TourGuideMike...Which days at which parks & EMH ??

[WNDMom]

On our March trip, we followed TGM's advice for the best days to visit each park. We were very pleased with the results! The lines were minimal at almost every ride.

 

[d4est]

Okiemom, with TGM you don't "order and put your dates in" and have an itinerary spit out at you. Common misconception.

Guilty!!! That is pretty much what I thought would happen. I was looking/hoping for a more personalized service...one designed for my dates, my family, our interests etc...

Live and learn. I guess I should have read up before I hit that "purchase" button!

 

[PKS44]

Guilty!!! That is pretty much what I thought would happen. I was looking/hoping for a more personalized service...one designed for my dates, my family, our interests etc...

Live and learn. I guess I should have read up before I hit that "purchase" button!

Not really since there is a money back guarantee...count me as a very happy tgm subscriber in the past and in the future too

btw--it would be nice if you let us know here for those of us who are not current subscribers whether you found the answers you needed by posting your question on the correct TGM forum...

 

[CDisney]

ThANK YOU CDISNEY!That is the kind of help/advice I was looking for.

I made an honest mistake in my quest for knowledge/opinions. Hopefully I cleaned up my original post so that I am not breaking any rules or offending any diehard TGM fans.

I hope those of you I upset can look back to your first planning and go easy on me. Heck, I still can't decide which resort to stay at!

d4est,

Maybe it's because we're both from New York, but I knew what you were asking. You're getting conflicting advice from at least three sources and you just wanted some help making sense of it all based upon people's general opinions and experiences, not specific advice based upon TourGuide Mike's "secrets."

Although I've never been to Disney in early February, I have friends who love that time a year because they say the temperatures are comfortable and the crowds are low. I think you'll have a great time with whatever plan you choose to use.

 

[HaleyB]

What is your TGM user name? I looked over on the AVP fotums and din't find any EMH questions. Your question is a good one and Mike does have specific advise. We can help you find it and tell you how we used this advice and how it worked.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

Guilty!!! That is pretty much what I thought would happen. I was looking/hoping for a more personalized service...one designed for my dates, my family, our interests etc...

Live and learn. I guess I should have read up before I hit that "purchase" button!

I guess that it's a good life lesson for all of us to read the fine print. One would think that something called "automated vacation planner" would indeed be automated.

The one thing I agree with the TGM "fans" on is that he really does honor the money-back guarantee. My advice? Get your money back. T'ain't a thing he tells ya that can't be found elsewhere. I always get flamed when I say this, but it's true. My advice? Go to TouringPlans.com, and either use their free touring plans, or pay a smaller fee ($6.95, I think), and get some real touring plans, as well as best days to visit which park.

I often wonder...how is TGM to determine if the advice offered on these boards is truly his advice, or gleaned from one of the many other sources of the same material? How WOULD he prosecute a breach of contract? My guess is, unless you quote him, attributing the quote TO him, there's not much he can do. Just a thought.

 

[Sorcerer Figment]

I guess that it's a good life lesson for all of us to read the fine print. One would think that something called "automated vacation planner" would indeed be automated.

Automated and automatic are two different things. You may wish to look up their definitions. But I agree that many people get this false impression, and TGM could do more to clarify this on his home page.

T'ain't a thing he tells ya that can't be found elsewhere. I always get flamed when I say this, but it's true. My advice? Go to TouringPlans.com, and either use their free touring plans, or pay a smaller fee ($6.95, I think), and get some real touring plans, as well as best days to visit which park.

Ever hear the phrase "teach a man to fish..."? Would you rather receive a mathematics formula or learn how to make one and what to do if a variable should change? TGM helps you understand the logic of when attractions have the shortest lines and how you can put this together into a plan. That way if something is closed or has too long a line, you can make an informed decision about what to do next.

I often wonder...how is TGM to determine if the advice offered on these boards is truly his advice, or gleaned from one of the many other sources of the same material? How WOULD he prosecute a breach of contract? My guess is, unless you quote him, attributing the quote TO him, there's not much he can do. Just a thought.

I am personally concerned about not "giving away" all his tips, out of respect for fellow subscribers. It isn't fair for me to give away what they had to pay for. I don't think that's asking too much. And if I did, I would have stopped at the user agreement. Thinking in this way, whether or not you could "get away with it" is irrelevant.

So, UrsulasShadow, I'm sorry that you didn't get much out of your TGM subscription. Could it be that you didn't really explore the site and look for more than attraction descriptions or sample tours? If so, it's a shame, because it could have helped you have a better vacation.

I know TGM's site can be a bit hard to navigate, but it is worth the time to learn how. He really does offer unique info. His suggestions often disagree with DISers and the UG. Why? To help "us" avoid "them", the crowds. And does it work? For most of us, it sure does.

 

[d4est]

Well, thanks to everyone who responded helpfully. I have gotten some good advice/opinions.

I didn't mean to start a debate...just looking for first-hand opinions/experiences as CDisney said. BTW, I am in central NY also...20 min from Cooperstown & Oneonta.

 

[Pedler]

T'ain't a thing he tells ya that can't be found elsewhere. I always get flamed when I say this, but it's true. My advice? Go to TouringPlans.com, and either use their free touring plans, or pay a smaller fee ($6.95, I think), and get some real touring plans, as well as best days to visit which park.

Setting aside the fact that there are things on TGM that are not found elsewhere I would like it if someone of the people that always say this information is everywhere else can point me to a sight that does have the information on park touring strategies, attraction strategies and such in single location that does not require me to do endless searching of message boards.

No offense on the message boards here and elsewhere but using them as your primary source of info to plan a vacation is like finding a needle in a haystack. So if you could be so kind as to point me to a site that I can easily find the information I would be glad to look at it. From my perspective using the search functions on a message board to get hundreds if not thousands of messages to search through just to find out the specific details and touring ideas for an attraction or park is not nearly as easy as TGM.

I understand that TGM didn't fit your touring style but to imply that it isn't for anyone is not accurate. There are many, many happy subscribers that have benefited from TGM's advice.

As for the touringplans.com info I compared what we did on our first day at the Magic Kingdom recently to thier first day plan. With their plan we would have walked more, done less and been more tired. With TGM we did 26 rides all while having a character breakfast at CP, a break at the hotel for a few hours in the afternoon and dinner at CRT. This was because we knew the why behind the plan and didn't follow a set in stone ride A, B, C type of plan. All in all it was a relaxing 7 day vacation yet when I talk to other people about the number of things we got done they think we must have been going commando through the park. We weren't. We were just having the relaxing resort vacation experience that TGM helped us have. I know for some people those work and that is fine but once again they and the TGM style differ quite a bit.

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

HAHA, sorry, but TGM's information is not copyrighted. Nothing he can do about it but get snitty and cancel accounts. He's also banned from the DIS, so there is nothing he can do about anything.

It's nuts the information he thinks he "owns". Like his "tip" that ("and remember, <insert name>, that you pledged not to share this secret information!") the stores on Main Street at the MK on the left hand side (facing the castle)...all connect! You can walk through and avoid the crowd on the sidewalk!

Oh my, no one would ever know that!

There are a certain amount of people who are...enthusiastic about TGM, but it tends to be the same few people who talk it up in every thread. There are many of us who do not care for his manner, or his service, who usually don't bother posting because fanatics don't always appriciate a differing opinion.

N.E.D.

 

[Pedler]

HAHA, sorry, but TGM's information is not copyrighted. Nothing he can do about it but get snitty and cancel accounts. He's also banned from the DIS, so there is nothing he can do about anything.

It's nuts the information he thinks he "owns". Like his "tip" that ("and remember, <insert name>, that you pledged not to share this secret information!") the stores on Main Street at the MK on the left hand side (facing the castle)...all connect! You can walk through and avoid the crowd on the sidewalk!

Oh my, no one would ever know that!

There are a certain amount of people who are...enthusiastic about TGM, but it tends to be the same few people who talk it up in every thread. There are many of us who do not care for his manner, or his service, who usually don't bother posting because fanatics don't always appriciate a differing opinion.

N.E.D.

Hi N.E.D.

Could you post a link to another web site that has the same level of information as TGM? I am always looking for more information on WDW and would appreciate it if you would share other sites that have the information in a single consolidated place. Don't bother posting discussion forums. While they have a place they are not the best place to get organized information that you want to refer to multiple times.

Thanks in advance for your help with this.

 

[Pedler]

N.E.D.,

In the interest of full disclosure you should also mention that you think it is inappropriate for anyone to charge for information regarding WDW on the Internet, not just TGM. You feel everything should be free.

 

[WDW Dave]

if you lurk though the DIS boards frequently, you know 80% of what is on TGM. Now with saying that, the "20%" extra I did learn about WDW touring was worth the 21 bucks. I just want to make the point that many of you on this board know more than you think and if I wasn't traveling WDW during busy summer hours, I would just stick with the DIS.

Dave in NJ

 

[Pedler]

if you lurk though the DIS boards frequently, you know 80% of what is on TGM. Now with saying that, the "20%" extra I did learn about WDW touring was worth the 21 bucks. I just want to make the point that many of you on this board know more than you think and if I wasn't traveling WDW during busy summer hours, I would just stick with the DIS.

Dave in NJ

Hi Dave,

That was one of the points I was trying to make. There is info at TGM that isn't there and yes, if you can lurk on the DIS boards long enough you will pick up some good tips but that is while you are sifting through the endless "come dance with me" and "Walt wouldn't like this" type of messages.

One thing TGM does is put it all in one place. What gets me a bit annoyed is when people say that you can get the same info here and you shouldn't use TGM. For some people it is worth paying the $21 to get the extra info you don't find elsewhere and also have it all in one place. I understand that it isn't for everyone but it definitely has a place in the market and is beneficial to lots of people.

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

Hi N.E.D.

Could you post a link to another web site that has the same level of information as TGM? I am always looking for more information on WDW and would appreciate it if you would share other sites that have the information in a single consolidated place. Don't bother posting discussion forums. While they have a place they are not the best place to get organized information that you want to refer to multiple times.

Thanks in advance for your help with this.

Hi Pedler.

I just don't find much information at TGM. It's the same few "tips" repeated over and over, mostly common sense. I don't find his "level of information" very high, once you peel away the "Hey, <insert name>, isn't that nifty?" jabber, copy and pasted everywhere.

If one wants specific information about restaurants and food, I'd send them to AllEars.

If someone wants detailed touring plans, I'd send them to the UG - which one can read for free at their local library. Although, in reality, most touring plans are simple common sense : each park has certain headliner attractions that need to be done early or late, and touring plans are really only needed during the absolute busiest time of the year. Also, by reading those plans you can easily formulate your own based on the logic presented.

And yes, I will "bother" posting discussion boards, since when you get down to it many of TGM's subscribers continue to subscribe for the message board functionality over there. Personally, I am a critical thinker and like to gather the opinions of more than one person so I can make my own judgements. DIS is a wonderful resource for this.

I just don't see this wealth of information there that others do - and I certainly tried as I have read virtually every article at his site. After awhile you realize they are all pretty similar, and break down to the same few principles. The actual "original" information there is copied and pasted from article to article, making it look more informative than I believe it actually is.

In the end, I just personally do not like him nor his site. I do not care for his demeanor (that fake emoting and "personalization" actually makes it feel more impersonal, because it's all just a bunch of <insert name>) and how he treats his "information" as somehow proprietary. It's not.

It's great that you do, but I never found this wonderful repository of information there. But this thread is exactly what is good about DIS - a variety of opinions and people can make their own conclusions.

N.E.D.

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

N.E.D.,

In the interest of full disclosure you should also mention that you think it is inappropriate for anyone to charge for information regarding WDW on the Internet, not just TGM. You feel everything should be free.

LOL, Pedler, yes, I know you are trolling me personally based on my prior postings.

Yes, I do not care for people who charge people for information on the Internet.

N.E.D.

 

[Pedler]

Hi N.E.D,

Thanks for the quick and thought out reply. I understand your point and why TGM is not for you but I would suggest that you are probably not the norm for a visitor to WDW. For some people going to multiple sites and searching through message boards with lots of conflicting opinions some of which are not based in any recent facts is just a bit too combersome to deal with. For them paying $21 to avoid all of that is worth the money. Obviously you feel strongly about paying for the info.

One thought on combing through the message boards is that there is no vetting of the information. While it is impossible to find %100 accurate info on a place that changes as much as WDW I do find that some of the topics hear get a little bit crazed with people posting things they have no real knowledge on. An example would be the posts on the dinning plan here and how to use it. Touringplans.com started an Internet rumour about WDW changing the plan to separate credits. Before you knew it there were people here speaking as if it was an absolute fact without any first hand knowledge. If you were to have enough time to have just read the first few posts you would have thought that the plan had indeed changed. If on the other hand you could have read all of the posts and seperated out the people with no first hand knowledge, the morality police and others you would have realized that nothing had changed. Over at TGM the issue was quickly addressed by Mike and posted as a consolidated article and posting long before it was finally settled over here. For some people its worth paying the $21 to not hassle with that.

 

[WDWBetsy]

Well, thanks to everyone who responded helpfully. I have gotten some good advice/opinions.

I didn't mean to start a debate...just looking for first-hand opinions/experiences as CDisney said. BTW, I am in central NY also...20 min from Cooperstown & Oneonta.

I love TGM. I hope you'll explore his site a little more.

My husband's family is from Oneonta. It's really pretty there. Just visited in May.

 

[WendyMichaelJohn]

Just curious...is TGM a qualified sociologist (a great deal of theme park people patterns are pure sociology) a mathematician, a trained travel expert....

What are his credentials? Is he just some guy? Does he have a staff? I haven't subscribed to TGM yet (not sure if I plan to) but it appears to me that the UG employs quite a few people and researches their advice from various angles. Just one guy doesn't have that same authority that a large group of professionals AND families would.

My dh has always said, if something is $2 and it doesn't sell, charge $20 and people will bang down the door for it. I have this sneaking suspicion that we have a good case of that. The UG is $6.95, TGM is $21, therefore, TGM must be better.

Not trying to start trouble. These are just my suspicions as I decide whether any of these things are useful to me as I enter the planning stages. I'd love to hear some thoughts on this.

(Sorry to hop on the thread here!)

Thanks

Shel

 

[WendyMichaelJohn]

One thing I wanted to add:

It actually reminds me of something that I saw in New Orleans years ago that I was thinking about recently. I love the street entertainers there. I remember there was a guy who told passersby, "I'll bet you one dollar I can tell you where you got those shoes." He was so convincing that so many people couldn't resist. When they took the bet and placed a dollar on a stand, he would say, "You got those shoes on your feet!"


That's the feeling I get with TGM, but I could be wrong.

Shel