Disney Mom Panel..not impressed

[design_mom]

Did you know you can reuse your refillable mugs? After the vacation on which you purchased the mugs? Years after?

Well, the official word on this is of course no, you can't. And that SHOULD be the Moms answer. But I happen to know that one of the resorts tells their Cast Members to not EVER question a guest about a refillable mug, no matter how old it is. Let them keep using it. So if I answer no, you can never use your refillable mug after your vacation has finished, and that person who goes back to that hotel with a mug from 2003 without a problem, they are going to call me on the carpet.

Whether Disney enforces their own policies is another matter all together, but I agree with you -- the Moms Panel answer should be "Disney's policy states that refillable mugs should only be refilled during the trip during which they were purchased." Last time I was there, I'm pretty sure there was a sign near the drink station with the policy. If some people were "getting away with it," that's kind of beside the point.

I think Bicker is probably right that it's working "well enough" for Disney, so they're not worried about spending the extra money to make it better.

I also don't think the Mom's panel should have to be calling around looking for correct answers. Someone at Disney should have access to Disney policy and should be able to be a go-to person. If there is policy question (Am I allowed to...? What time can I...? What accommodations can they make for ____ disability?), then the information should be correct. That cast member should bear the responsibility for finding the correct answers.

All cast members *should* be able to give reliable info, but with such a vast enterprise, that's probably not realistic. However something published on the Disney website is not the same as "the cast member at It's a Small World told me..." If it's published on the Disney corporate web site, then people should be able to expect accuracy.

Again, I think this is a "Disney problem," not a Mom's Panel participant problem. I am sure you are all doing your best and are very nice people. But if Disney is unwilling/unable to devote the resources to make sure that the Moms have access to correct information, maybe the Moms Panel should limit their scope to answering "opinion only" questions (Would a three-year old like ___? What's a great way to celebrate a birthday?) For opinion-type questions, I think the Moms Panel is a great resource.

 

[Mindful_Jodi]

As a member of the 2009 Moms Panel, I'm proud of my fellow panelists.

I do have to say that I'm shocked and saddened by the negative energy in this thread. Aren't we all Disney fans?

 

[rie'smom]

As a member of the 2009 Moms Panel, I'm proud of my fellow panelists.

I do have to say that I'm shocked and saddened by the negative energy in this thread. Aren't we all Disney fans?

Yes we are all Disney fans, however that doesn't mean we all share the same brain. Each of us I would hope have formed our own opinions and ideas-some good and some not so good.

 

[Jennasis]

Naturally the OP has disappeared since realizing the ladies she was maligning are actually HERE and shed have to answer for her comments.

 

[Tikitoi]

However, they should have picked me (obviously!)

That's probably where all the negative vibes are coming from on this board.

 

[Tiger926]

I think that's an indefensible leap. What it shows is that Disney doesn't believe it is important to provide information in as timely a manner, or as accurate as you are expecting. I'm sure you know they have disclaimers everywhere covering the situation. They almost surely are relying on the fact that most guests understand that information about their offerings is provided to give the reader an overall impression of what's offered, not as contractual specifications for what is to be provided. They care enough about guests enough to not waste money on aspects of their marketing that guests won't value much, instead directing that money on other aspects of their marketing that guests do value a good deal.

Here's a brochure for a resort on St. John; it shows a picture of the beach. But when we get there, maybe the beach will have lost a few inches to erosion due to storms this coming winter, or maybe some of the extra services listed here in the back will no longer be offered. That's the way things are. If it says "subject to change" then it is - and interpreting information that is "subject to change" as if it cannot change is unreasonable.

I should have clarified better...I really don't think Disney cares enough in certain areas, especially in the tech department as menus aren't updated as often as they should, they haven't updated for 2011 prices yet, outdated info, etc.; therefore, if they expect the panel to deal with this info, it should be timely for all. I totally believe that this is an area that guests would absolutely find valuable, and would not be a waste at all. If you could check the traffic patterns on All Ears and WDWinfo for menus, I'm sure this would prove my point. Disney seems to see fit to do the bare minimum in some areas - panel, website, online ADRs, etc.

In my opinion, the amount of money spent on Disney Mom Panel stickers, mouse pads, etc. is a waste of money. Sure, I liked receiving these products, but how much did they cost? Surely, they could have sent out some digital products instead, and spent the money on improving the panel program. This is just my opinion, of course.

I totally get that Disney decides where they are going to spend their money, but as of late, it's not for making things easier for guests, IMHO. The online ADR system is great, but the fact that not all menus are available, or menus are outdated, is one of those things in which I consider them not caring for guests enough. Guests should not have to call long distance to ask for current prices or menu offerings, when they have a potentially great online system, that if updated, could answer a ton of guest questions, which in turn makes guests feel valued, and makes planning for their vacation a more pleasurable experience. This system in combination with the panel, could provide a wealth of info to guests, and it would all be FREE!!!

I'm not sure what the subject to change comment means...? I absolutely have no issues with subject to change, but most companies use it as a means to not invest money in certain areas, and this is detrimental to guests, IMHO.

Tiger

 

[rie'smom]

That's probably where all the negative vibes are coming from on this board.

I suggest you read your own signature line.

 

[honugirl]

I guess after reading some of the replies from the Mom's Panel people, I don't really understand the point of it then. Is it to give advice based on their personal experiences or is it to give Disney policy on things? Those are 2 vastly different things!

It would be nice if there was a way to comment on Mom's Panel questions or have a discussion forum or something because if the panelists don't realize it's wrong and Disney isn't correcting them, and I can't chime in, how do the right answers get out there?

 

[Mindful_Jodi]

Yes we are all Disney fans, however that doesn't mean we all share the same brain. Each of us I would hope have formed our own opinions and ideas-some good and some not so good.

I certainly wasn't suggesting we all have the same opinion.

After all, I actually LIKE the coffee at Disney I KNOW that's not a popular opinion - LOL!

I just thought the general positivity that comes from such a wonderful place like Walt Disney World would be a trait that should be shared by Disney fans. It's fine to have strong, even rude opinions about others - but to share such personal attacks in a public place? Just seems really negative.

 

[rie'smom]

I guess after reading some of the replies from the Mom's Panel people, I don't really understand the point of it then. Is it to give advice based on their personal experiences or is it to give Disney policy on things? Those are 2 vastly different things!

It would be nice if there was a way to comment on Mom's Panel questions or have a discussion forum or something because if the panelists don't realize it's wrong and Disney isn't correcting them, and I can't chime in, how do the right answers get out there?

This would make so much sense.

I certainly wasn't suggesting we all have the same opinion.

After all, I actually LIKE the coffee at Disney I KNOW that's not a popular opinion - LOL!

I just thought the general positivity that comes from such a wonderful place like Walt Disney World would be a trait that should be shared by Disney fans. It's fine to have strong, even rude opinions about others - but to share such personal attacks in a public place? Just seems really negative.

This is a discussion board which is quite different from the mom panel. Here we give opinions and learn from discussing and sometimes debating. You're fairly new here. Stick around and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Danibelle]

As a member of the 2009 Moms Panel, I'm proud of my fellow panelists.

I do have to say that I'm shocked and saddened by the negative energy in this thread. Aren't we all Disney fans?

I have read most of the posts and I am also suprised by the negativity!

I congratulate the new Moms Panel!

 

[bicker]

I should have clarified better...I really don't think Disney cares enough in certain areas, especially in

My objection was not to the lack of specificity of your criticism, but rather to your use of the term "cares". What I suspect you mean is that you want them to spend more money on certain operations, without regard to whether those expenditures would be the best use of their owners' money. That I can resonate with, and I could rattle off a list of things I'd want more money spent on, for every company I come into contact with. However, money is not care, and equating money spent on things with whether a company cares or not is like marrying for money - even the concept is distasteful.

I totally believe that this is an area that guests would absolutely find valuable, and would not be a waste at all.

And you're entitled to believe that, but evidently Disney disagrees. Their disagreement wouldn't constitute lack of care; it would constitute just disagreement with your business analysis, and would have no prejudice against you, nor should it evoke any prejudice against them, IMHO.

If you could check the traffic patterns on All Ears and WDWinfo for menus, I'm sure this would prove my point.

It would prove interest; it wouldn't prove that spending that money is the best use of the money. As a matter of fact, the fact that those guest-needs are already satisfied online by AllEars.net and wdwinfo.com tends to discount the need for that information being provided on Disney's own website. Regardless, what would prove your point is something showing that there is no better way for Disney to spend the money that would be necessary to do what you're suggesting.

I totally get that Disney decides where they are going to spend their money, but as of late, it's not for making things easier for guests, IMHO.

And I wouldn't dispute that. There are loads of great examples of things that service providers do that both make things harder for customer and, perhaps directly, but at least indirectly, better serve their owners' interests. Just in this morning's news you can read about the beginning of the analog sunset for Blu-ray disc players. By 2013, all analog outputs, including component video outputs, will be gone from Blu-ray disc players, leaving only HDMI output. Fewer outputs surely make things harder for customers, but it gives the studios who produce content for Blu-ray discs more control over abuse of what they offer for sale. It will be a net-win for them, even though harder for their customers.

We live in a free enterprise economy where prosperity is directly related to keeping the engine of consumption and revenue generation, consumption and revenue generation, consumption and revenue generation running at full steam. That doesn't always - heck - that doesn't typically end up being exclusively what's best for just the consumers, but rather is a balancing between what's best for consumers and what's best for sellers and what's best for workers.

I'm not sure what the subject to change comment means...? I absolutely have no issues with subject to change, but most companies use it as a means to not invest money in certain areas, and this is detrimental to guests, IMHO.

That's not the case. Generally, in the consumer sphere, "subject to change" leaves the provider flexibility to remove offerings when they are no longer a sufficient revenue generator, and/or when they become an onerous cost. An interesting example of this is the web browser in the Kindle and the Nook. In both cases, it is labeled "experimental", which is just their way of saying "subject to removal with little warning and no compensation for the loss". They're offering these browsers as a little extra bit of attraction to the products they offer, but as soon as people starting making heavy use of them, and therefore getting substantial additional value from using them, you can be sure that they'll start charging extra for them.

Let's be clear: I agree with you completely that some of these things you're mentioned are "detrimental" to guests/customers, in some way. I'm only pointing out that there is very little correlation between that and whether or not Disney should or shouldn't do it. There is a different calculus for making that determination, which involves not customer reception of the change, but rather customer reaction to the change.

 

[bicker]

I have read most of the posts and I am also suprised by the negativity!

I'm not. We Disney fans, collectively, have always been a little schizophrenic: extolling the virtues of the object of our affection one moment, and waxing tales of doom-and-gloom about it the next moment. I remember giving the label "Doom-and-Gloomers" to contingent of Disney fans on one of the online Disney discussion venues, long before the DIS was on vBulletin software, back in the 1980s actually. "We love to hate what we love?" It isn't necessarily even strange: Being fans means having passion, and passion, as most of us know, can turn on a dime.

 

[Tiger926]

Bicker - Thanks for your thoughts! Don't want the thread to be derailed, so I will not respond as some of it does not pertain to the topic at hand, and to be honest, I don't have time to do so.

Moms Panel members - I hope I have not offended anyone with my displeasure at how Disney has set up or is maintaining your panel. It is because most of us are so passionate about Disney, that we would like to see more from them in regards to your panel. Most of us would like to see more from Disney in many areas...Keep up the good work of helping families create memories!

Tiger

 

[design_mom]

Moms Panel members - I hope I have not offended anyone with my displeasure at how Disney has set up or is maintaining your panel. It is because most of us are so passionate about Disney, that we would like to see more from them in regards to your panel. Most of us would like to see more from Disney in many areas...Keep up the good work of helping families create memories!

Agree. I hope I have not come off as negative toward the Disney Moms panel participants. That was not my intent at all. I just wish that you got more back up and resources from Disney so your job would be easier (for you) and more factually accurate (for your readers).

 

[Toad_Passenger]

I guess after reading some of the replies from the Mom's Panel people, I don't really understand the point of it then. Is it to give advice based on their personal experiences or is it to give Disney policy on things? Those are 2 vastly different things!

It would be nice if there was a way to comment on Mom's Panel questions or have a discussion forum or something because if the panelists don't realize it's wrong and Disney isn't correcting them, and I can't chime in, how do the right answers get out there?

I agree with you on this. I've just read through this whole thread, and, shallow views about appearance aside, I'm confused as to why this panel even exists?

We've had firsthand accounts from panel members state that they, themselves, are calling CM's for answers to questions. So, if that's the case, why not just have the CM's field the questions?

As it is setup, someone has to ask a question to someone who, in turn, has to ask someone else a question. It all seems very convoluted to me.

On top of that, if the panel members are being tied up with the answers they are allowed to give (i.e. "official" policy vs. "things-CM's-let-slide") then it only further dilutes the advice being given.

Again, after reading through all this, it seems even more like something they could easily do away with.

 

[bicker]

I think you're missing the cachè value of asking a "Mom".

 

[Tink888]

I agree with you on this. I've just read through this whole thread, and, shallow views about appearance aside, I'm confused as to why this panel even exists?

We've had firsthand accounts from panel members state that they, themselves, are calling CM's for answers to questions. So, if that's the case, why not just have the CM's field the questions?

As it is setup, someone has to ask a question to someone who, in turn, has to ask someone else a question. It all seems very convoluted to me.

On top of that, if the panel members are being tied up with the answers they are allowed to give (i.e. "official" policy vs. "things-CM's-let-slide") then it only further dilutes the advice being given.

Again, after reading through all this, it seems even more like something they could easily do away with.

IMHO I don't think Disney ever really intended for the Mom's Panel to be a "service" to the guest in any sort of official way. I think Disney saw the popularity of the Dis, All Ears and other forums like it, along with the enthusiasm of all of the knowledgeable WDW lovers and used it as a marketing strategy.

That's not to say that the panel doesn't provide something valuable, because I think that it does.....it does offer perspective and advice from Disney veterans to Disney vacation planners who might not be familiar with or even aware of the other forums.

But I also think a big part of the panel's creation was meant to be a sort of thank you to the Disney enthusiast. Disney thought "hey, we know you love WDW, we know you love planning, we know you're knowledgeable and you probably visit our parks more than the average visitor....here is a contest where if chosen you get a trip and the chance to share your knowledge about all things Disney with the world, on the official site." Huge bragging rights for the Disney planning enthusiast! And let's face it. a lot of us buy into that. I do. If we didn't, those 20,000 entries wouldn't fill up so quickly every year but they do. Every year. We try and think of the best submissions, create threads here on the Dis about it, wish each other luck and feel that twinge of disappointment when the winners are announced and we're not on that list. There are those of us who then feel the need to try and tear down the winners, because after all, no one is quite as good a planner as we are. No one knows as much as we do.

And if we don't win that prized title this year, we still get to be part of the Mickey Mom's Club. Granted there are a lot more members of that club than the panel, but it's still an exclusive little Disney perk just for us that we can tell all our friends about. We're special.

Sure Disney could do away with the program altogether and maybe someday they will. And when they do, there will be a thread criticizing them for it and a whole lot of disappointed Moms, Dads, etc out there.

I think Disney knew exactly what they were doing when they created the panel and they executed it successfully. And to all the panelists, you're all doing just fine.

 

[dsiind]

I agree with you on this. I've just read through this whole thread, and, shallow views about appearance aside, I'm confused as to why this panel even exists?

We've had firsthand accounts from panel members state that they, themselves, are calling CM's for answers to questions. So, if that's the case, why not just have the CM's field the questions?

As it is setup, someone has to ask a question to someone who, in turn, has to ask someone else a question. It all seems very convoluted to me.

On top of that, if the panel members are being tied up with the answers they are allowed to give (i.e. "official" policy vs. "things-CM's-let-slide") then it only further dilutes the advice being given.

Again, after reading through all this, it seems even more like something they could easily do away with.

So on another DIS board thread I kind of spoke to why I think the Moms Panel exists (with the obvious perspective of being on the Panel!). When someone new to WDW is planning a trip, it would be great if they could access DIS Boards and All Ears for the info and opinion provided. But while we all enjoy these venues, we can't expect that a first-timer would know of their existence, or trip across them when surfing the web. So the panel gives them a first round opportunity to ask someone their opinion on select items.

Considering that, how many times do you think I have mentioned going to sites, podcasts, or other related NON-DISNEY sites and resources in my replies? Lots, I can tell you. And how often has Disney asked me to stop sending people elsewhere for info? NEVER.

Finally, as to Disney "proofing" answers. They make a point of not "censoring" our answers. They want us to have the freedom to say "I prefer taking my girls to Akershus over Cindy's Royal Table", even though that may influence people to actions that reduce their overall income. But it is MY OPINION, so they will not stifle it. I appreciate that. The cost, however, is that it means that sometimes inaccuracies get up and don't get caught right away. I made a mistake once (probably MANY times!), and after posting the answer, I wrote the program manager. I told her I was unsure of my answer, and even thought I had checked with a CM, that I wanted them to check again. I was wrong, and they took the answer down.

Was the system perfect? No. Did they do their best? Yes.

Whey I talk to my little girls, that is all I ask them to do. Their best. I think Disney, in this instance, is doing their best. The beauty of this world is that now, you too, can choose to have a different opinion on this question.

Oh, and for the few haters that were here on the thread earlier that commented negatively on the appearances of my panel sisters (and seem to have left the dialog to those of you with legitimate concerns and issues), I can assure you that to the very last one they are beautiful women, both on the inside and out, and I love them dearly. I hope that you or your children are never judged based on their appearances, as you have judged them, as that goes well beyond the pale, and is a shameful lesson to teach anyone.

 

[rie'smom]

So on another DIS board thread I kind of spoke to why I think the Moms Panel exists (with the obvious perspective of being on the Panel!). When someone new to WDW is planning a trip, it would be great if they could access DIS Boards and All Ears for the info and opinion provided. But while we all enjoy these venues, we can't expect that a first-timer would know of their existence, or trip across them when surfing the web. So the panel gives them a first round opportunity to ask someone their opinion on select items.

Considering that, how many times do you think I have mentioned going to sites, podcasts, or other related NON-DISNEY sites and resources in my replies? Lots, I can tell you. And how often has Disney asked me to stop sending people elsewhere for info? NEVER.

Finally, as to Disney "proofing" answers. They make a point of not "censoring" our answers. They want us to have the freedom to say "I prefer taking my girls to Akershus over Cindy's Royal Table", even though that may influence people to actions that reduce their overall income. But it is MY OPINION, so they will not stifle it. I appreciate that. The cost, however, is that it means that sometimes inaccuracies get up and don't get caught right away. I made a mistake once (probably MANY times!), and after posting the answer, I wrote the program manager. I told her I was unsure of my answer, and even thought I had checked with a CM, that I wanted them to check again. I was wrong, and they took the answer down.

Was the system perfect? No. Did they do their best? Yes.

Whey I talk to my little girls, that is all I ask them to do. Their best. I think Disney, in this instance, is doing their best. The beauty of this world is that now, you too, can choose to have a different opinion on this question.

Oh, and for the few haters that were here on the thread earlier that commented negatively on the appearances of my panel sisters (and seem to have left the dialog to those of you with legitimate concerns and issues), I can assure you that to the very last one they are beautiful women, both on the inside and out, and I love them dearly. I hope that you or your children are never judged based on their appearances, as you have judged them, as that goes well beyond the pale, and is a shameful lesson to teach anyone.

Surfing and using Google is exactly how I found the DIS and other Disney planning sites. I would guess that is how many of us found this site and others.
If there has to be a panel, why not have experts-CMs-on it? I'd guess because Disney doesn't want to pay them. As per their habit of the past few years, they're taking the cheap way out and the only people they're hurting are their "guests".