DIS Unlimited Podcast Disney Virtual Roundtable Discussion Episode #1

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Ok. As a long time listener. (Since 2007). This was very.....odd. Going to be honest. The team seemed very uncomfortable. The fact that they didn't even mention the recent issues is just disappointing. I hate to say this as I love the DIS, but I think it's time I bid this podcast and forums farewell. This was just plain sad to watch and listen too.

Agreed. The flow was not good and it seemed forced. Could have been nerves or just trying to brush off the past, but whatever it was, it was obvious something was off. John interrupting Ryno... the weird bathing suit tangent and back peddle... the many awkward silences... Kevin's negativity... I think it will be hard to escape the shadow of Pete and any attempt to do so, if not done perfectly, will come off as trying to0 hard. Good luck though.

Totally agree.

Painful, awkward and uncomfortable to watch. I know that the company is in a transition and change period but this was just not a good look. A group of middle age to elderly white men, some who are clearly not comfortable with using technology clinging on to an outdated format are just not relatable.

 

[Hunterr]

i say this with peace and love:

Ignoring the elephant in the room was an odd choice. I don't expect specifics of things that happened to be recapped in detail, but just acknowledging stuff could go a long way. Not every listener/viewer is chronically online, so they dont know ANYTHING about all this.

Also, all this build up, especially with talks of a new physical studio, and the episode is another zoom show? Another misstep.

And i'm someone who will watch Craig and Ryno read the phone book, because I like their chemistry all these years, so its not like i'm clamoring for Disney talk necessarily.

 

[Oscar_The_Grouch]

As a person who used to be very conservative and has changed my opinions after getting to know people affected by "social justice warrior issues," I just wanted to chime in here and say that I appreciate when podcasts include "SJW" perspectives and discuss current issues.

I DO NOT say this to throw shade at others on the boards who don't like when those things are discussed on the show OR to imply that they're wrong/bad/should be quiet. Every single person in America is entitled to have their own opinions and to express them. That's one of the beauties of America! I am only leaving this comment to provide the counterpoint and let the DIS team know that there are those of us who do enjoy "SJW" discussions.

As a gay man who was left of center but now right of center, I would say the SJW viewpoints always dominated on Dis Unplugged & did so until recently. Those of us with differing but not offensive views were often denounced as bigots by fellow viewers & deleted in the live comments by Ryno. So you don't really need to rebalance anything. In fact there needs to be a counterbalance with people of centrist or rightist views being heard. And not being deleted.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Just going to throw this out there:

You do know they probably legally can’t discuss certain things right? It was always going to be awkward and will be for a while,

 

[mcd2745]

i say this with peace and love:

Ignoring the elephant in the room was an odd choice. I don't expect specifics of things that happened to be recapped in detail, but just acknowledging stuff could go a long way. Not every listener/viewer is chronically online, so they dont know ANYTHING about all this.

Also, all this build up, especially with talks of a new physical studio, and the episode is another zoom show? Another misstep.

And i'm someone who will watch Craig and Ryno read the phone book, because I like their chemistry all these years, so its not like i'm clamoring for Disney talk necessarily.

At this stage, it's not just an elephant. It's an elephant, and 800 lb gorilla, a wooly mammoth, a hippo, a rhino (not a Ryno), and Godzilla in the room. To ignore it is insulting to their audience. Craig's mini-speech didn't cut it. It needed to be much more, and delivered by John - who, along with Kevin, looked they were making a hostage video. It was clear they would rather have been getting root canal or anywhere else.

If they don't want that discussion to interfere (for lack of a better term) with the Tuesday show content, that's fine. But then I agree with a previous poster who suggested the stand alone "very special episode" after-school special video. The ironic thing is, for as much as they are avoiding talking about it, they would all probably find it very cathartic in the end.

I was less bothered by the technical difficulties. It's going to happen. What is clear though, is that eventually (and hopefully sooner rather than later), they need to all get in the same room to do this show. Whether it's an actual studio, someone's basement or garage, or at a local Denny's...doesn't matter. It just doesn't work virtually/remotely.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Honestly I don't think the technology is the problem, I think its the people who are the problem and their resistant to change. When you have some people who use on camera technology on a daily basis , and others who don't, there is a very obvious knowledge and skills gap.

 

[ucf_knight]

i say this with peace and love:

Ignoring the elephant in the room was an odd choice. I don't expect specifics of things that happened to be recapped in detail, but just acknowledging stuff could go a long way. Not every listener/viewer is chronically online, so they dont know ANYTHING about all this.

Also, all this build up, especially with talks of a new physical studio, and the episode is another zoom show? Another misstep.

And i'm someone who will watch Craig and Ryno read the phone book, because I like their chemistry all these years, so its not like i'm clamoring for Disney talk necessarily.

Corey or John should have said on video what they’ve been saying on the boards. It was a missed opportunity for sure to put this behind them. Until then they’ll have lots of questions/comments about what’s transpired over the last couple months.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I totally understand and agree with not rehashing the past. I'd love to hear more about the vision for the future. I felt like that was a missed opportunity with the return show. What inspired the new logo and music? What is the mission/vision for the new chapter of the show (sorry for the corporate buzzwords but hopefully you get the idea)? Do you have any new features planned, what new approaches and angles are you hoping to take etc. Let us in on what you're working toward. Won't lie -the dynamics felt awkward. I'm sure the virtual aspect, with tech difficulties just before airing, didn't help and I'd have been nervous too. Anyone would. I'm sure that will improve. I'm happy to see you back. I'm rooting for you.

 

[OKW Lover]

I almost feel I must have been watching a different podcast based on some of the comments above. I thought it went pretty well and set a good start for the future. I think some of the awkward parts are simply because of the separate video process which makes it more difficult to coordinate who is going to speak and when. If everybody is in a studio there can be visual cues (some off camera) to help the flow of the discussion.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

I almost feel I must have been watching a different podcast based on some of the comments above. I thought it went pretty well and set a good start for the future. I think some of the awkward parts are simply because of the separate video process which makes it more difficult to coordinate who is going to speak and when. If everybody is in a studio there can be visual cues (some off camera) to help the flow of the discussion.

Im sure the unconscious bias of being personal friends with the people on camera and knowing them in real life will make a difference in how you view the show.

 

[samsteele]

Really like the new name. Like the new logo. Not as sure about the music. I couldn't watch the show live so just watched the replay. Maybe part of it was cut off? Or could be my older ears. Perhaps it just needs to be reformatted if that's a thing, the lead in lengthened so the notes are understandable or the sound cleaned up so its easier to hear and not as fuzzy. I replayed the intro a few times and still couldn't make it out. Glad Craig explained what they were going for with the music as the intro went by very fast and I couldn't puzzle it out. Anyway, everyone's a critic.

I have no problem at all with jumping right into current WDW travel promotions. Many of us watch the show because we want to travel to WDW in the near future. Many of us want a deal. I don't necessarily see emphasizing promotions as hawking. I see it as what many viewers want to hear. I always want to hear about deals. WDW will likely be forced to offer more and deeper discounts in the new year as the recession really claws in to household budgets. These discounts in themselves are big and welcome news for guests. I also prefer the Dreams Unlimited sponsorship being transparent and up front. Much better that its open than being hidden. Cleaner when the big sponsor is front and centre so viewers know.

I understand PPs' concern that the events of the last number of months weren't acknowledged. I'm torn about it. I agree it needs to be dealt with. But I suspect there are many practical constraints right now including legal. When to deal with it is a question. Sooner rather than later would be best for long time viewers. Only the owners can make that call. Only they know when they can.

I'm going to keep tuning in and watching the show. It's a work in progress. I don't like Zoom. Nobody does. An in person live show in a suitable studio set up will happen. Assuming they're trying to buy or rent a property suitable for the studio, some things including the Orlando real estate market are out of their control. Setting up a temporary studio in someone's house again is a whole other bag of snakes for every reason. I try to give them some grace to get settled and organized. It may take a lot longer than a few months.

 

[Pens Fan]

I thought it started off pretty rough, but ended well. A few thoughts:

- l loved Ryno's story about the family from the Tik tok video. What a wonderful Disney moment!
- I thought the discussion about the Zoe Wood article was pretty solid. I always enjoy the back and forth Craig / Ryno banter.
- I understand the show is sponsored by DUT. We all do, but I'm not interested in a 20-30 minute commercial every week. This was a bit much.
- John cutting off Ryno was pretty cringe worthy. Not because he shouldn't have stopped him (just mention the discounts and direct viewers to where they can read the details), but because it gave the appearance that they were ill prepared. On a positive note, I did find John's commentary as to why the discounts are being offered interesting. As the owner of a travel agency he has access to information we do not.
- My biggest issue with the show is one I stated on the thread where Craig asked for suggestions. I'm not going to tune in every week just to listen to them read the news. It's old news at this point as it's already been out there in the Disney verse (including their own website) for days by the time Tuesday rolls around. I'm fine with a brief recap, but then pick a news item or two that bear further discussion. As locals and TA's they have a perspective on things that we do not. I appreciated their insight. That's why I tune in.
- Where was Erica??

 

[Jason_V]

A few things struck me about the show:

1) It's good to hear everyone's voices again.

2) John...when Ryno was doing the hotel discounts, you interrupted him. You knew you did it, you mentioned it and kept right on going. I found it pretty rude. I imagine you all had script and knew what was going to happen in the show. In pre-production meetings or whatever else, that's when you mention "hey, this is dense and maybe we tighten this up." You don't do it live. (FWIW, I agree that it was a lot of words and information. The message isn't wrong; the way it was delivered was wrong, to me.)

3) Can there be a new opening? Please? It drives me up a wall when someone says "I'm joined alongside by" or whatever the verbiage happens to be...it doesn't seem natural.

4) No one checked microphones and tech feedback...? Or is Kevin always trying to find things wrong in the world?

5) If you're going to talk about the "painful wedgie," you need to tell the entire story. It felt like it was brushed off, though I think Cory figured that out, which is why he back peddled.

Really, I'm not trying to bring everyone down. It's been a heck of a summer all around. I figured new shows would drop in 2024...coming back now is an unexpected bonus.

 

[hertamaniac]

There was a part where it reminded me from years ago as I was merely reading the PowerPoint slides to the audience. And then I was reminded that "anyone" can read what's on the slide/screen. Know the information, give a reference pointer to additional information, and move on. That might have helped with the discount discussion from the onset.

And I like the new logo. I interpret as the 3 triangular elements are everyone's viewpoint with them encircled (literally a circle) by their affinity for Disney. And the open "D" shows to me an input of feedback, processing it, and then returned to start the cycle over again. Although red, white and blue might have been too stark, the muted red/pink was well done.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

Also, all this build up, especially with talks of a new physical studio, and the episode is another zoom show? Another misstep.

I had gotten the message multiple times (here, instagram, maybe somewhere else) that the episodes were going to start by zoom since they didn't have a studio yet. The choice was start by zoom or keep waiting. I would have voted to start by zoom.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Just something to note, for those who may not be aware. The part at the start where they mention being sponsored by Dreams Unlimited Travel is very likely them being compliant with FTC rules about sponsored content. This is actually something I think they do right, being transparent and declaring sponsorship. Its a big problem in influencer marketing that many do not declare partnerships and sponsored content.

 

[thunderbird1]

As someone who has been a listener since Bob Varley was an integral part of the show and not just the former studio's namesake, yesterday's show was shockingly bad. I won't rehash what others have said (there's plenty of constructive criticism in this thread and on the site who shall not be named), but 2 things:

- John, Kevin and Corey's audio was terrible. You have a lot of expensive equipment, yet you chose to go on air with just airpods and wired earbuds?

- Your Patreon account not only still has the old name and logo, it also still lists Pete's Solo Show under Tier 2 and up?


This sad little crab cake of a show looks like you had 3 minutes to prepare instead of 3 months. Do better.

 

[VandVsmama]

I like the new logo. Like that there's a weekly show again & I subscribed to the Youtube channel. Had unsubscribed from Dis Unplugged awhile ago back when all of the political discussions were running rampant.

I think that a couple of bumps in the road are to be expected when there hasn't been a weekly Dis show for awhile. I'm sure that they'll adjust as needed going forward.

I liked hearing the info about WDW package promotions and have appreciated when they've mentioned it in the past.

 

[ralphie]

Enough said, I enjoyed the show.

 

[Tiggerette]

Thank you very much for the work put into the new edition. If possible, would y'all please consider:

- Adding a 10-15 second countdown screen to the start of the streaming. Adding this countdown screen would alert folx waiting for the start when it really does occur, and more importantly, allow the ads to run so we don't miss the actual stream content. Often I'd catch the stream post-intro video and sometimes post-introduction because of the ads. A 10-15 second countdown screen would help mitigate that issue.

- Placing content related to very limited demographics, such as ABD trips and other very high dollar trips, on its own occasional and in-depth series. If the purpose of the podcast is to reach a very broad audience AND broadest relatable content, then these exclusive engagements are less impactful. However, if the purpose of the podcast is to reach a broad audience whilst getting the best return on booked-travel-dollar, then I understand why a substantial amount of time is taken to advertise these limited, exclusive bookings during the podcast.

Thank you again for bringing back the show and live chat. I appreciate everyone's unique personalities and desire to share their fandom in community. Shout out to the chatterati; we were pretty well behaved all things considered. I really enjoyed the supportive atmosphere and seeing familiar chatterati in chat!