WDW Social 'Media' and Conspiracy

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

<<The problem with the Disney Parks blog is that it's so...fake.>>

The official Disney Parks Blog is just soooo ... fake.

<<I always think of a blog as being the honest thoughts and opinions of a person.>>

Me too. But Thomas and his cohorts are paid publicity hacks for the WDC. There are no honest thoughts or opinions there at all. Just corporate talking points mixed with a healthy dusting of pixie dust and WISHES, DREAMS and MAGIC!


<<With this Disney Blog, it all positive, positive, positive -- like a chirpy press release or something. Are the 'bloggers' employed by the Disney Company?>>

Yes. They all are. They generally blog based on what their 'beat's is in the company. Smith is head of WDW Social Media. They have a DCL writer ... a Disney Sports Writer ... a Disney Foods writer etc ... they are all the publicists whose responsibilities are for those areas.


<<And while there's certainly a place for that type of information -- that TV channel in your Disney hotel room that repeats all the great things to do at WDW comes to mind -- a Disney Parks Blog seems to suggest other things.

Which it is not.>>

Agreed.

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74


<<ACK!!

Spirit, you know I love you more than my luggage (Steel Magnolias fans will catch the reference), but you mentioned the WRONG site!

"The Disney Blog" is a terrific fan site created by long-time LP poster, John Frost (Indigo).

The site you should be referencing is The Disney PARKS Blog.>>

Yep. Mucho apologies for that, John.

That's what you get for posting late at night after a less than MAGICal visit to O-Town.

Of course, Disney (I'm sure) doesn't mind getting folks on its blog that were thinking of being elsewhere.

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

<<Why in the heck would anybody in their right mind come on this site where they would receive assaults from every direction.>>

I know he won't. Company wouldn't allow it unless he posted as someone not himself, which would blow the purpose.

But he'll read it, or some blogging twit looking for another freebie or more swag will tell him the evil, vile, pinko, Commie Spirit took an online swing at him.

<<LeeMac is the only one that I know of that has the cogs to do it. He always manages to tell it like it is, and he's certainly no fanboy.>>

I have a feeling (lots actually) that Leemac isn't thrilled with the company today in many ways, although he is free to speak for himself. And while he has worked for/with some of the personalities mentioned here from time to time, I'll always consider Lee a fanboi of the highest magnitude!

<<Still I would actually be embarrassesd for anybody from Disney coming on, and defending their product. I bet Star Wars 2.0 is going to be a great attraction. >>

I think it's going to be a very nice updating of an attraction that was very tired in 2000.

 

Originally Posted By GOB

This is what I don't understand...why pour tons of money into developing a blog, paying writers, and whoring internet fanboys if the same folks are going to come back and visit regardless of anything new being added?

I'm just incredulous that they can spend all of that money on crap like that and then continue to "Wal-mart" the parks (and not just the Orlando ones).

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

<<Let's see now. I'm a Disney executive.>>

YOU ... a Disney exec??!?!

Sorry, they want incompetence not incontinence.

<<Who do I want talking about my new offering to the public. Fanboys, and Disney Moms or folks so burnt out on Disney they can't see straight. BOY! That's a really tough call.>>

A friend 'splained it thusly: Disney whoring to the blogosphere is really like a Ponzi scheme for marketing their brand.

They get a group of folks, many with social phobias (hey, I've met enough of them to cast aspersions) and feelings of insignificance, at their 'important events'. These people are given swag, allowed to drool over Tom Fitzgerald or Tony Baxter (albeit in a controlled ... tightly controlled setting ... want to make a WDW publicist cry? Grab Joe Rohde and disappear into a jungle for a private conversation on a dark night at DAK) and treated to a VIP experience.

What do you think they're going to say about the product?

Then ... they spread the word and it gets further diluted as message boards pick up on .. say what some Mommy and Me Blogger said about the new pizza joint at EPCOT or the Aquaduck on the Disney Dream and the more the word spreads, the impact increases.

At the same time, obviously, paying guests are NOT going to be getting the VIP treatment. They're going to be paying through their noses to be at WDW (even with free dining!)

Disney is investing in bloggers, who in turn get fanbois (their captive audience) hooked on a quick hit of pixie dust, while marginalizing the product and diminishing the brand.

In return, the bloggers keep being invited back and see greater returns on their whoring up to Disney, while Disney's impact on the blogopshere increases at a cost of almost nothing (well, greatly if brand degradation is a concern, but the past decade has shown Disney doesn't give a damn about that).

The marketing machine isn't expanding the audience, however. It sermonizes from the same pulpit to the same people sitting in the same pews as the church around them continues to decay and fall apart.

But the plate does get passed ... from one fan to another fan to another fan ... no converts, just the addicts.

So, I guess, Thomas and the WDW Social Media Department is nothing more than simple street level dealers ... no crack, no heroin, no oxycodone ... just good, old-fashioned pixie dust for those invested in the cult of Disney.

For Burbank, I think this is a big problem that they haven't seem to have gotten yet ...

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

<<Because nothing says a Disney vacation than picking a fight.>>

Have you ever seen fights at WDW? Children being beaten until police have been called? Domestic violence?

I have. Disney isn't an escape from the real world often ...

<<The elitist attitude of some of you is really off putting.>>

I love being labeled 'elite' ... it is a good thing.

<<I would never recommend this site if someone was going to Disney the first time.>>

To be fair, I think the WDW and DL planning boards are great for advice on trips.

This board is for more meaty discussions ... now, time for some Friday Night frozen yogurt ... who sez da Spirit doesn't know how to live (oh, and I won't be getting them from Disney for free!)

 

Originally Posted By WDWdreamin

Look how many of us, on this Disney fan page, can't stand the positive-ness of that site and others. But I am sure that there are non-addicts who get led to that page and take some of the one-sided views to heart. Sad.

 

Originally Posted By WDWdreamin

I'll stop being dumb and say "positivity" instead.

 

Originally Posted By vbdad55

Oh please. Don't even get me started on the guests that go wearing Dixie Outfitters clothes and TeaParty shirts. WDW wants trash (which started in the "Were Going Outta Business!" phase in '09) and this too will be it's downfall.

\---- funny I read things like this here 10 years ago and somehow they have survived. And oh btw-- the description above was a perfect description for Uni fans at that time-- when my kids were younger they absolutely viewed the Uni crowds as much rougher edged than Disney fans-- did they suddenly all become Harvard grads ? I don't think so...

 

Originally Posted By vbdad55

They must be Texans cause we have gun racks on our pick-ups.
--------- you know what's funny Pierce- liberals love to bash southerners with gun racks etc-- but don't complain at all that a good portion of our military that protect our arse is also made up of those same people....

I guess it's much better than those who vote Democratic all the time by me but belong to the nations largest street gangs.. ( As long as they don't have Bush bumper stickers) -- geez. If the world was only that easily explained here.

 

Originally Posted By vbdad55

A friend 'splained it thusly: Disney whoring to the blogosphere is really like a Ponzi scheme for marketing their brand.
-----

actually I can tell you it is part of a much larger movement by major global corporations to get into the social media ( not that anyone would take away from a chance to bash Disney corp) -

they all are getting into it in a big way-- running their own internal 'facebook' type pages ( usually called something else for legal reasons)- and then sticking their toes in the water in the real on line world- carefuully monitoring and asking key customers to participate with them. I know people in my Corp. that have moved into these roles. They know they must get into that world but are caustious about the volatility of it --

Disney is not the only one doing this-- and most are not even entertainment companies

 

Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer

>>>It's also very disconceting that Her Highness Tom Fitz is the ONLY "celebrity Imagineer" to post on the blog.<<<<

And isn't he leaving to spend more time with family, soon?

 

Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer

>>>>> Because nothing says a Disney vacation than picking a fight. The elitist attitude of some of you is really off putting. I would never recommend this site if someone was going to Disney the first time. <<

Nor would I.<<<<


I wouldn't recommend any site, honestly.

 

Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer

>>>The immortal words of Wayne Campbell.<<<<

+100.

 

Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer

>>>Makes ya look tough. People don't mess with people with gun racks. LOL<<<

Now, what if you have a gun rack... and then get out of your car wearing a Pin Lanyard and Mickey Ears?

Mixed messages!

 

Originally Posted By MPierce

>> Now, what if you have a gun rack... and then get out of your car wearing a Pin Lanyard and Mickey Ears?

Mixed messages! <<

It means you're an anti-social killing machine high on pixie dust!

 

Originally Posted By MPierce

>> actually I can tell you it is part of a much larger movement by major global corporations to get into the social media ( not that anyone would take away from a chance to bash Disney corp) -

they all are getting into it in a big way-- running their own internal 'facebook' type pages ( usually called something else for legal reasons)- and then sticking their toes in the water in the real on line world- carefuully monitoring and asking key customers to participate with them. I know people in my Corp. that have moved into these roles. They know they must get into that world but are caustious about the volatility of it --

Disney is not the only one doing this-- and most are not even entertainment companies <<

You capture a much younger audience, and start indoctrinating them at a early age.

 

Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer

>>>It means you're an anti-social killing machine high on pixie dust!<<<

... And I bet there are peeps out there like that. *shudder*

 

Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer

>>>You capture a much younger audience, and start indoctrinating them at a early age.<<<

Not even that... I posit that the majority of visitors who visited for the first time after or around 2000 have a much different view of what should be going on at WDW than people who visited in the early 90's, like myself. And of course, comparatively, for each decade going back to 1971.

 

Originally Posted By MPierce

>> Not even that... I posit that the majority of visitors who visited for the first time after or around 2000 have a much different view of what should be going on at WDW than people who visited in the early 90's, like myself. And of course, comparatively, for each decade going back to 1971. <<

Naturally they do. Just like the World is viewed differntly from someone born in 1950 than from someone born in 1990.