Several years ago I, being a fair newby at understanding online content creation and how it works, was surprised to learn people could make a living wage from making videos and posting them in youtube. I recall getting an education here on the boards that the Dis Unplugged team actually got paid to do what they did. I watched as much for the personalities as the information they imparted, and I enjoyed the on-screen personas of most of the people I viewed during each show.
My own recommendations for going forward have probably already been stated by many others, but I’ll add my own voice to the fray: (In no particular order)
1. I enjoy the dining and resort informationals and reviews. I’d want to see more in-depth reviews of resorts, specifically. One doesn’t have to stay in the rooms, but I do enjoy the walk-abouts of the grounds. For example, the corrals at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Written reviews are fine, but I like to be able to actually see what people are reviewing. AND I like watching people who actually want to be there. By this I don’t mean the constant cheer-leading of some other Disney vloggers. Just a laid-back “just happy to be here” vibe.
2) Personalities aside, I did like when the dining reviews included a person (e.g. Fiasco) who had certain food issues. I’m extremely lactose intolerant, and I’ve been in restaurants (not Disney) that incorrectly claimed to me personally that a food didn’t have lactose on a trip, and the results have not only ruined trips for me, but led to a whoooole lot of pain and embarrassment. I appreciate that when Disney says a food is lactose free, I can pretty much believe it, but it’s still good to see people who share my issues order and review a certain food or restaurant that has good lactose free items.
3) If the Dis video channel actually makes the kind of money I’ve seen kicked around, take some of that to rent a space that’s centrally located for everyone, if you’re going to have “at home” videos. Doing it in anyone’s home (unless it’s by Zoom, which I personally wouldn’t want to do) will eventually not end well, even if it’s not for the same reasons that have come to light recently.
4) I enjoyed Craig’s short-form newscast. I want a “just the facts ma’am” kind of video (this reference is gonna date me lol). As a counterpoint, I’ve seen a different Disney news channel, and they go into such detail that eventually my eyes cross. I certainly wouldn’t need a two minute description of a mug or latest doodad. That’s not news to me, that’s advertising. A once weekly update would be great
As for the boards, I haven’t read the rules of the boards recently, and don’t want to navigate away and have to re-type, so I’m going to make a few assumptions; ya’all will correct me if I’m wrong. Vociferously, probably lol.
1) The “poop” comment exchange had me laughing, but also thoughtful. This is (I think) an all ages board where minors may be reading, and though some might have the vocabulary that any self-respecting pirate would admire, it’s in nobody’s interest to allow hard-core swearing. But how could a newby know that the mods on the boards would consider “poop” a swear word? I’m using that word to illustrate the murk into which a rule can sink when debating the way language is used when not properly defined. I know that runs the risk of getting ground up in the gears of minutiae, but simply clarifying some rules is a good start. “No references to defecation? No calling someone “poopyhead” in order to avoid censorship? I know making these calls aren’t easy, and personally, I wouldn’t want to be on that rules committee.
When I first joined, I had a post deleted because I supposedly broke a rule. (I should had this was at least 5 years ago, and my memory is like a screen door on a submarine) To this day, I have no idea what I did wrong, because I’ve since seen many, many posts with the same topic and wording as mine. It was in the right forum, etc. I can’t recall exactly, but I think I wanted to compare two different DW restaurants. No swear words, no politics, nothing but the two compared. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do, and was trying to get help.
There was no explanation what I did wrong. I think this practice should change. If it’s not egregious, I don’t see what’s wrong with a mod touching base with a poster to help them not make that same mistake. As in my case, it left me with some pretty hard feelings after, and to this day I have no idea what I did wrong. I ended up thinking I
didn’t do anything wrong, and the mod just had a bad day. But I stayed away from the boards for a while because of it, not being sure if anything I posted afterwards would be deleted, or me banned for no obvious reason other than the power trip of an individual.
To paraphrase my favorite Aristotelian quote: “Learning is not child’s play. There is no growth without pain.” Change and growth can be hard, but I really hope the Disboard and Dis Unplugged can eventually move forward with a renewd sense of purpose and a more positive culture that invites openness while focusing on what the main objective of the business is.
Good luck to all concerned.
