What did I miss????? Emotional Pete rant.

[kylenne]

1. Basically all podcasters, instagrammers, influencers draw trolls. Truly best to just ignore and move on. Even acknowledging them fuels the fire. Anybody with a large social media following knows this. The Dis is no exception. If this is about YouTube comments/live chat, I personally think a better approach for Pete would be to completely ignore it. Acknowledging it fuels the trolls even more. Bizarre and pointless that Pete ranted about this but didn’t really specify what it was about.

2. I find it interesting that people will make blatant statements that none of the crew deserves criticism. No one is infallible. Everyone has their flaws. It is okay to disagree with someone you also respect. Craig sometimes posts some pretty “hot takes” on Twitter. I often disagree, but I respect his opinion.

Absolutely agree with both these points. I mean, I saw it go down in real time on Twitter and nobody especially looked good, as per usual for dumb Distwitter drama. I thought what Craig tweeted was petty and a little uncalled for at a time when CMs are really feeling the brunt of guest negativity, but it was very obvious to me that he wasn’t having a great day and was kinda done to begin with, and everybody’s allowed to have those, especially given the stressors we are all subject to nowadays. We have all made offhanded comments that didn’t land well. So I rolled my eyes and kept scrolling, as I often do when I see takes on Twitter I don’t agree with from people I otherwise like. But Distwitter is the very definition of petty and so many people rarely care about whatever it is they’re actually arguing about most of the time, so much as getting into dumb fights for clout. Even people I normally agree with (like the specific disgruntled ex-parks vlogger who pretty much started the dragging of Craig that day) get out of pocket because they want attention. Distwitter culture is toxic like that, bitter and cynical while simultaneously being shocked at its own negativity.

But I get the impulse to defend an employee, especially one who works as hard as Craig, and I don’t knock Pete at all for it. What I don’t get is ranting about old Twitter drama days after the fact...the truth of Distwitter is these spats burn out as quick as they start, and everybody’s on to the next petty nonsense within a matter of hours. This is ancient news as Twitter drama goes. All it did was potentially feed trolls and stir up a bunch of posts on the boards by confused people who only engage with the parks fandom through the Dis shows and said boards, maybe FB at most, understandably jumping to defend Craig because Pete said people were mean to him, and having no idea what happened. While I’m sure it was cathartic, all of this is ultimately over some nonsense that doesn’t even matter in the scheme of things. 30+ years of witnessing & getting caught up in dumb internet fights by turns has taught me that sometimes we need to all be a little more like Elsa and let it go. It’s just not that deep.

 

[SeanWM48]

it's all entertainment to me. love when Pete's fired up about something. context would've helped because I'm not on twitter but I was still entertained. Craig's a curmudgeon sometimes but honestly it all works. The blend of personalities is what makes some of these shows so great.

Pete's not on the show all the time and when he is, it's a must IMO. Deni has been great when she hosts in his absence.

 

[Jrb1979]

I like the show and tune in almost every week. One thing I wish they would do more of is talk about more of the things happening at Disney since Covid started. For instance the covering up of more FP signs at the parks.

 

[OfCourseTheresAlwaysMyWay]

I enjoy the podcast and recognize that it takes a ton of work and that I am consuming it for free. That being said:

These days, if you do anything in the public eye on any level, you're going to have people saying terrible things about you on the Internet. I don't like it or endorse it, but it comes with the territory at this point.

I wish there was less focus given to these negative comments on the podcast. Don't waste the energy on it. It's always gonna be there, and addressing it often gives it more power. Save the rants for the things that really matter. Rant about the big issues, not what a few people said on Twitter.

I know Pete and the team always say The DIS Unplugged isn't their first job, but they make themselves very visible between the various YouTube channels and their own social media. That has consequences. Especially since they're one of the biggest names in their field. Jennifer Lopez is one of the biggest names in her field, and she'd never give trolls the time of day. Why should The DIS?

Engaging with the drama is a losing proposition in all circumstances. It also does nothing to get people excited about Disney and to sell the travel agency, which is the ultimate goal.

 

[disneyworldsk]

- I have been greatly enjoying Deni, Jackie and Ryno on the off the rails podcast and enjoy when john and kevin have the occasional dis travel agent hopping onto their podcasts as well. lately i prefer to listen to things and watching things on media (tv, podcasts, movies) that are calming and humorous and not expose myself to more stress so I avoid (even fast forward) anything like what occurred on Craig's twitter and/or Pete's speech to us. I won't expose myself to added stress in my life.
- Jackie's article recently " why can't all disney guests just follow the rules" is a great read but I again I try to not get upset by things because covid enough has been so stressful in my life I can't be around much more anger and hate then I have in my own universe I need to control other people's issues to keep my world sane. But I love Jackie so I read it. Stemming from her article and Pete's issues leadership begins from the top. The leader supports his / her team professionally as Pete and Disney should for their employees.
- I will say, I would love to have more calm people like Deni and Jackie and funny real people like Ryno on the podcast to join them, maybe time to add more. Maybe it will help when everyone, in good health on the podcast can be altogether in the studio and not separated by covid and that affects the show (how could it not).
- just my own observation in general and culture/philosophical rant of my own: I live in nj and work in ny/nj. Pete's style as a businessman/business owner and how he communicates is in step with his demographic of our area. What I am finding is that the millenial generation (which is now overtaking the workforce in numbers over gen x) does not agree or have that style even in our area here. So it is challenging for Gen X white male leaders from nj who have this style to be the bosses of gen z and millenials. What was once viewed as something to emulate or fear (from a boss) is now often viewed as offensive and disrespectful and to ask them to adapt to the new generational culture of employer/employee leadership style is so very difficult when they have been successful in their business world for decades. In addition, Pete is now reflecting that model to a wider audience not just his own business bubble. so it's magnified for others to comment and view and observe. Not that anyone is right or wrong, it's just different.

 

[Teleclashter]

Okay, several times people have been told there is a reason people were upset with Craig and no one seems interested in the reason. People just blindly praise Craig and Pete and think a rant completely out of the blue had to be the fans' fault. Really?

I can't post a link because the link feature is still broken and it will just spin. Here is one of the Craig's tweets that upset fans.

There is a good chance I’m getting kicked out of Magic Kingdom today for screaming at obnoxious people. I may need anger management.

Craig was upset about unsafe Covid behavior so it was understandable but screaming at other guests makes the CMs job harder and two wrongs don't make a right. Screaming in public is full stop. Then a bit later there was this:

Jesus. The CM at Pirates making queue announcements is doing a 3-minute plus stand-up routine. What in the hell is happening at Magic Kingdom today. “No flashing. That includes flash floods and DC characters.”

So let's go back to last Tuesday. Folks, Pete literally was yelling AT US to behave in the parks and not criticize his team's work, when it was his team that was talking about behaving poorly in a park and mocking the CM doing their job. Craig and Pete can criticize CMs on Twitter but no one can criticize the Dis??

Come on, this situation is so full of irony and Pete yelling at people to be kinder? Does ranting make people kinder?

Craig was in the wrong and the fans that push backed over the last two weeks were in the wrong. Literally, it would have been better to move on, but instead Pete decided to yell at everyone.

I like Craig but this wasn't his best moment. I don't think an apology is in order but instead when it happened he doubled down by changing his Twitter name and let Pete yell at us. Craig should have stepped in last week when it was clear this had morphed into something bigger and said, "I blew it, I want to move on Pete please."

The situation he was addressing had 0% to do with anything that happened on Twitter. It was addressing YouTube comments and one person in particular that has traveled with us in the past that was making statements about my character and Pete's opinion of me.

As for Twitter, your read of the situation is a bit off. "Screaming in public is full stop." Do you think I'd actually scream at a person in public that I don't know? I wouldn't even ask a CM or TM to do that. I made a post on social media that was venting my frustration at the people around me who had no consideration for anyone besides themselves, which is probably my biggest pet peeve.

As for the tweet about a CM breaking theming at the attraction, I did not go and complain to a supervisor at the attraction. I didn't go to guest relations. I didn't add their name. I didn't tag Disney directly. Besides saying nothing at all, I chose the least harmful approach to that person's job. Then people in "DisTwitter" chose to make it a bigger deal than it was, blew it up to a level it should've never gotten to, and then blamed me that I'd probably cause a CM to lose their job. I have a feeling if anything was to ever happen to that CM, it's more likely that Disney found out about it when 80 people chose to share it and Quote Tweet it versus a handful of comments and likes. I feel bad for the CM who are getting yelled and screamed at for issues dealing with COVID, but this wasn't that situation.

I do think that sometimes we should ignore more comments, but for the most part we like interacting with everyone and I actually do read to see the constructive criticism. I try to hear everyone out, but lately people have been so frustrated with a lack of Pete on the Tuesday show that they have become more vicious to the rest of the team and that's where his problem lies.

 

[TebyL]

- I have been greatly enjoying Deni, Jackie and Ryno on the off the rails podcast and enjoy when john and kevin have the occasional dis travel agent hopping onto their podcasts as well. lately i prefer to listen to things and watching things on media (tv, podcasts, movies) that are calming and humorous and not expose myself to more stress so I avoid (even fast forward) anything like what occurred on Craig's twitter and/or Pete's speech to us. I won't expose myself to added stress in my life.
- Jackie's article recently " why can't all disney guests just follow the rules" is a great read but I again I try to not get upset by things because covid enough has been so stressful in my life I can't be around much more anger and hate then I have in my own universe I need to control other people's issues to keep my world sane. But I love Jackie so I read it. Stemming from her article and Pete's issues leadership begins from the top. The leader supports his / her team professionally as Pete and Disney should for their employees.
- I will say, I would love to have more calm people like Deni and Jackie and funny real people like Ryno on the podcast to join them, maybe time to add more. Maybe it will help when everyone, in good health on the podcast can be altogether in the studio and not separated by covid and that affects the show (how could it not).
- just my own observation in general and culture/philosophical rant of my own: I live in nj and work in ny/nj. Pete's style as a businessman/business owner and how he communicates is in step with his demographic of our area. What I am finding is that the millenial generation (which is now overtaking the workforce in numbers over gen x) does not agree or have that style even in our area here. So it is challenging for Gen X white male leaders from nj who have this style to be the bosses of gen z and millenials. What was once viewed as something to emulate or fear (from a boss) is now often viewed as offensive and disrespectful and to ask them to adapt to the new generational culture of employer/employee leadership style is so very difficult when they have been successful in their business world for decades. In addition, Pete is now reflecting that model to a wider audience not just his own business bubble. so it's magnified for others to comment and view and observe. Not that anyone is right or wrong, it's just different.

I agree that this style of leadership is more NJ gen x white male leaders, however I disagree that it isn't wrong. If we want a more inclusive society, we need leaders who are empathetic and not imposing. Pete has a great team, and I believe he enjoys working with them and is proud of what he's built. That makes it all the more logical for him to treat them with respect in public settings. I would reinforce that this is wrong for a couple of reasons (1 of them speculative):

1. The aim of his show is to get more people to watch and thus get more sponsors and folks to visit his company. His demeanor is clearly turning people away and making them uncomfortable. I.e. his "smart-***" attitude is hurting his bottom line. I also think (speculative) that this might turn away some sponsors.
2. As a leader, emotional intelligence is a must (especially, as you highlighted, with newer generations). The fact that he's the only one on the show with this communication style AND he's the boss makes it seem like he feels superior to the rest. Regardless of wether it's true or not (I personally think it is true he feels this way), he should be cognizant of this fact that and have the EQ to modify it, at the very minimum in public settings.

In today's world we all have a higher degree of accountability, and this obviously is more evident in public personas. Ignoring this fact and "blaming" it on cultural backgrounds is taking an easy way out. Let's hold each other accountable and improve the way we, as a culture, embrace different personalities and backgrounds.

 

[ainswokp]

I almost never post here although I have listened to the show back to the Bob V days.

With any media presence of this size there are going to be trolls and generally terrible people providing unconstructive feedback. I think it is best ignored, because (1) addressing it on air just fuels the people doing it, (2) none of the core listeners care, and in fact I would take it as a sign the show is popular and doing well, and (3) the most painful part for me listening on my hour-long drive to work, there is WAY too much apologizing from the team for totally benign things, and I can only take that to be because they are afraid of these people getting up in arms. Any "worst" show take or critique of something new has to be led with "I am so sorry for this, I know people like this, I am very sorry, but...." Just please say whatever you want. Opinions matter, I know Pete has said in the past he lets the team say whatever they want, and they do, but just less sugar coating. If everything is addressed as trying to avoid an internet incident, I don't know what's good or bad and I generally trust their opinions. Probably why I think Craig's commentary carries the most weight, he does this a lot less than the others.

On Pete, I think saying he doesn't appreciate his employees purely based on what goes on during the shows is pretty obtuse. That said, I feel the people who are getting tired of the rants. Based on this post from Craig from January it's unlikely to go anywhere:

WE NEED YOUR HELP! The most requested video we get more than any other is, "Can you put together a video of Pete's best rants?" We're finally ready to do it!
That being said, the show has been running since 2006 in audio and 2013 in video so there are a TON of rants out there. That's where the audience comes into play!
If you have a favorite Pete rant and/or explosion, PLEASE, leave post here with the episode number/date, the topic, and if there's a particular time stamp that is the most worthy of being included then share that as well.
Example - Episode 1110, 01/12/21, Pete talking about Disney's decisions as of lately like cancelling Magical Express, 9:14 - 12:21
Thanks for your help!
Craig

I would guess it drives views or there is a larger group of people who really love it. I just tune it out which is probably the best approach if you like the other parts of the shows. I have enjoyed the Disney Dish more and more for this reason, the outrage is not there and the topics are primarily focused on trip planning implications for any of the news stories. They wouldn't cover something like this. Just goes to what your tastes are as a listener.

 

[nkereina]

I can definitely see where Pete's rants would turn people off and alienate some of the viewers/listeners. But, Pete has been upfront about the travel agency being their main livelihood and the podcast/YouTube channel being secondary. I'm sure he cares about his viewers, but having the travel agency as their main gig allows them to be authentically themselves on the podcast - take it or leave it. They don't hold back opinions, positive or negative, and that's not something comparable Disney content creators can say. Most other creators in the same space are leveraging their channels and viewership as a main source of income, but Pete & Co. don't have that hanging over head. So, while I'm not necessarily a fan of the rants, I can certainly appreciate the authenticity. That keeps me tuning in each week, since I feel like I can trust what they're saying without outside influence.

 

[disneyworldsk]

I agree that this style of leadership is more NJ gen x white male leaders, however I disagree that it isn't wrong. If we want a more inclusive society, we need leaders who are empathetic and not imposing. Pete has a great team, and I believe he enjoys working with them and is proud of what he's built. That makes it all the more logical for him to treat them with respect in public settings. I would reinforce that this is wrong for a couple of reasons (1 of them speculative):

1. The aim of his show is to get more people to watch and thus get more sponsors and folks to visit his company. His demeanor is clearly turning people away and making them uncomfortable. I.e. his "smart-***" attitude is hurting his bottom line. I also think (speculative) that this might turn away some sponsors.
2. As a leader, emotional intelligence is a must (especially, as you highlighted, with newer generations). The fact that he's the only one on the show with this communication style AND he's the boss makes it seem like he feels superior to the rest. Regardless of wether it's true or not (I personally think it is true he feels this way), he should be cognizant of this fact that and have the EQ to modify it, at the very minimum in public settings.

In today's world we all have a higher degree of accountability, and this obviously is more evident in public personas. Ignoring this fact and "blaming" it on cultural backgrounds is taking an easy way out. Let's hold each other accountable and improve the way we, as a culture, embrace different personalities and backgrounds.

I appreciate what you said and respect your views. Thank you. It was very thoughtful and it made me pause.
I think I took the easy way out (as you said) because when I recently posted my disappointment on the threads about an off the cuff remark that was made on the podcast recently (that was a 'joke' towards one of the guest hosts being told his wife wears the pants in the family when his wife made a decision about a recent disney trip) I was viewed as too sensitive and I shouldn't be so offended that it was 'funny.' So yes, I do believe in my comment above i made an observation as opposed to choosing a stance. I hated feeling 'attacked' for my opinion on the thread prior (it was a few wks ago) so this time I was more meek in my comment above.

Reminds me of the school teachers who yell at the whole class for something that can be done privately between an issue should be set aside after class for a couple of the children! The teacher sets the tone, stress level, and has the ability to make the students feel uncomfortable or...can rise to the occasion and use opportunities as beautiful learning experiences and teachable moments to create a unified community.
Leadership begins at the top.....lots of room for growth and learning and evolving!