Unofficial Guide or TGM?

[2Tiggies]

Sitting here surrounded by paper, rearranging itineraries once AGAIN ... . I like the UG. DIdn't get the book this year as I am going to register online, which I was going to wait for until just before park hours come out - but decided to do it now-ish.

Firstly, is it seriously only $8.99 for a year? Sounds very little. Of course now the dilemma starts and I wonder if I should try TGM or just stick with what I am happy with. I know they are very different in approach - what is the main difference between them and is one better than the other? TGM is $21.99 to cover your current trip only. I have an 8 year old so not looking for commando style.

Also, after only doing Disney in peak times, we are doing October this year, so next question: Does it make a huge difference on days that you disregard the recommendations for parks to visit/avoid? It certainly does at Easter for example.

I know these are commonly asked questions, but would love one or two thoughts to prompt me to make a decision so I can allocate ADR spots to specific days etc.

Thanks!

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Must admit I don't subscribe to any guides so I wouldn't choose either.

I am sure there are statistics that show Monday may be busier than Tuesday etc etc, personally unless like you say we are talking about Easter sunday or similar days I don't think there is any significant difference for when you are going.

I am sure there are charts, figures and I am not saying some don't gain anything from knowledge of these, however I just don't believe we should have to pay for this.
I think they are a waste of money.

Get to the parks for opening and have a good few hours before lunch has always stood us in good stead, just avoid Thursday's (that was a joke by the way).

 

[mikki.young]

I used TGM on my last trip. I was surprised just what a difference it made when we went to the studios on a good day as opposed to a bad day. It was way busier on a bad day and this was in January!

What I like about TGM is that he explains his logic for each day and it is understandable and you can take into account what you want to do and whether it would work for you.

 

[2Tiggies]

I am sure there are statistics that show Monday may be busier than Tuesday etc etc, personally unless like you say we are talking about Easter sunday or similar days I don't think there is any significant difference for when you are going.

I am sure there are charts, figures and I am not saying some don't gain anything from knowledge of these, however I just don't believe we should have to pay for this.
I think they are a waste of money.

I do hear what you are saying and can't completely disagree. When I said I don't do "commando style" , I don't follow tourng plans to the letter (must be personality: I don't follow recipes to the letter either .... ). Perhaps it is just my excuse to have someone else suggest a framework for me. I actually love the UG books - okay, partly because I find them quite entertaining - but nonetheless, informative. There will always be recommendations I dont agree with and I will simply disregard those, but I found it helped to have some kind of structure for a half day and wing it for the rest.

Get to the parks for opening and have a good few hours before lunch has always stood us in good stead, just avoid Thursday's (that was a joke by the way).

Hmm, decisions.

Thanks Mikki.Young. I think I may enjoy TGM, but the way the subscription works now that I think about it, it is possibly not worth it for this trip as I won't have the full benefit of it (and fear it may send me back to the drawing board with my already many-times-amended plans ). I might give it a bash on the next trip though. Neither are really expensive, but I just don't want to do both now as you can only really use one per trip.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

As ever do what suits you best, glad you saw the funny side of my comments, I just think there are so many guide books I sometimes worry we waste our money on them unecessarily.

 

[Rosie]

I use both and enjoy both.
They cover different views of what people want from their trips and I like to have all possible information because I find planning one of the most enjoyable aspects of a WDW holiday.
UG shows people how to do as much as possible in a short break and TGM is about refining whats available to the best experience for your group.
As I plan for my April (Easter!) trip, I am finding I trust TGM to tell me which day for each park and UG to tell me what order to visit attractions in. I also have the Brits Guide to Orlando for additional information.
When you are spending £thousands on a trip, if you are going at peak time I see it as money well spent to get some extra advice.
Thats also why I come here !

 

[2Tiggies]

Thanks Rosie, that's great info. I wasn't 100% sure what the difference is. I can't disregard Johnny's advice/comments because I. know that I can tour effectively without signing up to either But I also know I can do better with a proper plan and it does make it easier to have all the info in one source. I don't put all my hopes into the hands of a plan, but see it as a tool to assist. I may just go with touringplans.com for now since I more or less have my skeletal plan in place (if it doesn't get yet another overhaul from my ) so it is really just info for fine tuning. It was interesting to see that you used very specific aspects from each for your planning.

 

[jockey]

I use UG, it has never let me down! Ut;s well worth the money

 

[disneyholic family]

i've never used the online guides...
i do read guidebooks (you know - old fashioned books that actually are held in your hands) -
but not really for planning...
just for enjoyment.....i guess part of my whole disney obsession thing...

i just like to read about WDW and hear different opinions and points of view..

that's how i first hit upon the Brit's guide several years ago...

i was ordering the new editions of my regular guides from Amazon UK, when up popped the brits guide as a suggested book....
so i bought it....funniest book written on WDW/Orlando in my opinion....
some really great observations about americans from a british point of view..

sorry...my post was sort of off topic i guess

 

[Gwendolyn]

I own 2 copies of the Unofficial Guide to WDW. The first one we bought for our 2005 trip. And it worked out great for us.

I don't know where TGM stands for, so i dont know about that one

 

[disneyholic family]

I own 2 copies of the Unofficial Guide to WDW. The first one we bought for our 2005 trip. And it worked out great for us.

I don't know where TGM stands for, so i dont know about that one

i think the OP is referring to the online version of the unofficial guide (not the actual guidebook)..
TGM i think stands for Tour Guide MIke - also an online guide..

 

[2Tiggies]

i think the OP is referring to the online version of the unofficial guide (not the actual guidebook)..
TGM i think stands for Tour Guide MIke - also an online guide..

Yes, it is online I am thinking of. I don't want to take the encyclopaedia sized book with me. I also originally just read it because I thought it was hilarious. I too enjoy other people's take's on things and some of the best advice I have picked up is by doing the opposite to what is recommended because I didn't like the idea of what was being suggested - but had I not read others' points to allow me to disagree, I would never have thought of these things. I guess it shows I have a tendency to do things differently, but I thought the online looked like such a little money.

Thanks for your comments everyone.

 

[wideeyes]

I am subscribed to TGM, it is handy for hours and busy days however I don't use it for anything else.

 

[Neoshoegal]

I use a combination of TGM and UG online. Like Rosie said, if you're gonna spend that much money on a vacation, you want to make the most out of it.
We've experienced the difference too, during non busy times of year, of following the advice on TGM/ug about which park to visit and it can make a hell of a difference. It just makes for a nicer and more relaxed vacation. Do the planning in advance, know which days are good for certain parks and which aren't, leave some room for changes.
Johnny's advice about arriving for opening is spot on too.

I have read a lot of the TGM vacation articles and it all helps to make sense of everything and find a few hidden gems now and then.

 

[suemom2kay]

I have used UG and wavered a lot from their plan. However, it was our fist trip as a family to WDW and my first trip as an adult. I think that we were easily distracted and wavered easily from our plan. But, we did have a great time anyway.

I used TGM for my past 2 trips and I love it. What is great about TGM is it gives you the tools to make your own touring plan. You can make it, change, it, re-write it. Also, there are sample plans where you can start and then change it to your liking. One of the best things are the forums. You can ask other people to critique your itineraries (which parks, which days) and your touring plans (what rides when).

A lot of people criticize TGM because it is a very large site and not the best organized. That it true. However, if you take some time to read the basic articles (they're short and a bit tongue in cheek) and then go to the forums with questions, people will direct you and help you. It is a very friendly place.

Anyway, if you like control and want to create your own touring plan it is the place for you. If you want something that will just spit a touring plan at you than TGM is not for you.

Personally, I get a lot of joy through planning WDW trips. In fact, planning our September has really helped me in dealing with the death of my Mom in December. That is how I decided we were going in September. We were supposed to go last September with my Mom but were unable to due to finances. So next September, she'll be with us in spirit. So the planning has begun and I'm having a blast.

If you do decide to join, make sure you use the link at the top of the theme park attractions forum for a discount. Also, my username over there is mtbmom if you want to pm me with questions. I'm happy to help.

 

[tttessa]

Hiya
another TGM fan here - love all the busy day guide stuff -really worked last April. Also -his advice on where to stand for Wishes and other events (depending on whether you wanted a quick exit or not) was great too....

Tessa

 

[2Tiggies]

I am so glad that you two posted about TGM. I have still not decided what to do for this trip since I have more or less planned and just wanted to see where I am "off" on my itinerary and planning. I have never been a by-the-book kind of person and like to have some flexibility so I do like that you can tailor make your plans with TGM. Having said that and considering I probably wont get the full benefit from scratch of planning with a subscription, I may just use UG to cross check anything major and then register TGM to do next year's trip so that I have time to play around for long enought to make it feel worth it.

Thank you to everyone for all your advice.

 

[scoobydooby]

I subscribe to both the Unofficial Guide site and TGM and have used information from both on my previous trips. As far as I'm concerned UOG touring plans are far superior to the TGM ones - TGM touring plans just work by missing a lot out. However, both agree on the most important thing which is to open the parks. TGM's best days seem to work wellish but we've only been at very busy holiday times so it's always mobbed anyway! TGM does have some really excellent articles though with some great tips, but you do have to trawl your way through the site which is less than easy to navigate. You have to invest some time in it to get the most from it. Have a good trip!

 

[2Tiggies]

I subscribe to both the Unofficial Guide site and TGM and have used information from both on my previous trips. As far as I'm concerned UOG touring plans are far superior to the TGM ones - TGM touring plans just work by missing a lot out. However, both agree on the most important thing which is to open the parks. TGM's best days seem to work wellish but we've only been at very busy holiday times so it's always mobbed anyway! TGM does have some really excellent articles though with some great tips, but you do have to trawl your way through the site which is less than easy to navigate. You have to invest some time in it to get the most from it. Have a good trip!

Thanks Scoobydooby

All the posters have been so helpful. It has reminded me that we are all so different. For example, I have no problem getting up early - but I am nocturnal by nature so staying out til 3 am is no problem to me. I prefer it. But I would pay the price by doing that every day and missing rope drops so it means alternating or ideally 2-3 early mornings ending with a late night followed by a late morning ... repeat....

I am going to subscribe to UG for now. I will still give TGM a shot too as I may really like him. I don't mind paying for some enjoyment anyhow - if I don't feel either suits me, I will enjoy the planning experience and treat it like a hobby, so I tend to get my money's worth in different ways some times.

Thanks all.

 

[Jessica14]

Thanks for this thread! I have the UG 2010 book which is underlined and dog-eared, but I also have the online subscription. I really like their tour plans as we used them on our last short trip and they worked very well. Some people find them very fast paced, but we took their advice and worked it at our own speed.

My question is though, I have read somewhere on here that their parks to go to/parks to avoid days are not necessarily accurate. I think I might go crazy if I plan it one way according to them, make all the ADR's and then it changes or is wrong. Any ideas on how correct these days are? We are going during value season, so in one way, I'm not really concerned. Also, without the park hours for December, I'm feeling like I can't get a handle on their predictions. What are they basing it on-EMH or what? According to them during the 2nd week of December I would have to do MK, Epcot, MK, DHS, Epcot, MK in that order to see what we wanted to see. I would much rather do 2 Days Epcot, 1 day DHS, 3 days MK. I don't know if it makes much difference at that time of year. Thoughts?
Jessica