I will probably get attacked for writing this and I've stopped myself numerous times. But I think some of this needs to be said.
I found this forum quite helpful for planning my daughter's very first WDW trip (and my first in 25 years). I found many helpful hints and suggestions just by reading what others have posted.
But I have also seen some disturbing examples of rudeness and intolerance toward differing opinions, even approaching hostility.
Now certainly, a written forum provides anonymity and therefore people feel more free to write things they wouldn't normally say face to face. And it's also true that a forum with such a large following is bound to get contentious now and then, just like human behavior. And finally, it's true there is a shared love for all things Disney on this site, which makes sense.
Upon returning from our trip, I actually signed up and started posting now and then, enthusiastic to share my experiences and hopefully help others with questions. That has happened, I hope.
But more and more I find rudeness reigning supreme and it's beginning to dampen my enthusiasm for this forum. And that's too bad.
Case in point: Different people have different favorite rides and attractions, naturally. But instead of just saying that, many folks feel it necessary to denegrate certain attractions to the point where people don't DARE to support them because they will get a response that is condescending at best and downright nasty at worst. The converse is also true--people who love something so much that they attack those who don't.
Some want the park to change because they have "been there done that" so much they are bored with it. Yet they seem to have no regard for the opinions of those who like "the classics" and/or aren't lucky enough to be able to afford such frequent trips. (example: Haunted Mansion refurb)
Others don't want the park to change at ALL and want everything to revert to what it was "back in the good old days" and they trash everything that's new (example: The dreaded Wand debate, Soarin, or the Nemo ride)
The fact is that neither side is right. The optimum answer for Disney lies somewhere between the two extremes. But many folks don't want to hear that. Instead, they are told "if you don't like it, go to Universal".
None of these comments has been directed at me personally (up to now), but I have seen them appear quite frequently, especially in recent months. Maybe they have always been there and I just didn't notice.
It's almost like they view Disney as their own private club and they welcome you to join as long as you agree with everything they say. If not, they turn on you and vote you off the island.
Not to mention the appalling spelling and grammar mistakes. We all make a few typos here and there. But to me, this is a further indication of how much people don't think about what they're writing. Or maybe they just don't care.
For myself, the infrequent park visitor (who intends to visit again), I prefer to see Disney (for the most part anyway) through the eyes of my daughter who had the time of her life on our trip and loved everything except for two rides that scared her. And even then, she didn't "trash" them. She simply said: "Let's go on something else, Daddy." I think we could all learn a thing or two from that, myself included.
I'm sorry this is so long. Yes, I have been forced to generalize a bit and if any are offended, I'm sorry again. But chances are strong that if you are offended, maybe you see yourself reflected in some of the things I mentioned.
In any case, I hope people will think about it
I found this forum quite helpful for planning my daughter's very first WDW trip (and my first in 25 years). I found many helpful hints and suggestions just by reading what others have posted.
But I have also seen some disturbing examples of rudeness and intolerance toward differing opinions, even approaching hostility.
Now certainly, a written forum provides anonymity and therefore people feel more free to write things they wouldn't normally say face to face. And it's also true that a forum with such a large following is bound to get contentious now and then, just like human behavior. And finally, it's true there is a shared love for all things Disney on this site, which makes sense.
Upon returning from our trip, I actually signed up and started posting now and then, enthusiastic to share my experiences and hopefully help others with questions. That has happened, I hope.
But more and more I find rudeness reigning supreme and it's beginning to dampen my enthusiasm for this forum. And that's too bad.
Case in point: Different people have different favorite rides and attractions, naturally. But instead of just saying that, many folks feel it necessary to denegrate certain attractions to the point where people don't DARE to support them because they will get a response that is condescending at best and downright nasty at worst. The converse is also true--people who love something so much that they attack those who don't.
Some want the park to change because they have "been there done that" so much they are bored with it. Yet they seem to have no regard for the opinions of those who like "the classics" and/or aren't lucky enough to be able to afford such frequent trips. (example: Haunted Mansion refurb)
Others don't want the park to change at ALL and want everything to revert to what it was "back in the good old days" and they trash everything that's new (example: The dreaded Wand debate, Soarin, or the Nemo ride)
The fact is that neither side is right. The optimum answer for Disney lies somewhere between the two extremes. But many folks don't want to hear that. Instead, they are told "if you don't like it, go to Universal".
None of these comments has been directed at me personally (up to now), but I have seen them appear quite frequently, especially in recent months. Maybe they have always been there and I just didn't notice.
It's almost like they view Disney as their own private club and they welcome you to join as long as you agree with everything they say. If not, they turn on you and vote you off the island.
Not to mention the appalling spelling and grammar mistakes. We all make a few typos here and there. But to me, this is a further indication of how much people don't think about what they're writing. Or maybe they just don't care.
For myself, the infrequent park visitor (who intends to visit again), I prefer to see Disney (for the most part anyway) through the eyes of my daughter who had the time of her life on our trip and loved everything except for two rides that scared her. And even then, she didn't "trash" them. She simply said: "Let's go on something else, Daddy." I think we could all learn a thing or two from that, myself included.
I'm sorry this is so long. Yes, I have been forced to generalize a bit and if any are offended, I'm sorry again. But chances are strong that if you are offended, maybe you see yourself reflected in some of the things I mentioned.
In any case, I hope people will think about it
