The DIS Unplugged #10 We’re Not Happy to be Here

[Ghost of Bob Varley]

Today's show was Craig, Ryno, Erica and Jackie (all remote). They didn't do specific segments and instead had some more free-flowing conversation. I think they were helped along quite a bit by the news on the Haunted Mansion bar and various news about the new Jollywood Nights event but it was a lighter, less awkward energy. Mentioned that the new Patreon is going live in November (including finally updating the name) and they have defined their new tiers in this post, which should be 'unlocked' for all to read.

1. Produce almost no content
2. Admit that you really didn't spend that much time thinking about the flagship show over the last few months
3. Admit that the energy is pretty low on the show.
4. Admit that you don't really have the personality for a youtube show (but think you would make a great vlogger!)
5. RELEASE your new Patreon Levels!!! You've earned it!!!

 

[imjenilynn]

@LobCheapek I wanted to take second to thank you. You and a few others seem to have a gift for following my actual points and understanding their importance (without twisting their meaning and getting sidetracked). You, in particular, seem to articulate what I am trying to say with a degree of skill that I’m a little in awe of. It’s helping my heart heal. Again, thank you. I might actually be able to sleep tonight.

 

[Rufuscat]

Who are you referring to? I’ll clarify if I have been misunderstood.

You haven't said anything inappropriate, in fact you've been extremely cautious in revealing information. The only people you have referred to are the perpetrators and the unnamed victims. We seem to have some new posters here, twisting what you've carefully said. Friends of the DIS?

 

[The Mando]

Could it be a front?
---

Why did John not like you?
---

I'm telling you - it's a front.

I was a pest for sure when I started being a travel agent. He didn’t want me to be an agent in the first place and Pete forced it on him so he didn’t like that. I understand why he wouldn’t have liked me but we got along fine as people.

My main reason to Pete and not wanting him to tell John was because Pete had already been running with a lot of my ideas and I was changing too much of the status quo in that and John was happy with Dreams and didn’t want me busting in and changing things. So I felt he would’ve been offput by anything I suggested because John got to live the life he wanted, the top agents/his friends did well and he didn’t want anyone disrupting that. Anytime Pete had an issue or wanted something, John said yes 99 times out of 100 because Pete can’t be reasoned with. He only picked his battles when it was extreme or when it affected Dreams as a whole.

If Pete wanted to hire some random like me and get Dreams to pay me for a job that didn’t exist, John was generally ok with that because he’d rather not fight Pete and knew Pete wouldn’t respond well to ‘no’ - so why fight if it’s not business breaking? They were taking home well into the 6 figures at the end of the day so what’s a few thousand more a month versus Pete retaliating and trying to say ‘no more AbD for you’ or whatever.

I’m more sympathetic to John than most would be because I’ve run a business with Pete as a 50/50 partner. You are 50/50 in name only. I could’ve stayed partnered with Pete at Moving To Orlando, let him walk on me, let him dangle our employees jobs over their head, and not care about our customers but I couldn’t do that so I walked away. It felt unethical to put my friends through what I had been through with Pete just to make a lot of money. I got by before Pete and I can do it again, so I left. However, I 100% see how a person can try to work with Pete and get in enough fights that they finally just have enough. If the dogs are going to keep barking, eventually you’ll cave and give it a treat so you can get back to your day. I think John and some others are willing to sell themselves to Pete for comfort longer than I was willing to.

Pete once told me after he met me he ‘stopped hiring escorts since he had me’ and I told him ‘Everyone you know is your escort, they just don’t know it’ and he didn’t understand at the time what I meant. I imagine he does now.

 

[Cinnamon1]

This is a good question. Surely Panda had to know some stuff about Pete. But again, it's pretty easy to fall for all of the glamour and free gifts and cruises.

I definitely noticed Panda got the golden treatment in the beginning that Sean and JL mentioned.

@imjenilynn don't worry about the length of your posts, I didn't watch The Dis when you were on, but I am enjoying learning about your background and story. I find your writing insightful and reflective, I understand why you were a fan favorite on the the show. I am so disturbed that John allowed Pete to go through with termination under the guise of stealing. Pete was the one that wrote the check, not you taking money without permission from him. If anything, Pete should have been in trouble with John for overpayment since Pete always mentioned John was the money person in the business. The only confusing part I feel is that Ryno mentioned on one of his livestreams that you didn't like him, but didn't get into the reasons. You don't have to share the story, but did it revolve around this returing the check issue or was it a different incident?

 

[xoxo552]

Jenilyn - thank you so much for your posts and vulnerability. I appreciate your sharing your story and especially being open about working on exploring any potential role you might have had in all of it. From where I sit, I don't think you have any culpability, but I understand where you're coming from. I think you said it well when you said that being in an abusive and toxic environment "handicaps your ability to emotionally function and think rationally." I'm so sorry that you (and the whole team) had to deal with that. And I'm so happy you're past it now.

I wonder, did you all collectively, or in smaller groups, ever discuss going out on your own and creating a new channel(s)? Did you acknowledge to each other how screwed up the situation was (or specifically he was) or was it an every person for themself survival mode kind of thing (zero judgment if it was)?

You referenced that getting a copy of your contract became key later. In what way? Did you all sign iron-clad non-competes? Or was the idea of going against him too much (please know I don't say that lightly -- I completely understand it might have been)?

And some non-related comments/requests:

It's really nice to see you thriving in a career you love. I'd be interested in hearing more about the work you're doing now, to the extent you're able to speak about it, and/or how you got into it. And totally understand if you're not able to or prefer not to.

If, by any chance, you're still in contact with Oliver ... please share with him that his vlogs are missed, and I really hope that he's found happiness

 

[Genielife]

What continues to be so upsetting for me is that there’s been no apology by John for allowing this to go on whilst being the only one with any form of real authority to stop it.

He released that horrendous statement and seemed to think “Pete’s gone, it’s fine” when in reality the Amex thing probably had way more to do with his departure then it being due to anything discussed here.

Seems to me that there’s been no steps to actually rectify any wrong doing.

 

[ProfessorFate]

Why is he shading the DVC Show, Paul and Amy took the show and ran with it. I’ll admit I didn’t think they had it in them, but overall it’s a fun listen and yes, I know it’s an infomercial for DVC Rental Store but at least they seem like they want to be there.

Corey is a fucking liar and completely full of shit (go fuck yourself Corey if you read this). The guy was just as much an enabler as anyone else in that environment, and even more importantly, a stifler of the truth once the news broke. Sure, webmaster Cathy became the fall guy after her rather “convenient” anti-semitism came to light making it easy for her to be the bad guy, but Corey talks through both sides of his mouth hole by begging for patience and understanding while simultaneously deleting posts as fast as his fingers can fly and slamming anyone who doesn’t give the “team” 18-24 months to come to grips with their situation and face their demons. Corey gets his paycheck from John Magi. End of story.

New studio? Gimme a break. There never was going to be a new studio. Kevin contributes nothing to any conversation besides the requisite whoring of DUT, and he looks like he’s providing a hostage proof of life video every time he’s on camera. And regardless, the “Bob Varley Studio” was a spare bedroom at Pete’s hose with only minimal decor on the walls within camera field of view, and lit by basic lights strung up haphazardly around the room. No acoustic tiling, no permanent control/producing space (it was a tiny corner of the room just off camera). Struggling with the Zoom format? Pretty sure they did DOZENS of shows via Zoom during the pandemic, way back in the dark ages of 2020-2021.

The DVC Show is absolutely an infomercial for the World of DVC, but curiously, they still provide decent informational content about the resorts, activities in the parks, and their roundtable discussions actually present differing opinions and insights.

 

[da_FUQ]

Yes. Hence, my post.

Just a reminder that it isn't DOXing if all you are doing is using publicly available information. That includes all public records that are obtainable, even if there is a fee required, and all news or journal postings even if they require registration or are behind a paywall.

 

[autofocus]

@imjenilynn Like @Cinnamon1, I'm interested in John's knowledge of Pete's bed behavior. I am also wondering if the rest of the Dis staff thought Kevin was an insufferable snob.

I'm quoting my post because I can no longer edit the typo. I meant to type bad behavior. Perhaps a Freudian slip

 

[StarGZR528]

@imjenilynn you're doing a great job and thank you for sharing

 

[TheNextStacey]

From May 8th 2014 Disunplugged Facebook page:
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I notice there was a tame post on the DIS Boards about Jenilynn's comments on Tattle (Tattle wasn't even mentioned or her comments repeated) but that was removed within an hour. Looks like they're trying to stifle people again.

Well, they can all go suck a lemon. That's what my dad used to tell me to say to someone who was bullying or being mean - pretty tame so I didn't get in trouble. Ah...the '80s.

This is her story and her truth. She has every right to use her voice and own it.

JeniLynn, I hope in some way, this is therapeutic and perhaps cathartic for you. It's kinda crazy that a gossip site can also be a safe place for the truth.

 

[TheNextStacey]

And... it's gone. Deleted from DIS boards.

Disgraceful. Shameful.

Seriously, by not allowing free speech on a monetized platform, especially when it is factual, is censorship at its worst.

@imjenilynn Thanks for saving the screenshots! All of this needs to be added to our wiki.

And "Bad Pink Tink 2.0" please, please, please join us here.

 

[Rufio'sGhost]

If, by any chance, you're still in contact with Oliver

@imjenilynn in addition to letting us know what really happened with Sean Thompson, could you also tell us the real story about why Oliver left. Pete told me that it was because of Ryno and Craig and the way they treated him...call me suspicious, but I may have doubts about what Pete has told me in the past
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Also, can I just say I love JL's professionalism, kindness, and grace in these posts. It's why she was my favorite person on the Dis.

 

[imjenilynn]

Well, they can all go suck a lemon. That's what my dad used to tell me to say to someone who was bullying or being mean - pretty tame so I didn't get in trouble. Ah...the '80s.

This is her story and her truth. She has every right to use her voice and own it.

JeniLynn, I hope in some way, this is therapeutic and perhaps cathartic for you. It's kinda crazy that a gossip site can also be a safe place for the truth.

Honestly, it is cathartic. I have waited a very, very long time for the truth to come out about this man. At times it was maddening watching people fawn over him and financially support his ventures when I knew it propped up a predator.

I am very grateful to Sean for coming forward and exposing Pete. I have mad respect for his bravery. Twenty+ years of this toxic company....someone before him should have broken the dam. Those of us from years prior should be humbled. He was mocked for his background, but he was the one who had his priorities straight. He spoke up loudly and persistently. Because of that, Dustin felt enabled to finally speak. When it was brought to my attention that Dustin was speaking up, I initially tried to keep myself out of it. But in the end, I couldn't do it. Dustin confirming that he was sexually abused was a bridge too far for me. He needed to be heard, and I wanted to make it hard for people to discount him as a fake. To amplify him and "say" I recognized him, I made that initial Instagram post pointing people to this site with #justicefordustin. I don't think that was the smart thing to do (I got quite a few messages telling me as much), but I felt it was the right thing to do. For that reason, that move was cathartic too.

You are right in that this is kinda crazy. This site is known for being the most toxic place on the internet, but somehow it was a safe house for some of Pete's victims, a forum where truth could not be silenced, and the stage where we saw not only did "the emperor" not have any clothes but he couldn't afford them in the first place (looking at you @Cinnamon1). On the other hand, it makes a lot of sense because it seemed to be the one place that was beyond Pete and John's reach. And that has me thinking....

When this blew up, I saw a number of pious posts on the Disboards about not wanting to be associated with the group on this site because it was vile. I can't take that seriously because 1) Hi, pot. This is the kettle. Have you heard what the owner of the Disboards has been up to for over a decade? and 2) To speak your language: 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.

If I ever get called on the carpet for posting on this site, I doubt it will ruffle my feathers. The issue should be what was said not where it was said.
---

I notice there was a tame post on the DIS Boards about Jenilynn's comments on Tattle (Tattle wasn't even mentioned or her comments repeated) but that was removed within an hour. Looks like they're trying to stifle people again.

Well...they apparently weren't quick enough. I didn't tell anyone that I started posting here, but one of my friends was well aware anyway. He contacted me today to let me know this was waiting for him in his inbox. So I'm not saying everyone got a notification, but I am saying that people who selected to get notifications for the My Official Statement thread did.
---

This is reading like there will be multiple parts to this story, and I am here for it.

I think the number of parts will depend on how many things people want to know. I don't have installments for a tell-all planned. But some of these posts might resemble an essay. I heard you guys have been waiting for one, right? Seriously, though, I'm just going to try to take these question-by-question as I can. It may take me some time to work through it because I have to hold down my job and the holidays are coming, but I am going to try to work through them.
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So what were the events that led to your leaving the DIS? I seems like there were probably many

Are you asking for the things that led to me making plans to leave The Dis, or are you asking for the things that led to me being fired from The Dis? They are two very different questions with very different answers. The result was the same though. Lol.

 

[glitteringgrogu]

I wonder if Pete used the Amex to pay Jodi Benson

 

[xoxo552]

To see the exterior of the house on Zillow after so many years of watching/listening to the show was definitely an eye opener. A perfectly normal house, but to listen to him, you'd think he was managing an estate.

 

[RescueRanger]

AI articles? I don’t even have words for what is left from this company. Who is actually left on payroll now? Corey, Craig, Ryno and Jackie? Does the wdwinfo website really steer much traffic to the travel agency. It just seems insane to me that they are keeping this business model afloat.

in the beginning I actually rooted for Craig and Ryno to be creatively free and looked forward to Corey breaking away from the heavy hand the dis was under. Instead, we found out how lazy everyone really is and how little they actually care about their jobs and Disney. Burn it all down. Let it all crumble. Then Pete will get absolutely nothing and everyone left will need to get real jobs.

 

[minimax]

By the way, there is also an "ignore" option for anyone who cannot handle the stories being shared here.
You are always welcome to use it and never be triggered by that person again.

 

[MichaelsAchilles]

This was very insightful into how things worked there. What I can't get over is Corey "President of the Dis" and John said they didn't like what was happening but they didn't do anything about it. I am sure Craig felt powerless and I can sympathize with him not doing anything. But for those other two to just apologize to you but not actually stand up for you is inexcusable. It also speaks volumes about why two instances of long-term sexual assault were allowed to take place there.

Corey and John absolutely knew what they were dealing with in Pete, but refused to take action. To me that makes BOTH of them just as guilty. My opinion of Corey has completely reversed. He sympathized with you but refused to stand up for what was right and I am sure this wasn't the only time.

This company deserves to go down in flames. You don't standby and let an employee be humiliated by a sad little narcissist and then apologize to that person for letting it happen.

The moderation of those boards during the aftermath of Justin's story really speaks to this. Corey once again made mentions that changes he wants to make were out of his control Enough is enough.

Corey, you are a 40+ year old man with a family. Show some integrity and standup for what you claim you believe in. If you are the "President" then act like it. If you are just a figurehead, renounce that ridiculous meaningless title. Show your family what it means to really have integrity in your actions.