Tour Guide Mike

[bwolfe]

I hope this is not inappropriate to post this here as he is a sponsor of the site...

Is this guide helpful? Anyone have experience with it? We have been to Disney many times, but if this book can help maximize the experience then it will be worth the money...I'm not really looking for those tips most of us know...ie. EMH, fast pass, etc.

 

[stky6]

I used the UG for our planning for our August trip and it was great, we didn't wait more than 15 minutes in a line that we didn't fastpass. For me the $7.00 to join UG vs. the cost for TGM made my mind up for me.

 

[MsDisney23]

I've used TGM for my last two trips.. this is my last time using him, he is late with many updates!

 

[Doug7856]

I purchased it for the first time for our Thanksgiving trip. Overall, it is very helpful. The best days guide is impressive and probably worth the purchase price (better than alternative services in my opinion). The forums are exceptional -- if you ask for advice on your trip planning. If you decide to purchase, do use the forums! These items give significant value to the service and I would purchase the service again with these circumstances (holiday period).

There are three drawbacks from my perspective.

(1) Some of the information on the attractions is a bit dated and some of the newer attractions are missing. This doesn't bother me much as that information is widely available.

(2) Everything is commando style. I don't get a sense of ways to enjoy the great streetmosphere at the parks and just enjoy the world created by Disney. Everything is driven by getting the most done possible during your visit -- and this is many people's goal.

(3) Finally, I find TGM to be highly opinionated on what is worth doing and what is not. I don't always agree with him and choose my options accordingly.

From my perspective, these three drawbacks can easily be adapted into the planning provided by the service.

Overall, I believe it's worth the purchase price. I enjoy reading TGM's opinions and using the planning tools available.

Also, this is an online service, not a book.

 

[Doug7856]

I used the UG for our planning for our August trip and it was great, we didn't wait more than 15 minutes in a line that we didn't fastpass. For me the $7.00 to join UG vs. the cost for TGM made my mind up for me.

I also purchased UG for our Thanksgiving trip and to be honest I personally find the site boring and cumbersome to use. That's just my opinion, many feel differently and that's OK (different opinions make the world go round as they say). I do however like the printed Unofficial Guide!

 

[Nicholfamily5]

I used TGM for our first "family" trip last August, and I couldn't have been happier. Yes, the amount you pay is a tad steep compared to other options, but I subscribed to both TGM and UG and I barely used UG after I figured out TGM's site.

I agree with pp about utilizing the forums. People are really GREAT about helping out with plans there, giving advice on what to hit when, as well as lots of other tips.

I'm not using him for this upcoming trip as it will just be DH and I, and we are only going for a few days, but I briefly considered paying the $$ just to see what the busiest days forecast was looking like! LOL...it's definately worth it!!!

 

[hapandpam]

If you do a search on this topic, you will come up with many threads about TGM. The general concensus seems to be that some of the information on the site is outdated, and if there is a change in hours or programs, you will probably read about it here first. Also, some people feel that the site is difficult to navigate. That being said, many people like the forums and find his "best parks" for a given date to be helpful and accurate.

I, personally, have subscribed to both the Unofficial Guide site and TGM, and like them both. I think I do prefer TGM's "best parks" because he explains why he choses certain parks and why he suggests avoiding others. We often travel during the summer- peak season. The first time we used TGM we were amazed how accurate he seemed to be. I remember my 2 dd and I walking side by side through the World Showcase, arms spread out wide. On previous trips, we often had to walk single file through the crowds.

I would suggest trying it. He does promise a money back guarantee if you aren't satisfied.

 

[Sunshine36616]

I used him for my Christmas trip in December 2007 and loved him. Every idea and suggestion he had was dead-on.

 

[Brian Noble]

Doug's post exactly mirrors my experience: not without warts, but worth the money. I'd differ with Doug only in that I find Mike's approach to be a bit less commando than, say, the UG's take.

I'm a once-a-year visitor. I like and use both TGM and UG, and in the grand scheme of things don't think twice about the ~$50 it costs to renew each one each year.

 

[Abharmagic]

This goes round and round and round...... I, personally, found TGM to be next to useless- prefer the UG's touringplans.com

 

[rwdavis2]

I found them both useful for our trip in January. I liked TGM's explanations on why you should take his suggestions. Though it is confusing to navigate until you've done it for a while.
Bob

 

[becfehr]

I subscribed to UG and have my tour guides all ready to go, and I like the layout of UG.

Well, I thought I would go to TGM and subscribe there also to get as much info as I can collect for my trip. I have to say I wasn't happy with the site. It was waaay too overwhelming (for me). It wasn't what I was looking for or expecting, so I emailed them asking for a refund. I just received an email today stating they did refund my money... no questions asked... here is the email:

"I am sorry you were disappointed with your purchase, and I am happy to refund your money as promised in our satisfaction guarantee. Your credit card has been refunded in full, and your email address has been removed from our records. You should see the credit in 2 to 3 business days. I wish you a wonderful, memorable, magical vacation to Walt Disney World! "

SOOOO... my suggestion is, go ahead and get the subscription, because they are VERY good about refunds if you are not completely satisfied!

***(I am probably the minority of the hundreds that wasn't pleased, so give it a try!)

 

[Xiarra]

What is TGM and UG?

 

[becfehr]

What is TGM and UG?

Tour Guide Mike http://tourguidemike.com/

Unofficial Guide http://www.touringplans.com/tp2/UG2_index.php?PageID=0

These are sites that you can pay for subscriptions for personalized touring guides and tips to your days at WDW.

 

[ArmyWife3-4]

We've always used UG (starting when I was a little one when my parents took us many times). I used it last year for our honeymoon and this year for my trip with the fam. It worked like a charm! I just take UG's plans and modify them to our tastes. We were there last week and only waited once in line that was 15 minutes (and this was when we weren't on our plans...just killing some time before Illuminations...)

Many people on the Dis use both, but UG was just fine for us!

 

[mdoc]

I've used TGM for a few trips, and I'll continue to use it. I agree with Doug that there are things on the site that are outdated and newer things that are missing, but basically TGM's least crowded parks chart is worth the purchase price for me. The extremely helpful forums are a nice bonus. I'd purchase a while before the trip, because there's a wealth of information on there that will take some time to get through.

 

[yanners]

I used him for Christmas last year and would pay for the Least Crowded Park Charts again in a heartbeat.

Most of the other stuff in UG and TGM are the same

 

[dpic]

If you're the type that reads researches all things Disney, you'll find little new information.

I you'd rather have it all in one place where it's (semi) easy to find, then TGM is a good resource.

But if you're a Disney nut and can't get enough Disney, it's not expensive, and worth it at least once.

 

[Carlyzmom]

I think there is a lot of good info there, but it is kind of cumbersome. I think you need a LOT of time to look over all the info.