it's hard to know which one is really true. When Mike posts something, you know it's the real deal (at least as real as it can be, since Disney seems to change their minds constantly.)

A good recent example was the confusion over the new AR booking policy. Was it 100 days? 90+10? Which hotels participated? DVC members? Were some tables held back for other guests at the 90-day mark? Do reservations cancel automatically if you cancel your hotel? The threads here had different answers to all of these questions for quite some time.

Mike had the broad outlines of the new plan on the 15th, and posted what he knew, being careful to say that it wasn't officially confirmed yet. He confirmed it on the 16th, and had answers to most of those questions then. When the details were released on the 18th, he had complete straight-from-the-horse's-mouth official answers to all of those questions and more, with a full article published about it that very night. In response to another member's question, he updated the article with more details on the 19th.

I have already renewed for my next trip. I don't anticipate visiting WDW without TGM.

 

[vatmark]

Help!!!!!!!! I can't find the discount code for TGM. I know I came across it while looking at different disney sites but now I can't find it. I looked at TheMouseForless and I couldn't fnd it there either. Anyone know where it is?

Thanks!
Annie

 

[ajcolorado]

Here's the link for the discount:

www.themouseforless.com/membersavings/Benefits/TourGuideMIKE.shtml

And here's the discount code: A82E8-2AH

use A82E8-2AH and save $3.00 off TourGuideMIKE's Automated Vacation Planner. Type in A82E8-2AH as your Promo Code during checkout to get this product at an even more amazing price!

 

[vatmark]

Thanks! I signed up and now I'm waiting to hear back because I couldn't get my AVP to work.

Annie

 

[tlbwriter]

Is TGM worth it even if you're already using UG?

 

[Brian Noble]

I use and recommend both UG and TGM. I find that I rely on TGM more for in-park information and UG for out-of-park information.

 

[puddleduck]

Just so everyone knows. Y'all are enablers and should be ashamed for feeding my addiction. A few months ago, I was happily going about life, blissfully ignorant of most things related to WDW (I knew it was in FL, involved a mouse, and they had already taken a lot of money in dvd purchases). Now, I am planning my family's first vacation and can't get enough. Now, because of this thread, I will probably go purchase TGM, and my dh will think that I am even more insane. Good going guys, keep a person addicted. I just hope you are proud of yourselves.

 

[vatmark]

Same thing happened to me Puddleduck. I knew we would go to Disney and thought I would do a little research maybe buy the Birnbaum book and now I'm totally addicted. I feel like I need to know everything, read everything or I may miss something.

I ordered the Mikes Tourguide thing because of the great reviewes people were giving it. Now I'm sitting hear constantly checking my e-mails because I couldn't get my AVP to work. I need to see all that info. and now!!!!

Annie

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Just so everyone knows. Y'all are enablers and should be ashamed for feeding my addiction. A few months ago, I was happily going about life, blissfully ignorant of most things related to WDW (I knew it was in FL, involved a mouse, and they had already taken a lot of money in dvd purchases). Now, I am planning my family's first vacation and can't get enough. Now, because of this thread, I will probably go purchase TGM, and my dh will think that I am even more insane. Good going guys, keep a person addicted. I just hope you are proud of yourselves.

My dh asks me what I'm going to do for a hobby after our trip...Plan the next one, little does he know

 

[NCombs]

Same thing happened to me Puddleduck. I knew we would go to Disney and thought I would do a little research maybe buy the Birnbaum book and now I'm totally addicted. I feel like I need to know everything, read everything or I may miss something.

I ordered the Mikes Tourguide thing because of the great reviewes people were giving it. Now I'm sitting hear constantly checking my e-mails because I couldn't get my AVP to work. I need to see all that info. and now!!!!

Annie

Hi, Annie.

I'm not sure if this will help. I have a problem my AVP that when I entered the information or now if I make changes, it just sits there and doesn't seem to finish. I actually have to close the browser. However, every time I do this, the information has been saved and is ready to go. I know others have the same thing happen. So, if this happens to be what is happening to you, it actually is working and you should be able to access your information.

If not, forget everything I just said.

 

[vatmark]

Thanks Nancy. I just checked and it is working now. Yeah!!!!!! Guess I'll be sitting at the computer for quite a while today.

Annie

 

[NCombs]

Thanks Nancy. I just checked and it is working now. Yeah!!!!!! Guess I'll be sitting at the computer for quite a while today.

Annie

More than just today!! Just wait, this will consume you. My husband thinks I'm addicted to Disney research and he is right. I have a 3 ring binder already full of information I printed from TGM and other sources and our trip isn't until next June!!