The DisUnplugged #3 Cruising on Fumes by nightmaresunlimitedtravel

[likeandsubscribe]

I know I’m watching way less because there’s no trip on the way. We went last February and it was so disappointing (Disney prices with Six Flags quality), but I did watch quite a few videos when I was planning. Now it’s just an occasional PMM because he’s always upbeat, even if it’s fake.

I would imagine Deni recognized the onset of burnout and chose to be Disney adjacent so she could keep her love for the parks.

 

[WDWUO83]

I have to wonder how Dreams is doing as an agency these days. I’m sure there will always be repeat clients to keep them afloat, but how are they doing attracting new business? You don’t even hear back with a quote for 3-4 days after requesting.

Covid was an obvious huge blow to the channel, and it’s like they never recovered. They go to the parks now almost as little as when the parks were closed! Pete (rightfully in my opinion) discusses how Universal is really on an upswing (we loved it much more than Disney this past spring)…but he doesn’t go there. They make very little UO content. Instead they split the Disney content between 83 channels, then try to smush it all back together again.

Stop throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks, then ignoring the tit that’s actually stuck there.

 

[Cocobean9]

I have to wonder how Dreams is doing as an agency these days. I’m sure there will always be repeat clients to keep them afloat, but how are they doing attracting new business? You don’t even hear back with a quote for 3-4 days after requesting.

Covid was an obvious huge blow to the channel, and it’s like they never recovered. They go to the parks now almost as little as when the parks were closed! Pete (rightfully in my opinion) discusses how Universal is really on an upswing (we loved it much more than Disney this past spring)…but he doesn’t go there. They make very little UO content. Instead they split the Disney content between 83 channels, then try to smush it all back together again.

Stop throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks, then ignoring the tit that’s actually stuck there.

I requested a quote once for a Disney Cruise and once for a WDW package and don't understand why they're always bragging about their agents. It took days to get an answer back and it was the same price as if I booked online myself and there was no conversation or warmth in the email just the price of the trip and no follow up to see if I was still interested, I thought leads were important to travel planners

 

[angelflight87]

yeah I am getting more and more confused why Deni Just couldn’t still freelance for the dis and appear on shows, and ALSO work at GKTW (especially since they’re supposedly such a closer partner to the dis & Pete) at the same time. Why did it need to be such a formal exit? She clearly has the time to do video content still and it seems like it would be nothing but a bonus to the dis …

Maybe she wants to do her own thing on her own timeline in her own way?

Or maybe she realized she would get so burnt out on the parks & just wanted to more 'magical' side of working with families/for the village.

She's definitely not burnt out on the parks if you follow her instagram and YouTube channel.

Covid was an obvious huge blow to the channel, and it’s like they never recovered. They go to the parks now almost as little as when the parks were closed! Pete (rightfully in my opinion) discusses how Universal is really on an upswing (we loved it much more than Disney this past spring)…but he doesn’t go there. They make very little UO content. Instead they split the Disney content between 83 channels, then try to smush it all back together again.

Stop throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks, then ignoring the tit that’s actually stuck there.

You can tell Craig and Ryno really have a passion for Universal. It's a completely different dynamic on the Universal Edition show. But if you look at their view numbers, they're very low for the Universal Edition even though they're piggy backing on the DISUnplugged channel.

I actually think Pete is trying to get things back on track. They've moved the dining content back to the main channel. They're doing table service dining reviews again. The Tuesday show has been in its original format since Alaska. More audience engagement. Craig is even having the Patreon people vote on what he eats at the dining review.

I think it's tough doing a show about Walt Disney World in its current state.

They're disillusioned just like the rest of us, but they're trying.

Fantasmic is coming back this week and I'm very much looking forward to Craig's video of it. He won't be first, but his videos of things like that always are a step above most other bloggers.

Then, it's Christmas time. The team is going to be busy. There's no excuse to not be in the parks — B roll of all the trees and decorations at the resorts, parades, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, marathon show, etc.

 

[Murray9000]

I requested a quote once for a Disney Cruise and once for a WDW package and don't understand why they're always bragging about their agents. It took days to get an answer back and it was the same price as if I booked online myself and there was no conversation or warmth in the email just the price of the trip and no follow up to see if I was still interested, I thought leads were important to travel planners

Doesn't surprise me. I'm sure Kathy Werling is a nice person but would you want her as your travel agent?

 

[Loueylouay]

I have to wonder how Dreams is doing as an agency these days. I’m sure there will always be repeat clients to keep them afloat, but how are they doing attracting new business? You don’t even hear back with a quote for 3-4 days after requesting.

Covid was an obvious huge blow to the channel, and it’s like they never recovered. They go to the parks now almost as little as when the parks were closed! Pete (rightfully in my opinion) discusses how Universal is really on an upswing (we loved it much more than Disney this past spring)…but he doesn’t go there. They make very little UO content. Instead they split the Disney content between 83 channels, then try to smush it all back together again.

Stop throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks, then ignoring the tit that’s actually stuck there.

Don't worry...tech genius Corey will fix the Dreams site.
They clearly rely on their repeat customers. I would never book with them because they don't get back to you, I guess especially if you are a new customer.

 

[ilovegrapes75]

Someone discussed the pay on the previous thread I think and that's likely what made Deni leave for GKTW.

We used dreams on our recent trip because A. I wanted to try out using a travel agency and B. I just wasn't feeling all the planning. We weren't really that impressed. Our agent wasn't really that friendly and her information was confusing at times. There was a discount that came out too that we qualified for and she didn't have us down as qualifying for even though it was in our original information. I think I'd use an agency again but I don't think I'd use Dreams.

 

[WDWUO83]

Don't worry...tech genius Corey will fix the Dreams site.
They clearly rely on their repeat customers. I would never book with them because they don't get back to you, I guess especially if you are a new customer.

He can update it by a decade and it can look like it’s from 2007

Someone discussed the pay on the previous thread I think and that's likely what made Deni leave for GKTW.

We used dreams on our recent trip because A. I wanted to try out using a travel agency and B. I just wasn't feeling all the planning. We weren't really that impressed. Our agent wasn't really that friendly and her information was confusing at times. There was a discount that came out too that we qualified for and she didn't have us down as qualifying for even though it was in our original information. I think I'd use an agency again but I don't think I'd use Dreams.

I like using an agent as well, but wouldn’t go with them. Look into Marvelous Mouse Travels if you ever want to use an agent again, they were amazing!

 

[Ghost of Bob Varley]

Doesn't surprise me. I'm sure Kathy Werling is a nice person but would you want her as your travel agent?

The other problem is you have a travel agency being run by people who don't go to the parks. Pete doesn't go the parks. Kevin and John don't go to the parks. Tracey Heinrich(sp) who I think was the person who was actually running the agents seemed knowledgeable, but also lived in Canada. So if you don't know whats going on in the parks, how are you able to manage your employees?

 

[shadee91762]

Doesn't surprise me. I'm sure Kathy Werling is a nice person but would you want her as your travel agent?

When she talks all I picture is Roseanne Barr

 

[DisneyGirl13]

I have to wonder how Dreams is doing as an agency these days. I’m sure there will always be repeat clients to keep them afloat, but how are they doing attracting new business? You don’t even hear back with a quote for 3-4 days after requesting.

I just don’t see the value in using them for WDW. I’m a huge type A person and have been to the parks dozens of times. The only helpful thing that they could do is make sure to add any discounts that come up but I’m usually pretty aware of all that, too. Depending on where I am staying, I usually just have one of my Disney friends who have started in the TA business book it for me so they get a commission. I find Len Tessa’s Unofficial Guide/Lines more helpful for planning. Disney doesn’t invite him on trips so he pays himself and gives full honest reviews unlike The Dis which does have Disney pay but won’t give reviews. Is there really a difference between Pete paying for Craig/Ryno/etc or Disney?

I do use them for Disney cruise, though, since they offer an onboard credit.

 

[pembertonheights]

yeah I am getting more and more confused why Deni Just couldn’t still freelance for the dis and appear on shows, and ALSO work at GKTW (especially since they’re supposedly such a closer partner to the dis & Pete) at the same time. Why did it need to be such a formal exit? She clearly has the time to do video content still and it seems like it would be nothing but a bonus to the dis …

My theory about this is she seems like a workhorse/over committer and in an unstructured place (which isn't a knock, a lot of small companies have people make their own jobs) volunteering to do stuff makes it your expected job. She was on everything and writing articles. She probably was going at a pace that was not sustainable for her. She really seemed to love it so I think that's why the channel came up (it's fun but nowhere near as structured which I think is good for to pursue joy). I'm sure she fears even freelancing would turn into a second FT job.

Just a theory though.

So I just had a thought & wonder how true it holds for Disney YT channels (maybe not streamers as much), but with the way Disney is doing price increases, add ons in the park, etc., while not doing much to add value at all to the visitors experience (esp looking at you, WDW), is there a decrease in Disney content views across the board?

I've been turned off by the parks pretty much since my last visit in May of this year & just looked up a quote for 2 adults, 4 midweek nights at an All Star & a 2 day, 1 park ticket for March (not peak spring break). Over $1300. So clearly I'm not going to be looking for WDW content to view about a trip I don't want to even try to afford (can stretch that $$ more elsewhere to vacay).

What say you guys? What do you think/see views doing & how it shapes things for creators?

I think one of the issues at hand that is driving down vloggers (besides price gouging driving away fans and Disney fatigue) is the park reservation system. Pete is right that they want hard data but what all of the vloggers are not mentioning is the main problem the reservation system is addressing is AP abuse. Disney has been building attendance for the past decade and one of the things that is coming along with that is high AP attendance. APs are good for accountants because it guarantees some income but no zoo, aquarium, theme park, amusement park intends for them to be used as much as they were being used. The reservation system allows them to create limits without having to market blackouts for what they do still offer.

They are being sued currently so we'll see if they are kosher in the eyes of contractual law.

I think that's one of the reasons there has been a lot less content, vloggers have a lot less access.

Re: Dreams Unlimited, I've used them a couple of times after planning a handful of trips myself. I like the channel and like supporting them this way. I'll probably continue to use them for that reason.

However, on a scale of 1-5 I'd give them a 3. They didn't do anything I couldn't easily do and I've never got the "we'll apply savings after you book if they come up" so I didn't really get that perk. As for the agent, they've been cordial if not friendly. I believe they tried their best but were somewhat less than useful in things I actually needed information on. The tech of the site is very dated. They did their job though so it's a solid 3. I believe it was a white glove service at one point but I've not seen it. Maybe they're better for larger groups and longer stays?

 

[da_FUQ]

I think one of the issues at hand that is driving down vloggers (besides price gouging driving away fans and Disney fatigue) is the park reservation system. Pete is right that they want hard data but what all of the vloggers are not mentioning is the main problem the reservation system is addressing is AP abuse. Disney has been building attendance for the past decade and one of the things that is coming along with that is high AP attendance. APs are good for accountants because it guarantees some income but no zoo, aquarium, theme park, amusement park intends for them to be used as much as they were being used. The reservation system allows them to create limits without having to market blackouts for what they do still offer.

They are being sued currently so we'll see if they are kosher in the eyes of contractual law.

I think that's one of the reasons there has been a lot less content, vloggers have a lot less access.

The APs are only an issue because Disney management is so concerned about the demand side. What they should have been doing for the past decade instead of raising prices in an attempt to drive down demand while simultaneously increasing per-guest spend is work on the supply side. If you had parks with more attractions, attractions that weren't always broken, or God forbid a 5th gate you wouldn't have to try and dissuade guests from coming with costs.

I listen to the Disney Dish and Len mentioned some of the attractions are offline around 40% of the time. That is a lot of capacity eaten up by downtime. I also have a feeling they are creating a problem 20 years down the road, not that current management cares about the long term. The people going now likely went as kids and it either stoked a love of the parks or at the very least became a goal to take their kids once when they are older. I wonder how badly the current management is breaking future attendance.

 

[Jas5q]

I listen to the Disney Dish and Len mentioned some of the attractions are offline around 40% of the time. That is a lot of capacity eaten up by downtime. I also have a feeling they are creating a problem 20 years down the road, not that current management cares about the long term.

*Best* Disney content out there.

 

[animalkingdumb]

yeah I am getting more and more confused why Deni Just couldn’t still freelance for the dis and appear on shows, and ALSO work at GKTW (especially since they’re supposedly such a closer partner to the dis & Pete) at the same time. Why did it need to be such a formal exit? She clearly has the time to do video content still and it seems like it would be nothing but a bonus to the dis …

From what I have gathered vaguely from responses, Deni couldn't pass up the chance to work for a place that was important to her and that she volunteered at so she left. That seems concrete. Whether or not this is true, apparently there was some hope that she would be able to still be involved in a small capacity but it was shut down so she decided to start her own thing to fill the void for a part of the Dis job that she missed. I think its probably true and thats why a noncompete hasnt been enforced.

 

[wtc50e]

Pete Werner, CEO of wdwinfo.com, one of the oldest Disney fan websites, said he thinks the Disney company has neglected its longtime fans and passholders in favor of attracting more casual visitors who generally spend more money per visit.
"The bottom line is 'make more money with fewer people. And we don't care who we price out to do it.' And I'm going to tell you that the quality of the product is less, in my opinion, is less now than it was prior to the pandemic, yet the price has gone up considerably," he said.

Some recent Disney price hikes outpace inflation. But the crowds keep coming for now | CNN

Some recent price hikes at US Disney resorts outpace the annual inflation rate. That's causing some angst among longtime park loyalists, but guests are still streaming into the parks.

www.cnn.com

Liberace having the audacity to comment on price hikes as he takes his 8th concierge crusie this year.

 

[ilovegrapes75]

Did anyone watch the patreon after show today?

Panda and Ryno were trying to set up a dining review reservation at the start and
Panda said "It may just be me and you. I will try to get her but it may just be us." without saying who he's referring to.
Ryno responds "I don't care if you get her or not. What do you mean try to get her? What is she doing? Isn't this her job? monday through friday? Sorry I'm not trying to be an asshole but I don't get to say no so why does this new person get to say no?"
at this point Craig interrupts and says "we've been on." as panda asks "are we on?" after he starts to say "you would think..."
Ryno says "oh are we on the channel right now?!" "fantastic. now everyone can see what an asshole I really am." "it's true though, I'm gonna say it again. I'm not a liar."
THEN they chat a little bit and Panda says "let's now text Erika speak amongst yourself please."
Teresa says "just tell her, don't ask"
Panda says "no I'm not her boss. Erika likes these things. usually"
Ryno says "Okay...i'm not gonna say it again" and laughs
and then then new commentator says "50's prime time that'll be fun huh?" and Ryno says sarcastically "maybe! It doesn't sound like it right now. I'm difficult, I hate it break it to people." hahahah so it's pretty clear, no one likes Erika.

update: now ryno is saying he doesn't like dining with erika because he can't order the vegan options anymore. You can tell by his face and his body language that he's just trying to cover his ass.

 

[Galaxyprincess]

If this is true, I can't disagree with Ryno here about him wondering why she isn't there and can do what she wants.

 

[ilovegrapes75]

100% it was really amusing to watch and it sort of seemed like Panda was annoyed with the situation too. You can call him a diva if you want but nothing he said was a lie!

 

[Tbone1723]

I'm so over this crap. They actually had someone on the panel today who didnt know magic kingdom has a railroad

Between lack of content, lack of knowledge, crappy attitudes- im done

Maybe tmrw we will get someone reviewing a hot dog like it came from Victoria and alberts