Pretty Disappoointed with Tour Guide Mike

[notnothin]

Just seeing if people here have had the same experience as I have there. I will be sure to ask there as well but I don't see a problem with asking here, do you? Have you used TGM and did you have to make your own touring plans?

Edit to add: I am also asking here because Pracperfpatricia says TGM has "really good touring plans of all 4 parks." If this is true, I know she reads here and can answer my question and point me in the right direction. That's why I quoted her.

FYI, his service does not automatically generate a touring plan for you. As the previous poster stated, you will get better answers by posting your questions on the TGM forums.

 

[lexmelinda]

Give peace a chance, people....no need to be snippy! Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

 

[cocowum]

Okay, color me confused. I signed up for TGM. I picked my attractions I enjoy. I haven't seen any "tourplan" anywhere on his site except for his sample tour plans. Sample touring plans do not apply for me and are not a personalized service. Can someone point me in the direction of a touring plan based on my selections on his site??? Why am I paying the $20 if I have to make my own touring plans?? He says "visit this first in the morning" about several attractions (SM and Buzz come to mind. I still can't figure out which I'm supposed to do first ) It's actually annoying me the more I use it. Can anybody help?

I had this problem as well. I decided that it wasn't worth the hassle and requested a refund. Along with my refund, we also received a rather upset email from Mike because we didn't find his site useful. Oh well, we love the UG and have been using it for years. And we have never waited in a line for more than 15 minutes while using one of the UG's touring plans. Between the UG and the DIS we've got our bases covered. Good luck with whatever you decide. And I hope you have a great trip.

 

[cocowum]

Uh-oh!! (*Shudder!*) Someone broke the sacred omerta! I'll bet his kneecaps'll be hurting!

That one made me choke on my diet coke.

 

[Tinks]

I had this problem as well. I decided that it wasn't worth the hassle and requested a refund. Along with my refund, we also received a rather upset email from Mike because we didn't find his site useful. Oh well, we love the UG and have been using it for years. And we have never waited in a line for more than 15 minutes while using one of the UG's touring plans. Between the UG and the DIS we've got our bases covered. Good luck with whatever you decide. And I hope you have a great trip.

Thank you so much! I'm not requesting a refund, but I'm not purchasing again and most likely not endorsing it as a tool for others. The whole automated vacation planning consists of picking what you like. Then he puts it on a page for you. I can do that with a pen and paper! Don't shoot the messenger, either!! I was really turned off by the "them" against "us" talk and mentality as well. There's a whole thread on the TGM forums making fun of non-TGM Disers. It seems the fans of TGM are pretty avid supporters, which is fine to a point.

Like I said, I'm not bashing his site, but I certainly didn't find it easy to navigate and not very "personalized". He does have a nice section on which days are good/medium/ or bad days to visit each park and that is concise and nice. But it is too much of a pain for me to read article after article of information to put together a simple itinerary. Too confusing as well. (Which is first, SM or Buzz????) Never did get a clear answer on that after reading the article twice.

I'm glad it has helped some people. It hasn't really been helpful for me.

 

[queenof2princesses]

Well...All this talk, sold me. I had to check it out for myself. That was about 10pm last night. I have found the site to be extremely helpful, completely changed my plan to his suggestions. After years of reading the DIS (even though I don't post alot, I visit regularly), for some reason I was still thinking like 'them'. We are planning a quick trip before school starts and we have become accustomed to smaller crowds. I want a game plan. I loved his info on days to choose which park. If his touring plans truly work..I'll use hin every time. I am going to put them to the test, 40 days from now
DD6 wanted to pick smilies

 

[nanannjen]

Hey, everybody! If we don't say anything good about TGM, then there will be more of "them" to laugh at - so, hush!!

 

[SueGreen]

Ok Cinderella, what the heck are you talking about? First off, go to MY Parks and Places on TGM and make sure you have LMA checked off on your MGM list, then click on the link (with the clock next to it) that says "click here to the least crowded times to visit your MGM attractions" And well look at that there it is. Actually he he gives you three different choices. I know this works, I just tried it, see that wasn't too complicated was it? I guess someone owes TGM a big ole apology.

If you can show me an entire touring plan from TGM that has LMA included, then I'd happily apologize. The problem with the advice you refer to is that it doesn't fit into the overall sample tour anywhere.

 

[letterdavidman]

Just an observation... After reading through this thread, don't a few of the TGM fans/apologists come off just a little like Scientologists when you offer up any kind of criticism, no matter how constructive?

Believe me, when I posted a simple question here on the DIS back before our last trip, I got snapped at by one of the TGM zealots about how inappropriate it was of me to post a question here rather than "keeping it in the family", so to speak, and posting it on the AVP forums.

Funny, really.

 

[eeyore45]

-good suggestions how to get a Princess Character Breakfast if you want one

but isnt this same advice posted on the DIs?

like someone posted about "lines" no need to get carried away with unrealistic expectations - different strokes for diffent folks - its all good!!

 

[fakereadhed]

J
Believe me, when I posted a simple question here on the DIS back before our last trip, I got snapped at by one of the TGM zealots about how inappropriate it was of me to post a question here rather than "keeping it in the family", so to speak, and posting it on the AVP forums.

Funny, really.

I don't know what kind of question you asked, but it is not funny to talk about TGM insider stuff anywhere other than his site. Whether you like him or not, when you join you agree to keep it there. That's how he makes money and it is really not cool to take his info such as LCP and spread it around for free.

I have found his info to be extremely helpful and I'm looking forward to using it on my next trip. But to each his own-I am not a Mikentologist...you can UG or even wander around the park for all I care.

 

[mousermerf]

Okay, color me confused. I signed up for TGM. I picked my attractions I enjoy. I haven't seen any "tourplan" anywhere on his site except for his sample tour plans. Sample touring plans do not apply for me and are not a personalized service. Can someone point me in the direction of a touring plan based on my selections on his site??? Why am I paying the $20 if I have to make my own touring plans?? He says "visit this first in the morning" about several attractions (SM and Buzz come to mind. I still can't figure out which I'm supposed to do first ) It's actually annoying me the more I use it. Can anybody help?

We recommend Space Mountain then riding Buzz.

 

[treehugger]

OMG! Are you the same Merf from the "other" board? If so, I love your posts over there! Welcome to the Dis !

 

[treehugger]

If you can show me an entire touring plan from TGM that has LMA included, then I'd happily apologize. The problem with the advice you refer to is that it doesn't fit into the overall sample tour anywhere.

I think the key here is that you have to go back and re-read his instructions for your AVP. It is impossible for me to "show" you on the Dis without violating my promise to Mike to not share info. The sample plans are just that, examples. I am truly sorry that you are having difficulties with TGM, really. I think that the problem is that it has worked so well for so many that I wanted you to have the same great experience has we did. Also, the reason that alot of posters suggest that you post on Mike's board is that we can get into more detail there and thus help you more. Whatever you decide to do I hope that you have a wonderful time at Disney.

 

[rubbergypsy]

i have used tgm for 2 trips so far, there is a lot of good info if you know how to navigate the site, takes a bit of getting used to and i agree that he does not update the site that often with news and updates. i like to log on and see whats new first. i use his site like i would a guidebook, i bought the passporter and i do not like it at all.

 

[lexmelinda]

TGM fans/apologists come off just a little like Scientologists

Are personal attacks really necessary? Behave!

 

[Disneyhappy]

I have been to WDW so many times that I have lost count. Out of curiosity, I signed up with Tour Guide Mike for our January trip, partially because it was tour first visit in the month of January. I totally agree it takes time to learn to navigate the site and there are still things I cannot quite figure out, but overall, I did find it a benefit to our January trip and worth the $18 or whatever the cost was in the area of $18. I decided to sign up for our August and next January trip again. It has been helpful again for our August trip. I can understand where this may not be for everyone - to each his own - however, for this Disney vet and enthusiast, I find it worth the cost. I also find the forums to be very friendly and respectful.

 

[LaserMan]

Are personal attacks really necessary? Behave!

Ditto that.

I can sympathize with those that have trouble navigating TGM. All people process information differently - it's not surprising that there is variation in satisfaction level with the way Mike laid out his site. If everyone navigated web pages the same way, in time all web pages would look the same.

BTW, know what I've never seen on TGM's forums? Petty, flame-threads with personal attacks. Do 'we' sometimes wonder aloud about what 'they' are thinking? Sure, I've seen that. But, I've also seen a TON of love & support for fellow TGM'ers who are hurting or need help with any number of problems. It is, (imho) by far one of the friendliest places on the net.

 

[luuuceee]

Ditto that.
BTW, know what I've never seen on TGM's forums? Petty, flame-threads with personal attacks. Do 'we' sometimes wonder aloud about what 'they' are thinking? Sure, I've seen that. But, I've also seen a TON of love & support for fellow TGM'ers who are hurting or need help with any number of problems. It is, (imho) by far one of the friendliest places on the net.

Agreed! I've been on the TGM forums since the day they started (though my handle is different there) and there haven't been any personal attacks. There have been one or two very heated debates that *almost* crossed the line, but that's one or two out of thousands of threads. Not bad, percentagewise.

As far as the love and support thing, TGMers have banded together to send flowers when a loved one has died; send money to help someone pay for a WDW trip for their very sick and now recovering (thank goodness!) granddaughter; and also to send prayers and kind thoughts to those in need of a shoulder to cry on.

The people on TGM are very good people who share a passion for all things Disney, and it's unfortunate to see them referred to as cult members or Scientologists. I do agree that some people get a little too passionate whenever TGM is insulted, but that's mostly in response to posts that flame TGM as a person. Criticize the site, but not the man. Or in response to posts that talk about TGM as a ripoff. IMO, a site is not a ripoff when you have thousands of people getting so much value out of it that they sign up multiple times.

If someone doesn't like TGM, fine. Different strokes for different folks. But unfortunately, a lot of people don't stop at "TGM didn't work for me, so I won't sign back up" or "TGM just didn't meet my needs." If that's where the comments stopped, then perhaps the ultra-passionate TGMers wouldn't be quite so passionate in their responses. But comments like that make TGMers feel like a family member is being attacked.

My personal opinion: if the site didn't work for you and you won't ever sign up again, all I can say is, "I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully you'll find the right tools for you that do help you to make your trip as magical as possible."

 

[Lesley]

Disneyhappy, my experience is similar. We've been to WDW almost more times than we can count (well, I could but I don't want to take the 5 minutes it would take me to figure it out...). We have taken an the Unofficial Guide approach for years, but what I learned in that book a long time ago doesn't really work for us now....partially because we have changed and partially because the parks have changed. I am hesitant to buy a guidebook again because they are so often very outdated.

I purchased TGM last week and I am very happy with it. The service is not perfect and I think it makes itself out to be something way more personalized and customized than it is. I am very web savvy, but I agree with the others that say its difficult to navigate. There are pages that are missing some really logically desireable links, and I think he does too much "talking" in places where he should be giving more of a one line or paragraph summary. There's a lot to wade through to get to the point sometimes, and often there is excessive repetition of things that are probably not needed. The website could really be cleaned up alot to make it easier to find what you need.

But I also get the impression that Mike himself really loves what he does....and that is very appealing. His information appears to be very good (once you find it) and I have already found it greatly helpful. But I also think he's losing a lot of potential customers because the stuff that is so helpful is too hard to get to on the site for a lot of people.

I don't really have much trouble navigating now that I'm used to the system....but I think there are plenty of people who just won't be able to figure it out. And the tutorial on how it works had me tuning out after a paragraph or two.... I think TGM is kind of like spelling...some people can do it, some can't...but I think a service like this isn't something that should require a natural aptitude for figuring out someone else's thought patterns (or to have those thought patterns already). I have no doubt that to Mike and many people who must have the same thought patterns, the website appears completely perfect and self-explanatory.

For me it was worth the $18. If we find that our trip in September is extra magical because of the information on TGM we'll resubscribe for our January trip. But I don't think I'll know for sure until our trip is over.

And don't worry....for every person here making fun of the TGM devotees there is someone on the TGM boards making fun of DISer's!