Anyone else find Tour Guide Mike's website confusing?

[Worfiedoodles]

Well, I have trouble with it, too. I have the UG and Passporter, and am extremely familiar with allears. The site is difficult to navigate, and I was very disappointed that I did not get a personalized plan, or at least have more plans to choose from. I guess it's good for the updates, and I am finding some tips I had not seen before. I don't think I would get it again, because it just hasn't been that helpful. I also have a couple of books I would not buy future editions of, because I know they are too general.

 

[JohnNJ]

Lisa:

Now that you've got a bunch of "me too's" and "so am I's", let's try to get you some help.

First, rather than posting here, why not post on the TourGuideMike forums. I guarantee you will get loads of help very quickly from experienced TourGuideMike users.

Second, have you read the AVP Overview? It discusses how the site is organized, the navigational tool bar available on every page and where to start in your AVP.

Third, for subscribers in a hurry, there's the Express Planners in the left margin of the main AVP page. Click on the month you'll be visiting WDW and you'll get a summary of great info for that month (special events, holidays, crowd levels, weather) plus links to the most important articles related to your trip.

There's a step by step guide that walks you through the entire vacation planning process (hotel, activities, itinerary, dining, tickets, touring, child care, romance, transportation). How could it get any easier?

Even the individual articles have express summaries that highlight the not-to-be-missed info.

Take a step back, take a deep breath and start again with a clear mind. You'll quickly see that everything is there for you to plan a wonderful WDW vacation.

 

[Kenswing]

I was a little overwhelmed at first. But if you just follow the steps through the site before you start clicking on the links, everything starts to fall into place. If you have specific questions, post them on the TGM forums and you will get the info that you need.

 

[abaldacci]

I felt the same way!!! I kept at it and the more you read the more you get, I like it but it could be better laid out. It is not DIS get a direct answer type thing. If you like to read disney information then you will like it if not then you will not care for it.

 

[cocowum]

I found TGM very hard to navigate, as well. I also was expecting a more personalized plan. I requested a refund. I received my refund, along with a strongly worded email from TGM. I think I'll just stick with Len and the UG.

 

[LeesyUD]

Lisa:

Now that you've got a bunch of "me too's" and "so am I's", let's try to get you some help.
First, rather than posting here, why not post on the TourGuideMike forums. I guarantee you will get loads of help very quickly from experienced TourGuideMike users.
Second, have you read the AVP Overview?
Third, for subscribers in a hurry, there's the Express Planners in the left margin of the main AVP page.
There's a step by step guide that walks you through the entire vacation planning process (hotel, activities, itinerary, dining, tickets, touring, child care, romance, transportation). How could it get any easier?
Take a step back, take a deep breath and start again with a clear mind. You'll quickly see that everything is there for you to plan a wonderful WDW vacation.

Like I said before it's not that I hate the site or anything, in fact I think that there is alot of useful information. I posted here because I know alot of people on here have used it and I wanted to get an unbiased opinion. I have read the overview and do not think it helps very much to navigate. To me it pointed out very obvious links that are right in front of my face. I will continue to use the site bc I like exploring the information. But honestly, I do not have time to go to the forums and get a step by step of everything. In my opinion (and everyone has different ones), I feel that it is a poorly set up website. This is a Disney forum w/ many different topics. Forums are meant to get info and opinions and that was my intent with my original post, to simply get some opinions. Thank you for the tips though.

 

[ajcolorado]

I recommend that you take a little time and put some thought into composing an organized email to Mike telling him specifically what you found difficult about using his web-site. He seems genuinely interested in providing a good product and a valuable service but he will need specific information. Messages like, "There was too much information." isn't helpful because there are Disney fanatics who crave more and more information. But saying, "Articles need to be indexed in a way that make it easy to locate and relocate them." provides some concrete information.

 

[ChairborneRangr]

First off, if you are having difficulty, TGM has a forum that is full of people currently using the AVP and can help with any issue you have.

Here are some key things that will help you navigate TGM
1) click on the button labeled "AVP Overview". THis will take you through a site tutorial that is quick and easy.
2) The top bar menu is key...
- AVP Community -- This is the forum for TGM
- Parks & Places -- This is where you look up anything having to do with the theme parks from attractions, recommendations, ratings, descriptions, sample tours etc.
- Park Hours -- Self Explanitory
- Hotels -- All the info you need for each of the hotels at WDW
- Dining -- The dining search engine, descriptions, recommendations etc
- Activities -- Info specific to Disney special events and activities
- Tickets -- Info and recommendations on the various ticket options
- Vacation Articles -- This is a customized area for you to store any of the articles that you find on TGM that is of particular interest to you. Nead the Disabilities article? Once you look it up, select "add to my articles" and now you have a shortcut to it.

The other thing to go through is the "Express Planner" for your month. It has specific information that pertains to WDW touring during your timeframe.

Any more specific questions, just post over in the TGM forum. My userid is "Stephen" with my same Royal Ranger Mickey Avatar.

 

[gigi1313]

YES! YES! YES!! i realllllly thought it was just me! i also expected a very different product (i expected tgm to take my dates and say "monday: ak, tuesday: mgm, etc" not just give me volumes of info to wade thru and figure out for myself! i could do that using the info here and at www.touringplans.com plus my unofficial guide and passporter!

 

[ChairborneRangr]

Ialso subscribed this week.I leave thursfor disney, There is no way in hell with toddlers I am ever going to get through this site.Very user unfriendly.
I thought i would have an easy to follow itinerary but i dont.

I am going to email him and maybe their is an easier way to get around the site especially if you are leaving for disney very soon

PM me over on TGM with your dates and I will give you a boost. If you are on a short timeline print out the following:
- The summer survival guide
- Best Days info
- Least Crowded Times info
- Sample Touring Plans
- Viewing location recommendations for parades and fireworks

 

[always quiet]

I have had TGMike for a couple years now (I got it almost immediately after our 2002 trip, we were supposed to go last Dec, but due to cancer I postponed my dates and Mike allowed me to change my trip date - even over a year away at the time, without any additional membership fees - GREAT guy ). I really love it!! He has added a feature, you can't see it on the graphics from his site shown though. Once you click one of those links and the new page opens, there is a little box on the top - more to the right side. It is labeled "Pop Up Help". Click on this box and it will offer help for the page that you are on!! It will help you navigate your way around the site and point out things that are not to be missed on that page. Go look, you can't miss it!!

 

[PKS44]

Tourguide Mike in some ways is no different from a guide book, like the Unofficial Guide--it is not a personalized spoonfeeding of go here then here etc...it has tons of info and it can be as overwhelming as if you had a guide book and were jumping from page to page

One thing I learned on TourGuide Mike that I can share and that helps anywhere on the Internet is about the SHIFT key on your computer...when you click on a link, hold down the SHIFT key..this will open the new page in a new WINDOW then you can read that and close that window and you are still on the same original page you were reading on...

TourGuide Mike is not for everyone...it is an amazing course in how to be YOUR OWN specialized TourGuide, so you can know HOW to tour and WHY--this lets you adjust the touring to your unique circumstances...the UG -go here then there then here.etc...do not allow for individual partydifferences, ride shut downs, FP machine breakdowns, etc...Mike's lessons tell you WHY you are doing things so you tour his way and adjust on the fly...but you do actually have to use that grey stuff between your Mickey ears more than with some of the simplified touringplans and RideMax type tours....

 

[vatmark]

I have been sitting here glued to the computer for days on Tour Guide Mikes site and I have found it very helpful. I like his sample tours because he has different ones for your situation ex. young kids, older kids, no kids. He tells you the best way to navigate through the parks avoiding where the crowds will be and long lines. He tells you what days of the week are better for some parks and not others and when to go...morning or evening etc.

I can see how it would be hard for someone that works full time. There's a lot of reading to be done but many times you can skip some stuff if it doesn't pertain to your situation. Whenever i find some good info or tips etc. I copy it into Microsoft Word this way I don't have to go back and search for stuff that I knew I saw once.

We'll see how my trip goes late Oct. Hopefully I can pull it all off with all his tips and advice.

Annie

 

[PKS44]

..oh and one of the amazing things about TourGuide Mike that distinguishes him from all the other guidebooks--is the up to date info about crowd levels, suggested changes based on Disney changing their policies about this that and the other...no other guide can offer that kind of "I have been to the parks everyday and here is how I suggest you approach such and such" the way Mike can.

Paul

 

[pandamom]

After reading tons of glowing reviews here on the dis I signed up for TGM. Though there is a lot useful information I really dislike the layout. I also thought there would be forms to enter information and then generate useful printouts. Navigating the site and then making notes of the important information and plans is very time consuming. Overall I'd say the content is good but the site could use a major overhaul in how the information is presented and organized.

 

[mill4023]

Yes, it is confusing and hard to navigate...
IF you don't follow his advice about taking the time to go through the overview that explains how everything is organized.

For those of you who thought it was going to give you a customized day to day itinerary, I'll agree that the name "Automated Vacation Planner" does make it sound like that's what it might do. But if you take the time to read the main page that explains what the AVP is before signing up, you wouldn't make that false assumption.

Instead, you would know that the part that is automated and customized based on the info you give is:
"A Customized list of the 'best of the best' attractions for your party profile. Each attraction/show description comes with all my 'VIP Tour Guide' tips like child warnings, best view advice, trivia, and the least crowded times to visit them!"
"A Customized 'Least Crowded Times to Visit' page for each of your Disney theme parks. It automatically displays your recommended attractions into the best sections of the day to avoid crowds and lines all day!"
"Customized linked list of recommended Disney restaurants that meet your personal dining preferences."

And if you had wanted to "Learn More" and clicked that link on the main page, you'd see a page with a FAQ that contains the following:
"Q: Does TourGuideMiKE format MY day-to-day itinerary?

A: If you mean that I look at YOUR specific dates and then say go here on your first day, and here on your second day, etc., I’m afraid that’s beyond my or anyone else’s current technology. What I CAN do, however, is provide you with the information and tools you need to easily make these decisions yourself."

It did take me a little time to learn the organization, but once I did, I found it pretty easy to navigate. I found it extremely helpful and I'll definitely be signing up again for our next trip. Oh, there's also a nice search feature for those of you who read something, then couldn't find the article again.

 

[Danauk]

I have been following this thread with interest all day. I have subscribed to TGM and although it took a while to get used to the layout of the site I do believe it is worth the money (I personally prefer to print out the info I need and put it in my passporter for the day I will need it.) My trip is not until December and I have been a member for several months so have had the luxury of being able to take my time to get the info off the site I need. I am at the stage now where I do not think I can do much more until I can book my ADR's and the park hours are published. But it did get me thinking. If people are complaining about the layout of the site how would you make it better? What suggestions could be made to improve it (without changing the content as Mike does not have the time to do individual plans for each member.)? Like another poster has said, just ask questions on the forums over there. I have in the past and although the replies are slower to come through than here on the DIS, the guys there are really friendly and they are more than willing to help.
I read the DIS every day but would still subscribe to TGM as there are things that I have learned there that I would not have learned here.

 

[Kristina]

I used both the Unofficial Guide book and TourGuideMike last year, and liked them both however I too found TGM very confusing. This year while I never ended up sending for the new version of the Unofficial Guide, I do think it's plans are excellent and am going to buy them from tourplans.com site of theirs. I was able to take away loads of great info from both products last year, but this year I've had fun just looking all over the Dis for info, thus all I need are the ride to ride plans.

Although I am a bit curious about the tourguidemike radio link I saw on the site, does he have music from the parks?

 

[Tomandtammy]

I can't say enough about TGM, yes at first it is overwhelming, but for the low cost of his advice you cant imainge you would get a one on one look at planning your individual itinerary. I admit I too at first thought this was too much, but now I read his advice religiously. I combine it with the passporter, and find the plan that works well for our family. Good Planning All! And if you need help post on his AVP plenty of people able to help!

 

[ChairborneRangr]

I used both the Unofficial Guide book and TourGuideMike last year, and liked them both however I too found TGM very confusing. This year while I never ended up sending for the new version of the Unofficial Guide, I do think it's plans are excellent and am going to buy them from tourplans.com site of theirs. I was able to take away loads of great info from both products last year, but this year I've had fun just looking all over the Dis for info, thus all I need are the ride to ride plans.

Although I am a bit curious about the tourguidemike radio link I saw on the site, does he have music from the parks?

Yes, it is a channel on live365