Negative Threads in the Top 10

[mmackeymouse]

I just wanted to offer a silver lining or a optimistic spin on why negative threads are so popular as far as traffic is concerned.

I think anytime one of those negative threads pop up, yes, there are people that go to pile on. But, I think a lot of people go on there to defend Disney, to set the record straight, to offer their own positive anecdote as a contrast. Some people may, and I know I do this, go on these threads to see, "Is this a legit complaint, or is this someone acting delusional or entitled, or both?"

So, in that sense, it is good that people are going to those threads to judge the validity of the complaint and not simply assuming the worst by the thread title, and it's good that they are trying to put a positive spin on things. Of course it would be nice if the "This cast member made my trip" threads got more traction, sure, but I take heart that even the negative threads have people trying to redeem them.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Personally, I've learned very helpful tips and strategies from what would probably be considered "negative" threads. I certainly enjoy the "this CM made my trip" positive threads as well, but I don't usually learn much from them about how to help make my trip better.

 

[KingLlama]

The only "negative threads" that get on my nerves are the ones where the poster just seems like a negative, hard-to-please person in general. I have no problem with legitimate gripes about lines, food, hotels, etc., because it makes me a better-informed WDW visitor.

 

[Stacy's a freak]

I love feel-good stories just like the rest of the world but let's face it, it's the negative ones that draw more attention. Everyone loves drama ... just watch the news.

 

[Jafar30]

I understand that there are issues like getting sick or your credit card gets stolen that can happen on any vacation. And those can be awful. But I kind of roll my eyes a bit when someone starts a thread that they couldn't get into this restaurant. Or a fastpass wasn't available for this attraction and they were upset. Those are the epitome of first world problems.

 

[Princess Jes]

Or that they weren't compensated for being stuck on a ride for any length of time. That annoys me for some reason.

One thing that honestly bothers me so much, and I haven't been to the TPAS board in ages, but see it on the DISboards on Facebook group (and another group "Disney Dorks") at least a couple of times a week, it's someone saying "it's my birthday in March but I'm going in November, is it ok to wear a birthday button? What pixie dust can I expect?" Or "its my cats, uncles, brothers, sons neighbors birthday this week, we're going in a month, what button can I get?"
Argh!!

 

[ForeverAlice]

When I read reviews on here or trip advisor or anywhere I take notice of the other circumstances posters/reviewers mention out of the hotels/resturants/or theme parks control...and weigh if its worth reading based on that. Things I see a lot is my child was sick, or our flight was delayed or we arrived in the middle of the night etc..then normally the review goes downhill from there.. things like that can make what would normally be a positive review nit picky. But that's just my opinion. Sometimes people do have negative experiences and want to inform others to be helpful and sometimes it's just venting about something else all together.

 

[Angel Ariel]

yep, sometimes there are just venting threads. I don't think that necessarily applies to the top 10 on the whole, but it definitely happens.

That said, I look at it as "if people can't vent about Disney related issues on a Disney message board, expressing their frustration with the very population that should understand the most, then where can they? I know in my real life there aren't many people outside of DH that I can "talk Disney" with - positively or negatively. Most people I know are very much non Disney people and just not interested in hearing anything about it at all unless they are planning a trip.

I'm sure there are many others who have a similar dynamic in their lives. So I cut the venting threads slack. I can always choose to not read them if I don't want to hear venting that day (or ever).

 

[WillAustin]

Sometimes people do have negative experiences and want to inform others to be helpful and sometimes it's just venting about something else all together.

I also think there are a lot of people having less that great experiences. Moreso than 5 years ago. The complaints aren't just here.

 

[disneysteve]

Personally, I've learned very helpful tips and strategies from what would probably be considered "negative" threads. I certainly enjoy the "this CM made my trip" positive threads as well, but I don't usually learn much from them about how to help make my trip better.

I agree with this 100%. The negative threads tend to be much more informative. They alert me to problems that I might not have been aware of. They help me avoid running into the same problems.

I think sometimes the "pixie dust" threads just feed the entitled crowd who then go in expecting the same treatment.

I'd love to hear what Pete's favorite threads are but one thing we all love about the DIS is that they don't sugarcoat anything. They tell it like it is, good or bad. So I say keep telling us the actual top threads. Those are the ones where we learn important stuff.

 

[disneydizzy2]

I totally agree! Most people in my life aren't going to understand me lamenting about the rise in prices, or whatever Disney crisis arises. I am grown up enough to differentiate whether the thread pertains to my own experiences, are just a pity party, or has some useful info for me. Frankly I don't want anything to be so dumbed down I am only fed sugar plums and Unicorns.

That said, here is my confession, threads on a Disney board or Facebook page devoted to "Disney" that begin with " I know this isn't about Disney, BUT......." Annoy me! That's why I love Dzizs boards really. There is clearly places on community etc for just that.

 

[Princess Jes]

I totally agree! Most people in my life aren't going to understand me lamenting about the rise in prices, or whatever Disney crisis arises. I am grown up enough to differentiate whether the thread pertains to my own experiences, are just a pity party, or has some useful info for me. Frankly I don't want anything to be so dumbed down I am only fed sugar plums and Unicorns.

That said, here is my confession, threads on a Disney board or Facebook page devoted to "Disney" that begin with " I know this isn't about Disney, BUT......." Annoy me! That's why I love Dzizs boards really. There is clearly places on community etc for just that.

That's why I like this board, it's a mixture of Disney and real life.

 

[JimmyV]

Obviously, the podcast board can confer "Top 10" status to whichever threads it wants. But I found the eye-rolling and Teresa's frustration with negative threads to be unwarranted. Sometimes the podcast crew forgets that the experiences that "once-a-year" or "once-every-couple-of-years" guests differ dramatically from the experiences of those who live 20 minutes away and can come and go as they please with their annual passes. If a ride breaks down, the local can skip it and come back another day. If the crowd level at Epcot during Food and Wine is unmanageable, they can leave and come back later. These type of frustrations roll off the backs of locals, but they can be grating to a person who has sunk thousands of dollars into their vacation, and if they are disappointed, they are going to vent and rant about it. Anyone who is "tired of all the negativity" should steer clear of chat boards populated by people who are spending thousands of dollars at a place that continues to get more and more expensive. People are going to find things to complain about. Don't blame them. Don't roll your eyes at them. Don't criticize them. Just avoid them. If you don't want to reward those threads at the end of the month, fine. To a degree, that makes sense. But hold back on the cynicism aimed at posters such as the one who started the MNSSHP Chaos thread. Locals have the luxury of saying: "Oh, I would never go to the first party of the year. We always hold back and go when it is less crowded." But the person who started that thread did not have that option. And dismissing his complaints about what transpired on that night was a bit insulting. By his account, that first night was worth complaining about, just as Pete complained and ranted about the Villains Soiree last year.

 

[Princess Jes]

Even those who don't come often need to manage their expectations though Jimmy.

I've been once, and that was meant to be a once in a lifetime trip, but even I get over seeing the threads whinging about every little thing.
Maybe we need a whole board dedicated to complaints

 

[kbelle8995]

Some of the "Negative" threads can be helpful. If you see more people on the board say that a restaurant's food or service is less than stellar, than you can avoid it. You can choose to take them with a grain of salf if you wish to.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Even those who don't come often need to manage their expectations though Jimmy.

I've been once, and that was meant to be a once in a lifetime trip, but even I get over seeing the threads whinging about every little thing.
Maybe we need a whole board dedicated to complaints

I honestly don't get why complaints should be shielded and shuttered off to their own little area. Most posts are descriptive enough in their titles to tell if it's going to be positive or negative. IF it sounds negative and (general) you don't want to read it, then don't. If (general)you open a thread and find it's negative when you didn't think it would be, and you're not interested in it now then exit the thread. I certainly don't agree with every thread here..complaint thread, positive thread..there's all kinds of threads I may not agree with or may not like at all. But I don't think that means that anyone shouldn't be able to post that thread or should have to be sequestered into one area either.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

I have to say - I had the same general thoughts as voiced by Angel Ariel, but didn't know how to put them into words. My thought (much less eloquently stated) was - maybe more and more negative threads are popping up because more and more negative experiences are being HAD. Now - I also know people are much more likely to incept a review/thread/whatever to complain than to compliment (I've heard that before in relation to reviews sites, like Yelp, or other sites that have product reviews on their retail site, etc. - it's some sort of "market research human nature" phenomenon or something), but I also know the increasing times in my later visits that I've caught myself saying "what the heck am I doing here?" in regards to the crowds, other guests rudeness, Disney's "doing anything to squeeze more and more money out of you at all points" and just feeling "not as magical" anymore. Don't get me wrong - yes - there are STILL outstanding experiences to be had, and STILL awesome CM's, but maybe many more "bad apples" tending to crop up? Still can't exactly voice what I'm driving at, but I tried - and I do want to say I generally agree with what Angel Ariel said.

And last but not least - PLEASE do not tell me to "speak with my wallet" before you read any of my other posts lamenting the same issues - I already HAVE spoken with my wallet - that's a big part of why I have not been in over 3 years, and have no IDEA when I'll be going back. And also PLEASE do not tell me that the stockholders are happy that the bottom line is being held or getting fat - until you read any of my other posts that say I've been a stockholder since '93 - and yes - while dividends and share values have gone up - to me - sometimes seeing a smile on someone's face, or hearing a gasp of wonderment at something while you're in the parks, or having an amazing experience yourself - is - PRICELESS!!!

Last but not least - also please read my other posts to discover that the way I feel is less about being angry than being sad - very, very sad - that my "happy place" has become increasingly less so - and "it ain't all about the money".

 

[MaryKatesMom]

I agree with so many of the above posters. Who else would understand but other dissers how saddened I get when I see some of the changes for the worst over the years?

I don't have the luxury of going when I choose. Why shouldn't I be disappointed when I didn't get my first 3 choices for dining for the first time EVER booking at exactly 180 days out at 6AM. I did exactly what I was supposed to do and have done in the past but because of record crowds I don't get the same vacation I have in the past. There are so many 180+10 visitors, I didn't get what I wanted. Will it make or break the vacation, of course not, will it make me more likely to split a stay at Universal. Yep.

 

[JimmyV]

Even those who don't come often need to manage their expectations though Jimmy.

Sure. If people shifted their expectations to: "Expect to pay more and receive less", then perhaps there would be fewer negative threads when things live up (or down) to those expectations. But for 40 years, people have not had to approach WDW with those expectations. Maybe now they should.

maybe more and more negative threads are popping up because more and more negative experiences are being HAD.

Funny how people often overlook this simple truth. Approached from a purely logical, analytical angle, there can be only two reasons why there are more and more negative threads. One is that humans are evolving and becoming more negative, and are predisposed to post negative things more so than ever before. And the second reason is that people are finding more and more things to complain about. I have seen no biological evidence of the former. That leaves the latter.

 

[disneysteve]

maybe more and more negative threads are popping up because more and more negative experiences are being HAD.

I think Heidi nailed it right here.

I've been going to WDW since 1978. I've seen it go from one park and 3 hotels to 4 parks, 2 water parks, 2 mini golf courses, and 22 (?) hotels. The experience of a Disney vacation has changed dramatically over the years, in both good ways and not so good ways. To expect that those not so good changes aren't going to generate substantial discussion among the Disney fan community is naive at best.