TourGuide Mike ?????

[DebIreland]

Chris,

I got so caught up in the Resorts Board last year, that's pretty much what I obsessed about 99% of the time.

I would split your holiday into sections in your notebook, for example, restaurants, park touring, resort, transportation, offsite activities, money etc. Try to give equal or at least fair time to all of those.

For dining I would recommend checking out the menus and prices at Allearsnet and take notes as you go along - that will give you a great idea of where you want to dine within your budget and personal tastes. This is one area where we excelled last year - of course it had to be food didn't it - so while we missed half the attractions at MGM we ate some lovely meals. If you're on the Dining Plan there's a very informative sticky thread at the top of the Disney Dining Plan board here at the DIS (which is a sub board of the Restaurants thread). We're not doing the DP because we're hoping to eat for less money than that costs.

For entertainment, check out Steve Soares site closer to your holiday. Here's a link http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/index.htm

For park touring you can certainly get a lot of helpful info here on this specific board, though definitely think about joining TGM because it's so specific it cuts out a lot of needless reading and browsing (fun though it is!).

For money saving tips, the budget board here at the DIS is great!

For info on Magical Express or private tranfers from/to airport or info on car rental the Transportation board here is great.

Just keep taking notes because you'd be amazed at how quickly that wonderful information goes in one ear and out the other!

Edited to add: Wow! I hadn't seen mickeysaver's post til after I posted mine. Some wonderful resources mentioned there!

 

[learnhome]

Oh please don't get frazzled. Yes, there is a wealth of information available on the internet about WDW. You will never be able to see or do it all in one trip, so don't even try. It's all magical if you will just stand back and let the pixie dust rain all over you. Below I have copied the most helpful links that I always give to my friends when they are planning a trip to WDW. Just remember....it's supposed to be fun and it will be if you plan a little and let your inner child come out to play when you get there. Happy planning! Maggie.

Sending you a big Mickey HUG MAGGIE!!!

Thank you for all the links, which I will start looking at!!

BTW, don't laugh - but, what is FASTPASS???

Is it something to purchase? An easier way to avoid lines???

Oh well, the inexperienced Disney Lover that I am!!!

Chris

 

[Kick Save]

I got so caught up in the Resorts Board last year, that's pretty much what I obsessed about 99% of the time.

LAST year you were WORSE?

Sorry, Deb, couldn't resist.

For those wondering, I rented Deb a few points to stay at the Boardwalk for her upcoming trip, and we've made a few itinerary changes. Nothing big, and I didn't mind at all, just became a running gag that every couple weeks she'd have a new idea. (My only regret is we're about four weeks behind her and her family at the World, we could have planned a meal together. Would have been great!)

To not totally pull this off track, I tend to get a bit wound up in the planning, myself. Honestly, this is the first trip I've planned with TGM and/or the UG. Our last few trips I planned without either, and unknowingly did things they recommended...afternoon breaks, different morning and afternoon parks, steered clear of EMH, use FP all we could, etc. But, I'd never have a park touring plan. I'd jot down the rides we'd want to see in each park, but wouldn't approach them in any orderly fashion, just what came next. We used one small touring plan found on wdwinfo, and it worked so well that I was considering trying to figure out my own...then came across the UG and TGM and can't wait to see how it works out.

As for my planning, I use a spreadsheet, put the park hours in, which ones have EMH on which days, then plan around that. Depending on which park we choose for the afternoon, that's where we make the dining reservations. I did all that for our next trip prior to getting TGM, and when I checked my plan against his recommendations I only had to swap two ADRs...not too bad doing it on my own with out the "expert" advice, I thought.

To me, though, planning is half the fun.

 

[Kick Save]

BTW, don't laugh - but, what is FASTPASS???

Is it something to purchase? An easier way to avoid lines???

It's free at the parks, and is definitely a way to avoid lines. There are tons of articles and such online, checkout allearsnet.com or wdwinfo.com and get the full scoop.

Then when you get to Disney, use it every chance you get.

 

[DebIreland]

LAST year you were WORSE?

Hard to believe isn't it?!!! I can't wait to stay at The Boardwalk although, hmmm, I was just looking at resort photos and.......... just kidding, just kidding

By the way, belated Happy Birthday for last Thursday! A great day for a birthday. It must surely be a good sign to rent points from someone with the same birthday as me!!!!

Aww, that meal would have been great! Who knows, in the future, we might be able to meet up for that meal at The boardwalk, or Old Key West or SSR or...... Good call on the planning! So you signed up for TGM?!! I'll see you over there too. I've learned a lot from TGM already! It complements this place nicely!

 

[dbal]

Hi- I have been following this and most other TGM posts and I'm still on the fence. I have always been a big UG fan for their advice and tour plans.
Has anyone tried both and have any comparisons.

Does their advice contradict eachother as far as things like what days at each park- what rides to do first etc.
Thanks

-Deb

 

[learnhome]

[QUOTE
steered clear of EMH, use FP all we could, etc.
As for my planning, I use a spreadsheet, put the park hours in, which ones have EMH on which days, then plan around that. Depending on which park we choose for the afternoon, that's where we make the dining reservations. I did all that for our next trip prior to getting TGM, and when I checked my plan against his recommendations I only had to swap two ADRs...not too bad doing it on my own with out the "expert" advice, I thought.

To me, though, planning is half the fun.[/QUOTE]

Ok Ok.......what is EMH and FP???? (newbie here
And, the tip regarding dining reservations is really good!! Another one I will be writing down!!! Thanks!

Chris

 

[TXTink]

Ok Ok.......what is EMH and FP???? (newbie here
And, the tip regarding dining reservations is really good!! Another one I will be writing down!!! Thanks!

Chris

Welcome to the DIS learnhome!!!

EMH stands for Extra Magic Hours.... That is when you can get into a park 1 hour early or stay 3 hours after park closing if you are staying at a Disney Resort ("On-Site"), each park has certain days that it applies to that park.

FastPass is where you can go to a popular ride (that offers the service) and put your ticket into a machine, a paper ticket will pop out with a return time window so you can return during that time period, hand in your FastPass ticket to the attendant and ride that ride with very little wait time.

If you go to the DIS main page and look under Theme Parks, you will find a plethora of information!! Just poke around there and you will find a ton of useful info! But, make sure and come back here and ask questions!! That's how I learned the most!

 

[DISNEYDUET]

OK, here is my background- Former cast member, Birnbaum hater, UG reader, Passporter carrier, TGM LOVER!!!! In my 65+ trips to the world I have never, ever come across so much info! The crew over there is just wonderful. I would def. recommened this to anyone looking for a one stop trip shop!

 

[PlutosFriend]

I know so many people in my town who have gone to WDW and none of them do the planning I do. They are not even interested in reading this website. That's why so many of the plans still work. We are a minority here. For me, it's an obsession.

You have a good point here. I always try to talk Disney with people in my area who are going and they just aren't any fun They just go, don't plan at all it seems. Most think I am some sort of nut for going as much as I do, and I don't go nearly enough

 

[Quinn222]

...I am almost starting to feel a "negative" vibe about the whole thing, and maybe I am just getting too far ahead of myself. I will join TGM, and continue to learn all I can about planning the trip......
Chris

Aw, try not to get too frazzled. The whole point of planning is so you don't have to be frazzled, and TGM or UG take the work out of for you. Last year my sister and her husband took their kids to WDW for a couple of days (we live close by) and they had no plan and saw and did pretty much nothing. They walked all over the parks from line to line. The next day she tore the touring plan out of the back of the UG and they saw and did everything they wanted with no line. Her total planning was buying the book and tearing out the page. It doesn't have to be complicated.

I use and love TGM and I think you will too. But if not, tear out a page and go for it!

 

[learnhome]

Last year my sister and her husband took their kids to WDW for a couple of days (we live close by) and they had no plan and saw and did pretty much nothing. They walked all over the parks from line to line. !

Oh my gosh!! And that would have been our family if It were not for this great site and all of everyones great ideas

I happen to have children who do not like many rides.....so, I definitely do not want to go without having a plan!! What a waste of money!!

Thanks for the tips!!

Chris

 

[EEyorelover22]

When you sign up for TGM, does it ask when your trip is?
We have trips planned for June and December. June is planned so I'd really like the info for our December trip.
How does this work?

 

[XxStaceFacexX]

I recently subscribed to TGM and I'm completely lost! Can someone help me please?

 

[HydroGuy]

I agree with previous posts here. Whether it is UG, TGM, or the free-for-all DIS, human nature is in our favor. Most people just will not do what they need to do to improve their experience.

Last Veterans Day in November my sister and her kids and DH went to Disneyland for a day trip. First, I let her know it was a bad day to go. She went. It was the most crowded day at DL all year according to reports I read.

I gave her a run down of when to get there, what FastPasses to get, the order in which to get them, etc. She showed up late and, among other things, waited for almost two hours in the Space Mtn line. To ride it once. I do not think they got any FastPasses at all for anything.

They enjoyed their day visit, so what can I say? In the old days, I might have too.

But now that I know there is no good reason to ever wait for a ride more than 15-20 minutes, it would drive me nuts to wait in a two-hour line. It would ruin my day, probably, while in the old days I could have tolerated it.

See, with all of this good info on Disney park touring, we have created a new problem for ourselves...we can't enjoy it very much unless we know we are avoiding all the lines. So we have become compulsive planners. I do the same thing.

It is common wisdom around here that the trick is to find the balance between compulsive planning (and obsessing when we are at the parks) and just enjoying ourselves and our time with families. There is a fine art to "planning a spontaneous experience".

 

[Kick Save]

When you sign up for TGM, does it ask when your trip is?
We have trips planned for June and December. June is planned so I'd really like the info for our December trip.
How does this work?

Yes, you need to enter your trip dates when you sign up. In your case, sign up for the December trip to get the most out of it, but you'll be able to read his information pertaining to June, also.

 

[EEyorelover22]

I recently subscribed to TGM and I'm completely lost! Can someone help me please?

This is what I am worried about

 

[Allison]

I recently subscribed to TGM and I'm completely lost! Can someone help me please?

People here won't be able to help but if you ask the question on the TGM forums, people there can help.

 

[DebIreland]

I recently subscribed to TGM and I'm completely lost! Can someone help me please?

In my opinion, the layout of the TGM website is unnecessarily complicated. I wish it were more straight-forward. Frankly, I haven't really found a simple way around everything there yet. I mean I can find what I want, it's just that I don't see why it has to take so many steps to get places!! Having said that, the information there is excellent and it's worth doing a lot of clicking and to-ing and fro-ing to get the info you need. My main reason for being there is to have the Best Days info and I'm very pleased about that, even if I never used it for anything else!

My advice would be to start with the forums there - there are many posts there which can help you navigate your way around the website.

Good luck!

 

[mickeysaver]

I recently subscribed to TGM and I'm completely lost! Can someone help me please?

When you log in, please, I can't stress how important it is, please click on the link in the first paragraph under the Welcome statement that says....AVP Overview. That outlines the entire site layout and should help make the navigation a bit easier. I agree that it could be a bit smoother to navigate, but the tabs at the top of the page help to keep you on task. Good luck! Maggie