Tour Guide Mike-- not much of a plan!!

[NCombs]

This has become a very interesting discussion in basic vacation philosophies (planning or no planning, with kids/without kids, pay for info/don't pay). All I have to say (and it's been said before) is "to each his own". Not everyone is going to agree on any one topic which is why we should all learn to be more tolerant and not "flame" each other over ANY topic. To quote a book I've read, "Judge not, that ye be not judged".

For the record, I DO subscribe to TGM, I HAVE found his information very helpful (albeit the layout a little convoluted) and worth the price and I LOVE the people I have met there. I don't blame anyone for not subscribing in the first place or for not liking the product after paying for it. At least you know what is for you and what is not.

Pedler- I have found your comments to be very balanced and I appreciate that. What is your screen name over at TGM?

PJTJM- great job on the info over there, I always appreciate when anyone shares their own work with others in an effort to make everybody's life happier.

To everyone else- I hope your next Disney vacation is perfect for you and that you all have a magical day!

Nicely said. Everyone has to do what is right for them and there is no right or wrong. We need to respect each other's decisions as we each do what is best for our own families.

 

[Pedler]

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Just be aware though that all of the lines now start in Sea World.. Wouldn't want people running around like crazy 'cause they didn't have all the updated info..

Once again great information! I can't believe all the stuff I am learning and only 1.5 days more to go. Of course I assume that my park hopper option covers Sea World, right?

 

[C.Ann]

Of course I assume that my park hopper option covers Sea World, right?

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Most certainly.. But be aware that you have to activate it at the Kissimmee Greyhound Bus Station within 1 hour of your arrival..

Is there anything else I can help you with before you go?

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I haven't had a chance to catch up since last night when I was posting but I also wanted to say I found Pedler's comments to be very balanced, well thought and great advice.

 

[Pedler]

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Most certainly.. But be aware that you have to activate it at the Kissimmee Greyhound Bus Station within 1 hour of your arrival..

Is there anything else I can help you with before you go?

It's all comming together now. That's the bus station we get the Magical Express at right? We take a taxi from the airport to get there. And those silly people in the travel forum kept telling me the bus picks you up at the airport! Hah! Like I would fall for that trick.

Boy its a good thing I checked out this thread with only one day to go! Armed with this info this will be a Disney Vacation we won't ever forget.

Thanks for the laughs C.Ann. Definitely makes the time tick by faster as we get to that final countdown.

 

[C.Ann]

It's all comming together now. That's the bus station we get the Magical Express at right? We take a taxi from the airport to get there. And those silly people in the travel forum kept telling me the bus picks you up at the airport! Hah! Like I would fall for that trick.

Boy its a good thing I checked out this thread with only one day to go! Armed with this info this will be a Disney Vacation we won't ever forget.

Thanks for the laughs C.Ann. Definitely makes the time tick by faster as we get to that final countdown.

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Yep! The bus station where you get the Magical Express.. They'll zip you right on over to the Hard Rock Hotel and you're good to go..

Believe me - this information will provide you with the BEST vacation ever! I guarantee you'll be talking about it for YEARS to come - and it didn't cost you a dime!

And you're most welcome.. Anything to help a fellow DISer..
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***All kidding aside, have a GREAT vacation!!

 

[mking624]

If the children were not yours then it is still different. You don't have to deal with them.

Annie

When all the children are my siblings and I DO deal with them because that's how my family operates, then it's not different. I'm not clueless.

It's not like TGM charges $100.00 for his website. It's the price of a tour guide book! I usually buy all the latest editions of most WDW guide books because I enjoy reading them and I usually pick up a tip or two. That's exactly what I got from TGM. He had some very good suggestions I could use. I printed up the pages I wanted for future reference, and I enjoyed "reading" the rest of his web site at my leisure. End of story. I don't feel "ripped off" at all.

The thing is, not everyone is into guidebooks to begin with. I know I'm certainly not. For those who definitely are into them and want an online version and then some, TGM might be the way to go. For the rest of us, being charged for something that just doesn't float our boat kind of is a waste of money. It's not downing TGM at all, it just means it's not for us.

 

[Pedler]

The thing is, not everyone is into guidebooks to begin with. I know I'm certainly not. For those who definitely are into them and want an online version and then some, TGM might be the way to go. For the rest of us, being charged for something that just doesn't float our boat kind of is a waste of money. It's not downing TGM at all, it just means it's not for us.

Hi Mary,

Just so I understand its not just TGM but you personally don't care for guidebooks in general and don't find much value in them for yourself. Is that correct?

FYI I am not saying you should or should not get guidebooks I am just trying to understand your perspective.

BTW did you know that Cinderalla lives in the golf ball at Epcot now? A very nice person here, C.Ann I think, has done a great job correcting some miss information I seemed to have come across. I can't wait to suprise my family with this new found info.

 

[edingerc]

The thing is, not everyone is into guidebooks to begin with. I know I'm certainly not. For those who definitely are into them and want an online version and then some, TGM might be the way to go. For the rest of us, being charged for something that just doesn't float our boat kind of is a waste of money. It's not downing TGM at all, it just means it's not for us.

What the previously quoted person said was that TGM was the COST of a tour book. You can use him as a guidebook if you want to. However, if you do that, you're not using Mike for what his intended purpose is. His purpose is to teach his customers why crowds tend to flock the way they do, so that his customers can avoid ride lines. This concept is either for you or it's not. As I told him, "no product is right for every customer, there are no exceptions."

 

[jeanyusjean]

I was considering buying TGM but found www.touringplans.com & printed the free versions. Luckily for me they were touring plans w/ children so I didn't have to get TGM.

 

[jennymouse]

As I said in an earlier thread, I'm not too impressed with TGM either. If I wasn't going over Thanksgiving I wouldn't have even bothered with it to begin with but thought I could use some advice since it's such a busy time of year. Since others have gone into the specific problems with it, I won't rehash. One more thing I'm disappointed in is that there has been no advice about touring during TG yet, just links to last year which doesn't apply this year as EMHs have changed. Yes, I can and have used '04 as a guide but I couldn't done that without TGM. I think at the very least TGM could post advice using the current EMH schedule & last years hours noting that there could be changes in that schedule. As it is, we're left with having to make ADRs without the advice we paid for. JMO

 

[boomhauer]

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I agree.. Seems like a waste of money to me..

I'm with you guys - I don't understand either.

This is what I don't get: To understand TGM or the Unofficial Guide, you have to have some familiarity with the parks (especially Magic Kingdom.) If you DO have this, you really should have a general idea of when to do what and what to avoid at certain times. If you don't have this familiarity, then you won't understand the guides anyway.

 

[RadioFanatic]

I really don't like TGM either. And another thing I don't like is that, I post questions and even posted my itinerary/schedule and asked for opinions - and no responses! The forum is REALLY lousy. I much rather post here. Also, the big thing was the scheduling of emh hours and I found out that information here before there. I really feel like I wasted my money.

 

[SnackyStacky]

I'm really sick of this discussion.

Every time TourGuideMike gets brought up, it turns into an overly-long debate.

Well, this isn't the debate board. This is the Theme Parks board. So now that it's a debate, it's no longer on topic.