Latest Social Media 'Experiment'?

WDW1974

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
OK, so looking over some email and I see a kind Spirit sent me this link days ago, but not much info on it (beyond what is written on the site).

It sure seems like yet another effort to let the members of the asylum run the facility, so long as they pass out the right 'meds' (in this case, Pixie Dust) because while some names are very familiar from the fan community, none are exactly what I would call honest/unbiased sources of the state of WDW today.

Unbelievable ... and Duncan gets paid how much to run Social Media? You want to know why Splash Mountain is ghetto or why a 1972 parade that can't make it down Main Street nightly is shown or why everyone at WDW is acting like a simple (and pretty mediocre) Omnimover is an answer to UNI having a superior product?

Very simple. The reason is the fan community. And Disney's control over it.

If Disney had thought of this in Anaheim in 2001, then DCA would still be what it was and DL would still be crumbling. Well, maybe not as the folks there still have some standards!

http://insidears.disneyparks.disney.go.com/

Anyway ... I've been out of the loop on this one, so anyone know more? Funny how the insiders aren't anyone with actual knowledge or understanding of Disney's corporate inner workings or major media itself.:rolleyes:
 
TalkingHead

TalkingHead

Well-Known Member
I have nothing to add other than many of the InsidEARs' profiles would make great material for that book you're going to write one day, Spirit. ;)

For example:

"I reference everything to Disney - my family thinks that I love it too much. But one thing that made sense to me that my husband said one day...he thinks that I love Disney so much because it has never dissapointed me and you know....he is right!"

Shocking thing is, that person's only been to "Disney Parks" 10-15 times.

Sounds like she only knows the stagnating parks of the last ten years -- probably something the Disney Social Media Gods find very attractive.
 
njDizFan

njDizFan

Well-Known Member
How is this any different than the Mom's panel? It looks like the same PR bull but spun as information that only "insiders" would be privy to.

Can't wait to start asking them some questions...so about the Yeti?
 
D

DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
NewfieFan said:
I was wondering how this is different than the Moms Panel as well? You ask questions, you get answers!
Click to expand...

Agreed, just looks like another Disney run forum site to me, except that certain people were invited first to seed the community - which - if you ever tried to start a forum site, is much needed.
 
puntagordabob

puntagordabob

Well-Known Member
Hope I get an invite...sounds like fun and could be a place to learn things...not to mention a place to help others when they want to know something.....
 
invader

invader

Well-Known Member
This is stupid. Why wouldn't you have locals who go hundreds of times a year? Or people who know EVERY little detail going on inside the parks.....
 
M

MickeyPeace

Well-Known Member
WDW1974 said:
You want to know why Splash Mountain is ghetto or why a 1972 parade that can't make it down Main Street nightly is shown or why everyone at WDW is acting like a simple (and pretty mediocre) Omnimover is an answer to UNI having a superior product?
Click to expand...

What does it mean that Splash Mountain is ghetto? Is an animatronic of Snoop Dog greeting you on the first lift? Does Nicky Minaj rap on the boat in the last scene?

:veryconfu
 
D

DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
Florida Dreamin said:
This is stupid. Why wouldn't you have locals who go hundreds of times a year? Or people who know EVERY little detail going on inside the parks.....
Click to expand...

Depends - locals would know the parks, but not necessarily much about staying at the resorts or eating onsite.

I run a travel agency and have had locals apply to be agents - when quizzed about their resort experience, they have little to none. We sell vacation packages to those traveling to the resorts - and that is a major part of their expense.
 
WDWFigment

WDWFigment

Well-Known Member
I haven't heard it discussed here, but I saw a lot of people complaining very loudly on Twitter about it when it was first announced. Although, honestly, I think most of those complaints were along the lines of "WHY DIDN'T I GET AN INVITE, I AM A SUPER-FAN?!?! I DESERVED ONE!!!"

My guess is that Disney is trying to marginalize forums like this one even more in favor of one where the company can control the message. Obviously, that is not a good thing. Sure, this forum and Disboards will still have their existing userbases, but I'd bet this new "forum" will suck a lot of new growth from the other major forums.

As the OP knows, I've defended Disney's social media moves to some degree, but I don't like this.

(Although I will concede that I think it's a smart move from Disney's perspective--if the message is predominantly a bad one on the unofficial forums, why not try to control the message yourself by marginalizing the unofficial forums? Of course, the best solution is to fix the things that cause the message to be negative in the first place...)
 
RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
D23 can help with this stuff. If they want to cater to the fans, and more importantly the fans of Disney history, D23 is an excellent vehicle for it. I just hope that they take full advantage of it.

Considering that Epcot's 30th is being handled by D23 I'm optimistic that the history of the parks will be celebrated appropriately at these types of events. The parks themselves shouldn't be museums, but things like the Epcot 25 gallery are excellent temporary additions.
 
MarkTwain

MarkTwain

Well-Known Member
WDWFigment said:
I haven't heard it discussed here, but I saw a lot of people complaining very loudly on Twitter about it when it was first announced. Although, honestly, I think most of those complaints were along the lines of "WHY DIDN'T I GET AN INVITE, I AM A SUPER-FAN?!?! I DESERVED ONE!!!"

My guess is that Disney is trying to marginalize forums like this one even more in favor of one where the company can control the message. Obviously, that is not a good thing. Sure, this forum and Disboards will still have their existing userbases, but I'd bet this new "forum" will suck a lot of new growth from the other major forums.

As the OP knows, I've defended Disney's social media moves to some degree, but I don't like this.

(Although I will concede that I think it's a smart move from Disney's perspective--if the message is predominantly a bad one on the unofficial forums, why not try to control the message yourself by marginalizing the unofficial forums? Of course, the best solution is to fix the things that cause the message to be negative in the first place...)
Click to expand...



My thoughts exactly. My first thought upon seeing this was that it was kind of disturbing how far they're willing to go cover their maintenance problems, before actually dealing with them...
 
NewfieFan

NewfieFan

Well-Known Member
Tigger1988 said:
It's not, it's just the expanded version of the Mom's Panel. Disney said the site outgrew it's name. Doesn't seem like a big deal to me.
Click to expand...

Didn't say it was a big deal... was just wondering how it was different (I wondered if I was missing something)!

How did they outgrow the name?
 
B

Bolna

Well-Known Member
Hmm, strange project.

I don't believe it is just another name for the Moms Panel. I think wdwmagic is right that it is more a discussion forum like thing.

I had a look at the "Site Terms of Use" and "Program Rules" at the bottom of the page. Something which btw the Moms Panel does not publish.

From there it becomes quite clear that in order to participate you have to take a "quiz" in oder to become an InsidEAR: "In order to become an InsidEAR, eligible guests must successfully complete one Program quiz offered on the Site relating to either the Walt Disney World Resort or the Disneyland Resort (but not both)."

The Moms on the Moms Panel went through quite a selection process and then received some training. But maybe they decided that this was too much effort and that it would be enough to let people just take a general knowledge test and then let them do the Moms' job?

But then it appears that both sites would exist at the same time as one paragraph in the Program Rules states:

"As an InsidEAR, you consent to the use and display on the Site of your autobiography, headshot, video and/or comments made on the Site, and in addition, you consent to their use and display on other Disney websites, non-Disney websites, and/or social media platforms as Disney determines, including, without limitation, Disneyworld.com, Disneyland.com, the Disney Parks Blog, the Disney Facebook accounts, the Disney Twitter accounts, the Disney MySpace accounts, the Walt Disney World Moms Panel and YouTube."

The one thing that makes me think however are two sentences on the main page:

"Welcome to the Disney Parks InsidEARS website: a whole new world for people who love Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort as much as you do."

"Disney Parks InsidEARS are enthusiasts (like you!) who are passionate about Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort."

It always seemed to me that the Moms Panel was supposed to be directed at first time guests (or people with little experience). This appears to be directed at the fans.

It will be interesting to see whether the WDW website will have a link to this as the one thing which keeps me wondering is why there is no link from the WDW website to the Disney Parks Blog...

However, after having read all the legal terms of Disney's (possible) new discussion forum, I think I need to read this websites terms of use again - Disney has you sign away any right you might have!!!
 

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