Is "Tour Guide Mike "a good investment?

[Asil65]

Good Morning,
I have been reading so much about Tour Guide Mike. I have been hearing only good reviews. I was curious if there are any Disney fanatics who didn't care for the service? I will be in Disney for 4 days in April. We will have to rush seeing things a bit. Should I bite the bullet and purchase it? We basically only have 2 months more to organize things. Have I waited to long for Mike's service to be helpful? Thanks.

 

[LBS]

I am leaving n 2 days and this is the second trip I have used TGM to plan for. You should be able to find a subscription for less than $20. Purchase it. Use his detailed plans and time specific information for your trip. You will be thankful that you did.

 

[MrsJ Henry]

I have used it for our last trip and am using it again for this one.
There are some good tips on it that could be very useful to you since you are going for 4 days and have to rush some. And it will be in April when many of the spring breaks are.

I will say that when I first started using it I had some difficulties trying to figure it out and navigate through it. He has made some improvements on this but you still need to take a little time to get used to it.
Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[jayally]

I personally did not like it and did not think it was worth the money but then I do a lot of reading on other sites and do my own research. I thought it would be an itinerary planner and help plan your day by inputting what it is you want to do and when you want to do it and then suggesting best routes and times to do them but all I found were lot's of articles that were not much help to me and suggested touring plans but none of them fit our schedules. Maybe I didn't give it enough time but my eyes hurt from trying to navigate the site and I didn't like the writing style. It was more of a frustration then anything else and when I sit and yell at the computer its never a good sign.

 

[Eyore4Ever149]

True, his website has a unique style to it. When I first purchased it for our trip last May I thought I had wasted my money, but once I got down the nitty gritty. I printed out his touring suggestions for each park and took them with me on my trip. Reading them the night before on why which park is best for morning or afternoon and what tiem to get there and where to go when (even his PSing advice) made a HUGE difference in our trip. I plan to purchase it again for this upcoming trip.

He just sent me an email, he is in the process of updating info and advice for the new EMH, etc.

i know there are discounts out there for his site, but don't know where they are.

 

[TracyK]

I personally don't think I learned anything new. I spend lots of time doing my homework on various sites. I didn't gain from TGM. I think it would be fine for sombody who hadn't visited several times or who didn't do there own research JMHO

Tracy

 

[andrabell]

For a trip in April, no I probably wouldn't recommend it, only because you won't get value for money. He has so much information to wade through. I signed up at the beginning of January for a November trip, so I have tons of time to really get the most from his AVP. For a trip as close as April, grab the latest PassPorter.

There is a $3 discount available on the mouse for less website. BUT, if you have the money AND if you have a lot of time each day to devote to planning between now and April, by all means invest in TGM. He has some really good, in depth info and exclusive content.

 

[littlestix]

I purchased TGM for my trip last Sept. I found it to be unnessasary (sp?) Maybe thats because I went in the off season. When I got to the parks I quickly realized that I wasn't really interested in following a PLAN. I like to tour at comfortable pace and stop and enjoy things on the way. Rushing around everywhere just isn't for me.

 

[lindaso]

I am also going in April and I just purchased TGM about a week ago. I have been to WDW numerous times and I have tons of WDW sites bookmarked. I've been through the website and I'm glad I purchased it. I am very concerned about the crowds with it being spring break and I feel like I have an excellent game plan to see what we want to see. I would definitely purchase it for a 4 day trip in April. Yes there were things I already knew but there were other things I didn't know and have never read anywhere else.

 

[rwade428]

I agree with the previous posters about a waste of money......I also do alot of my own research......A LOT!!!.......I found nothing new and i also thought it would take my information and give me a personal itinerary.......live and learn....

 

[Villain Dude]

I plan all the time but I still learned something new and different ... We've been lucky to visit numerous times because DVC and I still enjoy TGM.

That was 2003 ... did I purchase again after that...no.

Dude

 

[MrsJ Henry]

I had to post again since I'm surprised that some people didn't get any new info when visiting his site. There are a few things on there that I have NEVER seen posted on here and they worked great for us!
My cousin who has been two /three times a year and is a castmember ( DS) even learned a few things.
He does not give you touring plans.(but he does have some examples) He gives you the info to make decisions on how you want to do the parks etc
It's just my husband and myself so we don't have a real schedule. We take all the tips and ideas and then just apply them as we go.
Hey worked wonders for us.
That being said... there are many other things that have been just as valuable that I have learned on here from all the Dis folks. I probably have gotten more of the bulk of info on here but those tips he has sure were worth their money for us!

 

[GrandmaBarb]

Have read all the books, UG, Passporter etc etc. No where can you get up to the minute information but with TGM. I have been going to WDW since the year it opened and thought myself a real pro. However, I depend on TGM's updates to keep me on track. Have subscribed for two years and will be renewing again for next year's trip. Only way to see and do everything you want, with no lines and hastle. I guarantee that if you follow his advice it will be the best vacation at WDW you have ever had. And no, I don't work for TGM. Just a truly satisfied customer.I used his plans for my December trip and it was absolutely perfect. Got to see and do all the holiday specials etc. with no lines or problems of any kind. True, it takes some time to absorb all the info he provides. But if you just follow his step by step guide you will find everything you can possibly want to know. Don't skip around and check out every link until after you have gone thru his step by step program. Sign up and enjoy. I guarantee it is well worth double or triple the price. Try it and see, but be honest with yourself, really give it a try following his advice all the way.

 

[pearlieq]

I'm a huge TGM fan! It's the only place--ever--that told me something I didn't already know before about WDW. Site navigation is a bit of challenge to get used to, but I picked it up in a few minutes.

His suggested itineraries are great not only because they give you the information you need, but they also explain his thinking so you learn about how to approach WDW and can apply the same logic to situations that come up unexpectedly.

Plus I've found him very friendly and responsive. He's still in business after 2+ years--he must be doing something right!

 

[ajcolorado]

We're planners - we hang out on the boards and buy a new Unofficial Guide and a Birnbaum guide every year, even if we're not going to WDW. And we really like TGM. The park plans are great if you're going during a busy season and we enjoy the articles. We think that TGM is an especially good choice for this year since they've overhauled the EMH schedule. Mike is going to be able to track traffic patterns during high volume times and get the information out in a timely fashion. We're going to WDW in late June so we're thrilled that TGM is going to get to watch the spring and Easter break crowds on our behalf and provide information that will help us when we're there at a peak time.

 

[funcinderella]

We also used TGM, along with the unofficial guide. We went the third week of AUg 04. I found it to be quite useful, and used it to complement all of the other info that I had. I printed out a lot of the info on there and kept it in a notebook that I brought with me to FL. (Not to the parks everyday!) I could then refer to it as needed, especially if we decided to change our itinerary, I could look and see which park should I stay away from today, etc. I thought it provided a different nuance to my trip planning, especially with regards to being current. Anything that's in print obviously is obsolete the day it's written so I liked knowing all of my info was current. That being said, if you're not going to take his advice about getting there early (especially when it's crowded) it might notbe as useful for you.

Final note: My family was enthralled with my planning; and the fact that we waited on NO LINES, and SAW EVERYTHING! They got a real kick about walking past things that had hour long waits and saying, "Ha we went on that XX minutes/hours ago and waited only 5 minutes"

 

[Madi100]

I purchased TGM. I'm tempted to do so again, just because there is a bit of information that can't be found here. Honestly, I think the best bet for TGM is a person who has not gone before, or not gone on a trip where a lot of research has been done. TGM does what most of us love doing - research. I'm willing to take the time wading through information and finding out what it is that is important to me. Most people aren't. I actually think that a great target for TGM would be people who don't visit message boards and such. People who just go into their nearest travel agency and have them plan it all.

 

[Bobb G]

Does anyone have a sample itinerary to share? We're going in July and was curious about the service.

 

[Madi100]

If you go to www.tourguidemike.com you can see some samples, I believe. You can browse a bit without a membership to get a feel for the website.

 

[Asil65]

Thanks for all of the input. I too am an avid researcher on the web and have learned a lot from the different boards that I have visited. I also thought that you would ge an individualized plan of attack from TGM. Sounds like just alot of the same info hat you can learn on the boards in one area. I need to find out about the Passport. What is this? I have some Disney info books from 2003 that I have been using. Maybe I need an updated version. Should I get the Passport? Lisa