TGMike is AWESOME!!!!!

[tiff211]

I will use him every year we go to WDW!!! I printout our personalized info and we did not wait in any lines!!!! We followed his directions and it made all the difference in the world! There was on tip that I couldn't follow because of a prior ADR and so we did wait for Turtle talk with Crush for about 30 minutes but other than that, no lines, no waiting! He also gave two tips that of course I can't say here but they were defintitely well worth it!! Anyone wondering if they should subscribe to his site?! YES! YES! YES! You won't be sorry. I also used a passporter book and frequent the DIS and still found his info unique and on the money!!!! Even DH the cheap agreed that the money was welll spent!

 

[calliemom]

tiff211:We are not travelling to Disney until November, when would you suggest getting your itinerary from tour guide Mike? We used the Unofficial guide last may/june and also had no problems with lines. We just took out the rides from the itinerary listed that were of no interest and were lucky enough not to encounter any lines. Its great when you can get off a ride and turn around and ride it all over again without waits!

 

[familyfirsttimer]

Thank you tiff211! i was considering subscribing and so glad to hear someone else who loved it!

 

[Quinn222]

tiff211:We are not travelling to Disney until November, when would you suggest getting your itinerary from tour guide Mike?

Your subscription doesn't expire until 30 days after your trip, so no reason not to get it now and start your planning. You don't get a specific itinerary, you get all the info you need to plan out your own itinerary in such a way that it works for you. There are sample plans and you can use one of those as the basis for what you want to do. There is also a ton of info that has nothing to do with itinerary planning but that I know is going to be a big help to me.

 

[my2boys1821]

I will use him every year we go to WDW!!! I printout our personalized info and we did not wait in any lines!!!! We followed his directions and it made all the difference in the world! There was on tip that I couldn't follow because of a prior ADR and so we did wait for Turtle talk with Crush for about 30 minutes but other than that, no lines, no waiting! He also gave two tips that of course I can't say here but they were defintitely well worth it!! Anyone wondering if they should subscribe to his site?! YES! YES! YES! You won't be sorry. I also used a passporter book and frequent the DIS and still found his info unique and on the money!!!! Even DH the cheap agreed that the money was welll spent!

Thanks for the thumbs up
I have subscribed about a week ago and I'm still trying to plan my itineraries. Right now I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the information. Do you have any tips on how to feel less stressed about the site?

 

[tiff211]

Thanks for the thumbs up
I have subscribed about a week ago and I'm still trying to plan my itineraries. Right now I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the information. Do you have any tips on how to feel less stressed about the site?

Yeah, it is info overload. WHat I found is the more I navigated my way through it the easier it became to comprehend. I also printed out the info and read it that way and then just threw away what I thought I wouldn't need.

 

[mickman1962]

Get to park before they open.
Get Fastpass to major attraction.
Go see other major attractions before crowds show up.
After crowds start coming in see smaller attractions on way back to Fastpass attraction.
Leave when crowd gets large.
Go swimming.
Come back just before extra magic hours start and enjoy whatever you missed in the morning + major attractions again.

That's TGM + The Unofficial Guide simplified.

Works all 11 times I've been, including Easter week this year. Longest wait 15 minutes Splash Mountain.


And I'll only charge you $15.00 for the info.

 

[magicmirror]

I am so glad to hear TGM worked out well for you. I subscribed to it for our late Nov/early Dec. trip, and the info., I found did seem invaluable, though I haven't begun to read it all yet. I got stuck on there, reading, reading and reading more, for a few days, so I decided to give it a break for a little while, till the park hours come out, or I can make my ADR's, or something just to really get me started. yippee!!! I'm so glad it works. I have UG too and got lots of information from it but the plans in there seem really rushed, and I didn't want to rush through our vacation, especially since this will be our first to WDW. And I can't mention enough, all the tips I have learned from DIS (including that about joining TGM), everyone has been so helpful, and knowledgable. can't wait for NOV, its going to be amazing.

 

[magicmirror]

you got it Mickman

 

[scoutsmom99]

Your subscription doesn't expire until 30 days after your trip, so no reason not to get it now and start your planning.

It is 60 days after your trip.

 

[MyZoeJane]

Get to park before they open.
Get Fastpass to major attraction.
Go see other major attractions before crowds show up.
After crowds start coming in see smaller attractions on way back to Fastpass attraction.
Leave when crowd gets large.
Go swimming.
Come back just before extra magic hours start and enjoy whatever you missed in the morning + major attractions again.

That's TGM + The Unofficial Guide simplified.

Works all 11 times I've been, including Easter week this year. Longest wait 15 minutes Splash Mountain.


And I'll only charge you $15.00 for the info.

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!

 

[POB14]

Get to park before they open.
Get Fastpass to major attraction.
Go see other major attractions before crowds show up.
After crowds start coming in see smaller attractions on way back to Fastpass attraction.
Leave when crowd gets large.
Go swimming.
Come back just before extra magic hours start and enjoy whatever you missed in the morning + major attractions again.

That's TGM + The Unofficial Guide simplified.

Works all 11 times I've been, including Easter week this year. Longest wait 15 minutes Splash Mountain.


And I'll only charge you $15.00 for the info.

But do we have to sign a nondisclosure agreement?

You don't get a specific itinerary, you get all the info you need to plan out your own itinerary in such a way that it works for you.

I think this is the biggest problem people have with TGM. He refers to "automated vacation planner" and "personalized" and "customized" so many times, that people think he'll give you a personal itinerary. Just so anyone considering it is clear on this,
you do not get a personalized itinerary!

Now, I think TGM has great info, and is well worth $20 or so on a couple thousand dollar trip. But you should know exactly what you're getting, and what you're not.

 

[mickman1962]

But do we have to sign a nondisclosure agreement?

No, just have everyone who uses my plan on their next Disney trip send me $15 if my plan works. If it doesn't work, you send me nothing.

 

[Stitch65]

I think this is the biggest problem people have with TGM. He refers to "automated vacation planner" and "personalized" and "customized" so many times, that people think he'll give you a personal itinerary. Just so anyone considering it is clear on this,
you do not get a personalized itinerary!

Now, I think TGM has great info, and is well worth $20 or so on a couple thousand dollar trip. But you should know exactly what you're getting, and what you're not.

I agree that I was a little disappointed that I had to make my own itinerary, but personally, I think he's worth the $18 just for his "least-crowded days" chart. Now I've never purchased a UG, so I'm not sure how their charts stack up against his, but I am glad I got TGM.

 

[emsamom]

I used TGM for our visit 4/13 thru 4/21. I purchased it mainly for the "least crowded days". I did not even look at anything else ---it was too hard to navigate. That being said, it worked great!! I followed his suggestions for which park to attend on a given day and we never waited for any ride longer than 10 minutes--- with the exception of Turtle Talk w/ Crush--which was a 20-30 min wait. (But we did not attend the park that TGM suggested for that evening so it was our own fault!) We rode EE 4 times one day before 1pm!! I would definitely invest the $18 if I were going again at a very, very busy time.

 

[tiff211]

Tour Guide Mike had two tips on his site that I have not seen anywhere, and I am the queen of research as DH calls me. I have not seen it on this board or any other, two simple tips that made all the difference in the world!!!! Didn't see it in your pointer Mickman, sorry, no $15 for you!!

 

[JRawkSteady]

I think if he made an itinerary for me, I would not follow it. His suggestions are very accurate and I will use his site again in the future.

 

[darlene9947]

ITA with tiff211. I first used TGM for our May, 2005 trip. It was right on. Even with Star Wars weekends, we saw everything we wanted, did not rush, had a ball with our 3-yr old grandson. I will never, never, NEVER go back to the Mouse House without TGM!!

 

[mickman1962]

I agree that I was a little disappointed that I had to make my own itinerary, but personally, I think he's worth the $18 just for his "least-crowded days" chart. Now I've never purchased a UG, so I'm not sure how their charts stack up against his, but I am glad I got TGM.

UG's daily crowd guides are free, just google "touring plans crowd level calendar"

Free<$18

 

[mickman1962]

Just so everyone knows, I am not saying TGM is not worth the money, I mean it's only $20 how could you go wrong? I'm just saying that most people here who have been to the World a few times know all the tricks already. With that said, I wish I had a dollar for every hotel guest I told about early entry and every park guest about Fastpass, that had no idea about either one. My BIL,SIL +3kids took there first trip this Easter. They went a day earlier then myself and despite giving them my touring plan, they showed up at the MK at 10:30, stayed till 7:00 and saw 4 attractions while waiting in lines over 2 hours long. Took them back the next day saw most everything with Splash, Thunder and Space MT's 2x and were back swimming by 2:00. TGM and UG can usefull, I find them unnecessary