Negative Threads in the Top 10

[kbelle8995]

I think that how you use the boards depends on how many times you have visted WDW or any Disney park in general. I use the boards to know before I go. The Universal boards were of great help to me when deciding to go to Universal. I had been a handful of times before last year and needed verification of certain issues. Disney is very different to me, I've visited many, many times and was a former CM so I use the boards differently compared to a person who's on their first, 2nd or tenth visit.

I still think that even an negative thread can be helpful to planning. For example if the service is not great at a restaurant for a number of posters than I can see there is a pattern. And I can choose to ignore it or use it and avoid the restaurant.

Not all negative posts are the same.

 

[Princess Jes]

I think that how you use the boards depends on how many times you have visted WDW or any Disney park in general. I use the boards to know before I go. The Universal boards were of great help to me when deciding to go to Universal. I had been a handful of times before last year and needed verification of certain issues. Disney is very different to me, I've visited many, many times and was a former CM so I use the boards differently compared to a person who's on their first, 2nd or tenth visit.

I still think that even an negative thread can be helpful to planning. For example if the service is not great at a restaurant for a number of posters than I can see there is a pattern. And I can choose to ignore it or use it and avoid the restaurant.

You know what? You're right about that. If a restaurant is average, let people know.
The issue is the "Disney ruined my vacation" and "magic bands suck" and "it was hot, crowded and I didn't get a BOG res" that are getting ridiculous.
Those are negative no matter what and really, in general, provide no help to others except to whinge and moan about little things that went wrong, things that happen to every one (waiting in lines) and repetitive threads bashing MDE/MB/ADR availability/Lines.
I think you'll find that those are the ones the team were referring to

 

[JimmyV]

For example if the service is not great at a restaurant for a number of posters than I can see there is a pattern. And I can choose to ignore it or use it and avoid the restaurant.

You know what? You're right about that. If a restaurant is average, let people know.

If you agree that a negative post about a restaurant can be useful to help you plan, (and possibly avoid that restaurant), then why can't a negative post about the other things you list also be useful?

"magic bands suck"

Maybe this will help convince someone not to get magic bands and use plastic RFID cards instead.

"it was hot"

Maybe that will convince someone to select a different month to travel to WDW.

"it was crowded"

Ditto

"I didn't get a BOG res"

Maybe that will convince someone to set their alarm clock and make their ADRs at the earliest possible moment.

Knowledge comes from many source.

• We learn from our mistakes.
• We learn from our successes.
• We learn from our satisfactory experiences.
• We learn from our disappointing experiences.
• We learn from other's mistakes.
• We learn from other's successes.
• We learn from other's satisfactory experiences.
• And we learn from other's disappointing experiences.

There is no question that people do take away knowledge from what other people come back here to report. Good and bad. And this goes beyond service in restaurants. Indeed, with all the changes that WDW has made in the past two years, I'd venture to guess that the things people need the most information about are things like Magic Bands and FP+. Those are things that do not engender universal praise, and in order to get a complete picture, we need to read about the rants and the negative experiences as well as the praise and success stories. As has been pointed out on numerous occasions, one can discern the direction of a thread fairly quickly. Often from the title alone. If it looks like it is going to be too negative for one's taste or tolerance, they can move on in a tenth of a second and forget it ever existed. But if one were to take away all of the negative posts, then the knowledge gained from the last bullet point listed above would evaporate, and that would be a bad thing.

 

[Princess Jes]

If you agree that a negative post about a restaurant can be useful to help you plan, (and possibly avoid that restaurant), then why can't a negative post about the other things you list also be useful?


Maybe this will help convince someone not to get magic bands and use plastic RFID cards instead.

Maybe that will convince someone to select a different month to travel to WDW.

Ditto

Maybe that will convince someone to set their alarm clock and make their ADRs at the earliest possible moment.

Knowledge comes from many source.

• We learn from our mistakes.
• We learn from our successes.
• We learn from our satisfactory experiences.
• We learn from our disappointing experiences.
• We learn from other's mistakes.
• We learn from other's successes.
• We learn from other's satisfactory experiences.
• And we learn from other's disappointing experiences.

There is no question that people do take away knowledge from what other people come back here to report. Good and bad. And this goes beyond service in restaurants. Indeed, with all the changes that WDW has made in the past two years, I'd venture to guess that the things people need the most information about are things like Magic Bands and FP+. Those are things that do not engender universal praise, and in order to get a complete picture, we need to read about the rants and the negative experiences as well as the praise and success stories. As has been pointed out on numerous occasions, one can discern the direction of a thread fairly quickly. Often from the title alone. If it looks like it is going to be too negative for one's taste or tolerance, they can move on in a tenth of a second and forget it ever existed. But if one were to take away all of the negative posts, then the knowledge gained from the last bullet point listed above would evaporate, and that would be a bad thing.

In short (because I don't actually care that much and for the above reason, im sick of seeing it all, I don't go to the TPAS and Restaurants boards at all anymore): because there's already a million of those threads. use a simple search and you can contribute to the thread/s that are already there. surely it's more effective and useful to people researching to have the information in one place?

 

[kbelle8995]

If you agree that a negative post about a restaurant can be useful to help you plan, (and possibly avoid that restaurant), then why can't a negative post about the other things you list also be useful?


Maybe this will help convince someone not to get magic bands and use plastic RFID cards instead.

Maybe that will convince someone to select a different month to travel to WDW.

Ditto

Maybe that will convince someone to set their alarm clock and make their ADRs at the earliest possible moment.

Knowledge comes from many source.

• We learn from our mistakes.
• We learn from our successes.
• We learn from our satisfactory experiences.
• We learn from our disappointing experiences.
• We learn from other's mistakes.
• We learn from other's successes.
• We learn from other's satisfactory experiences.
• And we learn from other's disappointing experiences.

There is no question that people do take away knowledge from what other people come back here to report. Good and bad. And this goes beyond service in restaurants. Indeed, with all the changes that WDW has made in the past two years, I'd venture to guess that the things people need the most information about are things like Magic Bands and FP+. Those are things that do not engender universal praise, and in order to get a complete picture, we need to read about the rants and the negative experiences as well as the praise and success stories. As has been pointed out on numerous occasions, one can discern the direction of a thread fairly quickly. Often from the title alone. If it looks like it is going to be too negative for one's taste or tolerance, they can move on in a tenth of a second and forget it ever existed. But if one were to take away all of the negative posts, then the knowledge gained from the last bullet point listed above would evaporate, and that would be a bad thing.

ITA. I have posted why I don't care for FP+. It just doesn't work for me and If someone tours like me that could be a help. I also recognize that another guest might have a different experience. I think that you can have both opinions on the boards.

I would have liked to hear Pete's top ten on the show. I want to hear what he is interested in. He did not even discuss taking the "negative" threads off the boards.

 

[jhaig]

You might do your level best to get a guest everything they want, including tickets to the first MNSSHP of the year. But when you do so, you have no idea if Disney is going to oversell the event, or fail to remove non-party guests from the park, or fail to enforce the "party guests only" rule for attractions. These are the things that gave rise to the Chaos Thread. They are real. And for certain podcast members to dismiss these issues as pointless whining was insulting at worst, and a failure to have perspective at best. I have listened to/watched enough of your podcasts to believe that had you been a part of this one, you would not have shared the view that this was pointless whining. In the end, we are left to believe one of two things. Either people are complaining pointlessly, or they are complaining because there is something to complain about. I have enough confidence in human nature in general and Disney guests in particular to conclude that it is not the former.

Thanks Jimmy V for having my back.When I began that thread, I have to admit there was a little bit of whining involved. I was coming at it from the perspective of a loyal Disney guest that got shafted when it came to the first night of the party, where expectations were not met, and where Disney failed on most accounts to deliver. I wanted those guests that were planning on attending the MNSSHP to be ready because if they had been to previous parties and had great experiences (like my family and I have had many times), they may be in for a shock. So really, it was more informational instead of doing the pee-pee dance and crying about "Oh woe is me". I very rarely complain about much of anything, but this was a case where it was warranted. It sounds like, as the party season progressed, that Disney found its footing and the Halloween parties were a little better, but that first night was miserable (case in point - a scared college CM yelling to other CM's "I just don't know what to do!" for all to hear didn't instill much confidence).

This was actually the first trip to WDW ever where there was actually anything to complain about. We have been fortunate to thouroughly enjoy every Disney trip we have taken. It seems like this time around, it was our turn to have the pixie dust fairy give us a big fat wedgie. From a less-than-stellar stay at the Poly, to the party first night fiasco, and to crotchety CM's, it really was not what we had come to expect from Disney on this last trip. I don't mind negative threads as long as other guests can learn from them and apply the info to make their trips better.