News Expose reveals WDC control in online fan community

[TiggerDad]

For the record, I am a Dad, but I am not an actual Tigger. My efforts to get secret payoffs from Disney from the gondola thread never bore fruit sadly. Yes, it took me two days to come up with a believable cover story.

 

[Captain Neo]

I thought it was common knowledge that A Lutz retired from writing around 2005 due to Parkinson’s and micechat staff have been ghost writing?

Like this was well discussed on micechat when it happened and I believe dusty stage even spoke on it once. However I also remember too much speculation as to who the writers were and thread derailments led to bans.

 

[Captain Neo]

I’m not aware of any updates after he retired except April fools day spoofs. No addition, the latest update mentions his Parkinson’s which would make it a total fraud if it were ghost written as the author is intentionally seeking to deceive....

At the time there was some controversy as they were using Lutz name. After a lot of complaining they changed the author to “Micechat Staff” instead of using Lutz name.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Also...am I the only one who thinks Mucha looks like a thinner, better put-together Martha Stewart?

 

[SteamboatJoe]

At the time there was some controversy as they were using Lutz name. After a lot of complaining they changed the author to “Micechat Staff” instead of using Lutz name.

As there should have been. I understand the power of the name and its impact on the business, but to keep using it after the departure just seems flat out wrong. No way I would trust someone who did that.

 

[Captain Neo]

As there should have been. I understand the power of the name and its impact on the business, but to keep using it after the departure just seems flat out wrong. No way I would trust someone who did that.

The line at the time was that “Al Lutz provided the notes and insider info and the staff at micechat just typed it up for him”

 

[DisneyOutsider]

@TP2000 is Troy Porter. We know that for certain.
Spirit outed him (they’ve met). And his posts align with him being Troy. 110%. Simple google searches will prove it (the Internet never forgets).

When TP made his initial post, I believed him. He could just be a normal guy brought into this for no reason whatsoever. No different than if me or you were brought into the fold. Note: my name isn’t hard to guess either. I’m a nobody, so being doxxed by spirit or anyone would mean nothing to me. Whatever. Similar to what TP/Troy hilariously said, I can welcome any guest with a .38 special or a glass of whisky.

But then micechat popped up. What doesn’t make sense is what @photomatt Did and still continues to do. Such as the below quote from @Ojo4



Why would the Bobs care at all about Troy if he’s just innocently thrown into the mix?

Micechat- you continue to make this WAY worse than what it is. You come in here, stir it all up with TP, confuse everyone, then say “move on”.
How about you come on and let us know about Troy and either implicate him or clear his name. Because as it stands, both sides; you and spirit, are implicating him.
Note: I still believe TP. And If he’s not implicated, and I’m Troy, I’m ****ed. You’re a better man than me.

And if he’s not implicated, then how about @the.dreamfinder come on and admit that your info is solid but your accusation was wrong. Or defend your accusations.

A bunch of spineless and petty individuals if I’ve ever seen them.

I'm hesitant to post anything at all, because I'm not confident in any way whatsoever as to the truth here, but when the Medium post dropped I instantly recalled this exchange on the DHS subforum:

Why did his whole article remind me of you ?

One of the nicest things anyone's ever said about me! Thank you!

This, along with @TP2000 's incredulous excitement that Al Lutz had written another article, while repeatedly mentioning that he thought Al was dead... there's just no way I can buy what @TP2000 is selling right now. Something smells.

 

[SteamboatJoe]

The line at the time was that “Al Lutz provided the notes and insider info and the staff at micechat just typed it up for him”

I wasn't involved in the fandom back then. Do you recall if there was a disclaimer to that effect in each article?

 

[Captain Chaos]

No, jokes are fine. Opinions are fine. But it's the very obvious trolls. On any other forum, I can think of quite a few people who would've been banned years ago. Here, anything goes, which leads to chaos throughout the boards.

 

[andysol]

I'm hesitant to post anything at all, because I'm not confident in any way whatsoever as to the truth here, but when the Medium post dropped I instantly recalled this exchange on the DHS subforum:




This, along with @TP2000 's incredulous excitement that Al Lutz had written another article, while repeatedly mentioning that he thought Al was dead... there's just no way I can buy what @TP2000 is selling right now. Something smells.

I'm 100% sure it's Troy Porter. I have undeniable proof he is. I'd share it, but it would expose his current address and phone number, which I'm clearly not going to do. But its 100% Troy Porter.

He clearly lied in his post saying "TP" is for "Theme Parks" as he's been lying about that for years now to keep his anonymity. Now, I understand wanting to keep your anonymity, and that's fine. For myself, I personally don't care, but I understand it.

But he lied. Not only did he lie about "Theme Parks" being what TP stood for, but he threw out a brilliant bluff in saying "I almost posted my name and address to prove I'm not him". OK... so he lied. That's undeniable also. So why?

Just trying to keep his info confidential?
Is he a source to Micechat and @photomatt didn't realize he was until another author messaged him, hence the instant withdrawal?
Most damning- is the article true?

Regarding the confidential information/name being out there- that ship has sailed. We know @TP2000 is Troy Parker. We know it. So if he's a Disney source, he isn't anymore. If he's a ghostwriter for Al and a plant for Disney, he isn't anymore. The cover is blown. It's over.

All of this could be cleared up if anyone involved had integrity. But they don't.

 

[disneylandcm]

For the record, I am a Dad, but I am not an actual Tigger. My efforts to get secret payoffs from Disney from the gondola thread never bore fruit sadly. Yes, it took me two days to come up with a believable cover story.

My sources say that you ARE a Tigger and a shill for The Hundred Acre Wood. Are you not fun fun fun fun fun?

 

[Viget]

Not that anyone cares about my opinion (I'm more of a lurker), but it is sad/amazing to see the disparate worlds of my internet obsessions collide in this thread. I never thought it would happen here, as WDW and Disney fandom was always my happy place. The parallels between this information (if true) and current events elsewhere are shocking.

We indeed are all living in the matrix. Welcome to the desert of the real.

 

[durangojim]

I've really enjoyed the whole brouhaha going on for the past couple of days but in all seriousness - does any of this matter and affect us in the least? Besides being the first to know about something new going on with Disney I can't think of a single instance of how this will affect my life. Besides the major players here can anyone explain to me why I should be concerned about any of this?

 

[andysol]

I've really enjoyed the whole brouhaha going on for the past couple of days but in all seriousness - does any of this matter and affect us in the least? Besides being the first to know about something new going on with Disney I can't think of a single instance of how this will affect my life. Besides the major players here can anyone explain to me why I should be concerned about any of this?

Because there are articles being pushed through by Disney from people you are supposed to trust. That every insider you've ever heard from has someone on the other side playing us and just using them as a medium.

I love @marni1971 - the guy is awesome. But now you have to realize that whoever is giving him information, unless the source is the direct source and a personal friend of his just telling Marni info because he's his friend; That he is giving that info with ulterior motives. Marni doesn't have ulterior motives; he is as stand up an individual and fan as they come, but the information does. It's there to play us, gauge reaction, or even throw employees of Disney under the bus and forge alliances.

We already knew this at the surface, but we never really knew it with proof. The more people I speak to, and the more information I get, I'm leaning more and more towards that whole article being 100% accurate. Petty? Yes. But accurate.

 

[britain]

I'm hesitant to post anything at all, because I'm not confident in any way whatsoever as to the truth here, but when the Medium post dropped I instantly recalled this exchange on the DHS subforum:




This, along with @TP2000 's incredulous excitement that Al Lutz had written another article, while repeatedly mentioning that he thought Al was dead... there's just no way I can buy what @TP2000 is selling right now. Something smells.

Sorry DisneyOutsider. It's Chinatown.

The buzz from the expose has worn off. People are tired of putting off sleep, they need to work. They need semblance of normal life. The whiplash from identity revelations and denials has got us throwing our hands up in the air and saying, "I just want the dulcet tones of TP2000 to continue to entertain these boards while we get ramped up for D23."

People need to believe. They'll believe anything.

 

[kwoodfan1]

It seems to me the only way to make things copasetic again, is for Disney to owe you one. The Bobs are watching, they feel a little sheepish, and you guys are way more important than you thought you were. You should start a new thread, come up with about 10 not too expensive, can be done efficiently, park ideas and hold a vote for the top idea. Disney will wait for the winning idea, never acknowledge it, and have it built within 2 years. Bingo, Bango, Bongo, all square. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

 

[britain]

Bingo, Bango, Bongo

Haven't heard that in a long time! Ha!

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Because there are articles being pushed through by Disney from people you are supposed to trust. That every insider you've ever heard from has someone on the other side playing us and just using them as a medium.

I love @marni1971 - the guy is awesome. But now you have to realize that whoever is giving him information, unless the source is the direct source and a personal friend of his, is giving that info with ulterior motives. Marni isn't, and is as stand up an individual and fan as they come, but the information is. It's there to play us, gauge reaction, or even throw employees of Disney under the bus and forge alliances.

We already knew this at the surface, but we never really knew it with proof. The more people I speak to, and the more information I get, I'm leaning more and more towards that whole article being 100% accurate. Petty? Yes. But accurate.

For me, the idea that people leaking inside information have an agenda is not particularly surprising. I thought that was a given as why would someone leak information about the place they work? It didn't seem likely that it was because they loved us. For that reason, while eating up the insider information it was always necessary to realise that you were also getting a perspective and never the whole picture.

What was more of a bombshell was the notion that SaveDisney was part of a massive con waged by Iger and his operatives within Disney using Al Lutz as an avatar for their machinations. That, honestly, is the part that I'm having the harder time believing. Not that Disney was trying to "control the message" online, but that there was such a concerted and devious plan that has been revived in what seems like a completely gratuitous attempt to discredit Bob Chapek by turning Disney fans against him.

Thanks, by the way, for all your summaries of this controversy! They are the clearest I have seen.

 

[durangojim]

Because there are articles being pushed through by Disney from people you are supposed to trust. That every insider you've ever heard from has someone on the other side playing us and just using them as a medium.

I love @marni1971 - the guy is awesome. But now you have to realize that whoever is giving him information, unless the source is the direct source and a personal friend of his just telling Marni info because he's his friend; That he is giving that info with ulterior motives. Marni doesn't have ulterior motives; he is as stand up an individual and fan as they come, but the information does. It's there to play us, gauge reaction, or even throw employees of Disney under the bus and forge alliances.

We already knew this at the surface, but we never really knew it with proof. The more people I speak to, and the more information I get, I'm leaning more and more towards that whole article being 100% accurate. Petty? Yes. But accurate.

I thought most people take everything on the internet with a grain of salt, but again even the stuff @marni1971 posts, which is wonderful, doesn't really impact my life. It's nice to be the first to know stuff but it doesn't help me pay bills, help my health, or really be anything more than a form of entertainment.

 

[BubbaQuest]

At the time there was some controversy as they were using Lutz name. After a lot of complaining they changed the author to “Micechat Staff” instead of using Lutz name.

That's pretty much the way I remember it. Al's column started happening less frequently and people started asking why. At first it was "Al is having medical issues", but word on the street was Al was so sick there was no way he could be writing those articles. Hence the statement from MiceChat years ago. MiceChat Updates changed. People lost interest and moved on.

The part that interests me is that MiceChat suddenly rose from the dead with some info about changes coming to Rivers of America. Did they just copy this "insider info" from somewhere else? Possibly. But it also seems like around the same time Spirit suddenly went from being your friendly neighborhood Disney fan, to outright nasty and belittling to Disney and its customers.

Did a Disney "fan" lose his paycheck around this time, and did Disney start shopping around for new clickbait? Total speculation on my part. I'm still leaning towards nothing more than jealous old queens (and I mean that in a loving way, sisters).