Tour Guide Mike

[Kenswing]

I leave in 11 days.
DISAPPOINTED!

S

I am truly sorry that you are so disappointed. I understand. But as others have said.. "Stuff" happens.

I don't say this often, but this really sounds as if it's ruining your planning, and if it is, I would suggest that you request a refund. It will be granted, no questions asked.

I know we all pay our $20, but this is a website, not a hospital. If it goes down, nobody will get hurt.

Ken

 

[kutchyone]

And please remember to start a new thread to tell us about your TourGuideMIKE refund experience. I'm sure it may be helpful to others.

Have a nice day.

 

[reelmom]

I just spoke with TourGuideMiKE and they think they have the server problem identified. If they are right, the site should be back up in a couple of hours. If they're wrong............

Ken

Hi Ken,
Thanks for keeping us updated as to what is going on.

As for TourGuide Mike, I am sure he is just as upset about the website being down as all of us. Maybe even more.

 

[Tricia1972]

Thanks Ken!

I checked his VIP site and it too is down. Servers are funny and unfortunately they are unpredictable.

 

[mmcguire]

Regardless if you love or hate TGM, for a service that requires a paid subcription it's pretty poor customer service on TGMs part. An email at least could have been sent either giving those a chance in advance to print any information they may need if this was "scheduled" down time. If it wasn't scheduled, the fact being how long it's been down now, an email should have been sent updating the status and the projected time frame it will be up again.

I feel very badly for those that leave during this time and needed the last minute information to make their planning complete.

Speaking from experience since I'm the webmaster for a large company, if the site is down, it may be impossible for TGM to send email at all (if their mail server lives on the same box) and/or get to their customer database. Without the database, there's no way to know who to send email updates to.

 

[luvgrumpy]

Speaking from experience since I'm the webmaster for a large company, if the site is down, it may be impossible for TGM to send email at all (if their mail server lives on the same box) and/or get to their customer database. Without the database, there's no way to know who to send email updates to.

Well said. I'm glad some people have some common sense. Really, all the people making such a stink about it. I thought most of the people on here spend a lot of time online. The way they're acting you would think they never heard of a website going down before. It happens all the time to all kinds of websites, large and small.

 

[candlekatie]

I am going through major withdrawl! I was watching Idol last night and I sat down to go chat with my buddies in the watercooler, and nothing! I almost cried. I had to work at work yesterday!

I used TGM for the first time in January and loved it. I am planning another trip in May and we would never have gone back so soon if it were not for TGM. His strategies and tips made all the difference on our trip. I would highly recommend TGM to anyone who is planning a WDW trip.

 

[Cmdbuddy]

Well said. I'm glad some people have some common sense. Really, all the people making such a stink about it. I thought most of the people on here spend a lot of time online. The way they're acting you would think they never heard of a website going down before. It happens all the time to all kinds of websites, large and small.

It's a little different when you're paying to view the website. At which pont, you're a customer, not just a visitor, and you expect something to be working when you want it to when you register.

I know about sites going down plenty. I have my own website. However, nobody pays to use the information on it. Being down for a few days when you have paying customers is unacceptable.

 

[cropper]

speaking as a wife who's husband works on this type of computer issues, servers, etc...... trust me when I say those technicians probably haven't sleep since the problem started. I would bet money that they have management (i.e. Mike) breathing down their back to get it fixed.

I am sure they aren't just sitting around playing poker and having a good laugh.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

As for TourGuide Mike, I am sure he is just as upset about the website being down as all of us. Maybe even more.

Oh I'm sure he's waaaaay more upset about it than any of us. That website is not our livelihood. It goes into the category of "minor inconvenience" for me. I hope all of you fellow TGMers who are up against deadlines find all the info you need somewhere.

 

[Jessmela]

It's not as though TGM took down the site just to drive us crazy. There's clearly some sort of technical issue going on with his servers. I'm sure that they're working as quickly as possible to get it restored. I'm also fairly confident that this wasn't something that could be predicted and that TGM will do his best to work with his third party servicers to avoid it happening in the future to the best of his ability.

It is frustrating not to be able to access it when you wanted to. But in the grand scheme of things this is a minor irritation. Not a giant disaster that everyone should freak out over. No one will die because they can't access TGM for a day. (Yes, I know it feels that way and it's awful to have to work at work ).

But the key is that he has a 100%, no questions asked refund policy. If you think a temporary outage isn't acceptable, simply get a refund. There's been plenty of times when Disney's site is down and I haven't been able to access my annual passholder information or my reservations, and I haven't cancelled a single thing with them yet

 

[Princess Tinkerbell]

I love Tour Guide Mike!!!!!
I mean, c'mon, I had to come over to the Disboards to get my fix.
I'm kidding , I love Disboards too.

 

[Servants of Evan]

To me, it's amazing that people constantly expect 100% from anything computer based. Do we expect that any car we purchase (and not $20 but rather $20,000) will work 100% of the time and nothing would ever break? Of course not, the basic facts of life indicate parts and machinery will die at one point or another... Your engine turns at a maximum of 6000 rpm, a SCSI drive spins around 10,000rpm. Parts move, parts die. It becomes a matter of what is acceptable in the grand scheme of things. If we agree that 99% is good, then Mike's site could be down for 3.5 DAYS per year. 99.5% = 1.8 days. Reality time folks, we paid $20 and so far Mike's service has not dropped below that 99% level. Yes, any outage is frustrating but it's not the end of the world, and it's not beyond the realm of reason.

 

[shellynn24]

I'm just glad it's not my computer, or rather the inept operator (me) I came here to find out what was wrong, I knew I could count on the DIS to answer this question for me.

 

[moosemom]

Wahhhhh - I'm having the DTs here . . .
Sigh

 

[LilyWDW]

I think of it this way... by the time I go on my trip I will have paid $20 for nearly a years worth of service (I signed up early) and will have spent less then $.06 a dayfor this service... which means I am out 12 whole cents from his service being down. Think I can handle that It's a lot cheaper then having an actual VIP guide show you around.

It is no secret from these boards that to get the most out of TGM that one should not wait until the last second to subscribe. It is also no secret from simply use of the internet that computers will act up at the worst possible moments for whomever is involved. It is life, it is murphy's law.

 

[Lorelai]

It's not as though TGM took down the site just to drive us crazy.

Or did he? Mwahahahahaha, Mwahahahahaha, Mwahahahaha.....

(looks like it worked..at least in my case )

 

[Kenswing]

It's not as though TGM took down the site just to drive us crazy.

It's clearly a shorter trip for some of us than others.

Ken

 

[DisneyNeckCoolers]

this is a website, not a hospital. If it goes down, nobody will get hurt.
Ken

Does having major withdrawals count?

 

[Jessmela]

How about snapping at our spouses?

Yes, I did actually say to DH last night, "Cut me some slack. I've been having a rough week. And now TGM is down. And I'm just not happy!"