My Official Statement

[Epcot Forever Forever]

I can understand how Pete is no longer going to be involved with DU since there are two other owners with him but how is he not going to be involved with and profit from the DIS? Werner Entertainment (Pete's and only Pete's company) owns the Dis and the boards and the shows. He's not going to willingly sell. While he might not be "involved" with the Dis on a daily basis he will still profit from it. I feel horrible for Ryno and Craig being stuck in this spot. Unfortunately I don't feel like either of them can leave at the drop of a hat but being in this situation is horrible.

The statement says he IS selling. I believe @WebmasterCorey owns a portion already. I am definitely curious to see who ends up with the rest.

 

[eeyorethegreat]

It was a horrible statement! No mention of the victims...unless you count themselves in John's eyes! I get it, you're circling the complicit wagons, but read the room Kathy!

I am sure they John and Corey are working under the advisement of legal counsel.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

For those on these boards who have decided it is OK to be mean, nasty and threatening to Kevin and myself I must say I am totally and completely appalled. We have always been nice, friendly and respectful to everyone we have met. The vitriol and hatred coming our way is uncalled for and disturbing.

This is where you lost me. You are not the victim in this. Offer support. This is not about you.

 

[Nikki210]

Oops

 

[Nikki210]

The statement says he IS selling. I believe @WebmasterCorey owns a portion already. I am definitely curious to see who ends up with the rest.

The statement was he is being divested, not selling. In business those are 2 different things. Being divested he will still profit from it until he either agrees to sell (which I have a hard time believing he will) or the "board" votes him out and forces a sale which can legally take years.

 

[Strikan]

John blocked me on Instagram for commenting yesterday before he issued his statement that he should not be posting ice cream pictures while this is going on. Petty John, very petty. Looks like Dis leadership still have learned nothing. I’m out.

 

[Tonyz]

This is my own personal opinion. I think it's valid and important to raise concerns.

I also think there is a difference between voicing concerns and accusing people of knowing what was going on and not doing anything about it when they have said that they didn't know and when those who were attacked have defended members of the DIS Unplugged and Dreams UT team and said they did not know. I believe them when they said they did not know. I believe them when they say that there are going to be changes.

People may have been discussing these issues for a long time, but the management team did not know about it until a couple of weeks ago.

I don't work for them, nor am I privy to what they discuss behind closed doors. What I have witnessed, and continue to believe is that John is a stand-up guy. He's facing a no-win situation at a bad time for them - hosting an event for people that paid a lot of money while working to ensure clients and agents are protected. On top of that, he's having to read accusations against him, Kevin, and others for something they didn't do and weren't involved with. Dustin has repeatedly asked that we not attack the others. What I'm seeing are people legitimately concerned and also people that relish drama and want to hurt a company and the collateral damage to the several Dreams agents and others that have been working in good faith, and are depending on John to continue to ensure that they have a place to work while serving their customers.

I've seen legitimate concerns and I've seen trash talk. For me, at least, it's not hard to differentiate between the two. Legitimate concerns are valid and the Admin team is giving space for that. I also believe that they are reading, learning, and will act on it. Trash talk only hurts and tears apart people and lives without regard.

If it were me being talked about, I would be more apt to read the thoughtful responses, and disregard the attacks being from people that don't know me. Again, this is just me talking, and I'm part of the community on these boards, and friends with pretty much all the people that are being talked about here.

And, I'm not ignoring the ones who really have been hurt. Dustin and I have communicated recently, and I believe Sean and I are okay, too (though he barely knows me).

Wow, now that is how I would hope a Webmaster would respond. Thank you so much, MaryJo.

 

[thunderbird1]

I know many of you want my official take on the situation. Due to legalities and under advice of council I am not permitted to comment on the allegations. I may be able to say more in the future but I can’t as of right now.

While I appreciate your finally coming out with a statement, it's not only many days late, it's ~$866,000 short. I get that you may not be able to comment on the specifics of ongoing and potential future litigation, but you probably should have run your statement by "counsel" instead of your own personal "council," which I'm guessing is made up of the people who pay a lot of money to be in your "friend" group and think you can do no wrong.

The fact that you dedicated most of your statement boasting about the "strong financial footing" of your business tells us all we need to know about where your real priorities lie. You say you are "appalled" at the behavior of people on the internet over the past week. It's a shame you weren't more appalled at the behavior of your business partner over the past 10+ years.

I've been on these boards since 2005, and been a podcast listener since the Bawb Varley days. I fell off the boards around 2016, and quit listening to the podcast regularly a couple of years ago; a story I seem to share with a lot of people who have recently resurfaced. And, like many of them, I think I'm finally done. I wish you well.

 

[Princesca]

John at least did not deliver his statement by ukelele. (I'm looking at you, Colleen Ballinger.)

 

[Kd241710]

The statement was he is being divested, not selling. In business those are 2 different things. Being divested he will still profit from it until he either agrees to sell (which I have a hard time believing he will) or the "board" votes him out and forces a sale which can legally take years.

John’s statement said Mr Werner’s ownership interest is being divested. How is this different than selling his ownership stake and resulting profits?


Divestiture is a partial or full disposal of the company's business units or assets through sale, exchange, or bankruptcy. The main reasons for divestiture are cash generation, the sell-off of redundant business units, the desire to increase market value, disposal of non-core assets, political issues, and court orders.

 

[SuperMuscleMan]

I read the statement and I felt sick. I thought it was just me that this was all about Kevin and John. But alas others also agreed. These comments were how I feel...

You john, had a duty to protect YOUR employees from abuse, assault and harassment and you did nothing.
You stood by while YOUR employees were humiliated and ridiculed. But hey if the money is rolling in no skin off your back. You must take some responsibility in your compliance.
You and Kevin are NOT the victims.

Feel free to ban me, but this is just as tone deaf as the original post. None of us care that John & Kevin got mean comments, they are hardly the victims in this scenario and should not be treated as such. As someone who was a victim of sexual assault, that's laughable.

The problem wasn’t the slowness John it was the content. You guys are off posting about food and big hats at DL while two major new allegations came out today. It was tone deaf.

If you can’t say you are sad because your lawyer says you can’t, then maybe it would have been better to say nothing? The posts from DL send the absolute wrong message.

I thought today was a very sad day.

Yes, ban me too. This is super gross.

It is not snark. Folks have legitimate complaints and they are your customers and clients. Why treat them this way?

Good start. What literal, tangible, steps are you taking to ensure this doesn't happen again?

How is pointing out that John’s statement didn’t need the victim paragraph make us haters? I have been reading these boards since 2007, been a customer of DU, listened to every podcast etc. However, now I am a hater? You are the one who is attacking here. Think on that.

John and Kevin did not say how brave the others were and have made this all about themselves. They should be ashamed at this statement and I'm so glad others agree.

 

[JimmyV_2.0]

By now I’m sure most of you have seen my blog post about Pete’s departure from Dreams Unlimited Travel and the DIS. If not you can see it here https://www.wdwinfo.com/uncategoriz...-and-co-owner-of-dreams-unlimited-travel-inc/

I know many of you want my official take on the situation. Due to legalities and under advice of council I am not permitted to comment on the allegations. I may be able to say more in the future but I can’t as of right now.

I can say that Dreams Unlimited Travel and The DIS both have incredible teams of people working for and with us. We are a very strong organization and we will continue to grow and improve, as we have done every year we have been in business. I have the best people in the world working for and with me and I am so grateful for all of them. We are on strong financial footing and our business continues to grow.

For those on these boards who have decided it is OK to be mean, nasty and threatening to Kevin and myself I must say I am totally and completely appalled. We have always been nice, friendly and respectful to everyone we have met. The vitriol and hatred coming our way is uncalled for and disturbing. Just because my response wasn’t fast enough for some people you have decided that it’s appropriate to hide behind an anonymous screen name and post whatever you like. You have created false narratives and fabricated stories without knowing the first thing about us.

For those who have been supportive and good friends both on the boards and in ‘real life’ I am eternally grateful to have you in our lives. Your friendship is a blessing and I am humbled by your support.

My virtual door is always open and I have posted my email address on these boards before but in case you don’t have it – John@DreamsUnlimitedTravel.com

John Magi
President, Co-Owner
Dreams Unlimited Travel, Inc.

Here you go John. Wrote this for you free of charge. There's still time to go back and edit your original post.

We know that you are all hurting and trying to heal. We are too. Trust me when I say that we know these issues are serious, are at the top of our minds, and are being dealt with. As you know, we are are currently in California fulfilling an obligation we made to many people over a long period of time and while we have obligations to all of you, we have obligations to them as well. You have my word that as soon as we return from California we will be announcing changes and will have much more to say on these matters. Nothing that has transpired has slipped past us nor will it go unaddressed. Until then, please be kind to one another. Thank you.
Sincerely, John.

 

[ChrisFL]

It also would have been much better IMHO if he came out with JUST the statement and MAYBE not share pics on social media looking like Nero when Rome was burning....or taking pics of the food when the titanic is sinking or something to that effect, at least until a proper statement is released. It all seemed very "ok, geez, people actually want a statement while I'm busy trying to ignore it all"

 

[Tonyz]

Also, I think it's worth noting that Tyler didn't start being vocal about his accusations that others in the company knew and protected Pete until after John's statement. Clearly he was not happy with it. He's even on this board trying to speak the truth. JL was not happy with it, either.

John took his opportunity to be a leader, and instead he decided to make himself the victim, attack those who (seemingly rightfully) questioned the company line, and talk about how much money his business has.

And because of that, we now have an ex-team member who is telling everyone the truth and no longer afraid of legal actions.

 

[gonzolady]

Here you go John. Wrote this for you free of charge. There's still time to go back and edit your original post.

We know that you are all hurting and trying to heal. We are too. Trust me when I say that we know these issues are serious, are at the top of our minds, and are being dealt with. As you know, we are are currently in California fulfilling an obligation we made to many people over a long period of time and while we have obligations to all of you, we have obligations to them as well. You have my word that as soon as we return from California we will be announcing changes and will have much more to say on these matters. Nothing that has transpired has slipped past us nor will it go unaddressed. Until then, please be kind to one another. Thank you.
Sincerely, John.

Brilliant!

 

[WGCFV]

John's statement was a combination of legal guidance and emotional response. The latter is where it went off the rails, not the right tone and the optics of his sentiments clearly has added fuel to the fire for the disboards community. All of the allegations, both individually and collectively paint a powerful narrative of a highly dysfunctional workplace. I think the first thing DUT should do moving forward after they settle current legal situation, should be to either hire an HR expert (working for DUT), or work with an HR firm that supports small businesses.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

By now I’m sure most of you have seen my blog post about Pete’s departure from Dreams Unlimited Travel and the DIS. If not you can see it here https://www.wdwinfo.com/uncategoriz...-and-co-owner-of-dreams-unlimited-travel-inc/

I know many of you want my official take on the situation. Due to legalities and under advice of council I am not permitted to comment on the allegations. I may be able to say more in the future but I can’t as of right now.

I can say that Dreams Unlimited Travel and The DIS both have incredible teams of people working for and with us. We are a very strong organization and we will continue to grow and improve, as we have done every year we have been in business. I have the best people in the world working for and with me and I am so grateful for all of them. We are on strong financial footing and our business continues to grow.

For those on these boards who have decided it is OK to be mean, nasty and threatening to Kevin and myself I must say I am totally and completely appalled. We have always been nice, friendly and respectful to everyone we have met. The vitriol and hatred coming our way is uncalled for and disturbing. Just because my response wasn’t fast enough for some people you have decided that it’s appropriate to hide behind an anonymous screen name and post whatever you like. You have created false narratives and fabricated stories without knowing the first thing about us.

For those who have been supportive and good friends both on the boards and in ‘real life’ I am eternally grateful to have you in our lives. Your friendship is a blessing and I am humbled by your support.

My virtual door is always open and I have posted my email address on these boards before but in case you don’t have it – John@DreamsUnlimitedTravel.com

John Magi
President, Co-Owner
Dreams Unlimited Travel, Inc.

Seems to me that this isn't the time to paint yourself or others at the Dis as victims. There are real, living, breathing people who were victims. If you weren't aware of the issues at play in your company, then you need to take a better look at how you are running things...owners should know what is going on, where the money is or where it's going, and who they are working with.

I hope in the future you can be more willing to take even a small amount of accountability and responsibility for what happened in your company, instead of just attacking anyone who dares to question things or not offer complete support. This is the exact tone that would come with shaming people on the boards who would ask why certain team members left so abruptly and mysteriously.

People have real questions about who knew what and if Pete was enabled or was allowed to keep his actions hidden for fear that it would hurt the business, and it's not wrong for them to ask those questions and voice their frustrations.

It's much easier to attempt to play victim, I know. But it's a very bad look to go on the attack during a time like this.

I expected better of you, John.

I agree

My thoughts continue to be with the victims here. The actual victims. Without whom none of this would have come to light.

My thoughts keep going back to the episode of the podcast where J & P insisted that there was no homophobia in Fl. (paraphrasing) and Ryno was brave enough to speak up and share his lived experience. It was clear in that moment, that you see what you want to see, even if it's right in front of you. Solidarity to the whistleblowers.

Feel free to ban me for this comment, I'm out

1000%

Way to make you & Kevin the victims. Not cool. This was terribly written & offensive to those who suffered.

I agree.

How dare you attack the very people who have supported you and your business all these years. You would have nothing without your audience. You john, had a duty to protect YOUR employees from abuse, assault and harassment and you did nothing.
You stood by while YOUR employees were humiliated and ridiculed. But hey if the money is rolling in no skin off your back. You must take some responsibility in your compliance.
You and Kevin are NOT the victims.

1000%

Feel free to ban me, but this is just as tone deaf as the original post. None of us care that John & Kevin got mean comments, they are hardly the victims in this scenario and should not be treated as such. As someone who was a victim of sexual assault, that's laughable.

I agree.

The problem wasn’t the slowness John it was the content. You guys are off posting about food and big hats at DL while two major new allegations came out today. It was tone deaf.

I am deeply heartbroken for Dustin today. If true, the new allegation he learned TODAY will affect him for a long time. And worse, he waited 10 YEARS to put this piece of information into his puzzle to work through in therapy.

If you can’t say you are sad because your lawyer says you can’t, then maybe it would have been better to say nothing? The posts from DL send the absolute wrong message.

I thought today was a very sad day.

Yes, ban me too. This is super gross.

They absolutely needed to make a statement. They did not need to make it about themselves.

This is a horrendous situation and I hope those victimized get some justice. To the long time Dis members check out the “arrival “ dates of some of the grievously outraged posting on the thread. One person joined the Dis tonight, another joined Monday, and two others joined January. Just seemed interesting ( not saying it’s relevant necessarily just interesting).

I've been on the Disboards for a very long time; since 2015 on this account...and another 10 years before that, between an account I forgot and one that I lost. I haven't been on in months, and came back because I found the post about this situation on Reddit, which led me here and to two other un-named sites. (One of which hasn't really addressed this, which I find odd; and the other is the gossipy site with all sorts of posts on this situation).

I am outraged that this situation happened to these men. I am outraged that there was an attempt made to make it look like the victims were the people who should have been monitoring their co-workers/employees but dropped the ball. I am outraged that people are still supporting a man who has been accused of not only SA employees, but also drugging them, and stealing from the company via credit card. I am outraged that no statement came forth until days and days after this situation popped into the public view. They talk about transparency and honesty; there was neither until it was absolutely pushed upon them.

My heart is with the survivors of this situation.

 

[nfreeman]

They definitely needed to do a statement. If it appears tone deaf I can certainly understand how that can be perceived.

The bigger question is what will Disney do. Will they suspend their media & travel booking privileges and launch an investigation. I think it’s warranted considering all the recent revelations. I know they have a long long history with the DIS but that shouldn’t matter at this point.

 

[Tonyz]

They definitely needed to do a statement. If it appears tone deaf I can certainly understand how that can be perceived.

The bigger question is what will Disney do. Will they suspend their media & travel booking privileges and launch an investigation. I think it’s warranted considering all the recent revelations. I know they have a long long history with the DIS but that shouldn’t matter at this point.

I agree. Clearly, they have no intention of holding themselves accountable. So Disney has to.

 

[Evansvillegirl26]

Dustin’s words:
I’m still processing everything that has been revealed today. It’s been unfortunate timing with John’s statement on behalf of the company.

I will say there’s one thing that bothers me beyond everything. We keep squabbling amongst ourselves. We keep pointing blame to everyone else. We keep looking at excuses and accusations for everyone on the team.

While the nuance of inter company politics is very complicated, I want to redirect our focus. And I hope you’ll join me.

Can I make a bold statement? Pete Werner drugged and raped me. Let’s focus our anger on this man. He has resigned from all related positions of power he once held. But I can no longer tolerate his ability to escape this.

This man is the reason we’re having these conversations. If only for my sake, I beg you to redirect all anger, sadness, and hatred to this man.

Dustin

I feel like the internet hive mind/ lynch mob mentality of taking down the entire company and everyone who works there is not what the actual victim is wanting.