TourGuideMike

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

I'm on my third subscription! While I've been to WDW many times, his "best days" chart is worth the price to me, even if that's all that was there!

 

[minnymi]

I'm thinking of subscribing TGM. Does TGM have touring plans for late risers? We are not early birds and probably will not get there before parks open. I wonder if I should still subscribe

 

[mom2kyleegrace]

Touringplans.com also has the best days and late risers schedule. Is it about the same or do these two vary?

 

[JRawkSteady]

He is a man of magic! He knows what he's doing. He's worked at the parks for many many years doing this for VIP clients.

 

[amylevan]

Touringplans.com also has the best days and late risers schedule. Is it about the same or do these two vary?

The best days chart does vary from touringplans.com and he also gives you reasons behind what he suggests so that you can see why. Personally his best days is worth the price of the site even if you use nothing else.

And TGM doesn't really give a late risers schedule. There are a few instances where he offers a suggestion of where you could sleep in and how to do it. But TGM doesn't give a step by step plan like touringplans, its more of a suggested plan with instructions of how to modify it to fit your needs.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

I've used his best days. Worked great! I'm waiting on him to finish August 16-31 for his least crowded park days so I can schedule my adr's around that.

 

[Hollua]

I'm thinking of subscribing TGM. Does TGM have touring plans for late risers? We are not early birds and probably will not get there before parks open. I wonder if I should still subscribe

If you don't find his advice useful, you can get your money back.

 

[garycindy]

we just got back and after using tgm we were blown away with how accurate he was! the best money we have spent in a long time. we literally walked on every ride or waited no more than 10 minutes. we strongly reccomend him. he takes the guess work out of what park to go to on what day.

 

[Karalynn]

I subscribed, but am unsure of how it all works. It all seems confusing to me! I found touringplans.com and it showed actual plans of what to do! Anyone offer some help? I feel like I just threw away my $22 that I paid to join!

The more you are on the site, the clearer it will become! I had a hard time at first, I thought it was pretty confusing, but eventually I got it
We just went a couple weeks ago, and it was great to have his advise!! I found I was walking into the parks retelling myself things he said in his funny kind of way! WAAY TOO MUCH time on these boards!!! Why Kara? Because 'they' will not be here at until later!
Have fun planning!

 

[Mainebound]

The best days chart does vary from touringplans.com.

Not for my 11 day trip, they are exactly the same, with the slight exception that TGM, based on personal experience, suggests caution (but doesn't say "avoid") on one weekend day at a certain park due to influx of locals, where Touringplans does not include that caution, because their research finds it baseless. To me, this is a good sign, double confirmation, based on two different modes of gathering research (qualitative and quatitative, I guess).

My family thinks there are some really valuable aspects to TGM, some details on what's happening right now at the parks, and some really good suggestions for touring that you cannot find anyplace else, but I never understand the claim that his "best days" are super unique. If that's all a person needs, they can get a list at touringplans.com for free.

Then again, I am one of those people that thinks there are positives and negatives to almost every product one can purchase, TGM included. I really wish my Volvo, for example, had better front visibility and a better CD holder, but I'm not returning it to the dealer for a money back guarantee. That particular sentiment with regard to TGM makes me absolutely unique on the DIS and positively alien on TGM boards as far as I can tell.

 

[mommykds]

I've used his best days. Worked great! I'm waiting on him to finish August 16-31 for his least crowded park days so I can schedule my adr's around that.

I am thinking about subscribing. We will be at WDW 8/20-8/30.I have to make adr's this Tuesday (180 days out)..is the TGM schedule up for that time in August?

 

[HydroGuy]

Not for my 11 day trip, they are exactly the same, with the slight exception that TGM, based on personal experience, suggests caution (but doesn't say "avoid") on one weekend day at a certain park due to influx of locals, where Touringplans does not include that caution, because their research finds it baseless. To me, this is a good sign, double confirmation, based on two different modes of gathering research (qualitative and quatitative, I guess).

My family thinks there are some really valuable aspects to TGM, some details on what's happening right now at the parks, and some really good suggestions for touring that you cannot find anyplace else, but I never understand the claim that his "best days" are super unique. If that's all a person needs, they can get a list at touringplans.com for free.

Then again, I am one of those people that thinks there are positives and negatives to almost every product one can purchase, TGM included. I really wish my Volvo, for example, had better front visibility and a better CD holder, but I'm not returning it to the dealer for a money back guarantee. That particular sentiment with regard to TGM makes me absolutely unique on the DIS and positively alien on TGM boards as far as I can tell.

Signed up for TGM a week ago, and am finding it strange folks here are saying how closely it agrees with TouringPlans. I have found their advice for our trip in May to be almost completely opposite with regard to best days. TouringPlans has lost credibility with me because on their paid site they keep scheduling rides or shows that are closed that day.

 

[johnvree]

I am thinking about subscribing. We will be at WDW 8/20-8/30.I have to make adr's this Tuesday (180 days out)..is the TGM schedule up for that time in August?

After reading this post, I decided to sign up for TGM. I buy any WDW guide book I can get my hands on, including updates some of the ones I already have (Unofficial Guide, Birnbaum's), so I figured what's another $20.

Overall, I really like TGM's site. It's organization seems a little convoluted, but I am getting used to it. It also has tidbids about parks, attractions and resorts that are not mentioned in the books I have and some of his suggestions seem contrary to reason and experience at first, but make sense after he explains them.

Here's where I am disappointed. His analysis on which parks are best on each day does not keep up with the ADR planning schedule. If you are going the last two weeks of August, like me, Mike has not completed his analysis for those weeks yet. His site says he is working on them and hopes to have them up soon. However, we are within the 180 day ADR date for the last two weeks of August and could be making ADRs for our entire trip. That's difficult to do when you don't know what parks you're doing on each day yet. So, for example, if Mike recommends that we go to MK on our first or second day and we plan on doing CRT breakfast, it is very likely that by the time Mike posts his recommendations, CRT will be booked solid for the day he recommends. When your site is dedicated to planning a trip at WDW, I think you have make sure that you are ahead of the curve, not behind it.

 

[Pedler]

Here's where I am disappointed. His analysis on which parks are best on each day does not keep up with the ADR planning schedule. If you are going the last two weeks of August, like me, Mike has not completed his analysis for those weeks yet. His site says he is working on them and hopes to have them up soon. However, we are within the 180 day ADR date for the last two weeks of August and could be making ADRs for our entire trip. That's difficult to do when you don't know what parks you're doing on each day yet. So, for example, if Mike recommends that we go to MK on our first or second day and we plan on doing CRT breakfast, it is very likely that by the time Mike posts his recommendations, CRT will be booked solid for the day he recommends. When your site is dedicated to planning a trip at WDW, I think you have make sure that you are ahead of the curve, not behind it.

We used TGM for last August and I would swear by his best days advice. Still I don't think you can get an accurate take on it this far in advance. Some of the basic things that affect the best days such as EMH and Spectro schedules along with hours definitely affect the plan. I know when we went Disney was monkeying around with it up to two weeks before we went. They cancelled the Spectro we wanted to see and reduced the hours at AK.
We had to switch some things around.

BTW this is also one of the best things about Mike aside from the best days is the rational behind his touring plans and best days. That allows you to adjust on the fly even when you are there. For us we had only planned on spending 2 out of the 7 days at MK. With boys 6 & 8 at the time we quickly found out that we needed for MK time. No problem. Understanding the why let us change on the fly and still avoid the crowds.

One reccomendation I have made to all new TGM users is to go read the sample touring plan for MK. Get an understanding of what the plan is an how it is done. Then go read some of the trip reports. That really puts it in context and shows you how it all works. It will take you about an hour to do that. Then the TGM style will make sense and you can take a look at the plans for the other parks.

 

[mill4023]

After reading this post, I decided to sign up for TGM. I buy any WDW guide book I can get my hands on, including updates some of the ones I already have (Unofficial Guide, Birnbaum's), so I figured what's another $20.

Overall, I really like TGM's site. It's organization seems a little convoluted, but I am getting used to it. It also has tidbids about parks, attractions and resorts that are not mentioned in the books I have and some of his suggestions seem contrary to reason and experience at first, but make sense after he explains them.

Here's where I am disappointed. His analysis on which parks are best on each day does not keep up with the ADR planning schedule. If you are going the last two weeks of August, like me, Mike has not completed his analysis for those weeks yet. His site says he is working on them and hopes to have them up soon. However, we are within the 180 day ADR date for the last two weeks of August and could be making ADRs for our entire trip. That's difficult to do when you don't know what parks you're doing on each day yet. So, for example, if Mike recommends that we go to MK on our first or second day and we plan on doing CRT breakfast, it is very likely that by the time Mike posts his recommendations, CRT will be booked solid for the day he recommends. When your site is dedicated to planning a trip at WDW, I think you have make sure that you are ahead of the curve, not behind it.

Just look at his advice for the weeks before you get there. Unless there is some major event going on during your trip, the best days are likely to be pretty much the same. I wouldn't say that having best days ready 5 months ahead is "not keeping up". With the exception of CRT, there is no need to make your ADR's right at the 180 day mark.

 

[MinnieMom]

Like one of the pp's, I found the site to be pretty confusing at first, but once I spent some time reading through all of the material it became pretty clear to me.

We haven't actually tried out TGM's methods and strategies yet . . . we leave in 12 days and I'll be sure to post and let everyone know how it goes for us.

I have been very pleased with the info that he provides though and the fact that he gives the rationale behind all of his strategies. If you are a control freak like I am it will be nice to know what to do when if things don't quite work out, kwim? We are taking dd5 and ds18 months and I know things won't go exactly according to plan (how could they with kids?!?!), but if we get off track I feel confident that I'll be able to figure out how to make the most of our time based on what I read on TGM.