He said:
Hi Tattlers, sorry for the length of this post but I have five years to mentally sift through and I dont really know where to start. I was on the DIS and one of the requirements is The ability to ramble, so I apologize in advance.
I have learned that one of the biggest parts of growing up is realizing that life is your journey but that doesn't make you the hero. I have sat around trying to think of what Disney story my life with Pete was for years and I shifted around. I used to think he was Gaston but that didn't feel quite right. Then I thought maybe he was Prince John from Robin Hood, sniveling over his riches and whining, while not being capable of doing anything for himself, but that would make me Robin Hood and that didn't feel right because Im not him. Then it hit me....he's Judge Claude Frollo - he's self righteous, attacks anyone who doesn't agree with him, and we all know his stuff with Esmeralda (0.0) - however, I am not Esmeralda so the story didn't work for me. Im a friendly guy but she's way better than I am lol.
So, at some point I was out doing showings, thinking through all this and I finally found a winner. This is Alice in Fucking Wonderland! Moving To Orlando, Dreams Unlimited Travel, The DIS and all of it is a complete mindfuck. People are running around, doing nonsensical things that should never happen in a professional job setting and nobody can stop themselves because its all anybody knows. You are so far down the rabbit hole that you truly forget that other places don't operate the way this operates. Joining as Alice, I walked from thing to thing asking people logically, why do we do this?
'Why are you running through the water trying to get dry?' - 'BECAUSE THATS HOW YOU GET DRY!'
'Why do we not come up with topics for shows until the morning of filming?' - 'Because that's how we do things'
I used to stress myself trying to figure out why everything just seems to be done illogically and I couldn't get an answer. Were all mad here, I guess. So, Im just Alice the bystander - who got involved in the wrong hole (no pun intended) and this is all led by the main offender who made Wonderland a shit show, The Queen. The people involved in all companies run by the Queen are playing a game where the rules are decided by the emotions of the Queen's heart. You think you are winning and you have the most points but then the Queen decides that the lowest score wins and it's off with your head! You did everything logically and right but The Queen's power is absolute and the sun rises and sets when she says so and if it doesn't it must be destroyed too.
Once I realized I wasn't the hero in the story, it all made sense. I was Alice. Not a hero, just a person - in a very warped place. And when I broke out of that mentality, I knew I had to go back through the looking glass and smash it on my way out - I just want sanity and peace.. I don't care anymore what they do in that place and the citizens were kind to me but had clearly been infected by Wonderland over the years and I was getting infected too. I Love Once Upon a Time in Wonderland and at one point Anastasia says 'I always thought Wonder stood for 'Wonderful' but I realize now it's "wonder how I'm gonna make it' and I finally understand that statement.......Wonderland can eat my ass.
Now onto Tattle. I like that website because it gives people a place to bitch. Everybody needs a bitchin' place and I dont want to confirm too many things because half the fun is being unsure about the truth. That being said, if Pete ever wondered about the state of his company, he would realize that only having 2 pages of gossip isn't the flex he thinks it is. It means you're irrelevant, not beloved. However, I was sad that tattle didn't put DIS content in the influencer page. Pete hates the term influencer because he thinks they are 'Brain dead girls taking photos in front of the castle for self promotion' and not real work like his - so he never wants to be compared to an influencer - despite that being exactly what he is.
I was brought on to the DIS in 2017 and I didn't know what the DIS was, I didn't even know people had podcasts about Disney, so I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I had been to Disney in 2006 and in 2013 and then moved to Orlando and worked at the parks for a bit in 2014. I did have an annual pass but didn't really experience anything Disney had to offer outside the rides. When Pete asked me to appear on camera, I had no idea what I was supposed to say or talk about. He started me on a live show on a Tuesday and I told him I didn't think I should be on the show because I just didn't know enough to talk about Disney news, but he had full faith in me. That made me feel good, not knowing that it was just because I was the starchild of the month. I was the person who sorts the fan emails and I knew very clearly where the audience stood on everyone, including myself. I was later asked to join Dining shows and I mention it because it's been a topic of conversation for a long time and I want to clear that up. I had NO business being on the dining show, but not for the reason people think. Sidebar - I didn't refuse to eat at Garden Grill because it was Smuckers or whatever. When my family came in 2013 on our trip, we had free dining and Garden Grill was what we arbitrarily chose for our sit down. When we arrived and saw the Smuckers emblem we switched to Tutto Italia because we assumed we had chosen a breakfast place or something.
Dining Shows should not exist in the format that they are in. I think it's a great idea to showcase food from the Disney parks and talk about it, but the way people act like they went to culinary school is ridiculous. I felt so uncomfortable being expected to critique the food but to my credit, I did order a variety of things. I know it was a big deal that I hadn't eaten a hotdog (still havent) and it negated anything I had to say from that point forward. But my family never bought them when I was kid, so I never ate one and as an adult, I just never have had an interest because I know they don't tend to be good quality so I can get a burger or nachos or something that I know I already like. People do have the impression that I was a picky eater and I dont agree, I ate in every restaurant and tried pretty much anything that was ever put in front of me. I didn't gain 80 pounds by being picky. I finally told Pete I wouldn't do Dining Shows anymore after Boma breakfast years ago. I tried everything on the buffet and I just didn't love the food (im not a breakfast person) but I still gave it a 10/10 because I felt it had a lot of variety and the quality was good, it just wasn't my taste. The audience still rip my ass apart, so I just knew there was nothing else to do at that point. The funniest part is, if you watch, Pete orders the same meal EVERY TIME. He only orders steak. Every now and then he will get pork of some kind but 9 times out of 10, he gets steak. He is a chain smoker and doesn't even try 1 bite before he drowns it in salt. When I started (go back and watch if you have nothing better to do than watch paint dry) and you will see that Pete never eats vegetables before 2018/2019 and when he does it is only asparagus or broccoli (occasionally Brussel sprouts) but Pete is BY FAR the pickiest eater of the whole group. He doesn't like any asian except teriyaki chicken and rice, he doesn't like any latin cuisines, he hates seafood, he doesn't like Indian food or anything traditional for that matter. When we went to Japan, Turkey and Romania and I had to beg him to have 1 authentic meal in those countries because he only likes his bubble of things.
Here is a general rundown of a dining review....
We arrive and don't do the intro before the meal. Pete sits and the producer runs around getting B-roll. Pete sits annoyed because he is ready to order since he had time to look at the menu and the producer doesn't. Producer is scolded, comes back and orders and Pete is now annoyed and will take it out on the server. Pete insists on everyone ordering their entree and appetizers at the same time. Pete sits and sighs loudly looking at his phone until someone asks what's wrong and then he says 'nothing, just everyone Is an idiot, im gonna go smoke' and then he has 1 person go with him to keep him company. While he is having to LITERALLY LEAVE THE PARK TO GO SMOKE - we are served appetizers. We sit and wait for Pete because we can't start eating until he has arrived back and given the all clear. The food has been on the table for 5-10 minutes and is untouched, he arrives back and we finally start eating. However, Pete has no salt and is immediately annoyed that the server isn't standing right there to give it to him. He waits for their return and finally gets salt. He drown each bite in salt before he eats it and then says 'this is disgusting, it was clearly sitting in the back under a heat lamp because it's lukewarm and not fresh' - I stare at him with dead eyes wondering if he understands the concept that food gets cold over time while it sits on a fucking table. Then the entrees arrive......but appetizers are not finished and we haven't even begun to pass the camera around to discuss the appetizers. Pete scolds the server about rushing him through the meal and explains that they should be more respectful to paying customers. The server returns the entrees to the kitchen. We eat. They take our plates and Pete makes a nasty comment like 'and NOW you can bring out the entrees, when the guest is done with the appetizer' - Then we get entrees and its eaten....BUT WAIT, it was in the back sitting on a heat lamp! So we go through the whole thing again. Then the meal is done (or is it?) because Pete must leave to smoke again. While he is gone, we are asked if we will be on one check and we say, no we need dessert menus. Pete is gone forever, eventually returns and orders dessert and coffee and is promptly pissed when the server brings the check and says no rush, ill just leave this here, leaving the bill. He then explains to them again why that wrong for him and the server sheepishly walks away. He then gets on camera and says how wonderful the server is before leaving them a large tip and then explaining to everyone at the table what the bill was an how much of a tip he left, reminding us, I used to be a server so I have a soft spot for them. Then we leave and do the intro and the outro, and then we all walk 1 step behind him to the valet and wait with him until he gets into his car and then we all go get in our cars in the regular spots and drive home. Another successful meal!
I dont think that answered any burning questions but I will read through the site and see what I can directly comment on and go from there. But for now I have to go get drunk
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- just watching the latest tuesday show and I love seeing the older crew together again. I feel like John and Kevin being present really changes the energy in the room for the better. I know people think Julie brings little to the table but I enjoy her personality and that she‘s so lively; she seems fun to hang out with. Can‘t say that about Erica unfortunately.