Originally Posted By danyoung I've arrived late to this thread, but it's been an interesting read. I both agree and disagree with KatieKate. I can understand her problem with the almost constant negativity, but I don't think it's reasonable to expect people to change what they feel just because someone asks them to. This is not a Disney FAN board - it's a Disney DISCUSSION board, and as such it contains both negative and positive opinions. And that's a good thing. That said, I definitely feel sometimes as if the negative folks are almost on a campaign to convert everyone else to their way of thinking. Someone will post their excitement about their upcoming visit or a WDW restaurant or hotel or ride, only to have someone else chime in with "hey I rode that ride / ate at that restaurant / stayed at that hotel and I'll never do that again". Sometimes I think it's better to let people be excited about things and discover for themselves whether they like it or not. Now, if a thread is titled "Stuff I Hate About The MK", then you pretty much know what you're getting into when reading that thread. But if there's a healthy discussion going on about some new thing or some exciting element of a vacation and all off a sudden it's interrupted by a blast from someone who thinks that this element isn't nearly as good as what was there in 1985, well I just think that gets to be a bit much. So I'm saying we need to keep Disney's feet to the fire, to attempt to force them to maintain the quality that we've come to expect for the last 30 or 50 or 80 years. But moderation is the key. Some people just want to crow about the good things that they've experienced or are about to experience. It's not always critical that we impart our every bad experience to them.
Originally Posted By Christi22222 >>Some people just want to crow about the good things that they've experienced or are about to experience. It's not always critical that we impart our every bad experience to them.<< Frankly, that is excellent advice for life in general. Duly noted. Thanks for a very reasonable reminder.
Originally Posted By KatieKate123 THanks that was very well said, its actually what my whole point was a long. I had gone in to reading someone's trip report and it had all of their excitment when some else starting saying nasty things about what this person was saying was good. I wish I had thought of the way that you had said it because thats what I wanted my point to get across as so thanks.
Originally Posted By danyoung It really concerns me when someone is posting about their upcoming trip to WDW, and someone else feels the need to tell them that they shouldn't go to WDW but they should instead vacation at DL or Tokyo Disneyland or stay at home or go to a national park, and I had a bad meal at the Coral Reef and a bathroom wasn't 100% clean and I saw THREE lightbulbs out on Main Street! And the original poster then starts to rethink their plans to go to WDW because they believe every word that they're reading. There's a time and a place for everything, and sometimes we forget which message to post in which place.
Originally Posted By leobloom >> I had gone in to reading someone's trip report and it had all of their excitment when some else starting saying nasty things about what this person was saying was good. << >> It really concerns me when someone is posting about their upcoming trip to WDW, and someone else feels the need to tell them that they shouldn't go to WDW but they should instead vacation at DL or Tokyo Disneyland or stay at home or go to a national park, and I had a bad meal at the Coral Reef and a bathroom wasn't 100% clean and I saw THREE lightbulbs out on Main Street! And the original poster then starts to rethink their plans to go to WDW because they believe every word that they're reading. << I guess I've missed posts like that, because I don't recall people posting criticisms in trip reports (there's only two trip reports in the WDW Trip Report section, too and I didn't see anything negative in those) and don't recall anyone trying to talk anyone out of going on their WDW vacation. I think it's perfectly fine to say if you think WDW isn't worth visiting, but also don't remember anyone saying, "Jim, I know you're planning a vacation there, but you shouldn't go to WDW. Go to Yellowstone, instead."
Originally Posted By KatieKate123 I don't know if I agree with that, because first off no mater what the people noticing the bad things are the ones who are experienced, the first time you go no matter what there is wonderment, and so why don't you let those people experience that. I know I wish I could again
Originally Posted By danyoung >I guess I've missed posts like that...< I've seen it several times. The "experienced" response is usually something like "Why are you wasting your time visiting the MK when they do it so much better at DL?" A newbie is very easily influenced by posts like that, and I think that's very harmful.
Originally Posted By danyoung >...the first time you go no matter what there is wonderment...< I've long held a theory (and someone posted it already in this thread) that a lot of the disillusionment with WDW comes from familiarity. When someone first visits, their eyes are wide open and their jaw is dropping and there's just no room in the brain to notice dead lightbulbs or a scratched paint job. But after you visit a hundred times or so you really notice these things, and they bother you (and rightly so - Disney should do better!). But does that mean that there's no value in a MK visit because there are some things wrong? Not at all!
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub I started to feel negative about MY so many visits to DL and WDW. I really had to talk to myself to find the fun again. So I started to look for details that I had not noticed. It is surprising but each visit is always something new to see or do. For instance somebody posted about the Billy's Holiday selections at the golden Horseshoe in DL. I have gone to celebrate every New Years Eve at DL for the past 10 years and did not know about this. So I already have something to look forward to. And this recent trip to Osborne Spectacle of Lights I looked up into the townhouse windows and saw one television actually working with Holiday cartoons on the tv and another with a fireplace roaring. You could just imagine the families with popcorn and hot chocolate waiting for Santa to arrive. I have never noticed that before. And then doobie and rebakah posted pics of the snowflakes falling in the windows that I totally missed so now I have to go back next year...Right! Disney does like to change little details just to make it fun for themselves too. So for every negative thing you notice challenge yourself to find something new and do not waste your time standing in line at City Hall to file a complaint unless it is really worth your while. ANd honestly sometimes it is fun to hear the complaints on LP!!!
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>I've seen it several times. The "experienced" response is usually something like "Why are you wasting your time visiting the MK when they do it so much better at DL?" A newbie is very easily influenced by posts like that, and I think that's very harmful.<<< Disagree with that totally. And if people really are like that, they need to wake up, stop listening so much to other people and opinions, and formulate their own. Letting a stranger dictate how they view Disney? Utter foolishness. I NEVER let anyone else's thoughts influence my own... until I experience it myself. Sorry to sound harsh... but I REALLY hope people think for themselves more than what we are saying.
Originally Posted By plpeters70 <<A newbie is very easily influenced by posts like that, and I think that's very harmful.>> Dan, I know you've been here a long time, but really, why on earth would you care if someone was stupid enough to change their plans because of what they read here? You don't work for Disney, right - so why the concern? If there are people on here that truly feel WDW is crap, then they have a right to post, just as you have a right to post a differing opinion. And honest.y, does it really affect you personally if some stranger changes their plans because of it?
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub I recall Dan responding to me with that advice when I lamented a big trip plan for May 2011 w/2small grandchildren and the announcement of Toontown and Fantasyland major construction. I now realize they will be thrilled with the big bus ride from the airport so everything else is just the bonus!
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 Thanks DanYoung for your words and wisdom. If someone truely thinks WDW is really crap, why do they continue to post here? Go somewhere where you are happy.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>If someone truely thinks WDW is really crap, why do they continue to post here? Go somewhere where you are happy.<<< That might be just the thing... Maybe no one things WDW is crap? LOL. ... that made me laugh. Either it's from lack of tea, or the fact that I'll be halfway to the MK this time tomorrow. Excuse me for being giddy.
Originally Posted By danyoung >Disagree with that totally. And if people really are like that, they need to wake up, stop listening so much to other people and opinions, and formulate their own.< >Dan, I know you've been here a long time, but really, why on earth would you care if someone was stupid enough to change their plans because of what they read here?< Gentlemen (or ladies?), I'm not speaking an opinion here - I'm talking about an easily proved fact that this has happened, that people have been unduly influenced by some of the over-the-top negativity. It's happened to ME in the past, so I can speak with authority. I'm not weak minded, and I am something of an expert on the Disney parks. So it came as a shock some years ago to come online and read that Disneyland had taken a nose dive, that it was filthy, the CM's were rude, and it was in no way as cool a park as it used to be. But I went on my next L.A. trip anyway, and found out that all of the online pundits were full of crap! People are not stupid if they believe the things they read here. After all, we're the experts, right? Someone comes online looking for advice on an upcoming trip only to be blasted with naysayers who not only don't think thier trip will have any entertainment value at all but they can't believe someone would be so naive as to go to WDW and waste their money and their family's time. Now, of course this doesn't happen a lot - most of the time the negativity is tempered with at least a little positive. But again, I've seen it happen. I just think we need to realize that our own experiences as veteran park stormers won't be the same as someone who's visiting for the first time.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>People are not stupid if they believe the things they read here. After all, we're the experts, right? Someone comes online looking for advice on an upcoming trip only to be blasted with naysayers who not only don't think thier trip will have any entertainment value at all but they can't believe someone would be so naive as to go to WDW and waste their money and their family's time. Now, of course this doesn't happen a lot - most of the time the negativity is tempered with at least a little positive. But again, I've seen it happen. I just think we need to realize that our own experiences as veteran park stormers won't be the same as someone who's visiting for the first time.<<< Well, I agree with that...but... I really don't think someone is going to read that I despise The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and because of that, never head in there. The same with formulating an opinion on WDW as a whole. Sure, we can say all these things, and maybe create an impression, but in the end, the impression can be blown away. Happened for me with IoA. All the Disney Fanbois said it was terrible, save for a few, I went, fell in love with it.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper My buddy who worked custodial use to be asked regularly about the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse in the MK. He would respond that it was 116 steps of pure joy...but in quite the sarcastic manner. But, that didn't deter the majority of people...many of whom would come back down and admit that he was "right".
Originally Posted By wahooskipper And, by the way, I like Universal and IOA too...but I'm more an amusement park fan than a Disney fan. Though, I will admit that the staff at Disney is better than the staff at Universal on a whole.
