Just a few thoughts from a long time listener...

[Angel Ariel]

I used to have unlimited data but last time we changed our plan I lost it. I don't believe it is even an option anymore at any cost.

We had unlimited data until verizon forced us out of it last year. We were grandfathered in with it until then. Now we have 6 GB to share b/w the two of us. Thankfully our new phones are better at automatically connecting to our home wifi, so we don't hit the max most months. But the times we have hit the max have been because of streaming podcasts (whether audio or video). The result has been we stream podcasts less while driving and listen/watch them while we are home when we can.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I'm actually curious about something. I'm not a tech guy. Is putting audio up on iTunes difficult or is there any cost involved? I just wonder if there is a technical reason not to make more of the audio available.

My guess is that they are staying with current trends of doing video, something that the majority prefer.

I used to have unlimited data but last time we changed our plan I lost it. I don't believe it is even an option anymore at any cost.

Unlimited data as not an option?? I've never heard of a phone company doing that. In fact, I'd expect them to do the exact opposite and eliminate plans based on amount used.

 

[rteetz]

I think that the critical position on WDW on the show is a direct reflection upon what is happening (or not happening) with the Walt Disney Company.

• There is a lot of uncertainty in Burbank.
  
• No successor to Bob Iger,
• Tone deafness to customers,
• The lack of real updates to EPCOT (and now all of Innoventions is pretty much going to be shut down) which now makes two parks that are going to be in re-imagineering land for the foreseeable future.
• DHS is really a park with no name and lots of construction walls
• lots of entertainment cutbacks

Bingo! Also #ThanksShanghai

 

[Atilley]

Unlimited data as not an option?? I've never heard of a phone company doing that. In fact, I'd expect them to do the exact opposite and eliminate plans based on amount used.

They forced us to change from unlimited also. That way if you go over they can charge you way more. That's why I always download the podcasts at home on wifi so I can listen during the commute without using up our data.

 

[KingLlama]

*Serious post from KingLlama...*

1. @Strikan You presented your viewpoints in an exemplary manner. I'm glad other posters recognized this as well. Props to you.
2. I miss the second hour as well. I understand that workload may be what is currently preventing it, and that is perfectly reasonable. But from a trip-planning perspective, THAT was the show that hooked me. My first thought, when it was announced that Steve is coming back, was that he'd be a natural at hosting a "second hour" show if they bring it back. Even when I disagree with his stances on things, he has a nice depth of current knowledge of the parks and a really sharp perspective on things. I hope they consider it.
3. I have actually thought that overall, the show's been a bit more positive lately. Pete said it best a few weeks back when he said that 2016 has been a tough year for Disney and Orlando...the shooting, the gator, and less importantly, some missteps by Disney in general. But I feel that some recent reviews of restaurants, hotels, and the late night option, etc., have been very positive. I'm not saying you're wrong about the negativity, just saying that I haven't seen it.

Again, great post. As mods have said, criticism is welcome on the board as long as it's presented the right way. And the way you did it was the right way. Props.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Unlimited data as not an option?? I've never heard of a phone company doing that. In fact, I'd expect them to do the exact opposite and eliminate plans based on amount used.

Verizon eliminated their unlimited data option, even for those of us who had it grandfathered in. They no longer offer any unlimited data plans.

 

[DLM1980]

AT&T did away with the Unlimited Data Plans, but then brought them back if you had something I don't remember, just that I refused to change my grandfathered plan until I was guaranteed whatever plan we now have is unlimited data between the two of us and it is

This option I don't like, but you can setup a playlist in YouTube, have it play the videos and still drive while listening to the audio, but your still streaming the video portion too so unless you have unlimited data I wouldn't. There are programs out there that you can convert a YouTube RSS feed into a real RSS feed that you can then have yet another extract the audio out of the videos and then put that in a playlist on your phone, not ideal, much more geeky, but it could be done....I gave up on it as I found a way for YouTube to work with Plex on my TV so I didn't need to get up and click play on the videos

 

[rteetz]

I have unlimited everything with sprint. The plan we have doesn't exist anymore but I believe sprint still offers an unlimited plan.

 

[k5jm]

I'm actually curious about something. I'm not a tech guy. Is putting audio up on iTunes difficult or is there any cost involved? I just wonder if there is a technical reason not to make more of the audio available.

You have to have a place to store/host the audio and the rss feed. Storage and bandwidth cost money. Itunes is not $$$ problem. Production and hosting are what cost money.

I used to have unlimited data but last time we changed our plan I lost it. I don't believe it is even an option anymore at any cost.

It is just not available to "everyone" nowadays.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Interesting. Glad I have unlimited and won't be changing that for anything. LOL

 

[disneysteve]

You have to have a place to store/host the audio and the rss feed. Storage and bandwidth cost money. Itunes is not $$$ problem. Production and hosting are what cost money.

Thanks Mike. That would be a good reason to not throw all of the audio onto iTunes. That's unfortunate.

 

[disneysteve]

Interesting. Glad I have unlimited and won't be changing that for anything. LOL

Hang onto it as long as they let you. Those plans are dinosaurs.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Hang onto it as long as they let you. Those plans are dinosaurs.

Just Googled. AT&T has an unlimited plan (which is what I have), so I should be good!

 

[disneysteve]

Just Googled. AT&T has an unlimited plan (which is what I have), so I should be good!

Really? How much is it per month? I thought they had done away with them.

 

[Hunterr]

Responding to OP original post:

1. The main show may be shorter than it used to be with the 2nd segment cut out, but there are now 5 shows in total (6 if you count Connecting With Walt). That, and they do a LOT more in-park vlogs and misc. content. So if the trade off is to have a shorter Orlando show for all that other good stuff, I’m fine with that.

2. Initially, the way they separated the content was confusing, but I’m a tech-savvy millennial, so after a few minutes of looking, i realized what they were doing

-The DIS UNPLUGGED youtube channel is strictly the shows and in-park vlogs. Basically, anything driven by the personalities on the team.

-THE DIS youtube channel contains the DAILY FIX vids and in-park content (ride POV’s, shows, interviews, etc.)

-The DREAMS UNLIMITED TRAVEL channel has the things pertaining to that show (I don’t know why they needed a separate channel, but I guess they wanted to simplify it and separate it from the rest for people who don’t necessarily care about the other stuff The Dis makes).

Facebook live and periscope things are just extra stuff they do if you care to follow along. No one is missing out terribly by not catching those. Unless you are in dire need to keep up with Theresas sleeping cat on periscope, you'll be fine without it

And articles are on the website for people who want to read stuff.

None of this seems confusing, really. There's just a lot of content in various formats for people to consume. Ingest, if you will.

3. If they ever seem jaded, it's because they live here and go all the time. They don't make it a secret, and usually point out a certain thing might be great, but might be a rehash of something Disney did last year (which doesn't apply if you've never seen said thing in the first place).
You may have noticed on their recent Disneyland coverage how more excited they were. Because they don't live in California, so it's a special thing whenever they go out.

 

[Hunterr]

I'm actually curious about something. I'm not a tech guy. Is putting audio up on iTunes difficult or is there any cost involved? I just wonder if there is a technical reason not to make more of the audio available.

What other audio do you need pulled from?
I feel the in-park vlogs are very visual, so don't need audio from that really.

As for the Daily Fix, I guess they don't see the need in wasting time putting up topical, time sensitive material up. And major stories from them would be on the regular show(s). Or, they just want more people to check out the YT channels.

 

[WDWRNTLK]

I also want to say thank you to the original post. I agree with all of your points and I think you stated them very well.
My biggest request would be to add back in the 2nd hour! As a typical working parent, I have very limited "free time" and I enjoy listening to the show in the car. My son enjoys it as well, so I would love to have that missing segment back. I also thought it would come back after Dustin left, but no such luck. The silliness of the opinions and topics was very refreshing. It felt like the team was kicking back and chatting amongst themselves and we were able to share in the conversation.

 

[disneysteve]

What other audio do you need pulled from?

This is a very good question. Since I watch very little of the video content, I took some time on a lazy Sunday morning to scan through both YouTube channels to see if there is really that much that I'd want audio from.

1. The Daily Fix - The show is essentially audio-only anyway except for seeing who is speaking. There's no video content here and the information isn't time-sensitive (other than the weather report which only matters if you're there). I know that most of the stories get repeated on Tuesday but it would still be nice to listen to it every day.
2. Restaurant reviews - I only looked at recent stuff but Art Smith's Homecoming, Blaze, and Drhum Club would all work just fine as audio feeds.
3. On the DIS feed, the first thing that pops up is a video of people singing a song from Frozen at the D23 Expo. As with the Fix, there's nothing particularly "video" about it. It's 3 people standing on a stage singing. Multiple other videos from D23 are the same, either performances or interviews that would be just as enjoyable listened to.
4. Interviews: Chef Tim from Flying Fish, J. Michael Roddy about the Star Wars Spectacular show.

I realize I'm tilting at windmills here and I'm clearly in the minority. I don't expect anything to change. I wish I had the time that everyone else seems to have to sit and watch all of these videos but I just don't. I'll keep on enjoying all of the audio content. Hopefully that won't ever go away.

 

[Teleclashter]

For anyone who is complaining that we don't put more of our YouTube videos in iTunes, do a quick Google search on what you'd like - making YouTube videos into audio - and maybe that will fix your situation. It requires you to do a little work, but if it is that important then it should be worth it, right?

 

[Strikan]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. A lot of interesting points. Having gone through them I think my takeaway is the following:

1. There is a huge amount of awesome content that comes from all the Dis sources. However, if your primary way to consume that content is listening to the actual podcasts, then you do lose something with the main podcast compared to previous years. It would be interesting to see how many people listen to the podcast compared to watching videos or reading articles. I have limited time to watch videos etc but 2 hours a day commuting when I can listen to podcasts. That will not change any time soon, so I miss the longer podcasts and have to resort to other Disney podcasts instead. I know...the horror!

2. I have thought more about my comment concerning the senior members of the team being a little jaded. I think perhaps I was not quite fair. The more I think about it the more I realize that my impression is a result in the change in the show format. If the podcast is basically housekeeping and the news, then the underlying tone of the show is going to be set by the news itself to a certain extent. If it is a week with good news then you get a more upbeat podcast. If it is a week with bad news, then the show may have a downbeat feel to it even with funny comments from the team. However, when it was a longer podcast with a feature segment, any bad news feeling was always countered by a lively discussion about something - a food review, an attraction comparison, help with toddler meltdowns, how to deal with wheelchair issues, whatever. I think that actually did make a big difference. Perhaps just an extra 20 to 30 minute segment on something each week would be possible? Please?

3. I do understand that there are ways to get all the content. I can stream the videos and find YouTube playlists and all that stuff. Plus with some flipping and digging I can find articles and other vids. However, maybe it is my Apple mentality, but when it comes to this kind of thing, I really want easy to find and easy to use. I really don't want to have to jump through too many hoops to get good content.

Now, I know I don't pay for this service, but in a way I think we are like customers because Pete and the team want us to keep coming back as much as possible. This whole site is designed to bring in ad revenue and also potential clients for Dreams etc. However, If it is a choice between trying to set up a stream of YouTube videos to play in the car from different YouTube sites or take extra time to convert video to audio as I bundle me and two yelling twins into the back of the car or just clicking on another Disney podcast, then the easier route may often win. I don't want that but I am an exhausted father so there you go...

Of course, this site and the podcast are so much more than just a quick listen or a promotional tool for Dreams. This is a real community. The special events a few weeks ago show that clearly. This is a community that cares about Disney AND each other. That is very special and will always have me listening to the Dis Unplugged podcast before others no matter what, as well as flicking through the vids and articles when my kids are not trying to kill each other. The Dis in all its forms is pretty amazing and I suppose I just want all of it!