Tour Guide Mike

[Disney Trveler]

Is the Tour Guide Mike vacation planner worth it if I have been to disney many times before?
Has anyone ever used it?

 

[mygr8kdz]

in one word, YES!
the forums are great - and you will see many veterans there using it and giving it rave reviews.
friends just returned from easter week trip - they go every year and coudn't believe the difference this year with TGM.
the price is comparable to many guidebooks, yet with this you get continually updated info, whereas some of the books have outdated info within weeks of hitting the stands.

 

[KarenAylwood]

I just signed up last night- and just made this post last night too: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1092108

I have been 15 times to Disney and my mom has been even more- we considered ourselves veterans and I decided that $19 wasn't too bad so I signed up last night. Just looking over the site for 2 hours or so- my purchase was well worth it!! It looks AWESOME and is going to be so much help (and we're even going off season!).

I'm very excited. I say, sign up! What do you have to lose? There's a money back guarantee too!

 

[hep516]

I signed up a couple of days ago and do not think it is worth it. There is a lot of info, but every time I read something, I felt it was something I already knew. I could see how it would help people who dont spend a lot of time thinking, planning, and DISing about WDW. It seems like most of the info is available here if you ask the right questions.

I also dont think it should be marketed as an "Automated Vacation Planner" as there is nothing automated about it.

But you may love it, and there is a money back guarantee, so you risk nothing by trying it for a couple of days.

 

[sdenis]

The site is packed full of info, but it's hard to get around and it seems there is a lot of duplication from one spot to another. Also, subscribing for a consecutive year is cheaper (and he says he updates it) but it didn't seem to have anything new in it and it's very difficult to NAVIGATE.

I'd look for all of your info here really.

 

[mommyintn]

I am a research nut and I spent a lot of time thinking, planning and DISing about our WDW vacation and while the information at the DIS is awesome and I could not do without it the touring plans alone on TGM are worth it to me. If you have problems navigating the site ask for help on the boards over there, there is a wealth of information. So I think it is completely worth it!

 

[KarenAylwood]

The site is packed full of info, but it's hard to get around and it seems there is a lot of duplication from one spot to another. Also, subscribing for a consecutive year is cheaper (and he says he updates it) but it didn't seem to have anything new in it and it's very difficult to NAVIGATE.

I'd look for all of your info here really.

Why did you sign up twice if you didn't like it?

I'm not trying to be snarky, I was just wondering.

 

[HydroGuy]

I signed up a couple of days ago and do not think it is worth it. There is a lot of info, but every time I read something, I felt it was something I already knew. I could see how it would help people who dont spend a lot of time thinking, planning, and DISing about WDW. It seems like most of the info is available here if you ask the right questions.

I also dont think it should be marketed as an "Automated Vacation Planner" as there is nothing automated about it.

But you may love it, and there is a money back guarantee, so you risk nothing by trying it for a couple of days.

I agree that 95% of the info can be found elsewhere. IMO, it is the 5% not found elsewhere that makes it so valuable. Plus, the access to the TGM forums alone is worth the $20. The people there are very helpful.

I had done a lot of research before I signed up for TGM, and in 10 minutes I came across a tip that made the $20 worth it to me.

As far as AVP, I guess it depends on what you mean. TGM is automated in several ways. You can sign up to get e-mail reminders for ADRs, etc., based on your dates of travel. You get semi-customized advice for touring, rides, shows, hotels, transporation, based on how you answer the questions (e.g., how many kids in party and how old). You have a calendar clipboard that notifies you of things like park hour changes, ride closures, etc.

If a person wants an automatically generated touring plan, well there is touringplans.com ($7) or RideMax ($20-30). That is not what TGM is about. In the area of touring it is about educating people how to tour and giving them all of the latest park patterns so they know where to go when. But TGM extends well beyond touring, focusing on a "whole vacation" approach.

 

[abaldacci]

I've done it twice and it is hard to get around but I like hear what mike has to say about diff. things here and there. You will learn something I promise. I learned one thing that made it worth it to me.

 

[Ears2You]

Not trying to take over the OP thread, but is it worth it to purchase TGM if I have been there 20 times or so, and already have my ADRs and hotel reservations? I was thinking about getting but I just dont know how much it will help me.

Thanks

 

[PreppyPolyMom]

I was wondering that too because I was thinking about getting it. This really helped me make my decision. I think I will give it a try.

 

[hep516]

If a person wants an automatically generated touring plan, well there is touringplans.com ($7) or RideMax ($20-30). That is not what TGM is about. In the area of touring it is about educating people how to tour and giving them all of the latest park patterns so they know where to go when. But TGM extends well beyond touring, focusing on a "whole vacation" approach.

I agree with you that this is not what TGM is about. And I wasnt expecting it to be about that. Its all about research.

But from a marketing standpoint, the name AVP implies that you plug in some basic info and what you get back is nice tidy plan for your trip. I'm a web application developer and all TGP is doing is serving up relevant info to dates and interests you supply. Its a glorified search result, nothing more. You still have to do the work in putting the important pieces together. Which is by all means ok, and filled with lots of info and tips. But its not automated by any means.

I think for a lot of people,TGM is a very valuable resource and my opinions on it are not meant to keep anyone from trying it. TGM can help lots of people in many ways. And since there is that money back guarantee, there is no reason not to give it a try.

 

[HydroGuy]

I agree with you that this is not what TGM is about. And I wasnt expecting it to be about that. Its all about research.

But from a marketing standpoint, the name AVP implies that you plug in some basic info and what you get back is nice tidy plan for your trip. Im a web application developer and all TGP is doing is serving up relevant info to dates and interests you supply. Its a glorified search result, nothing more. You still have to do the work in putting the important pieces together. Which is by all means ok, and filled with lots of info and tips. But its not automated by any means.

I think for a lot of people,TGM is a very valuable resource and my opinions on it are not meant to keep anyone from trying it. TGM can help lots of people in many ways. And since there is that money back guarantee, there is no reason to to give it a try.

I am not disagreeing with you, and guess I had never thought about it with regard to TGM. I am not a web developer but I do develop desktop design software that claims to "automate" things. Typically, the automation capabilities just make things more automatic that used to be more manual. But in some cases it makes things that were impractical from a manual point of view into something that is now practical with automation. So a completely new capability emerges.

So thinking about it some more, TGM is automated in the sense that it is like an interactive software program where you can store things and search for things. And this is certainly more automated than a 3-ring binder.

I am genuinely curious what you think automation should mean in the context of TGM.

 

[hep516]

I am genuinely curious what you think automation should mean in the context of TGM.

I think if it's marketed as an AVP, it should create an actual plan of action. What it does is give you info to create your own plan. The user is doing all the work. They have to comb through the data, put it together, match it to their needs. An automated planner in my mind would make these connections for you.

As developers, we both know there are many levels of automation. The question should really be what does the average end user expect when they read the word automated. I imagine some people expect a higher level of automation from TGM but end up staying because the info available is still valuable.

 

[mygr8kdz]

interesting points re: automation. i have seen some people question where is their itinerary. i recommended the site to a friend who recently told me she never heard back from mike. maybe the term is misleading to some, i don't think i ever had any expectations of anything along the lines of a customized touring plan.
what i think makes it more valuable than that is that it arms you with the information to make decisions about your plan. i think if i were just given a customized touring plan for each park, i would have a tough time figuring out what to do if a ride was down or some other kink in the plan came up. now i know what day to go to each park, what attractions to see at what time of day, and many other important details. there are sample touring plans, and many of us work with them as a framework, but that is common to many of the touring sites/guidebooks. it is the wealth of other information that helps us plan our days on our own. understanding why we plan the way we do helps us to adapt our plan as unexpected situations arise.
like many others, i found it confusing at first. i think if you read articles through to the end without clicking away at links, it helps. if you still find it confusing, post on the forums and you will be shown the way through your planner.
but also like many others, i found information in the first day or so that made it a more than worthwhile investment. what i find interesting is that so many people don't hesitate to spend the same amount on any of a number of guidebooks, but are so hesitant to spend it on this. ther are continuous updates. if the poster mentioning that nothing has changed cannot find them, please post on the TGM forums and we will be happy to direct you. You certainly won't be the only post asking for such information.
happy planning to all!

 

[HydroGuy]

I think if it's marketed as an AVP, it should create an actual plan of action. What it does is give you info to create your own plan. The user is doing all the work. They have to comb through the data, put it together, match it to their needs. An automated planner in my mind would make these connections for you.

As developers, we both know there are many levels of automation. The question should really be what does the average end user expect when they read the word automated. I imagine some people expect a higher level of automation from TGM but end up staying because the info available is still valuable.

Changing the subject from automation to marketing, I guess one can say the AVP is part of the marketing pitch somewhere. FWIW, if you look at the banner above, it does not mention AVP, but avoiding lines and getting "inside info" from a professional tour guide. And it does do that.

Even so, I am hard pressed to figure out what TGM could do more in the way of automation. Do you mean creating itineraries for you? Well, we have discussed that a bit already. It tells you best days for parks, but how could it automate that aside from forcing a schedule on you for certain parks on certain days? Much of what I could think of that would technically lend itself to automation would not be desirable for most users.

 

[DebIreland]

I would recommend it. I signed up about 2 months ago and had been tinkering with it on and off but never really got into it in any indepth way until just a few days ago. Now I think "wow!". You definitely need to NOT think "automatic" though because if you wait for it to 'give' you things, it never will, if that makes sense. You need to look for the information but once you find it, it is invaluable in my opinion. Now I've only been to WDW once (I used the Unofficial Guide then and that helped enormously) so I don't know how helpful it would be for veterans but I'm guessing the Best Days information would be very helpful in themselves. They're fabulous because you just need to read all the info for a particular day and you are left in no doubt as to why Mk or AK or MGM or Epcot is the best choice for that day or why you need to avoid one of them.

I have found myself saying "Ah yes, now I understand" many times since I signed up!

On the downside I would say that yes, it is very difficult to navigate. I'm not saying I *can't* navigate it, I'm saying it's unnecessarily complex - in my humble opinion it could be simplified quite a bit.

I was getting quite frustrated with it for a while as all the info was becoming a jumbled up mess in my head but for the past few days I've been cutting and pasting the info into my own file and pairing it down and it's really proving invaluable now!!! The sample touring plans make total sense and he gives great details on each and every attraction (as well as wonderful details on all the restaurants etc.) with helpful little hints and tips.

So I would say, 1) be prepared to do the work yourself (your own itinerary, touring plans etc,) but know that he will teach you how to do that and give you the essential info to do it. 2) be prepared to spend quite a bit of time working on your plans (reading, cutting, pasting, editing etc.) but 3) even if you use it for nothing else except the Best Days (which you could simply print out and bring with you) you'd get your money's worth!!

 

[Aisling]

i think if i were just given a customized touring plan for each park, i would have a tough time figuring out what to do if a ride was down or some other kink in the plan came up.

One thing I really like about TGM is that he gives the whys behind his reasoning. For me, this is more valuable than an automated personalized touring plan. For veteran planners, who are already comfortable making their own touring itineraries, learning the whys makes it a ton easier. So many times I've read something on TGM and thought "wow, I never thought of that!" Or read about it on the Dis or the other sites I visit. A couple of posters have said that there was one thing from TGM that made it worth the $20. This has been my experience, too.

I have the 2006 Passporter, and even though I love this book, it can't be updated as things change through out the year.

I find TGM difficult to navigate, but it's getting easier, as I approach my 2nd week as a client.

I vote give it a try. And if you don't like it, take advantage of his money back guarantee.

Good luck!

 

[hep516]

Changing the subject from automation to marketing, I guess one can say the AVP is part of the marketing pitch somewhere.

I'm not changing the subject, my initial point I made was related to the marketing of the AVP.

I also dont think it should be marketed as an "Automated Vacation Planner" as there is nothing automated about it.

Go to the home page, it mentions AVP directly under the name. I would say that makes it part of the marketing.

I've already explained what I think could be automated. Let's not get caught up with semantics.

 

[Pedler]

We loved TGM and it definitely made a huge difference in our vacation. I also agree that term "automated" is a bit loose. Once you get into TGM and the "why" behind the plans you will see why a Ridemax type approach really isn't the TGM style. Still the web site does have a bit of a learning curve. I don't know what I would do to make it different but it at times requires some work to find the info.

There are some big pluses for TGM. First there are tips there that I have never seen on the DIS. Those strategies and plans alone are worth the $19. Second while yes you can find a lot of the information here on the DIS what you can't find is vetted information. No offense to the folk here at the DIS but none of the people that respond to the posts have anywhere near the park experience that Mike and his people have. As a result you get quite a bit of dissagreement and at times in accurate information. If you wade through all the posts, weed out the factually inaccurate or the things that people express as fact and not opinion you will be able to obtain some good information. At TGM there is extensive detail, more than I have seen anywhere else, on just about everything at WDW. He also explains the why behind the plans and the general overall strategy in straight forward articles. No wading through the countless posts about "post your ADR's Here" and such.

Don't get me wrong I like the DIS but If I need a quick accurate up to date review of an attraction or tips for one the TGM is the place to go.