WDW Spirited Quickees

[menamechris]

I don't care about the forums or its users. And I'm not trying to discredit the owner of the website. I'm simply pointing out that WDWMAGIC.com has 14,000 Twitter followers, a strong Facebook presence (just look underneath the reply box to find a "Like" button or the "Tweet" button or the "+1 button!), and has people in the parks seemingly every day documenting changes. These are the things that seem to disgust most of you.

So? I don't think anyone is disgusted about getting information, news, pics, etc. from the parks... Not sure where you got that impression from. Unless you don't understand the difference between that and what certain other lifestylers/podcasters do...

 

[Lee]

I wonder if Disney has ever offered to fly the owner of the website to a Disney theme park? And if they did, would that offer be turned down? I don't think it would behoove him to admit to such things, since the userbase here seems to equate two comped nights at the Animal Kingdom Lodge a few months ago to being bought off for the year. As far as negativity on the main WDWMAGIC.com site, there isn't a whole lot from what I've seen. Perhaps you could point me to something particularly scathing.

Two nights at AKL is nothing, really.
A free cruise on the Dream or an all expense paid trip to DCA....that's a different story.

Some sites/bloggers receive literally thousands of dollars in benefits from Disney. This site, to my knowledge isn't one of them.
Having locals who visit the parks and supply photos/info to the main site....every site has that. No biggie.

And if you aren't a CM...how are you getting onto the Hub?

 

[danv3]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Lou was being paid by Disney. In fact, I'd probably be more surprised to learn that he wasn't being paid by them.

 

[wm49rs]

I don't care about the forums or its users. And I'm not trying to discredit the owner of the website. I'm simply pointing out that WDWMAGIC.com has 14,000 Twitter followers, a strong Facebook presence (just look underneath the reply box to find a "Like" button or the "Tweet" button or the "+1 button!), and has people in the parks seemingly every day documenting changes. These are the things that seem to disgust most of you.

And the number of followers on Twitter or Facebook has little to do with the independence of the site owner, his being influenced by Disney, or whether or not this site is "creepy." Not does having people voluntarily submit photos documenting changes at the parks. All of which is a far cry from many other sites and forums out there.

And if you don't care so much, and aren't employed by Disney, then why the effort to discredit this site and its owner?

 

[bubbles1812]

I don't care about the forums or its users. And I'm not trying to discredit the owner of the website. I'm simply pointing out that WDWMAGIC.com has 14,000 Twitter followers, a strong Facebook presence (just look underneath the reply box to find a "Like" button or the "Tweet" button or the "+1 button!), and has people in the parks seemingly every day documenting changes. These are the things that seem to disgust most of you.

I think you've entirely missed what disgusts most of us in terms of the Disney lifestyler/bloggers. It's not that they document changes every day at all. Or that they have a tone of Twitter followers or a strong facebook presence. It's that the specifically write things that cater to Disney/will get Disney's attention so they can essentially get free perks. I'm sure all of them like Disney and may have started out with integrity but many of them care more about free vacations than actually talking about the good AND the bad at Disney.

 

[notfrostyjosh]

Two nights at AKL is nothing, really.
A free cruise on the Dream or an all expense paid trip to DCA....that's a different story.

And if you aren't a CM...how are you getting onto the Hub?

The same way this website does. You don't have to be an insider to get a password. I think the whole "these people have been bought off by Disney, just look at all these perks they're getting" is overblown. If you made a list of what Attractions Magazine, Inside the Magic, etc. get from Disney over the course of the year, it wouldn't be that awesome. They don't get free admission. The preview cruise on the Dream/Fantasy is like three days. A trip out to DCA costs Disney no more than the airfare and some food.

 

[bubbles1812]

And if you aren't a CM...how are you getting onto the Hub?

THIS.

And if you don't care so much, and aren't employed by Disney, then why the effort to discredit this site and its owner?

And THIS.

 

[mgf]

Seems pretty relevant here:

"The Federal Trade Commission today announced that it has approved final revisions to the guidance it gives to advertisers on how to keep their endorsement and testimonial ads in line with the FTC Act.....The revised Guides also add new examples to illustrate the long standing principle that “material connections” (sometimes payments or free products) between advertisers and endorsers – connections that consumers would not expect – must be disclosed. These examples address what constitutes an endorsement when the message is conveyed by bloggers or other “word-of-mouth” marketers....the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service."

I am not really sure how the discussion here differs from consumer product endorsements on blogs. The theme parks are essentially a product. Would the question be whether these bloggers are hobbyists or media? Any lawyers/FTC experts out there?

 

[menamechris]

The same way this website does. You don't have to be an insider to get a password. I think the whole "these people have been bought off by Disney, just look at all these perks they're getting" is overblown. If you made a list of what Attractions Magazine, Inside the Magic, etc. get from Disney over the course of the year, it wouldn't be that awesome. They don't get free admission. The preview cruise on the Dream/Fantasy is like three days. A trip out to DCA costs Disney no more than the airfare and some food.

I now officially know that you are clueless. On pretty much all points..

 

[notfrostyjosh]

And the number of followers on Twitter or Facebook has little to do with the independence of the site owner, his being influenced by Disney, or whether or not this site is "creepy." Not does having people voluntarily submit photos documenting changes at the parks. All of which is a far cry from many other sites and forums out there.

And if you don't care so much, and aren't employed by Disney, then why the effort to discredit this site and its owner?

What effort? I'm typing to you on an Internet forum for what is probably an hour on a boring Sunday. I don't care about discrediting anyone. I'm simply pointing out that this website does many of the things that "you people" seem to hate, including a strong social media presence and a lot of visits to the theme parks. As far as I know, few of the pictures posted on the main website are sourced from the forums. I haven't seen much negativity from the main website. Even their "review" of the Fantasyland expansion glosses over very obvious shortcomings.

 

[Lee]

I think you've entirely missed what disgusts most of us in terms of the Disney lifestyler/bloggers. It's not that they document changes every day at all. Or that they have a tone of Twitter followers or a strong facebook presence. It's that the specifically write things that cater to Disney/will get Disney's attention so they can essentially get free perks. I'm sure all of them like Disney and may have started out with integrity but many of them care more about free vacations than actually talking about the good AND the bad at Disney.

Yes.

The same way this website does. You don't have to be an insider to get a password. I think the whole "these people have been bought off by Disney, just look at all these perks they're getting" is overblown. If you made a list of what Attractions Magazine, Inside the Magic, etc. get from Disney over the course of the year, it wouldn't be that awesome. They don't get free admission. The preview cruise on the Dream/Fantasy is like three days. A trip out to DCA costs Disney no more than the airfare and some food.

I disagree, as you can see in my edited post.
I know of bloggers getting trips (including airfare, ground transport, hotel accommodations , food, park admissions, access to imagineers, etc.) for their whole family, all on Disney's social media dime.
And in return....endless positively.

 

[notfrostyjosh]

Yes.

I disagree, as you can see in my edited post.
I know of bloggers getting trips (including airfare, ground transport, hotel accommodations , food, park admissions, etc.) for their whole family, all on Disney's social media dime.
And in return....endless positively.

Dates and names?

 

[wm49rs]

"As far as I know" should just be your start and stopping point.

And there's a difference between providing the news on the parks, and commenting on it. The owner if this site provides the former, and allows the latter. Again, with less outside influence than other sites, and with far less fanfare.

 

[Lee]

Dates and names?

Oh, I'm not going there....
I'm not in the mood to get hassled and vilified for daring to name names. I do happen to know someone who is compiling a list of such things, which should make for some interesting reading.

And can someone get me a Hub password? I'm feeling left out...

 

[bubbles1812]

Oh, I'm not going there....
I'm not in the mood to get hassled and vilified for daring to name names. I do happen to know someone who is compiling a list of such things, which should make for some interesting reading.

And can someone get me a Hub password? I'm feeling left out...

Me too!!! Please entertain us in how you managed to acquire one without working for Disney. I haven't quite seen this claimed before.

What effort? I'm typing to you on an Internet forum for what is probably an hour on a boring Sunday. I don't care about discrediting anyone. I'm simply pointing out that this website does many of the things that "you people" seem to hate, including a strong social media presence and a lot of visits to the theme parks. As far as I know, few of the pictures posted on the main website are sourced from the forums. I haven't seen much negativity from the main website. Even their "review" of the Fantasyland expansion glosses over very obvious shortcomings.

You have again missed the point. It is not the strong social media presence, the lots of visits to the park, the every day updates on changes that disgust anyone. It is when the bloggers cater specifically to Disney solely to get perks. That is not something I've seen from the owner of this site and the reason I chose to actually become a member here as opposed to other boards...he allows so much more than most other sites. Check out any thread on this forum for that.

 

[Clever Name]

I haven't seen such website controversy since the old Breakfast Club.

 

[AEfx]

Sorry. I'm saying there is not a big difference between this website and what you guys seem to identify negatively as "social media whores." WDWMAGIC is on Twitter with nearly 14,000 followers. That's comprable to Inside the Magic, Touring Plans, Attractions Magazine, Lou Mongello, etc. There were several posts about lifestyle bloggers that are creepy because they visit the theme parks all the time. But this website, WDWMAGIC, visits just as often if not more often. And takes just as many pictures, if not more pictures, than any of those websites. Just look at the news from the past three or four days. You've got videos, pictures, reviews, etc. from what must have been multiple visits. And most of the other stories (WiFi change, Candlelight Processional narration, Country Bear Jamboree addition to evening emh, etc) are directly from The Hub.

I'm not saying WDWMAGIC is bad by any means. It saves me from having to log in to the Hub to see if something's been updated. But I'm not sure why we're looking so harshly at other Disney news websites, when this one practices many of the same things.

You know that the owner of this site is actually in the UK, and that most of those news items/etc. are submitted by contributors? Kinda negates most of what you just said.

The difference you will find between this site and others is that this site has actual, real insiders that post that have proven themselves over years and years. You also don't see the owner of the site out there promoting his own name and trying to build up his personal reputation, like virtually every other Disney site out there. He's not trying to shill books, or overpriced resale merchandise that you can buy over the phone direct from Disney without the surcharge, or make himself out to be some premiere blogger.

This site doesn't need all that - because it's recognized on it's actual merits - great updates from a variety of sources, and regular posters who have made this place the premiere place to discuss WDW - which is clearly evidenced when virtually every other site lags behind and you have bloggers mining posts here for their "articles".

You have very strong opinions for someone who has been around less than a week. That's one mighty axe you have to grind.

 

[menamechris]

Me too!!! Please entertain us in how you managed to acquire one without working for Disney. I haven't quite seen this claimed before.

I am not buyin it. Either he spoke too soon, not realizing you needed a password - or he's a cast member. He sounds like a college student fresh out of Traditions to me....

 

[nytimez]

The same way this website does. You don't have to be an insider to get a password.

Please elaborate.

 

[Lee]

Please elaborate.

It requires a username and password.
I suppose any registered CM could let someone use their login info.
Actually seems like something I need. Not sure why it hasn't occurred to me before...