Tgm???

[kellyf2626]

Ok...we are a "Disney" family that goes down to WDW at least once a year. We have never gone for Christmas, and are so excited to be experiencing a Disney Christmas for the first time this year.

I have read and heard stuff about Tour Guide Mike...but have never really looked into it or paid attention to it, thinking I would never need to use it. Now that we are going down during a very hectic time of year, I am wondering if it is worth looking in to?

We already have ADR's almost every day. Would this be a problem? Should we get TGM? Or no?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Oh...and it will be our first time with our son (5 months)....does he give recommendations for that!!

 

[OhioTony]

We leave Wed. We try to go every 2 years. Used TGM for the 1st time and found the info worth the price! I will use it next time!

 

[GoofysGal67]

I'm in the midst of planning my 4th TGM style trip. Worth every penny.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Do you enjoy planning your disney trips and read up on everything and anything disney related that you can? If so, than join TGM. The read alone will be worth the price. Click above this screen to save $3.

 

[mickeyrulzme74]

Does TGM have specific information about traveling during the dreaded busiest time of the year and does it actually help, I hope to travel dec 21-jan 3 and even thought i don't plan on getting on all the rides at the parks i would like to enjoy a few, watch the parades, get in some ADR's. I am traveling with 2 children and i want them to have fun. Does anyone know if his advice work????

 

[scheddj]

It's worth the price just for his red, yellow, green days advice. He split's every day into morning and evening and tells you which park to go to and which park to avoid.

We went over Thanksgiving and I didn't follow his advice our first day there but did our second day. It was a world of difference. The first day we were crushed in crowds, the second was relatively easy to navigate. After that second day every morning we woke up my husband would ask me "What does Mike say today?". It really did make a huge difference.

 

[MyZoeJane]

Yup, worth every penny! Although I know his touring "rules" by heart now, and that information never changes, I still just paid my $14.99 renewal fee to get the "best days" charts!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Very well worth it. As said many times here and elsewhere, his best days(nights)/best park/s section is worth the price alone. I have been to WDW many times, and in the past few years have followed his recommendations and have been VERY pleased.

 

[OKWDVCMagic]

Does TGM have specific information about traveling during the dreaded busiest time of the year and does it actually help, I hope to travel dec 21-jan 3 and even thought i don't plan on getting on all the rides at the parks i would like to enjoy a few, watch the parades, get in some ADR's. I am traveling with 2 children and i want them to have fun. Does anyone know if his advice work????

TGM does have a day by day tour plan for these busy times. He uses his experience, past park attendance history as well as what parks are offering EMH to set-up the daily plan. I used TGM on a trip in Aug '06 and felt it was well worth the investment. I am planning a trip during Christmas week in 2008 and have already signed up with TGM.

 

[mickeyrulzme74]

thanks for your responses, i guess is time to buy TGM, part of the fun for me is the planning i usually start a year ahead and since i am going during December 08 now is the perfect time to purchase it. I cant wait to see his suggestions because after reading so many post against going during that time i was feeling scared i made the wrong decision. thanks everyone.

 

[OKWDVCMagic]

thanks for your responses, i guess is time to buy TGM, part of the fun for me is the planning i usually start a year ahead and since i am going during December 08 now is the perfect time to purchase it. I cant wait to see his suggestions because after reading so many post against going during that time i was feeling scared i made the wrong decision. thanks everyone.

I purchased now so I could view his suggested touring plans for this year's Christmas week. I think in September 2008 he will post his touring plans for Christmas week 2008. Good luck!

 

[eliza61]

I guess I'll be the lone dissenting voice. It was an enjoyable read but when I did get it, I had already been to wdw a number of times so the information wasn't any thing new. I found the same information on the web, dis boards and through experience. I guess I would recommend it for 1st or 2nd time visitors.
Look at it this way for $18 bucks that's less than the cost of a book.

 

[mickeyrulzme74]

Im a little confused , if his best days for dec 08 comes out in september 08 how am i supposed to make all my adr's. My 180 window opens in june 08, i was hoping to be able to have all the info i needed in order to make my reservations?????Also can i use the december 07 information to make my plans, does it actually change that much from year to year that if i start making my plans now and make my adr's in june i will have a problem once september comes along????

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Im a little confused , if his best days for dec 08 comes out in september 08 how am i supposed to make all my adr's. My 180 window opens in june 08, i was hoping to be able to have all the info i needed in order to make my reservations?

It is true. You have to make your ADR's blindly at the 180 day mark. However, he does have a few general rules(read his restaurant section). I went ahead and booked the places I knew I had to have on certain days like my son's birthday and a few other must haves. I waited for the rest until his dates came out. After that I did what all obsessive compulsive Disney Planners do. I changed my mind a couple times, asked advice from the boards and stressed about it. Buy hey, I would have done that anyway.

 

[avic77]

i have not went to Disney yet so i can not say how his advice will work out but i can give my early opinion:
When i first signed up and hit the site i was disappointed. I expected an "automatic tour plan" to be generated for me. One that said Monday Dec 17th go to MK from 8 am till 12 noon eat lunch at CRT Leave for nap return to MK at 5 and enjoy fireworks.
Instead i got a "how to make your own touring plan".
The i got to reading and searching and I actually like TGM's site and advice. If you divitate from TGM advice in the slightest (like not taking breaks) and post it on the boards the folks over there really point out the error of your ways...but i think its becuase they feel very passionate about the TGM way. I personally feel ( and i might be proven wrong and i will admit that if it comes to pass) you can tweak things some to fit your personal needs as long as you try to follow the plan the rest of the time. It helps that i am going in a slow season...if it was a really busy time i think i would really hold to TGM's plan 100%.
Just understand it is not an automatic tour plan generator... you have to read and make your own plan but he gives you everything you need to do that.

 

[rkmassa]

Does TGM have specific information about traveling during the dreaded busiest time of the year and does it actually help, I hope to travel dec 21-jan 3 and even thought i don't plan on getting on all the rides at the parks i would like to enjoy a few, watch the parades, get in some ADR's. I am traveling with 2 children and i want them to have fun. Does anyone know if his advice work????

YES! We used TGM for two Christmas trips. My DH was not sure about spending the money. He thought for sure it was a waste of money. Turns out DH was wrong, not that I pointed that out to him (um, yeah, I did). Every park we went to that TGM recommended for the day we experienced short wait times. We were amazed. The one day we decided to "go out on our own" and pick a park to go to turned out to be a disaster. We had huge wait times, FP's that were very late in the day or gone, and large crowds every place we turned. We went back to the recommended parks from TGM. That alone was worth the money for us. We won't go to Disney again without signing up for TGM. We are planning our 2008 Christmas trip, and I have already signed up for TGM.

 

[becka]

I am not a huge TGM fan. I found a lot of his information outdated (really outdated in some cases for 2 years) and I guess since we have been so many times and I am a compulsive planner I didn't even find his red/yellow/green days that helpful. I made a plan based on what I thought would be the best days and when TGM came out with his my days matched his exactly. I also did not care for the layout of his site - it was confusing to navigate.

 

[Tigger1221]

I am not a huge TGM. I found a lot of his information outdated (really outdated in some cases for 2 years) and I guess since we have been so many times and I am a compulsive planner I didn't even find his red/yellow/green days that helpful. I made a plan based on what I thought would be the best days and when TGM came out with his my days matched his exactly. I also did not care for the layout of his site - it was confusing to navigate.

I agree with this. Save the $. I bought in once and it was conusing and outdated. I now just buy the Passporter.

 

[Mr. Baloo]

....when TGM came out with his my days matched his exactly. I also did not care for the layout of his site - it was confusing to navigate.

When does TGM come out so that you can compare?

 

[becka]

When does TGM come out so that you can compare?

It was around 6 months out. We went at the end of the month so it was before our 180 days but I know for many people his best days come out a week or so after the window for booking ADR's is available.