Tour Guide Mike...Tried It? Love it? Hate it?

[SpecialK]

Tried to use TGM for our June trip. I never did get the hang of navigating the web site - found it to be very cumbersome. Wouldn't subscribe again for that reason.

 

[Michelle2]

I love it! It helped immensely for our very first trip to WDW last October. Being a DL veteran, I thought MK at least would be the same, so I doubted getting it. I am really glad I did! I renewed it already again for our trip in December 2005 so I can get a feel of what will happen next year. He also covers entertainment, activities, disney dining, and the MNSSHP, and MVMCP. I found it very useful, and if you love reading all you can about tips and tricks of WDW, then you will have plenty of info there!

 

[daniluvsdisney]

I enjoy my TGM as well... you can tell he's just fantastic at what he does and put together a great offering for those who need all the help we can get!

 

[zippehsmom]

I love TGM!!! I will be subscribing again for our next trip. I always buy the guide books every year, as well as visiting The DIS, Deb's Site & Mousesavers. I just view TGM as another guide book, that has current and up to date info. It really made my trip wonderful.

His touring plans are awesome. We hit everything and did not feel rushed.

zippehsmom

 

[Lollipop Mom]

LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can not recommend it more highly!

I first subscribed when I was in the mad rush of planning a last minute trip down for the week between Christmas and New Years (the trip was a gift from my parents...never turn down a free trip even if it is during the most insanely busy week of the year!!!!!! ). This week was THE HIGHEST attendance week EVER at WDW. At least one park was closed at capacity every day we were there. The longest line I waited in was to buy lunch at Epcot at 10:30 in the morning...honest. The second longest line was for the safari at AK going at a time that wasn't one he recommended. We waited 20 minutes for that one. Everything else we waited 10 minutes or less. Honest. We got front row seats for Spectro at most 30 minutes before it started. His least crowded parks per day list is updated and changed specifically for holiday weeks (and no, the regular list isn't just "go to the park that had EMH yesterday). His Christmas Survival Guide was top notch and made the difference between a vacation spent waiting in long lines and one where we breezed through what we wanted to do with very little waiting. It made the difference between listening to my DH grumble about lines and wanting to cancel the trip we already had planned for spring and having him leave saying it was better than he expected and he felt closer to our kids for having the fun time with them all week.

I subscribed a second time for our trip in the Spring. We went at the tail end of spring breaks and our longest wait was again about 10 minutes. The touring plans are not as "rigid" as others I've seen. He has info besides "go here, go there then grab a fast pass for this." No other touring plan gave me advice on how to prepare my 4 year old who hates loud noises for the noise we'd hear while standing in line for Goofy's Barnstormer.

Mike himself is VERY personable and helpful. I love that he not only gives you suggestions on what to do to avoid crowds or get the best views but that he tells you WHY he recommends this. Understanding why meant, to me, that it was easier to remember. I didn't have to print out my bulleted list of what attractions in what order. I understood the flow of his plans and I could sort of gently guide us through them at our pace and let our kids interests direct us.

I honestly can't recommend this any higher.

I subscribed to TJM for our March trip but honestly, there was no info on that site which you could not get on the DIS, mousesavers.com, allearsnet.com, and a good guidebook such as the Unofficial Guide.

I respectfully disagree on this one. ***THE BEST*** tips we found for our trips were ones that were COMPLETELY OPPOSITE of what we saw recommended here on the boards or in other books. Those tips may work just fine during "normal" weeks but for New Years week and Spring breaks and other very busy times, they aren't bad they just aren't as good as the variations he recommends.

I never did get the hang of navigating the web site - found it to be very cumbersome.

I actually thought the same thing at first. I did finally get the hang of it though. He's since revamped it and it's more intuitive now. It's still a TON of information though. For anyone who signs up and feels overwhelmed, start with the "planning for guests in a hurry" which gives a more "readers digest" version of things. Get the feel for it and you'll be navigating through the whole thing in no time!

 

[jcemom]

LOVE it! If I were only allowed to use one vacation planning tool...TGM would be my choice!

Information is always current.
Photos are spectacular, almost like being there.
Touring plans are easy to follow.
He explains WHY he asks you to do what he's asking you to do...allowing you to change the plans if you need to with the confidence that you know what you're doing.
Best holiday-specific touring advice I've seen anywhere!
Detailed info on best days for each park...not just "go to MK on X and Y" but an explanation of WHY a day is/isn't good and alternates if that doesn't work for you.

Just my .02

 

[dgaston]

I too used TGM for the busy Christmas season and found it helpful. I also agree with others that learning to navigate the site takes some time. I still can find layers of information that I haven't seen before in his "drill-down" setup. I do think it was worth the investment.