What would you like to see in the new era?

[Kevin O'Brien]

I enjoy the DIS Unplugged podcast shows it's great fun and relaxing to watch and I enjoy listening to the history episodes of connecting to Walt every week.
What I'd like to see new on the DIS Unplugged shows?
how about trivia at the end of each DIS Unplugged show to test out what we've learn't during watching the DIS Unplugged shows.

 

[JimmyV_2.0]

I was actually told by a member of the team that the reason The Trip ended was because it wasn’t generating business for Dreams. Since they don’t book offsite hotels and sell tickets for offsite attractions, that content wasn’t driving customers to them.

Total internet finance novice here. What would make a site owner more money? 1.) Steering "leads" towards a Travel Agency, DVC Sales Company, or Real Estate Company, or 2.) Getting ad revenue from sponsorships, overall viewer traffic and "hits"? Seems as if making content decisions based on the former is what led the site to become a shell of its former self which decreased viewership and caused people to look elsewhere for their WDW content. A financial interest in a DVC company begot a DVC show. Boring! A financial interest in a real estate agency begot a Moving To Orlando show. Boring. All this content came at the expense of fun and interesting WDW/Orlando content.

But if losing viewers while gaining DU customers, DVC customers and MTO customers results in a net financial gain, then a decision such as the one mentioned above makes sense even if we don't like it. Conversely, if "traffic" and "hits" leads to higher revenue, then it behooves the site owner to beef up the content that will attract viewers and "hits" even if it does the travel agency, DVC company and Real Estate Company no favors. I have no idea how any of this works, but I suspect that behind the scenes, this is the subject of a huge discussion. Some will want to make WDW content that generates viewers and traffic while others will want content that steers customers towards the businesses in which they have a financial stake. The bygone days when Bob Varley wanted a show for the fun of it are over. Earnings are going to drive decisions and I have no idea how a site like this and income generated from it all works, but I do know that this will be the singele biggest influence on the future.

 

[JimmyV_2.0]

how about trivia at the end of each DIS Unplugged show to test out what we've learn't during watching the DIS Unplugged shows.

Only if the Prize-Ma-Tron comes back into play! Submit your answers and a winner will be announced from those with the highest score!

 

[JimmyV_2.0]

Add John and Kevin to the dining program on the finer restaurants WDW and around Orlando.

Love all your suggestions...except this one. I don't see it happening. What I would LOVE to see is for Dreams and another agency (not sure I am allowed to mention it) merge, (but I suspect Dreams is bigger, so maybe a buy-out would be more accurate) and then have Dan and Leslie do the dining reviews. Theirs are unmatched by anything else on the internet. No reason to try to compete against the best. If you can't beat them, join them.

 

[disneysteve]

Total internet finance novice here. What would make a site owner more money? 1.) Steering "leads" towards a Travel Agency, DVC Sales Company, or Real Estate Company, or 2.) Getting ad revenue from sponsorships, overall viewer traffic and "hits"? Seems as if making content decisions based on the former is what led the site to become a shell of its former self which decreased viewership and caused people to look elsewhere for their WDW content.

Earnings are going to drive decisions and I have no idea how a site like this and income generated from it all works, but I do know that this will be the singele biggest influence on the future.

I get it. It's a business. They have to pay for all the equipment, annual passes for the team, tickets to the events, travel expenses, salaries, etc. They can't just do it for fun on the level they operate.

That said, I definitely noticed a point - I don't recall exactly when it was - when there was a shift and the shows became more promotional. I even complained about it to the team. The details are fuzzy but I'm pretty sure Pete responded to me (not by name) on one show referencing an email I had sent in on that topic, and he was not polite or professional about it. He pretty much berated me for bringing it up. To be somewhat even-handed, though, Pete also was often the first to defend something Disney did that they all disliked pointing out that Disney is a business and they have shareholders to answer to, so at least he was consistent in that regard.

 

[JimmyV_2.0]

I don't recall exactly when it was - when there was a shift and the shows became more promotional.

For me, it was when DCL became the focus of the shows (because Travel Agents earn way more money from cruise bookings than they do from hotel and park pass bookings) which was around the same time that Pete got into DVC resale and then Orlando Real Estate. When all that collided, the WDW content went to pieces. There wasn't even the slightest effort to make Tuesday shows about WDW visitation. Craig, Ryno and team would put up videos on YT with WDW content, but hardly any of that was ever discussed on the Tuesday show.

 

[dangeresque49]

Am I missing something when people say Craig should purchase the dis? I thought Corey was well off but Craig didn't make much money.

 

[trompettecon]

I'd love it if Deni popped in once in a while as well. I miss her.

She has her own channel now... Very strange considering her position at GKTW.

 

[Greenfield1984]

My Ideal Outcome

“The Dis” returns to its original mission according to Bob Varley. A group of friends passionate and knowledgeable about traveling to and enjoying Walt Disney World. Aka Ryno’s “The Connors”. Talking about the ins and outs of enjoying a WDW vacation. As Ryno has said, The Dis isn’t a place of regular Vloggers about WDW rather a company that wants to inform travelers that will be coming to WDW. Vloggers in WDW are there to entertain others and enjoy the park themselves. It is also a larger community of people that read the boards, watch the podcast and travel with the team and go to Disunplugged events.

• Craig and Corey purchase The Dis
• Payments for the purchase are set up to repay DU, - John and Donna for losses they have incurred.
• Panda comes back as the host. He is very passionate about WDW and extremely knowledgeable about the parks. He still loves them and enjoys his time there. He has a fabulous on camera personality that is completely authentic. Very relaxed and positive with a really fun self-depreciating humor. No ego about being more informed or opinionated. He was the best addition in years.
• Craig will produce the show and video content. I love him dearly, but I know his attention is divided when he hosts. He can’t help himself and is divided mentally when on air. He is an absolute rock and has held The Dis together for the last few years. He deserves our love and support.
• Ryno covers film, merchandise, pop culture and whatever he wants. I love him dearly too and he needs to do and cover what will make him happy and he will shine doing it. He needs this opportunity to move forward with the freedom to explore. A few minutes of UO and Disney Pop Culture on “The Dis” a week would be informative and entertaining.
• Julie and Teresa cover the practicalities of travel to WDW. This is The Dis bread, butter and all the groceries. This is what people want to hear. “Has the price of strollers gone up?” “Should I bring my own?” “Should I buy a cheap umbrella stroller down there then leave it behind?” “Should I rent in the park or rent from offsite?” Teresa often chimed in about what her clients are telling her. A segment called “What are our clients asking us” gathered from DU agents would be HUGE.
• No one mentioned one word on MCO getting more direct flights from other airports.
• Erika moves to social media and joins the Dining program segments on plant-based dining. She does not have the expertise to speak on planning travel and getting groups of people, families, to and from the park. Places to stay, where to get the most value for money spent. She loves the parks and enjoys her time there, but she doesn’t plan vacations or spent money to travel there.
• Corey spends time making WDWinfo the go-to-spot to plan a vacation in WDW. Directing traffic to segments on The Dis Youtube channel on how to navigate Genie + or without The Magical Express how to get around. Again, finding out from the DU agents what their clients are asking and giving the DU agents a place to send their clients when they have questions.
• Add John and Kevin to the dining program on the finer restaurants WDW and around Orlando. If they went back to Il Mulino they would be aghast at how bad it has gotten since the pandemic. A segment about getting around WDW in a scooter would be perfect and a great addition to the WDWinfo website. DU must have clients that have trouble getting around WDW. Here is how to grab that business.

Wow. You are writing up my wish list that i wasnt even aware of. You seem to have perfectly identified everyones strengths and weaknesses and placed them where they fit the best.

The only thing I see a bit weak is on practical trip planning. I dont think theresa and Julie are enough. They are an asset that I enjoy for sure. But What the Dis has lacked for years are regular families from out of state (and country) who provide the listeners tips and tricks on the monstrosity that is disney trip planning.

So maybe get different guests each week that join Julie and Theresa that give the typical park goer perspective. And maybe trip reports.

 

[GeneralTso]

I think it's scorched earth time.
Level it, start over. There's too much taint on all of this. I can't imagine anyone would want their good name and reputations associated with any of this. It's so ugly.

 

[Greenfield1984]

My $0.02. I'd like to see the Tuesday show return to a focus on Park/Restaurant/Resort visitation. The DIS still produces a lot of content covering those items, but the video content became too spread out, parked on YT without any studio discussion, and it was hard to follow it all. The core content became divorced from the Tuesday show. We often hear: "We'll be posting a video of our first look at TRON." No. Don't "post the video". Show it on the Tuesday show followed by a discussion. And then post it. The focus needs to be on the Tuesday show. There was a time when the show had videos embedded in it, such as dining reviews and hotel reviews, touring strategies, which were then followed by a discussion. But then things changed and all of those types of videos got posted separately, elsewhere, outside of the Tuesday show sphere and the show struggled to find 60 minutes of relevant content. It's almost as if the YT channel became the sole space for WDW travel content, and the Tuesday show became the whipping post for internal Disney corporate personnel changes and Florida legislation, with 30 minutes of DCL and ABD infommercials tossed in. Viewers left and are leaving in favor of other sites that present core WDW visitation content. Viewers want that far more than they want pontification of whether the "cleaning lady" should be fired, or who should lead film development. So much has changed about WDW since the Covid pause that viewers want some expert advice on visitation strategies and real world experiences. WDW has never been more complicated to visit, and we count on the DIS Team to coach us through it. Talk to us. Show us. Teach us. I can read about Reedy Creek on my own time.

Also love the idea of the Daily Fix. I understand the limitations, so maybe the "Three Times A Week Fix".

Your show and tell idea is great. People like Theressa often dont go to the parks. But i actually enjoy hearing her opinion on new additions. Craig and the team shoot great videos. Could be interesting to have the team view a video and then comment on it.

 

[Lynn57]

My Ideal Outcome

“The Dis” returns to its original mission according to Bob Varley. A group of friends passionate and knowledgeable about traveling to and enjoying Walt Disney World. Aka Ryno’s “The Connors”. Talking about the ins and outs of enjoying a WDW vacation. As Ryno has said, The Dis isn’t a place of regular Vloggers about WDW rather a company that wants to inform travelers that will be coming to WDW. Vloggers in WDW are there to entertain others and enjoy the park themselves. It is also a larger community of people that read the boards, watch the podcast and travel with the team and go to Disunplugged events.

• Craig and Corey purchase The Dis
• Payments for the purchase are set up to repay DU, - John and Donna for losses they have incurred.
• Panda comes back as the host. He is very passionate about WDW and extremely knowledgeable about the parks. He still loves them and enjoys his time there. He has a fabulous on camera personality that is completely authentic. Very relaxed and positive with a really fun self-depreciating humor. No ego about being more informed or opinionated. He was the best addition in years.
• Craig will produce the show and video content. I love him dearly, but I know his attention is divided when he hosts. He can’t help himself and is divided mentally when on air. He is an absolute rock and has held The Dis together for the last few years. He deserves our love and support.
• Ryno covers film, merchandise, pop culture and whatever he wants. I love him dearly too and he needs to do and cover what will make him happy and he will shine doing it. He needs this opportunity to move forward with the freedom to explore. A few minutes of UO and Disney Pop Culture on “The Dis” a week would be informative and entertaining.
• Julie and Teresa cover the practicalities of travel to WDW. This is The Dis bread, butter and all the groceries. This is what people want to hear. “Has the price of strollers gone up?” “Should I bring my own?” “Should I buy a cheap umbrella stroller down there then leave it behind?” “Should I rent in the park or rent from offsite?” Teresa often chimed in about what her clients are telling her. A segment called “What are our clients asking us” gathered from DU agents would be HUGE.
• No one mentioned one word on MCO getting more direct flights from other airports.
• Erika moves to social media and joins the Dining program segments on plant-based dining. She does not have the expertise to speak on planning travel and getting groups of people, families, to and from the park. Places to stay, where to get the most value for money spent. She loves the parks and enjoys her time there, but she doesn’t plan vacations or spent money to travel there.
• Corey spends time making WDWinfo the go-to-spot to plan a vacation in WDW. Directing traffic to segments on The Dis Youtube channel on how to navigate Genie + or without The Magical Express how to get around. Again, finding out from the DU agents what their clients are asking and giving the DU agents a place to send their clients when they have questions.
• Add John and Kevin to the dining program on the finer restaurants WDW and around Orlando. If they went back to Il Mulino they would be aghast at how bad it has gotten since the pandemic. A segment about getting around WDW in a scooter would be perfect and a great addition to the WDWinfo website. DU must have clients that have trouble getting around WDW. Here is how to grab that business.

I love this. Can we also have Corey bring back the park bench videos??

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

I'd love it if Deni popped in once in a while as well. I miss her.

I would become a patreon member to get Off the Rails with Ryno/Craig/Deni back. That was the perfect mix IMO.

 

[Dena489]

She has her own channel now... Very strange considering her position at GKTW.

Yeah, I'm subscribed to it. I find her videos to be really soothing. She has a calming presence.

 

[JD80b]

That's great. Shoot me a message with the name or a link.

One thing the DIS could do is create a rotating panel of non-locals. Have them contribute what they're dealing with as they plan their trips and follow through once they've taken them.

Looks like I can't send a private message. Not sure how to get you the information without breaking rules.

 

[disneysteve]

Looks like I can't send a private message. Not sure how to get you the information without breaking rules.

Yes, because you’re new. That’s okay. I don’t have time to get sucked into another show anyway.

 

[JD80b]

There are a few listeners in this thread, maybe they can help. (my podcast is tiny so don't take that as mysterious)

 

[DisneyAndreaM]

I really miss the DL show because it was always so well organized and thought out. It seemed like they actually planned ahead and mapped out the shows. They’d do a mix of news, planning, history and had guests on who were planning trips and then back again to give a report. I’m still sad it’s gone. Something with a similar format would be great.

 

[fairestoneofall]

Since I get that it may be counter-intuitive to go through how to plan a vacation, they could still do resort reviews.

Spend a full day/night in a resort--participate in the activities, do all meals there (with dining review), visit the pools (even if you aren't IN them, you can observe the vibe), take transportation to/from random parks, etc.. Get in a full review of the resort.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

The only thing I see a bit weak is on practical trip planning. I dont think theresa and Julie are enough. They are an asset that I enjoy for sure. But What the Dis has lacked for years are regular families from out of state (and country) who provide the listeners tips and tricks on the monstrosity that is disney trip planning.

So maybe get different guests each week that join Julie and Theresa that give the typical park goer perspective. And maybe trip reports.

Agree completely! That is why they’ve always gotten complaints about them being “too local”.

I think having a DU agent come on every week to talk about what feedback they get from their clients would be invaluable. The practicalities of trip planning. That is why the oversight of new direct flights to MCO made me cringe. A solid trip planning podcast would have been all over that.