A Rant About Ranting (in a funny way)

[MrToadsWildRide]

Not sure, but I think I just read a negative thread about negative threads. So does that mean it was a positive thread? I can never figure out that whole double negative thing.

Here's what I would consider a negative post that is not helpful:
"I love the name Mickey, but I can't stand mice. So, I cannot see how anyone would like Mickey Mouse or anything related in any way to a mouse."

Negative? Yes.
Helpful? Not really.

Here's what I would consider a negative post that is helpful:
"I went to Disneyland on March 20, 2015 and discovered that Mickey Mouse would not be in the park at all from March 20-22! Apparently, he always goes to the California Artisan Cheese Festival in Petaluma, CA. OMG! It was awful. My son loves Mickey. Mickey wasn't there. I hate the new FastPast+. Ahhhhhhhh ..."

Negative? Pretty much.
Helpful? Yes! Every year in March Petaluma hosts a cheese festival. (google it) What mouse couldn't resist? Now that I know Mickey won't be around during that time, I'll avoid going then. Thanks for posting. And yes, I don't like the FastPass+Extreme Edition either. (please don't ask about the FastPass+Extreme Edition, it doesn't exist, I made it up cause I think I'm funny)

It seems to me, there is a difference between providing some heads up advice that might help improve the next person's experience versus someone just telling everyone how much they don't like something. The latter I would call venting. Sometimes, you gotta vent. You can vent to your significant other (which could result in loss of significant other), or you can come here and vent with people who can and will relate with you and your need to vent. Which can be scary and depressing to people who don't like to vent, or are just looking for some advice.

Maybe create a forum called, Sometimes You Just Gotta Vent. It can be a therapy forum for those who need it. And for those who don't care to vent, they can easily avoid it. (but I bet they'll sneak a peek)

I've seen other forums (non-Disney) do this and it works. They have advice and strategy forums and a separate forum for venting. I mean discussing things they don't particularly care for.

Finally, here's some advice for those of you who find it difficult to read through negative threads. (in case no one thinks my idea is brilliant, like that would ever happen) When you are reading a negative rant about something, imagine it's Dan Akroyd reading the response, the way he would reply to Jane Curtin in one of their Point Counter-Point skits. (works for me)

Was this thread actually funny?
Press 1 for Yes.
Press 2 for No.

 

[Dentam]

1

 

[Jedimike]

1!

 

[eXo]

A negative post about posts that are negative about negative posts.

This folks, is inception.

 

[redkel]

All I hear in my head is, "Mr. Toad -- you ignorant amphibian..." Pressing 1 now. I better get a live person or I'm coming back to write another negative post about this negative, negative post.

 

[Happy_2_B]

1. Funny- and the idea of having a 'venting forum' is great

 

[Jennasis]

2.

And you are not the first, by any stretch, (nor shall you be the last) to suggest a venting sub forum.

Nobody is forcing you to read threads you don't like against your will. If you don't like vent threads then don't read them or reply to them (so they can die)...unless of course you ARE being forced to read\ respond to them? Are you being held against your wil?? Do you need us to call for help??? Press 1 for yes and 2 for no.

 

[eXo]

2.

And you are not the first, by any stretch, (nor shall you be the last) to suggest a venting sub forum.

Nobody is forcing you to read threads you don't like against your will. If you don't like vent threads then don't read them or reply to them (so they can die)...unless of course you ARE being forced to read\ respond to them? Are you being held against your wil?? Do you need us to call for help??? Press 1 for yes and 2 for no.

3. Not all negative threads are venting threads though. Have you never been reading an otherwise open ended thread and watched it go downhill into a vent thread due to the a small, but loud, contigent of posters who had nothing to do with the original topic?

An example would be:
OP: I have 2 daughters who love Frozen and I've heard that there is a Frozen ride coming. We will be at the parks next month, will it be open yet?

5 responses in someone replies: I can't believe that the capitalist Mouse and his best buddy, Super Crony Bob Iger, are DESTROYING Epcot! They are removing Norway and replacing it with a fake made-up country full of fantasy just to shill more Frozen stuff. Epcot is an educational place of learning that I take my kids to every year to learn about the world and Walt is turning in his grave seeing what they have done to his beloved Norway. Maelstrom was the BEST ride ever and we used to ride it three times a day, but now we will never visit Epcot again.

This opens the door and suddenly the entire topic is derailed as it becomes yet another battleground thread. If you point out that this is off topic, as I have in the past, you are met with the odd rationalization of "well, the op's question has already been answered, so we can post whatever we want now." Wait... what? I can find a thread about how much candy apples cost, and once the price has been posted I can begin ranting about lizard men running the government? When I took my Intro the the Internet class they totally forgot to mention that!

Everyone is entitled to their opinion of Maelstrom, Epcot, and the Norway pavillion. But when there are already threads dedicated to 'venting' about these things, it isn't necessary to take "the good fight" (or the inane chatter) to every topic possible.

At that point it is no longer simply venting. It is borderline hostile, as it creates an environment where the loudest dominate the discussion and drive away folks who might otherwise simply want to ask a question.

On the other hand, threads that star by saying, "hey all you negative nancies - stay out of my thread!" are just begging to be invaded.

Now, you'll have to excuse me. Walt is due for his hourly grave turning. I'm sure I can find a thread to post in around here to make sure that happens.

 

[MrToadsWildRide]

2.

A 2?

You gave me a 2?

Oh come on. You even used my super funny voting scheme to make a joke in your own reply.

A 2.

I can't believe it.

Well. Okay. A 2 it is then.

Tough crowd.

 

[minnie mum]

1. Maybe they need to add a new DISboards posting guideline requiring any negative thread to specify in the title if its a rant or a vent; thereby warning those with very delicate sensibilities. Those who are so very easily offended can steer clear.

I actually don't mind the negative threads. They can be informative, as outlined by Mr. Toad's OP. At the very least they can provide great entertainment, if you are capable of staying arms length and not become emotionally involved. I always find a lively discussion much more enjoyable than a forum full of boring old question and answer threads ( which are frequently just the same old, same old because posters are too lazy to read the thread lists or do a search

 

[smallworldnh]

1. for me too! It's not all magic and pixie dust all the time in all things Disney so a place to vent without worrying about getting jumped on by the "Disney can do no wrong" people would be nice! Great idea!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

While I agree, there are certain posters who maybe aren't very helpful. I hold onto the crazy hope that Disney is at least partly listening to (the collective) us, at least in the sense of keeping rough stats on just how much negativity their actions generate.

I sometimes imagine certain DISers are WDW spin doctors, like the main character of the movie "Thank you for Smoking." Their job is to defend price hikes, etc. no matter what. We live in an age, where it isn't just what we say or do but how well and how LOUDLY we say and DO that matters.

When we collectively raise our voices, we - the collective customers of Disney- have the ability to articulate the kind of change we'd like to see at WDW.

Unfortunately, we can't get there unless we go through the messy process of articulating what is it we DISLIKE.

 

[redkel]

As you can see from my post count -- I don't have a lot to say most of the time.

I skip the drama and stick to the informative posts (and funny ones) that provide a give/take here on the DIS. I hope that when I post I'm contributing to the discussion and not posting just to see my avatar and signature line...

We're all human and not always sweetness and light (say it isn't so!). It is far too easy to be a keyboard commando anywhere online these days -- and to quote Sweet Brown..."ain't nobody got time for that."

Disney is in the tourism business and are a company trying to make money...not always jiving with my plans to have a great time and save money on vacation. I appreciate the experience of my fellow DIS'ers when I'm in need of info and advice, but it's my choice to use it or toss it into my recycle bin.

I'm pressing 1 again (because there was no disclaimer to say that I couldn't vote twice). Sometimes we just have to stop taking ourselves (and Disney -- gasp!) too seriously.

 

[Dentam]

Nobody is forcing you to read threads you don't like against your will. If you don't like vent threads then don't read them or reply to them (so they can die)...unless of course you ARE being forced to read\ respond to them? Are you being held against your wil?? Do you need us to call for help??? Press 1 for yes and 2 for no.

Maybe loosen up just a tad...

 

[MrInfinity]

1! Hilarious!

I would love a separate vent forum! Leave Attractions & Strategies for attractions & strategies.

5 responses in someone replies: I can't believe that the capitalist Mouse and his best buddy, Super Crony Bob Iger, are DESTROYING Epcot! They are removing Norway and replacing it with a fake made-up country full of fantasy just to shill more Frozen stuff. Epcot is an educational place of learning that I take my kids to every year to learn about the world and Walt is turning in his grave seeing what they have done to his beloved Norway. Maelstrom was the BEST ride ever and we used to ride it three times a day, but now we will never visit Epcot again.

While I agree, there are certain posters who maybe aren't very helpful. I hold onto the crazy hope that Disney is at least partly listening to (the collective) us, at least in the sense of keeping rough stats on just how much negativity their actions generate.

I sometimes imagine certain DISers are WDW spin doctors, like the main character of the movie "Thank you for Smoking." Their job is to defend price hikes, etc. no matter what. We live in an age, where it isn't just what we say or do but how well and how LOUDLY we say and DO that matters.

Unfortunately, we can't get there unless we go through the messy process of articulating what is it we DISLIKE.

That was crafty! See how you did that? You took a funny, enjoyable post, and spun it into an off-topic rant. And doubly so with one post! For you not only jabbed at Disney World by insinuating that anyone who speaks consistently positive of it must be a spin doctor... but you also jabbed at the people who would speak positive of it by calling them spin doctors directly. That's throwing 1 stone and hitting A) millions of people who love Disney World (calling them Spin Doctors), B) The Disney Company (suggesting their actions are willingly causing so much negativity), and C) Disney World itself (by saying anyone who would speak so positively about it must really be re-spinning the negatives because it is not actually such a positive place).

 

[eXo]

I had fun typing this one up =)

I've never seen someone defend something like a price hike on here. At best I've seen the rationalization that Disney will charge what the market will bear. The funny thing is, the person saying that was also one of the most vocal critics of the Disney company. So even a critic realizes that if they can do it, they will. Now, if you had an example of someone posting, "But Disney HAS to charge more in order to give us the best visit possible and make sure each and every one of us gets our dose of pixie magic!", then ya, I'd march right with you against the "spin doctors". But I'm not seeing it. At best, what I see is a direct response to the vocal baseless negativity. I mean, when Disney announces two giant multi billion dollar expansions of DHS (something that was a very valid and long time concern) and the response among certain people is "2017? for Toy Story land? 2021 for Star Wars? UGH Disney ruins EVERYTHING" well... at that point I feel like Bob Iger himself could call them up on the phone, tell them they have won a week in the Cinderella Suite, park tickets for life, they would still complain that they didn't get the Dining Plan included.

What many folks fail to realize is that the internet breeds devil's advocates. If I am in a thread where everyone is trashing Disney, I am going to point out that they are in a vacuum. An echo chamber of negativity that is devoid of actual evidence. Where the "Disney" they are all speaking on is not the "real" Disney, but rather a vilification of reality and an embodiment of all their anti-disney conspiracy theories.

On the other hand, if I am in a thread full of people trashing Universal and talking about the perfect that is Disney, then I feel inclined to point out the problems inherent to the park that don't change the fact i enjoy Disney, but DO exist and therefor should be addressed.

In other words, how positive or negative I am about a topic has a LOT to do with the surrounding folks. Maybe it is just the threads I happen to click on, but my own anecdotal evidence has revealed there are a lot more hyperbolic negative posts than there are "spin-doctor" positive posts here at disboards.

One of my favorite examples is the person who was so mad that a specific chicken nugget plate was no longer offered at a certain counter service restaurant, that they declared they would no longer be returning to Magic Kingdom. Why was that chicken nugget plate so great? And why did the OP admit that it was getting worse and worse each time they went? Well, because the first time they ever had it it was unplanned. A rain storm approached and caused them to unexpectedly duck into a quick service place, and they happened to grab these nuggets while they waited. What was simply chicken nuggets turned into a very memorable experience as they spent time together as a family, enjoying food together, and making the best of a wet situation. So what did they do? Try and make it tradition. Lets eat those nuggets every time we go back. And guess what? They weren't golden nuggets of amazingness the second, third, or fourth time. Why? Because they never were. It was the EXPERIENCE that was magical for them, not the bloody nuggets. And yet OP decided the nuggets were the source of BEST FAMILY MEMORY EVER™ So when the nuggets were removed (probably for not being very good in the first place), OP took this as an attack on their family memory and lashed out on the boards (while probably booking their next family trip and asking in another thread where the best place to unexpectedly duck in and share a family memory during a rainstorm is).

The chicken nugget story above would have been served better if it had been shared for what it was, a fleeting moment that turned into a remarkable memory at Disney World. For fear of being called a Spin Doctor, Disney provides a canvas for you and your family/loved ones/friends to make the best of. Going into it looking to relive a specific moment in time is almost certainly guaranteeing disappointment. If you rely on ADR's and M&G's then you will likely have a fun time, but you are rolling the dice as to whether or not those meals or those characters live up to whatever expectations you have going in. Invariably, some of the best memories are going to be spur of the moment events that were not planned, as hard as it is to believe those moments still exist in a world of ADR's, FP+, and touring plans.

When a family ponies up the kind of cash required for a week onsite at Disney (or even just a few days worth of tickets while staying offsite), it is to be expected that they have great expectations for their trip. And invariably, there will be a few disappointments along the way. That is life. The key is being able to objectively decide whether or not your disappointments are due to valid expectations or unreasonable ones. And if valid, did you give the company as a whole the chance to resolve the issue? And if you did bring attention to it, did they do what you felt was the best (yet realistic) fix for your problem? Some folks expect the impossible. Some never say anything and carry the chip home and right to the internet. Some have disappointments based on their perceived ideology of what Disney "should be" versus what it is. Those are a bit harder for me to swallow. Arm chair quarterbacking a company as large as Disney with zero access to their internal logistics is beyond pointless. The monorail breaks down once and the board lights up with accusations of aging decaying infrastructure (with no statistics to back them up). That's not positive negativity. Nobody at Disney is going to read that and be like, "HOLY CRAP! THE INTERNET IS RIGHT! THE MONORAIL IS DOOMED IF WE DON'T FIX IT ASAP!" And as far as criticisms of things like Frozen at Epcot, that money is allocated, that ship has sailed. Literally. It's a done deal. Maybe someone would argue that complaining will prevent some thing like that from happening in the future, but lets entertain that idea.

Disney's Board of Directors is approached with the idea of opening a new ride in the Canadian pavilion. There is this new Disney movie with an arctic princess that just broke box office records. They realize that Martin Short just doesn't draw like he used to, and a group puts together projections showing how many people watch Canada in circle vision versus how many people they can push through this new Canadian princess ride. They do cost projections that factor in the budget of the ride versus the gate projections and increased attendance to Epcot. So they have numbers, they have designs, they have a space, and then one guy at the board table, lets call him The Head Spin Doctor, raises his hand.

"Attention gentlefolk of the board. I would like to point out that there were 8 extremely vocal critics of the Maelstrom replacement at disboards.com and approximately 40 more individuals who agreed with their sentiments. They were quite angry about the Frozen ride. After polling other sites as well we found a few hundred folks that were quite upset with the change. Maybe we should consider keeping Martin Short? And not stirring the hornet's nest?"

Mega Greedy Bob Iger would stand tall and say, "Head Spin Doctor, How much Martin Short merch did we sell last year? Oh, zero? And how many Canadian princess dresses at $50 a pop do we project to sell in the first year of this new ride at the gift shop? 5 gajillion? And how many people still see the word "circlevision" and get excited? Nobody until we said we were getting rid of it? I see.

Hmm. Head Spin Doctor, please have a fruit basket put together addressed to the disboards. Attach a note that says "Eat Me, Yours Truly, Bob"

Yes. That is how much affect a rant against a ride someone doesn't want has. Only, the reality is it never gets to Bob, and he doesn't get a chance to tell you to eat him, because Disney, like any company, learned long ago that you can't make everyone happy. So the only way they care is if SO many folks are unhappy that it goes viral and breaks media and starts reaching the masses who generally don't give a crap as to what is happening at Disney and had no idea they were building a new ride. Nothing is more dangerous than a negative story going viral and implanting a horrific message of corporate malcontent in the mind of people who have no facts but love to hop on bandwagons.

Just ask Sea World.

 

[Texas Mickey]

Where is the funny thread? We need a funny thread for stuff like this. What does this post have to do with Theme Parks, Attractions and Strategies?

 

[eXo]

Where is the funny thread? We need a funny thread for stuff like this. What does this post have to do with Theme Parks, Attractions and Strategies?

I consider it a strategy. A strategy for not going insane while reading the boards.

 

[Spork24]

1

 

[danny1649]

2