Has the DIS UNPLUGGED podcast gone sour?

OP, have you listened to the latest round of 7 in 7 reviews? I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how overwhelmingly positive the episodes have been. Everyone involved had tons of good things to say about the places they visited. It wasn't 100% positive, of course, but even the negatives were not extremely negative. Heck, the fact that Pete walked away from the process saying he would happily stay at the All Stars again tells you how positive things were.
 
We just started watching in the last several months. I affectionately call it The Grumpy Guy Show. I don't mind them at all and find them amusing and informative. They really helped prepare us for our recent trip. I just wish they had a few more female commentators.

I've been listening to the podcast for over a year now and my favourite shows are when they have Teresa, Kathy or Julie on the panel.
 
I’ve been thinking about this thread, and if there is a more negative tone - which I can’t confirm or deny since I’ve been watching less than a year - then I prefer the more negative tone. I want to know the reality, not the sugar coated version that I have seen on other YouTube channels. I want to be able to plan ahead for worst case scenarios, even if that involves avoiding things or spending money on upcharges (which is my preferred option, based on various health issues in our party). I also appreciate the perspectives of those who, while they may live in the area, travel enough that they can compare the parks’ experience to what you might find elsewhere.

I think that certain members of the team, particularly Pete and Kevin, have high expectations in general, and I like that. They both seem to travel in the way that I do, and so probably have similarly high expectations to mine - I totally admit that I can be high maintenance (which is not to say that they are!). So, for example, I had been on tenterhooks waiting for Pete’s review of our hotel in the new 7 in 7, and was hugely relieved when he said such nice things about it. The hotel is a compromise with other family, and I have never been fully on board. When Pete drove up to the hotel in the same car that I own and said such positive things about it, I was reassured in a way that I hadn’t been by other reviews, which seem either puff pieces or too easily impressed.
 


I love the podcast. While every other Disney podcast is crapping out pixie dust, DIS tells it how it is. I like that if they don't like something or if Disney doesn't do something right, they call out the company. It may seem negative right now because there's a lot of questionable stuff popping up re: Disney (price increases, parking, poor wages, etc.) and Pete is gonna absolutely call them out on it.
 
I’ve been thinking about this thread, and if there is a more negative tone - which I can’t confirm or deny since I’ve been watching less than a year - then I prefer the more negative tone. I want to know the reality, not the sugar coated version that I have seen on other YouTube channels. I want to be able to plan ahead for worst case scenarios, even if that involves avoiding things or spending money on upcharges (which is my preferred option, based on various health issues in our party). I also appreciate the perspectives of those who, while they may live in the area, travel enough that they can compare the parks’ experience to what you might find elsewhere.

I agree with you on this.
It’s not negativity generally, it’s just more realistic. It was what I liked about The Dis in the first place. There are plenty of people who think everything at the parks if perfect and amazing, but I can’t get any useful information out of them people because they just live in “fantasyland”, mind the pun.

I love Disney, I love WDW and I love The Dis. I like to know the perspectives of those I don’t agree with on the team generally. Because it makes me aware of what others who I am vacationing with may feel.

I mean a lot of The Dis members love Disney so much they moved to WDW
 
I agree with you on this.
It’s not negativity generally, it’s just more realistic. It was what I liked about The Dis in the first place. There are plenty of people who think everything at the parks if perfect and amazing, but I can’t get any useful information out of them people because they just live in “fantasyland”, mind the pun.

I love Disney, I love WDW and I love The Dis. I like to know the perspectives of those I don’t agree with on the team generally. Because it makes me aware of what others who I am vacationing with may feel.

I mean a lot of The Dis members love Disney so much they moved to WDW

A cursory read of these forums shows that WDW is not all rainbows and pixie dust, no matter how much people enjoy their trips, yet Dis Unplugged is one of the few places on YouTube that reflects this. For the kind of people who read forums and watch podcasts, ie planners, it’s helpful if you are getting accurate information when you do your research!

At most, I see the bad parts brushed off with “yes, it’s hot, busy and expensive; what do you expect, it’s WDW”, which may be how it is viewed by those people with enough knowledge and experience of WDW to be writing a book or creating a YouTube channel about it. However, for someone who is not as familiar with the parks, especially first timers, those things needs to be considered, particularly if you have any kind of non-standard situation in your party, be it health issues, allergies, or even a very tight budget. A sanitised, pixie-dust-coated fiction is as useless to me as if I landed at MCO without having done any research at all; perhaps it is actually worse, since I would have unrealistic expectations.
 


Has the DIS ever used a "guest" for the show format? A person whose Disney experience was not paid for or works directly for the Dreams Unlimited team, and lived through an experience for the "topic"; an the episode such as traveling - during a hurricane, with a large family or reunion, handicapped special needs children or pick a thread on the forum and ask questions of the person posting, etc. Have a contest or some random way to reward the person for their time, but let the hosts ask questions about their difficult times and solutions that were found or not found. The guest can be anonymous, like the forum.
It seems that is currently what they do with "articles" they read and discuss are show topics. One that is often left off is the "POV"with children -dining, rooms, resort activities, CM interactions with kids, wheel chairs, scooters, service dogs, etc. Facing challenges the customers face everyday
and now at Disney in the crowds. I was disappointed when some of that was last discussed. Would like hear the other side (you know the ones who bumped their stroller or scooter into you) and just maybe, a little compassion.

Disney vacations. Saving up for the dream and experiencing the cost factor may be add a different flavor to the show. A frazzled traveler, surviving a storm, fighting Ca. or Orlando traffic, with the solutions the "Dreams" group are able to provide or not. A forum thread that follows along.

FYI, Craig, I loved the 7 in 7 when you logged from bed. It was so comfortable you slept in. Now that's a review I care about!
 
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Has the DIS ever used a "guest" for the show format? A person whose Disney experience was not paid for or works directly for the Dreams Unlimited team, and lived through an experience for the "topic"; an the episode such as traveling - during a hurricane, with a large family or reunion, handicapped special needs children or pick a thread on the forum and ask questions of the person posting, etc. Have a contest or some random way to reward the person for their time, but let the hosts ask questions about their difficult times and solutions that were found or not found. The guest can be anonymous, like the forum.
It seems that is currently what they do with "articles" they read and discuss are show topics. One that is often left off is the "POV"with children -dining, rooms, resort activities, CM interactions with kids, wheel chairs, scooters, service dogs, etc. Facing challenges the customers face everyday
and now at Disney in the crowds. I was disappointed when some of that was last discussed. Would like hear the other side (you know the ones who bumped their stroller or scooter into you) and just maybe, a little compassion.

Disney vacations. Saving up for the dream and experiencing the cost factor may be add a different flavor to the show. A frazzled traveler, surviving a storm, fighting Ca. or Orlando traffic, with the solutions the "Dreams" group are able to provide or not. A forum thread that follows along.

FYI, Craig, I loved the 7 in 7 when you logged from bed. It was so comfortable you slept in. Now that's a review I care about!

On the original Disneyland show Tom, Mary Jo, Nancy, Tony, and Michael would dedicate a show to a person who was going to Disneyland, sometimes for the first time. The traveler's questions were answered. Suggestions about park touring strategies, Fast Passes, food, entertainment, Day 6 -- non-Disneyland sight seeing, etc., were made by the panel. After the traveler's trip he/she would make another appearance on the Disneyland show to tell the panel about the trip.
 
As a long time listener, since the beginning, I don't think it's gone sour, just changed quite a bit.

I still listen every week, no time for the video piece, and still thoroughly enjoy the show. With that said, as much as I enjoy the new team members, the feel has definitely changed. I miss the early Bob days, as well as the years that followed. I don't really care for the video format, and feel the show went a bit downhill when they started that. It's evolved from an easy going simple Disney Podcast to something much more in good and bad ways.

But in the end, I'll still keep listening as it is still the best show out there for numerous reasons. It just doesn't feel as personal anymore.
 
Other Vloggers/ Bloggers are doing lovely HD park walk arounds and live streaming from events. Showing the latest and greatest faster and without negativity and yet the DIS are doing....the best and worst bathrooms in WDW or the best and worst smells in WDW o_O Great, can't wait to see that..
 
Other Vloggers/ Bloggers are doing lovely HD park walk arounds and live streaming from events.
Personally, I have no interest in walk around and live streaming. I know what the parks look like and I don't need to watch an event I couldn't attend.

I love the Tuesday show content, getting caught up on what's happening with all things Disney. And I only listen, not watch, so all the vlog stuff holds no appeal at all.

Different strokes.
 
Other Vloggers/ Bloggers are doing lovely HD park walk arounds and live streaming from events. Showing the latest and greatest faster and without negativity and yet the DIS are doing....the best and worst bathrooms in WDW or the best and worst smells in WDW o_O Great, can't wait to see that..


Just to counter this, the DIS did a ton of "walk around" coverage of Toy Story Land and had vlogs of both the lunch/dinner and then breakfast food at Andy's Lunchbox

Also, the Best and Worst this week is "Best and Worst of Toy Story Land" - which was interesting in that overall they really like the land but also point out areas that could have been better
 
overall they really like the land but also point out areas that could have been better
I don't follow a lot of Disney bloggers but all the ones that I've seen have identical complaints about TSL, mainly no shade and no air conditioning and no cover if it rains. I suspect Disney will fix the shade issue fairly quickly. It may just take a few guests passing out from the heat.
 
I don't follow a lot of Disney bloggers but all the ones that I've seen have identical complaints about TSL, mainly no shade and no air conditioning and no cover if it rains. I suspect Disney will fix the shade issue fairly quickly. It may just take a few guests passing out from the heat.

I did notice in a lot of the opening day coverage that they had umbrellas set up over a lot of the extended queue - and those umbrellas I think have not been returned to being over the tables for eating - so I think most (if not all) of those at least are protected

Yeah, I am surprised the queues at least aren't more covered. I have posted elsewhere that I think an easy fix would be to have a tarp-like covering that is themed to being the green army men parachutes

Originally I felt they missed out on not having a play area for the kids, but perhaps what they really needs is a misting fan area or something like that (something like the tikis in Adventureland). Could theme it to Barbie accessories like a haridryer and stuff the blow mist on you
 
Personally, I have no interest in walk around and live streaming. I know what the parks look like and I don't need to watch an event I couldn't attend.

I love the Tuesday show content, getting caught up on what's happening with all things Disney. And I only listen, not watch, so all the vlog stuff holds no appeal at all.

Different strokes.
I do personally have an interest in live streaming, walking around and ride videos because I don't get to WDW often. I don't know what the parks look like other than google earth views and examining park maps after 6 years has passed. The vlog stuff holds a lot of appeal to me personally and that's only a recent last few years desire for me.

I do watch and have no desire to just listen. I really enjoy seeing them but that's probably because I'm an auditory and visual learner so I enjoy seeing their faces, I enjoy seeing the powerpoint slides they have up or to show shirts they are wearing, etc. But that is me personally.

All that being said I get my fix elsewhere. I watch Tim Tracker, I watch This Orlando Life, I watch every now and then random other vloggers and I watch the DIS and most of their videos (WDW Unplugged, Universal Unplugged, Dining reviews, majority of Best and Worst, random videos, really enjoyed 7 in 7 to see resorts I wouldn't otherwise see, etc).

So I get the other poster's point and I get your point and decide that one can have both in this World (pun intended) but not necessarily from one source. Would I love more on ride videos from the DIS team? Absolutely (just watched a few days ago archive footage of Ryno and Craig riding Barnstormer OMG I couldn't stop laughing) but I appreciate what they do now and am totally fine going elsewhere in addition to the DIS to get my whole fix.
 

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