Disney's Punishment of Honest Media/Reviews

[bcoachable]

Len: I have bought your Unofficial Guide books every year to WDW. They were a big help. I had no idea that disney had banned you! I thought the books were critical where it needed to be, but mostly positive, which I appreciated. We are not going to WDW anymore, so no need for those books. Just wanted you to know that they were very much appreciated and I looked forward to them each year

At the risk of turning this into the Len Appreciation Thread…
I’m staring at my guide that we used on our first visit in 2006 right now on the shelf- Oh Len, I must say, our kids career paths were directly molded by that trip… so in a way, your book was like a guide to raising great kids! They are all out of the nest now, successful members of society and on their way! Good times, good times!
Thanks for your honest reviews…

 

[OrlandoRising]

I don’t even know what you think you’re arguing here. Are you continuing to attack the idea that one has to analyze news sources based on multiple criteria to evaluate trustworthiness? Or that people come to trust particular sources with whom they have long experience?

I don't know what his argument is either, but there are helpful tools out there to evaluate sources of news and information based on multiple criteria to evaluate trustworthiness.

One such tool may or may not be my day job in journalism, for which I may or may not have been interviewed in the NYT about a few times. Maybe.

Not really speaking about Disney reporting here, but on other topics, your personal experience with a source may not be enough to deem it trustworthy. There are a lot of ways that unscrupulous sources of information hide their conflicts of interest and agendas.

 

[sedati]

I don't know what his argument is either, but there are helpful tools out there to evaluate sources of news and information based on multiple criteria to evaluate trustworthiness.

One such tool may or may not be my day job in journalism, for which I may or may not have been interviewed in the NYT about a few times. Maybe.

Not really speaking about Disney reporting here, but on other topics, your personal experience with a source may not be enough to deem it trustworthy. There are a lot of ways that unscrupulous sources of information hide their conflicts of interest and agendas.

What's so hard to understand? I know how media works and can be worked. The argument is over the blanket disregard of an entire populace of opinions. Yes we should seek out unbiassed facts when it's important. But, to say that all those accepting freebies are Shills, then yourself and Len both up until recently fell into that category. I for one will retroactively discredit everything from the two of you dating back to your gravy train days as per instruction.

Are there not people with legit credentials still being invited? And if so, do they deserve to have been so outright shamed? We were told there was a unanimous consensus of "6K no way" and that none dare speak it under penalty of banishment or worse. And yet there seemed a pretty clear "6k oy vey!" and we've yet to see any bruised or beaten (hyperbole) reporters from the event. Maybe they won't get called back- time will tell.

I am not saying it was wrong to call out bad practices- that's admirable. But how this was done was not. This was taking the hyperbolic brass knuckles and knocking the teeth out of the mouth of every future Len. His words echoed that week and it seemed to put a damper on some who took it personally.

I'm not saying there aren't shills, but not all have traded away their souls. Some may just be better at threading that needle of keeping honest but within the perceived acceptable bounds. Why not let them play the same game you enjoyed? Again, all these revelations have come post-expulsion. If you want to cast yourself as trustworthy instead of just bitter or opportunistic, show me the expose, "WHY WE ARE NO LONGER COMFORTABLE ATTENDING FREE EVENTS FROM THEME PARK MEGA-CORP!"

And as for the vloggers, some of the preview attendees pulled off an absolute feat of editing to get out their long and thorough daily reports while also putting in long days. I'm sure all they had to do to earn their shill points would have been a short recap/gushfest. Reporters ought to have more expertise and prestige, but for me personally, I can respect some of those who got to this point by paying their own way, getting up stupid early to stand in insane opening day lines, and yet somehow manage to deliver a fun and engaging recap for me to enjoy thousands of miles from the park. Do they have an agenda? Yeah- first they get the subscribers, then they get the ad revenue, then they get the freebies. Usually when someone gets to that point I think, "Good for them, they did it." Does all that cast a filter over how I view such content- absolutely. But wasn't that supposed to be up to me and everyone else to evaluate?

Make of it what you will, but this whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth regarding both sides.

 

[chriskbrown]

Len: I have bought your Unofficial Guide books every year to WDW. They were a big help. I had no idea that disney had banned you! I thought the books were critical where it needed to be, but mostly positive, which I appreciated. We are not going to WDW anymore, so no need for those books. Just wanted you to know that they were very much appreciated and I looked forward to them each year

Len - our first WDW trip with kids was absolutely saved by your book. Loved it's honesty and gave us a sense of what to expect and what not to do.

 

[Kingoglow]

What's so hard to understand? I know how media works and can be worked. The argument is over the blanket disregard of an entire populace of opinions. Yes we should seek out unbiassed facts when it's important. But, to say that all those accepting freebies are Shills, then yourself and Len both up until recently fell into that category. I for one will retroactively discredit everything from the two of you dating back to your gravy train days as per instruction.

Are there not people with legit credentials still being invited? And if so, do they deserve to have been so outright shamed? We were told there was a unanimous consensus of "6K no way" and that none dare speak it under penalty of banishment or worse. And yet there seemed a pretty clear "6k oy vey!" and we've yet to see any bruised or beaten (hyperbole) reporters from the event. Maybe they won't get called back- time will tell.

I am not saying it was wrong to call out bad practices- that's admirable. But how this was done was not. This was taking the hyperbolic brass knuckles and knocking the teeth out of the mouth of every future Len. His words echoed that week and it seemed to put a damper on some who took it personally.

I'm not saying there aren't shills, but not all have traded away their souls. Some may just be better at threading that needle of keeping honest but within the perceived acceptable bounds. Why not let them play the same game you enjoyed? Again, all these revelations have come post-expulsion. If you want to cast yourself as trustworthy instead of just bitter or opportunistic, show me the expose, "WHY WE ARE NO LONGER COMFORTABLE ATTENDING FREE EVENTS FROM THEME PARK MEGA-CORP!"

And as for the vloggers, some of the preview attendees pulled off an absolute feat of editing to get out their long and thorough daily reports while also putting in long days. I'm sure all they had to do to earn their shill points would have been a short recap/gushfest. Reporters ought to have more expertise and prestige, but for me personally, I can respect some of those who got to this point by paying their own way, getting up stupid early to stand in insane opening day lines, and yet somehow manage to deliver a fun and engaging recap for me to enjoy thousands of miles from the park. Do they have an agenda? Yeah- first they get the subscribers, then they get the ad revenue, then they get the freebies. Usually when someone gets to that point I think, "Good for them, they did it." Does all that cast a filter over how I view such content- absolutely. But wasn't that supposed to be up to me and everyone else to evaluate?

Make of it what you will, but this whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth regarding both sides.

You are getting pretty upset. I am beginning to think you have close ties to this.
No one is disregarding your opinion. They just don't agree with you.

 

[sedati]

No one is disregarding your opinion. They just don't agree with you.

I don't know what his argument is either

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

I think many have a belief that the Walt Disney company is one of still "good" companies out there. And certainly because so many have such fond memories & experiences associated with Disney & the parks. I know I do. And when I learn of something truly contradictory to this belief....it is really a gut-punch. It saps out the energy to want to go to Disney. And I don't like that feeling.

But here we are. Len Testa, creator of TouringPlans & veteran Disney parks fan released this



This news that people who attended the Star Wars Galactic Cruiser are in fear of reprisals from Disney if they write honest reviews of the experience...is jarring. Especially as relates to the first or second thing we al think about when we think of this new Disney hotel, and that is the high $6,000 expense. Is it worth it? Something to save-up for, something to really treat the family to and enjoy?

This doesn't surprise me at all. I love WDW. I'm going there this week (again), but I do not love the Walt Disney Corporation. They're a bunch of corporate bullies who push their agenda as long as they think they can make a buck, and this is example number 3,429.

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

You give vloggers a big bang freebie and you expect positivity in return. What's so wrong with that? If the vloggers want to be in a position to review their experience positively then they should not take the freebies, after all they make enough money from their monetizing vidoes to be able to afford to pay the $6000

Disagree. Critics often get invited "gratis" to see a movie or eat at a restaurant. When a business makes that "transaction," they hope for positivity, but all they are entitled to is fairness. A critic must be honest or they cannot be trusted, and are then irrelevant.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Disagree. Critics often get invited "gratis" to see a movie or eat at a restaurant. When a business makes that "transaction," they hope for positivity, but all they are entitled to is fairness. A critic must be honest or they cannot be trusted, and are then irrelevant.

That's part of why disclosure is important. I'm more likely to trust someone who is honest from the start than someone who isn't.

 

[SilentWindODoom]

Len - our first WDW trip with kids was absolutely saved by your book. Loved it's honesty and gave us a sense of what to expect and what not to do.

Oh! Is that who that is? I loved those books almost my entire life. I thought he was the taxidermy guy.