The [Dis] Influencer- One Year Anniversary

[TP2000]

So you don’t think there’s any deliberate influence being done here at all?

I'll jump in. But be pre-warned; I am gearing up to host a gaggle of friends down here in La Jolla so I'll be busy and won't be able to respond routinely the next few days.

But I'll answer your question with a question... A deliberate attempt to influence who? A few dozen superfans here with a couple hundred (at best) more quiet observers lurking on their phones who already are all invested emotionally and financially (AP's, vacation planning) in Disneyland and WDW?

Look at the vast bulk of the topics and words here in this forum. It's about silly, inane, fan topics, stuff us fans like to dish and obsess about. The merits of the Haunted Mansion Holiday scheduling calendar. The re-lighting of the Under The Sea room in the Little Mermaid ride. The length of the line to get in to the Cove Bar on a Sunday afternoon. The misery of parking in Mickey & Friends. The Instagrammable tight slacks the Disneyland President wore for the 4 months she pretended to care about Anaheim. Why it's bad for Starbucks to be on Main Street in 2015 but it was fine for Hills Brothers Coffee to have a shop there in 1965. How New Orleans Square was ruined, RUINED!, when they moved that window for the Club 33 remodel. Etc., etc., etc.

Why would anyone care about influencing us? We don't really matter, Burbank already got our money, and we're going to continue going to Disneyland and talking about all this stuff anyway.

But influence the key institutional investors and the financial media based in New York City? Now there's something I could understand Disney, or any publicly traded company in the Free World, wanting to influence. And if that was the influence campaign of the last 20 years, it has failed miserably. Look at the last earnings call on a disastrous quarter where all of Disney's theme parks were closed because of Covid. The commentary on the parks division in the press was minor and passing, like it always is; instead they all seemed to be concerned about the movie studios, the lack of pro sports, and the new "DTC" channels that are the trendy businesses that Wall Street salivates over. None of those people in New York's financial community cares about Disneyland, whether its opened or closed.

The theme parks? Those are for the chunky tourists in flyover country; the power brokers in the financial community go to Martha's Vineyard or The Hamptons in summer. The financial community, and the dedicated media that follows them (CNBC, the Journal, and FBC), can't even be bothered to have an intern do 20 minutes of research into the parks to get facts right. They call Star Wars Land a "new theme park". They call Cars Land "an attraction" and think it's just that one car ride in the mountain. They have to remind their New York readers that Disneyland "is near Los Angeles".

In short, the people that really matter and the community that Disney's senior executives would most like to influence, don't really care about Disneyland. Nor do they care about us talking about Disneyland. The parks are the least important profit line on the quarterly report for them, even once they got lumped in with Merchadise. So why on earth would those important people care that a few dozen superfans on a backwater message board think Bob Chapek is a dork? They don't. And if there was some decades-long campaign to "influence" us into somehow supporting one exec over the other to convince New York bankers he was the right guy for the job, it failed. Because we just kept talking about that damn window in New Orleans Square while Burbank went ahead with plans to launch Disney+ to 50 million American homes.

Personally, I'd rather talk about that window in New Orleans Square. I think it's fine, and the patio umbrellas at Cafe Orleans hide it from the sidewalk anyway so you have to get at least 50 feet away from the building and then look for it to see it's off center.

Our opinions and commentary here are silly and minor. It just doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter!

 

[Curious Constance]

I know... I’m sorry! Are you not the least bit interested in whether you’re interacting with real people here or marketing personas? I’m not mad/upset/offended, I just want to know!

Come on now, I know they’re the worst, but even those in the marketing field are at least technically considered people.

 

[_caleb]

Look at the vast bulk of the topics and words here in this forum. It's about silly, inane, fan topics, stuff us fans like to dish and obsess about.

Each of those inane topics is worth thousands of dollars in advertising. Multiplied out across all the fan sites and YouTube channels, the influence becomes pretty significant. The majority of Disney’s audience doesn’t fall into the superfan or financial power broker categories; they’re regular people (who may be “chunky”, and who might have to be told that Disneyland is the one in CA) whose opinions add up to Disney’s bottom line.

These days, a company’s reputation is fragile. You spend years building a brand based on “family values“ and “dreams,” but all it takes is a #MeToo scandal, a Blackfish-like documentary, or the even just the Cool Kids declaring that you’re “over“ for it to all come crashing down. The super-fans die hard, but the masses are fickle.

So Disney works hard and spends big to retcon history (Imagineering Story), create new Uncle Walts (Iger’s cardigan), #staywoke (Splash retheme), and keep the public distracted with cupcakes and Instagram pictures in front of the Purple Wall.

I hang out here because I find it fun to read about the parks I love so much and I enjoy (usually) discussing them with other fans. But I assume sometimes I’m being marketed to and manipulated. Surely some members on here are being paid because they told someone with an agenda that they could influence me, and that I might somehow influential to others. And maybe they can influence me. I guess I’m okay with that, because you’re right— in the grand scheme of things, none of this really matters.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

If Disney has influencers on these boards, they're doing a horrible job protecting the reputation of Iger and Chapek!

I would say most of Disney’s presence here is read only. They’re here to study. Troy’s presence here has generally been in addition to any work for the company in terms of messaging that he is asked to put out.

Though there are some members who I wonder about...

 

[Stevek]

That's different. In Unscrupulous's case, he wasn't scooping, he was putting out blatantly false information which riled up the internet. Disney had to squash that.

Tom also took Disney stolen/leaked concept art for Disney Springs, put his watermark on it, and posted it on his site and twitter. That's what I was referring to. One of the many things that's gotten him off the Disney "press" list for events. He should have just played it smart like Lou but instead he thinks he can be the obnoxious one that will have influence over what Disney does...and if something happens that remotely relates to one of his crusades, he takes credit for it.

 

[TP2000]

Each of those inane topics is worth thousands of dollars in advertising. Multiplied out across all the fan sites and YouTube channels, the influence becomes pretty significant. The majority of Disney’s audience doesn’t fall into the superfan or financial power broker categories; they’re regular people (who may be “chunky”, and who might have to be told that Disneyland is the one in CA) whose opinions add up to Disney’s bottom line.

Eh, I suppose. But those more casual customers, if they do appear here, stick to the vacation planning threads that focus on dining plans and the width of the trundle beds at the Poly. They aren't generally pouring over the dishy TDA rumor stuff, nor should they.

And I could care less about how comfortable their "Little Princess" is in her trundle bed, so we're even.

These days, a company’s reputation is fragile. You spend years building a brand based on “family values“ and “dreams,” but all it takes is a #MeToo scandal, a Blackfish-like documentary, or the even just the Cool Kids declaring that you’re “over“ for it to all come crashing down. The super-fans die hard, but the masses are fickle.

Well, that's a valid point. Just ask Goodyear, and all those blue collar guys across the country who are now taking down the Goodyear signs in their garages and shops this week. It only takes one PowerPoint slide to ruin a hundred years of reputation, and all the helium in the world won't get that blimp to float again anytime soon.

I hang out here because I find it fun to read about the parks I love so much and I enjoy (usually) discussing them with other fans. But I assume sometimes I’m being marketed to and manipulated. Surely some members on here are being paid because they told someone with an agenda that they could influence me, and that I might somehow influential to others. And maybe they can influence me. I guess I’m okay with that, because you’re right— in the grand scheme of things, none of this really matters.

If someone was here influencing us for the past 20 years, it wasn't very effective. If anything, the dishy stuff we talk about here shines a rather unflattering light on Disney's management decisions across multiple generations and makes them all appear semi-dysfunctional. I can't imagine any executive team in any company agreeing to that on purpose, can you?

 

[Stevek]

Personally, I'd rather talk about that window in New Orleans Square. I think it's fine, and the patio umbrellas at Cafe Orleans hide it from the sidewalk anyway so you have to get at least 50 feet away from the building and then look for it to see it's off center.

You had to bring up that window again! I'll never eat at Club 33 again!!!*




*but I will drink mass quantities in case anyone wants to help me get in as it's been well over a decade since I've been there.

 

[TP2000]

You had to bring up that window again! I'll never eat at Club 33 again!!!*

Yes, I did bring up the window. Because it is what truly matters. It's why we're here. It's what we do.

 

[Stevek]

I hang out here because I find it fun to read about the parks I love so much and I enjoy (usually) discussing them with other fans. But I assume sometimes I’m being marketed to and manipulated. Surely some members on here are being paid because they told someone with an agenda that they could influence me, and that I might somehow influential to others. And maybe they can influence me. I guess I’m okay with that, because you’re right— in the grand scheme of things, none of this really matters.

I've never felt I was being manipulated here but during the Al years at MC, absolutely. Over time, I became that obnoxious fan that was disgusted by one burned out light bulb or unpainted railing in a queue...then I looked in the mirror, saw I was "chunky" and realized nothing is perfect 100% of the time but Disneyland is pretty d*%& amazing even with it's flaws.

 

[Magic Crush Drop]

The day that the article dropped, DisTwitter was crazy.

 

[_caleb]

But those more casual customers, if they do appear here, stick to the vacation planning threads that focus on dining plans and the width of the trundle beds at the Poly.

Right. I‘m not saying casual customers necessarily come here for the latest scoop. But they do go to travel sites, YouTube, and mommy blogs. And where do those sites get their content? WDWMagic and a few other super fan sites.

the dishy stuff we talk about here shines a rather unflattering light on Disney's management decisions across multiple generations. I can't imagine any executive team in any company agreeing to that on purpose, can you?

Yes, a lot of what’s posted here tends to be negative; either “it’s not as good as the old days,” or “Disney is super cheap/slow/greedy/etc. Counter-intuitive though it may be, I think the negativity is part of the strategy to lower expectations (“Star Wars Land wasn’t as bad as people made it out to be!“) and to pin failures on certain people (“Galaxy’s Edge was a bust because Chapek cheaped out!”).

You’re right, though, Bob Iger probably isn’t directing an influence campaign to drag his own name through the mud! But I imagine he’s more than happy to allow his marketing department the freedom to do what it takes to keep people talking about the company, going on those vacations, and subscribing to Disney+.

 

[_caleb]

I've never felt I was being manipulated here but during the Al years at MC, absolutely. Over time, I became that obnoxious fan that was disgusted by one burned out light bulb or unpainted railing in a queue...then I looked in the mirror, saw I was "chunky" and realized nothing is perfect 100% of the time but Disneyland is pretty d*%& amazing even with it's flaws.

SAME.

I’ve also seen crazy, unconfirmed stuff posted here, to which the regulars responded predictably, which then became the headline (“Disney fans HATE the upcoming Mary Poppins ride!”) This is the “manipulation” I mean.

 

[Mac Tonight]

All this talk of being "manipulated" brings to mind one of my favorite King of the Hill quotes.
"If an at-risk kid can't get me to order Sports Illustrated, no one's gonna sell me a timeshare."

 

[truecoat]

Disney absolutely cares what’s posted here. The information shared here, even with relatively few active participants, has the potential to be very valuable:

• Lots of regular fans hold Disney stock. Some of them likely buy/sell based on the “inside” info and opinions shared here. “Insiders” rode through town with doom and gloom just before the Aug. earnings call to lower expectations, and then the sentiment was “whew, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been!” Shares jumped from $117 to $130.
• A YouTube personality (who is known to post here under at least a couple different accounts) recently moved to Orlando to pursue his channel full-time. With nearly 200 videos in the last year, each averaging 50K views, he has incentive to aggressively pursue a platform for influence. (He also has incentive to pose as an insider here and post ”inside info” that he can then quote as his source in his videos.) Multiply this by however many pro/amateur YouTubers are out there, and you have Disney responding by creating the DisneyMomsPanel/PlanDisney site to try to harness some of that influence.
• Disney is a huge company fraught with politics and agendas. Don’t like whoever is currently the head of your department? Use anonymous fan sites/social media to discredit him and praise whoever you want as a replacement. (See: SaveDisney)
• Disney is very risk-averse. If they want to know how the public might respond to new ideas (Frozen in Norway, for example) post it here, watch it spread through social media, and monitor the response. If it’s positive, green light. If it’s super negative don’t proceed, but win-win, all publicity is good publicity and paying Troy Porter is much cheaper and less risky (you can Burn him if word gets out) vs. posting an official statement on the Disney Parks Blog.
• Disney has lots and lots of young employees and interns who have access to at least some information that could be damaging to the brand. Though they might technically be bound by NDAs, disgruntled CMs and former CMs can always anonymously (See: T-Rex/Covid)
• Literally every major company in the world engages in some level of reputation management. Whether internally or externally, they all employ people to bounce from fan sites to reddit to social media posting reviews, opinions, and inside info to help sway public perception.

Of course people at Disney pay attention to this site.

When the rumor went out that the TOT in DHS was also under the gun (possibly as Dr. Strange?), Disney came out publicly very quickly to dispel that one. It was also interesting that after the Splash Mountain to Frog Mountain fan wish on Twitter happened, Disney followed up very quickly with the fact that it was changing to Frog Mountain.

 

[Figments Friend]

I know... I’m sorry! Are you not the least bit interested in whether you’re interacting with real people here or marketing personas? I’m not mad/upset/offended, I just want to know!

Some of us DO know.....


And I'm tellin' ya, the 'TP2000' who posts here is NOT the Troy you are lookin' for.

-

 

[_caleb]

Some of us DO know.....


And I'm tellin' ya, the 'TP2000' who posts here is NOT the Troy you are lookin' for.

-

That’s quite the bunch of coincidences.

 

[SuddenStorm]

So you don’t think there’s any deliberate influence being done here at all?

I think your Troy Porter claims are way off base.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Giving you the benefit of the doubt, a lot of what you wrote is inaccurate. Troy was around online communities under TP2000 since the late nineties, his work ghostwriting parts of Al Lutz columns on behalf of Iger/Zenia began around 03-04. MiceChat was one of the top English language Disney fan sites on the internet and only really lost its following 7-8 years ago. Al Lutz’s peak was at a time when there was no FB or twitter or YT, the Disney fan community lived on Disney fan sites and Al was a respected voice at the time.

MC is now an irrelevant site with a dead forum. Sites like MAGIC, the DIS, and some FB groups are monitored very closely by TWDC to see what fans are thinking and, more importantly, what information is leaking out of the company.

He continued to write “MiceAge Update” columns in Al’s voice well after Al’s name had been removed from said columns. Keep in mind that Troy was still posting here as TP2000 during that time period. Troy stopped writing for MC due to a dust up between him and the site’s owner, Dusty Sage aka Todd Reagan. He then began writing the “neighbor lady” columns here because he still was being fed information, even after he left the company in January 2019.

Why are you the way that you are?

 

[_caleb]

I think your Troy Porter claims are way off base.

What claims? I’m not claiming to have anything figured out. I‘ve mentioned my suspicions, but I’m open to new info. As I said, I’d love for the people who have been named in this whole thing to explain their involvement, but that happened (as far as I’m aware). If you‘re aware of something I’m missing, please let me know.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

What claims? I’m not claiming to have anything figured out. I‘ve mentioned my suspicions, but I’m open to new info. As I said, I’d love for the people who have been named in this whole thing to explain their involvement, but that happened (as far as I’m aware). If you‘re aware of something I’m missing, please let me know.

I have a suspicion you are not the real Rocketeer.