Odds & Ends Update
It’s been a while since we did a random housekeeping post covering things that don’t really fit elsewhere, and that’s what this is. Nothing exactly exciting or informative–rather, this is mostly about you answering our questions and providing some feedback. (Feedback that could end up saving you money, though, so don’t close the tab just yet…)
One of the things I really enjoy about this is that it’s a personal blog with a sense of community. Even though I’m always writing to you, via the comments, forums, and social media there is back & forth. To maintain that personal connection, I think it’s mutually beneficial for you to give feedback and for us to hear it.
What is the blog doing well and poorly? What would you like to see more/less coverage of (restaurants, hotels, certain parks, etc.)? What kind of content (trip reports, rambling vlogs, planning tips, etc.) do you like? I’m genuinely interested in feedback here, and I know that is something people hesitate to give because most people don’t take well to it.
Please leave actual, constructive criticism and critique. It does us no good if the feedback merely showers us with flattery or faint praise. Obviously, it’s nice to know people enjoy the blog, but it’s also nice to know where there is room for improvement. Sometimes a third party perspective is necessary to see that.
I’m genuinely interested in reader feedback, and will incorporate some of that into the blog, but please understand that I’m not going to blindly follow all advice. I am not simply a barometer of popular opinion. I know some of you think the blog skews too negative, is too opinionated, and has too many posts about the international parks. (I’ve received your complaints!)
While we strive to make this as informative as possible, that necessarily requires value judgments, and some of those happen to be negative. I’m not one of those people who believes Disney is infallible, and everything is magical. (Sorry?) As for the international parks, I know most people don’t care, but there are so few resources in English about those destinations. Plus, I enjoy writing about them.
Second, I was going to do another photo update before Christmas, but I’m not really sure that makes sense. The photo/photography posts are almost as unpopular as the ones about the parks in Asia (almost), but the difference there is that I have other means of posting photo content: via social media.
I think not doing those posts is a bit ironic since this blog started out as centering around photography (in the beginning, I was a best described as a “Disney fan photographer who happened to have some opinions”) and at one point consisted primarily of “Photo of the Day” posts, but has since moved more towards the opinions. Now, I’m a “dude who yells on the internet and happens to own some cameras.” Some (newer, I assume?) readers have even asked who takes the photos for the blog!
In any case, I’m still thinking of doing an Osborne Lights Tribute post because I feel like there’s some sentiment worth sharing there, but I’ll probably nix additional Christmas photo posts. I’ll just share those photos on Instagram (@tom_bricker) if you’re interested in seeing those. (Sarah is also on Instagram: @sarahbricker.) I have a lot of Christmas photos, so I’ll probably be posting a few per day.
Next, we have a question. Would anyone be interested in a group rate November 26 – December 2, 2017 (rough, tentative dates)? Please note that this would not be a group trip, or any sort of meet-up event. What it would be is a group booking through a travel agency at a particular resort (or resorts, if there was enough demand) to qualify for a convention rate.
You don’t have to give a firm commitment right now–we’re just floating the idea to see if there is sufficient interest to justify looking into the logistics of this. Based on reader comments, I know a lot of you visit during this week, and as one of the 3 best weeks of the year that we recommend, I think there’d likely be sufficient interest. I just want to get a feel for whether my assumption is correct.
Tentatively, I’m thinking we’d try doing Wilderness Lodge (because that’s where I want to stay, and it’s an irrefutable fact that Wilderness Lodge is the best Walt Disney World resort at Christmas), assuming it’s a hotel that offers good convention rates. The whole goal of this would be to save ourselves (and you!) money if you plan on visiting during/around those dates. Again, I want to reiterate that this would not be an actual “event” or big group thing with meet-ups.
Trust me, I’m not nearly as cool in person (not that I’m cool online, but it’s even worse in person…if you can imagine that). Meeting me is like watching a duller version of Stitch’s Great Escape on loop. I wouldn’t want to ruin your vacation with that. 🙂
Anyway, if this is something in which you’d potentially be interested, please say so in the comments. Also, if there’s a resort aside from Wilderness Lodge that would interest you, please mention it in the comments.
Although I don’t read international park posts as thoroughly as others, they are probably single-handedly the reason an international Disney trip is on my bucket list. I know I will scour the appropriate posts when the times comes for research. I have also noticed an increase in negativity, but I know that I subscribe because I want honest opinions. I don’t care for the “everything is great!” mentality that almost every other Disney blog seems to have.
I like trip reports and always refer your blog to Disney newbies in need of planning advice. Trip blueprints are helpful, I think! As a parent of small children, the one thing I would like to see more of is kid-specific planning. Although I think you do the best you can do as a non-parent and most advice applies across all age groups, that’s really the only thing I would add more of if that was a possibility.
I would definitely consider a group rate if the value was there.
Believe me, the top 3 reasons we’re going to have a kid someday are: 1) so I can justify buying LEGO sets; 2) cool new photo ops; and, 3) a new type of blog posts.
I’m kidding with that list…well, mostly kidding. 🙂
All really great reasons! 😉
You’ve indicated they are intensive and you feel they are repetitive, but the trip reports are what got me hooked and what I enjoy the most. Your rants are interesting and it’s fun to see how you spend your day in the park and be introduced to new and different ideas.
The biggest challenge with the trip reports at this point is finishing what I start. Readers love the trip reports; the problem seems to be that I lose interest/get distracted by the end.
I think I need to open a Word doc, sit down, and just write a report from start to finish. Then, break it into segments, insert photos, and post it at a reasonable interlude. Maybe I’ll try that approach for our next trip.
You read my mind! That is exactly when and where we are planning on vacationing next. Your tips helped me plan my first trip for my family and l plan on using more on our next visit.
We would love to go to WL during the dates you listed. I would love to hear about a group rate if you can get this. My wife. Two little girls, and I love love love Christmas and Disney World looks like it would be awsome. Your blog has also made us really want to stay at WL during that time. As it is we could only afford a stay at WL if we were able to get a really good room discount like the 30% type. Any idea a what group rates usually look like. O how great of a surprise this would be for my family. Please let me know if you pursue this.
I love all the articles about the DVC (since we are members) and how to make the most out of the membership. I also like articles about special events, hard ticket events, etc. Since we go to WDW often, I like to read about anything special that we can do on each trip. We have our traditional favorites, but we promise ourselves to try something new each time.
I am truly getting concerned about the less encouraging (I hate to say negative) posts and tweets lately. I know Disney isn’t perfect, but I like to think of it as the Happiest Place on Earth anyway. We have so much bad to deal with on a daily basis that it makes my day better to see positive, encouraging comments and stories. I rely on your blog for my daily dose of Disney and it really makes me sad when that dose is negative.
Thanks for asking and thanks for listening!
Definitely interested in a group rate – we love this week at WDW!
We would love a group rate for the dates and hotel you mention above. We also love traveling to WDW at this time and Wilderness is our favorite resort! Also, keep up the good work on the blog. I really enjoy your opinions even though I don’t always agree. Disney has enough cheerleaders (literally and figuratively!) they don’t need another one!
A trip to Tokyo to visit the park there is our #1 bucket list item so keep posting!
Thanks for the blog! I have turned to your reviews and advice many a time, especially since I’m not that familiar with WDW and we have a trip planned this year. Sometimes I read the international posts and sometimes I don’t, but they’ve definitely made me more interested in visiting the other parks. We plan to visit Shanghai and HK in the next few years and I now really want to plan time to go to the parks there. At that point I’ll be reading every tidbit I can find on here. 🙂 For that reason, please keep it up if you have the time and it isn’t exhausting for you.
I would be interested in a group rate (especially at Wilderness Lodge) during that week. However, if Free Dining happened a week or two later, I would probably compare prices and go with which was the better cost. Not the most loyal I know, but honest.
Can’t fault you on comparing it to Free Dining; I’d do the same, and in no way am I requesting anyone “be loyal” and book this (if it ends up happening). Quite frankly, my motive for doing this would be pure selfishness: I really want to stay at Wilderness Lodge next Christmas, but we don’t have the DVC points for it and I’m unwilling to pay rack rate. As someone who isn’t interested in Free Dining, this is a good alternative for me. 🙂
Hi Tom,
I really love the photography posts – one of my main reasons for being here is to see your beautiful and creative Disney parks photography and to hear a little about the process (and as I don’t use social media, the blog format is ideal for me).
I also really enjoy the posts about International Parks – as you say, there is little other information in English – and I find the restaurant reviews very valuable. It’s great to see good photos of the food, menus and interiors; most online photos are not of a good quality, and convey little visual information, therefore.
You asked for constructive critical feedback, so here goes: for me, the blog could do with a little less of the money-saving tips-and-tricks content, which is a tad dry. Not that saving money isn’t important – just that such posts seem to come round rather often.
A suggestion for development: There are a few areas that you, quite openly, say that you are not the best person to cover – e.g. attractions aimed at young girls. Maybe consider an interview segment/guest post every so often from someone in the target demographic for those attractions/meals/experiences?
Overall, just keep on doing what you love best, though. The blog is enjoyable mainly because it is a reflection of individual passion and quirkiness, combined with information and visuals that are genuinely useful for trip-planning. Don’t deviate too far from your ‘core mission’, and people will come to you. Keep the photos coming 🙂
Claire
I don’t like the idea of guest posts, as I feel that takes away from the personal nature of this blog. As a consumer of blogs, I far prefer ones that have a distinct voice, rather than ones that are collaborative–so I try to strive for the same.
However, interviews are a good idea to cover territory that we cannot presently. Or, just get moving on the whole ‘grow up and have kids’ thing… 😉
I agree no guest posts, I like the personal feel to the blog as well as I feel like we’ve become internet buddies we don’t need a #thirdwheel, #fourthwheel, etc.
Trip reports, restaurant/hotel reviews, and international park posts. I stumbled across this blog about 2 and a half years ago looking for hotel reviews, as it had been 3 years since we’d been to WDW and wanted a more economical choice for a return trip, and I definitely found your reviews to be most helpful in planning – and most enjoyable to read! I really like the trip reports and reviews, mostly so I can live vicariously through descriptions of eating things like School Bread or visiting the more exotic foreign parks and dream about experiencing them one day. Your humor and writing style/voice also comes through these articles the most and it makes for enjoyable reading 🙂
I think your current mix of posts is perfect. Personally, I even look forward to the international hotel reviews, in part because I know you are going to somehow make them interesting!
Also interested in a group rate trip, I love your website and every time someone tells me they are going to any Disney related park I always send them to your site, its super informative and an easy read and has GREAT photos which most other bloggers neglect i feel.
As someone who used to travel with my wife alone to disney world on the regular this site gave me very similar insight into things my wife and I could enjoy as we did our trips very similar to you and Sarah. Now we have a 3 year old (havent been to the world in 4 years as a result!!) and we are looking to make our first trip with out little one next year. The only time I really need to look elsewhere for info now is things concerning kids and their opinions on different things at disney. I know you try to often give links to other sites that handle these types of reviews and info, but its the only thing I often end up looking elsewhere for when visiting your site due to the lack of it. Otherwise I have very little to critique as I love it all.
Keep up the information on the International Parks! You are probably the best resource for all of them in the same spot and it is great coverage. People need to know that there is a Disney World outside of Walt Disney World (if that makes any sense) that has a lot to offer and in many ways is better (IMO of course).
Still love the trip reports and always appreciate them.
One thing that could be improved: keeping up with comments that are asking for advice. From time to time people will ask for trip advice and not receive a response. I know it takes a lot of work to keep the content as good as it is, but it’s something that I’ve noticed.
One more thing: some people might take issue with perceived “negativity” on your part, but I appreciate that you are honest in your opinions and have never tried to pretend that everything Disney does is perfect. You call it as you see it. If people want Disney without critique there are plenty of sites out there that believe Disney is beyond criticism for them to follow. I appreciate the candor.
There are people who feel that way, and they are better served by reading a different site, no doubt. This blog cannot be everything to everyone.
However, there are times when I don’t toe the line between raising a negative point and being a jackass about it. I know that’s something about the blog that can be improved upon.
As for responding to comments, sometimes it can be tough. From September through November, I was having a difficult time to keeping up on things because I was busy. When a comment is ~3 days old, there’s very little chance I’ll see it and respond to it. Normally, I do try to sit down every night, delete spam, and respond to comments.
Please do not cut back on the international parks. You are absolutely correct in that their is a lack of English language information on them. Your blog helped tremendously on my day trip to DisneySea.
Also, the photography posts are what got me started reading this blog and I wish you would continue with that series.
Addressing the negativity, I appreciate the candor with which you take to the parks. Disney seems to be taking a much more direct approach to eking out as much revenue as possible from the parks when they don’t seem to be struggling financially. The stratification of the parks puts a damper on my day on principle. Let just hope it doesn’t get as bad as it is at Universal.
As a point of clarification, we will NOT be cutting back on the international parks. If anything, coverage of them in the immediate future will increase.
(When trying to “justify” splurging on something on an upcoming trip, it was *ahem* pointed out to me that I haven’t reviewed half the things we did last time yet. So, not only are the int’l posts fun for me to write and helpful for you, but they also help give me an excuse for the stuff I want to do on subsequent trips. 😉 )
Sadly, the Scotland trip is eating the travel budget for 2017 so I’m out.
As for content, I honestly did enjoy the Vlogs. I guess it’s hard to see yourselves as we do but what you see as a lack of polish and awkwardness in front of a camera, we see as sincerity. What makes DTB special is that you two are real honest to goodness fans and a little face time, even if it is one way, totally reinforces that. Sure, we come for the assorted snark and the pretty pictures but we stay because y’all are like us.
FWIW, cool or not, I’m still a little disappointed that I didn’t see your message that you two were still in Epcot before Doreen and I had collapsed back in our hotel.
I know you don’t want to hear this, but I love your blog. It really, really helped me to look back at the older posts and come up with a great plan for my first couple of trips. The restaurant, resort, and attraction reviews along with the tips and meal plan maximization were some of the most helpful tools. I also love your photography.
As far as constructive criticism, I don’t really have any, but maybe a suggestion of mixing in intro stuff for newbies along with forgive the analogy, but upper level and even masters level material from time to time for those that have delved deeper into the rabbit hole. I love your history pieces you do from time to time and your updates on what is coming as well. Overall, I wouldn’t change a whole lot. There’s a reason your blog is one of the most successful in the whole community, and if it ain’t broke…
More trip reports, that’s why I showed up in the first place and why I stay.
Less news commentary. I can see the news from the many other Disney websites I follow, I don’t think that’s your strength. Also, less movie reviews. I think just focusing on the travel and photography aspect is where your bread and butter is (or in Jim Collins speak, your hedgehog).
Finally, I understand the need to be honest but I have sensed a much more negative tone in your posts lately to the point of almost unfollowing. Disney is my happy place, and even though its not always happy, I feel it should be mostly positive.
Thanks for the frank feedback. There is no doubt that I need to work on tone in some circumstances, especially with the topics that really irritate me. (Sarah has had the same feedback as you on that.)
Part of the solution to that is probably fixating less on those things. I think I’ve gotten the whole upcharge thing out of my system with the recap post and yesterday’s post. Right now, that’s my biggest qualm, and I’ve pretty much said all I have to say on the topic.
Aside from that, I’m pretty optimistic about where things are going. I’m one of the few people who is glad that Rivers of Light has been delayed for further iteration, I’m really optimistic about Pandora, and I think the long term vision for Disney’s Hollywood Studios looks exceptional. I’ve had a blast at Disneyland this holiday season, and am excited to see the continuing improvements at Disneyland Paris. Even the upcharges I understand (to a degree) as a way of offsetting some of the massive capex expenses they are incurring as a result of historic levels of expansion.
But yeah, tone is still something I need to actively monitor because my natural level of sarcasm shouldn’t devolve into an undertone of cynicism about everything.
For what it’s worth, I love the posts about the international parks. They have inspired me to start thinking about planning a trip to one of them (something which I previously thought would never happen).
This kind of feedback, which we hear with surprising frequency, is what makes it worthwhile, even when a post on Tokyo might receive 5-10% of the views as a comparable topic about Walt Disney World. It’s really cool to hear, “we would’ve never gone to Japan if not for your posts, and we had an amazing time.”
Knowing that people are basing such significant vacation decisions off of our information is a bit ‘heavy’ in the sense that it makes us responsible, in a way, but it’s also really gratifying to hear how much people have enjoyed those destinations…
I don’t know if it would just be too time consuming for you, but I would love some easy way to ask you a brief clear question and get a succinct response. Not a whole conversation or lengthy examination requiring too much of your time. But I can see this getting out of control, so I get it. I feel like I might have just pointed out the problem with my suggestion already and maybe I didn’t even need to comment….. clicking submit
Yeah, unfortunately it is too time consuming. I made efforts to discourage people from contacting us a couple of years ago because it was becoming too time consuming. It’s much easier (for me) if people leave a comment on a pertinent post, and I can either respond to it there (which then potentially benefits others with the same question) or someone else can respond.
I spend a ton of time on this blog as-is, and unfortunately, tough decisions have to be made about the allocation of time.
In any case, thanks for the feedback! 🙂
Yes- We would definitely be interested in joining a group rate 11/26-12/2/2017. Have always wanted to stay at Wilderness Lodge as well, as its one of the few hotels we have left to “check off”. We went Thanksgiving this year and planned it next year as well!
Thanks for the feedback! 🙂