tour guide mike?

[kennyssenorita]

Just wondering if it was worth spending the $21 for all his info or if his info is pretty much what's on this website and other websites, like mousesavers, allearsnet, etc.? Does anyone know?

 

[bigcrit]

I used him for our trip in May. I am using him again for our trip in December. I would say his advice on the AK alone is worth the money. I think you can get a discount from mousesavers.com too. I would say it is worth the money.

 

[kutchyone]

I never thought that I would find his site to be valuable to me. I love the planning as much as being there and have used this site along with numerous others to help me along through the years. I now have come to love his site and it really did help me to tour the parks with the tiniest of queue waits, maybe 10 minutes top, this past June. He offers a full money back guarantee so you can't really lose! If you do enroll please give yourself and the site some time to learn how to travel through the different areas. The people on the forum will be glad to assist you in any way, it's a much smaller group then here and all of them are very hands on. Maybe I will "see" you over there.

 

[chevitz5]

I love TGM! I have used his site for every trip booked. His tips on tour plans are great, he gives recommendations on the best places to enter and sit for attactions, has a current list of updates for the time you are traveling, and gives lots of honest reviews of attactions and resturants.

At first, you will find the site a little confusing but once you get used to the way it is layed out, the information is wonderful. You can't expect to just sit down and have the info fall in to your lap - you need to spend some time reading and clicking on links to additional information to get the most out of what he offers. If you don't have the time to spend with it, then don't purchase it. I read so many negative reviews of his site and it is usually because the person didn't take the time to really "use" the site.

I find that his tips and suggestions have made our trips some of the best ones we have had! To me, it is one of the very best Disney resources around!

 

[andriade]

I love this site. It's worth the money. He's pretty funny too. Just don't tell too many people about it. I like avoiding the crowds.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

love his site, its so informative! I believe you can go to disney dollarless and find a little ad and it will have a discount of I think $3.

 

[Drizzo67]

I am using TGM for the first time this trip and have found his site to be very helpful. As I am traveling with a large party I wanted to keep our waits to a minimum. His advice has been wonderful and amazingly helpful.

As the money back guarantee is there why not try it out? You really have nothing to loss and so much to gain. Remember to take your time going through the site. It can seem a little overwhelming at first but you will soon find all the information you need. I highly recommend the site.

 

[gigi1313]

definitely worth the cost! the first time i used tgm i did not take the time to really sort thru the info offered and was disappointed but i gave it another try and glad i did... now i cannot imagine planning a trip w/out "him!"

 

[TAKitty]

I didn't find it valuable, and it was very difficult to navagate. I have not found anything new on his site.

 

[kakiegirl]

Loved Tour Guide Mike, it was well worth the money. I used his site for the first time this past June and we never waited in line more than 10 minutes, and walked on alot of rides.

 

[Danauk]

Another vote for TGM. I have found his site really valuable, especially his specific plans for Christmas week. The site does take some time to get used to as there is so much info on there, but it is worth it. I have found several bits of information on there that I have not read on any other Disney boards that I use for my planning.

 

[disgranma]

I am a HUGE TGM fan. His info is invaluable. I think the reason some find his website confusing is the AMOUNT of info that's available. I've used him for three trips, and will continue to use him for all my other trips. He's GREAT!

 

[mrcricket]

Well, I tried TGM. At first I thought it wasn't worth the price, BUT the more I read and planned and read and planned, the more convinced I became that Mike knows his stuff better than most anyone else. I'm looking forward to using his tips next week. I'll let you know if the planning based on TGM's input works. I believe it will!
A big thumbs up To TGM.

 

[kimbac3]

Well, I tried TGM. At first I thought it wasn't worth the price, BUT the more I read and planned and read and planned, the more convinced I became that Mike knows his stuff better than most anyone else.

I felt the same way. Now that my trip is almost here I'm on his site all the time. I even put on Tour Guide Mike Radio!! I love it and will definately use it next trip too!!
Kimba aw:

 

[HappyMommy2]

We used TGM for two recent trips. IMO if you will have some time to sit down and get into it, it's well worth the money just for the fun of reading it all. I printed out about 30 pages of touring tips one evening before our last trip and curled up in my favorite chair with a cup of hot tea and a highlighter, and had a great time just enjoying the reading and getting into the WDW spirit. TGM's writing style is fun and makes you feel like you are really getting "insider" info--though much of the info IS available elsewhere, it's nice to have so much all in one place. I wouldn't recommend it, really, for someone who has visited WDW many times in the busy season and already knows how to get around WDW successfully, but for someone who is on their first trip (or second, or even third like us), or has only traveled in "slow" season when busy-season touring strategies weren't necessary but is now preparing for a busy-season trip, I think it's worth every penny.
TGM's touring plans tend to be more of a philosophy of touring than a be-here-at-this-time-for-this-ride type of thing so we were able to conform all of it to our own personal tastes and needs (important with two small kids) easily.

 

[merryg]

I was glad to see this thread. I have often wondered about the site. My family, myself, DH, and 2 DD, are going to be at WDW from November 25th to December 3rd of 2006. Is it worth the money if you are going during a slow time of the year? I know that our 1st Saturday, right after Thanksgiving, will be crowded, but we are only planning DTD and dinner at Boma that day. I guess I really don't understand what he has to offer that other sites do not.

If someone has used TGM for this time period, give me your imput. TIA

merryg

 

[Eloi]

Tour Guide Mike is great. I discovered his site and bought my membership only one week before leaving for my Disney vacation in August. Found loads of infos, printed lots of stuff that were VERY useful during the trip. Our family of 4 never waited more than 15 minutes at a ride using Mike's tips, and lots of time, when we came back later in the day, the wait was 50 minutes and more.

I also used some infos from The Unofficial Guide to Disney World book I bought previously, but most of the time, it was Mike's stuff that I used.

Well worth the $20. Highly recommended.

 

[mrcricket]

I was glad to see this thread. I have often wondered about the site. My family, myself, DH, and 2 DD, are going to be at WDW from November 25th to December 3rd of 2006. Is it worth the money if you are going during a slow time of the year? I know that our 1st Saturday, right after Thanksgiving, will be crowded, but we are only planning DTD and dinner at Boma that day. I guess I really don't understand what he has to offer that other sites do not.

If someone has used TGM for this time period, give me your imput. TIA

merryg

I believe you'll find some great tips that will make your touring better no matter what the season. I've gone in the "slow" season before, but even during these lower level times you can hit congestion if you don't know what you're doing. Think of how much you are already spending on your trip. Now think that for $21 more you could find just the right tips to vastly improve your touring and overall vacation experience. I think that's a bargain.
By the way I've used other sources (books, websites, etc.), but for some reason Mike's just makes sense to me. Well thought out, and great reasons why, make it a real learning tool.

 

[KristineN]

I used it for our first trip & I will use it for our next trip...

 

[Amapola]

I'm in the minority here, but I really don't get it. I have spent time getting to know the site, have read the forums for tips on navigating it, but I still don't think his touring plans are right for my style. They seem too contrived to me. It's just DH and I, and I don't see sending him off to pick up FP while I go on to another attraction. I will print out the plans and give them a try when we go, but I'm not a fan.

Just MO, YMMV, etc