Tout Guide Mike

[chipndalefan]

Has anyone used Tour Guide Mike? Is it any good/worth the money?

 

[Neoshoegal]

WORTH THE MONEY! NO DOUBT!
takes a while to figure it all out and there is soooo much information, but it's money well spent!

 

[Karenpowley]

"Tour Mikes Guide" or "Brits Personalised Itinerary Planner"?

Thanks
Kx

 

[wideeyes]

no, it is full of out of date information, (rides, restaurants that have closed etc) and is slow updating park hours and does not add update information on new things that have opened. I put in dates for february and it said I can now book ADRs for those dates however I can't as Disney have a 90 days window at the moment. If you want update info you are better off doing your own research here on the Disboards.

 

[luke]

the thread title made me think this was going to badmouthing the service

 

[Ruth B]

I used it the first time we went and it was helpful for park info and touring suggestion.
Although it only cover Disney so no good if your planning on heading to SW/BG or universal.
For other trip i used the Brits guide and this board, both of which have been excellent for info and advice

 

[CustardTart]

I've used it for my last 3 trips and TBH found it invaluable. Will definitely be using TGM for our next two upcoming trips...

 

[Pinky166]

I have paid for it for my upcoming trip but to be honest have not really used it....the website has so much information on it that you can spend hours just going through it and not get anywhere.

I have found all the information I need from this site and a few guidebooks that I have bought. I think I will probably give it another go between now and December though.

 

[wickesy]

I have subscribed again but only for the 'Best Days Charts'. As others have said much of the information is woefully out of date and/or can be found on here plus he also seems to be getting slower and slower at getting the Best Days Charts out - February hours have been out for nearly two months now and he still doesn't have the charts for the end of February up.

 

[mikki.young]

I have subscribed for the last three trips. best days charts helpful, hidden nuggets in the site and helpful and friendly folks on their boards, especially if you register for the month you are going.

 

[Cyrano]

Have you considering the touring plans from the authors of the Unofficial Guide to WDW

 

[Ware Bears]

Have you considering the touring plans from the authors of the Unofficial Guide to WDW

I subscribed to these for our first trip ~ I think it cost a sum total of about £2.50 but wouldn't bother again, we find we get all we need from these boards.

 

[tttessa]

We used this in April when we went and it was GREAT - his best days guide really is the best one, info on the P&PP was spot on and we were glad to have read through and digested the things like hidden details and pathways - gave us some very special moments with the kids ......

HOWEVER...... lately all the news on all the bb sites seems to have been of delays in getting info updated etc, so don't know what is going on there????

Tessa

 

[UKDEB]

Whenever I post to a TGM thread it invariably, albeit quite unintentionally, turns into a eulogy so I don't imagine this response will be any different. I'd like to preface my answer this time by saying that TGM isn't some kind of holy grail, but neither does it claim to be. For some reason, there's this myth that you'll discover all kinds of insider information not available elsewhere and I think that's what can often lead to disappointment. If the subscription cost was $50 a year, then one could be justified in expecting something more, but the value needs to be judged in light of the cost - most of us wouldn't think twice about paying £10 for a guidebook. (Actually, when I first subscribed many years ago, there were, without question, a fair few secrets to be gained from membership, but over the years that's become diluted through inevitable leaks. Whilst most TGM subscribers are undoubtedly people of integrity and wouldn't dream of blatantly passing on proprietary information, once they've taken advantage of a particular tip themselves, it's no longer an abstract concept: it becomes their own experience and there's no way of preventing people sharing that with others. So, whilst I can go along with the argument that most of the information is available elsewhere, it's also fair to say that he was the original source of some of it and, in his position, I'd be pretty miffed!)

Having "masses of information" wouldn't be a criticism levelled against a guidebook - it would be considered a bonus. We don't find guidebooks confusing because we know how to use them. Even the simplest of websites can be difficult to negotiate until we establish a "mind map". TGM's offering can be bewildering, but understanding its separate components can help in getting your head around it.

Firstly, you have what boils down to an online guidebook. It contains all the information you'd expect to find in a fairly familiar format: the parks and their attractions together with ratings; hotels; dining; tickets; special events and so on.

Next up, you have TGM's "Vacation Articles" which are effectively his tips for getting the best out of your visit. This covers a huge array of topics including (to name just a few) the best places from which to watch the fireworks and parades, how to make the most of the transportation system, securing your choice of hotel room, what you can expect in terms of crowds and weather during each month, strategies for special events, and sample touring plans based on your party make-up. Also part of this category, but worth a separate mention, are his "Least Crowded Parks" charts. For each and every day of the year, he shares his thoughts on how busy each park will be and why. Once you've been a subscriber for a while, you start to get behind his thinking and it's perfectly possible to work it out for yourself, but I do like to read what he has to say and I still think it's worth the ongoing subscription cost (less than £5 a year) for this information alone. Where all this differs from regular guidebooks is that he is in the parks every day and has studied crowd patterns and behaviours to the nth degree, turning into something not much short of a science.

Then there is the real-time content. When I first became a subscriber, this was TGM's USP. I could log on each day and be the first to know about anything affecting WDW. The information was bang up to the minute and always accurate. Park Hours were available there ahead of anywhere else on the internet (often days before Disney published them), hotel discounts, dates for special events - you name it, TGM had it first. Sadly, this is no longer the case. I've no idea why. Maybe TGM doesn't have the insider contacts he once did; maybe he's lost interest (this is just a sideline for him, after all). As others have said, he no longer publishes his Least Crowded Parks charts in a timely manner and, if you're relying on this information to finalise your itinerary, you'll be behind the game in making ADRs and the like if you wait until he's published it). I do admit to being disappointed with this turn of events - his service is nowhere near the exceptional one it once was.

The whole thing comes together as an interactive planning tool. When you subscribe, you input your dates, details about your party, preferences, where you'll be staying and so on. The software then pulls together those articles which best suit your circumstances to form your own "Automated Vacation Planner" (AVP). It isn't personalised, as such, but neither are you restricted to just those articles. You have access to everything on the site and can add or delete articles within your AVP. Each restaurant or activity you add to your planner, is included in a list detailing when your reservation window opens up and you'll also receive email reminders. Other tools include "Calendar Clipboards" and "Express Planners" for each month of the year. These are round-ups of all information specific to your date of travel.

So, in summary, it isn't as good as it once was, but it's useful to have as part of your overall planning toolkit.

 

[AlanUK]

I know DW subscribed once to it and has said she wouldn't again. There was nothing she couldn't find elsewhere. But is pleased she subscribed the once to see what it was all about.

 

[thehails]

I've subscribed for our first time visit to WDW this year. I'm a person who loves all the planning, so really enjoyed reading through his articles and reasoning behind what he suggests. The crowd charts seem a really good idea and most people I've spoken to say that the subscription is well worth it just for those alone, I'll let you know after February

I do find that it is frustrating that alot of things are out of date, however saying that there does appear to have been quite a few articles etc updated within the last few days.

I think it all depends on what sort of person you are, if like me you love reading anything and everthing about where you are going then I'd say buy the subscription, but as other's have said you can get the information else where as well.

Somebody posted earlier that the info about ADR is wrong. That poster may not be aware that you can now book your ADR up to 25th Feb. I hope that might help those of you that weren't aware of this.

Have a great time planning your holiday

 

[Andy B]

I subcribed last year and it was a waste of money.

 

[richard_andmel]

I think Deb put it really well.

I'm a fan. I would pay for it for the Least Crowded charts, even if they are late sometimes.

 

[TraceyL]

I subcribed last year and it was a waste of money.

Ditto

Recent reports from subscribers are that it's now taking even longer to update