Is there a TGM for Disneyland California?

[emmad1973]

Hi,
we will be visiting DL California for the first time next year (we normally go to WDW FL as it is 3 hours nearer - we are in the UK). Anyhow, I always use Tour Guide Mike when I am planning - his site makes life so much easier. So, is there a Tour Guide Mike equivalent for the DL California as I am a bit lost at the thought of planning without him

Thanks

Emma

 

[avalon451]

Couple of resources for you:

For free, there is our very own Hydroguy and his Tips Compilation, a sticky thread at the top of this forum: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1520483 I'd really recommend reading through it, especially the threads about the differences between WDW and DL.

We don't have anything as detailed as TGM, but for DL it's not so necessary, since you're not juggling 4 parks at a distance from each other. A lot of people like to use Ridemax (www.ridemax.com). It's $15 for a 3-month downloaded subscription, $25 for a year. It's very helpful and has great tips, too! You input the rides you want to do for a particular date, and it will apply a logorithm to work out a schedule for you that minimizes your wait times.

Check them out, and come on back with any questions! We love to help!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

what is tour guide mike? we are going wdw next Christmas its my second time but the first time was so rushed and so little and bad that we are doing a make up trip and will act like its our first trip

 

[ter-moo]

I would highly recommend the "Unofficial Guide to Disneyland." Just follow one of their touring plans and you'll be great!

 

[emmad1973]

Tour Guide Mike used to be a VIP Tour guide for Disney, he now runs his own company providing guided tours, he also has a website (subscription required) that gives you advice on touring, when to go, how to do Disney without standing in line for hours, the best places to eat and so on. If you go to the planning area on the forum he is the sponsor, there is a link there that gives you money off his subscription.

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2

Emma

 

[Danauk]

We just visited Disneyland for the 1st time from the UK too. I used Ridemax which I found really useful, although I didn't follow their plans exactly for some days I did find their advice very useful and it certainly helped me plan for all eventualities.

 

[HydroGuy]

DLR draws less then half the visitors of WDW and on top of that unlike WDW most DLR visitors are locals on day trips. Hence the market for a TGM resource at DLR is much smaller than WDW. That goes for most all paid planning resources. RideMax is one such resource which also has a WDW version FWIW and I would recommend you take a look at RideMax. I have not found the touring books on DLR to be very good, unlike the UOG and others for WDW.

 

[newfamilyman]

Without revealing any of TGM's secrets, which you already know in any case, I can tell you that many of his most generic tips work just as well for DL as for WDW and, for that matter, for vacation planning in general.

 

[S. S. Columbia]

For DLR you really don't need a Least Crowded Parks Chart. Saturday is the busiest day of the week, so I'm sure that Tour Guide MiKE would rate Saturdays at DLR to be either “yellow” or “red.” In general, I think MiKE would rate Monday through Thursday as "green" at DLR.

I’m sure that MiKE would rate DL’s Magic Mornings as green as “green” can be. (Magic Mornings are currently Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.) Most of Fantasyland and most of Tomorrowland are open on DL’s Magic Mornings. You can get so much done during MM that it's worth losing the extra magic hour of sleep. And MM days aren't extra crowded like EMH days at WDW. It’s good advice to be at the DL/DCA entrance at least 30 minutes before MM starts. And as the MM hour comes to an end, you will be inside DL --- getting ready to get a FP for Space Mtn or lining up to enter Adventureland --- while many guests will be outside DL still waiting to get in.

On Magic Morning days, when you don’t have the MM privilege, I’m sure MiKE would recommend avoiding Fantasyland and Tomorrowland at DL’s regular opening time, since there are better times to visit those attractions.

For DLR, you really don’t need to plan a separate day for Disney’s California Adventure park. Instead, many DLR vets will start every day in DL, and also park hop to DCA every day.

Like others have mentioned, MiKE’s touring plans and FastPass information for the Magic Kingdom will still help you at DL (MK and DL are more similar than different).

The link at the top of this forum --- “Disneyland Information:” --- has some free information about the 3 on-site hotels and the attractions. The information isn’t as detailed as MiKE’s, but it’s worth a look.

This forum is very friendly and should be able to answer most (if not nearly all) of your questions!

RideMax.com can be helpful. Even if you don't use it to create custom itineraries, you can use it to give you an idea whether your touring plans have too much planned or too little planned.

The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland and Birnbaum’s Disneyland Resort have some decent information about hotels (on-site and off-site) and dining, but in my opinion their touring information isn’t as good as MiKE’s. If you decide to buy the UG and Birnbaum’s, be sure to buy the 2009 editions! The UG’s 2009 edition should be available next week, and the Birnbaum’s 2009 edition should be available on September 30, 2008. The best touring information for DLR, that I’ve come across, is everything in the HydroGuy DLR Tips Compilation.

Hope that helps! ;>)