Weekend Update – Internet & Disney? LeSportsac Giveaway, Links & More!
While working on our Tokyo Disney Resort Trip Report earlier this week, I started going off on a tangent (as is often the case), and realized it might be better off as my main ‘essay’ in the weekend update. The tangent was actually inspired by the announcement of Jingle Cruise coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and it’s a scenario we’ve seen play out time and time again as news is released or leaked, analyzed, and preemptively deemed terrible or praised as brilliant by fans online. Which leads to my question…
Is the Internet Harmful to the Disney Experience?
Every year as a child, starting in 1986, I went to Walt Disney World with my parents in the spring. We lived in the snow belt of Michigan, and it was nice to get away from the “Lake Effect Snow Machine,” as I remember the local weatherman calling it. All of these trips were in the pre-internet days. One of my earliest memories was visiting in 1992 and seeing the construction for Splash Mountain and the signs announcing that it was “coming soon.” I don’t remember that area of the park before that, but I do remember going back in 1993 and riding it for the first time. Same thing happened with Tower of Terror and Alien Encounter. My entire knowledge of the construction of these attractions extended to signs in the parks, billboards as we drove down, and the Disney Radio (“Florida’s In-Car Welcoming Station“) that came into range about 30 minutes from Walt Disney World.
Going into those experiences blind made them entirely new, without any “spoilers” or preconceptions. Although I highly anticipated each of these additions, I wasn’t fixated on them nor did I know any details, real or rumored. I was essentially a blank slate, with impressions formed solely based upon the experience at hand. My memory of this sense of excitement has led me–to this day–to never watch a ride-through video of an attraction before experiencing it myself, in person.
Being a part of the online Disney fan community makes it impossible to avoid spoilers completely, and even without watching video of an attraction, I know plenty about it before experiencing it. To some degree, I even have an opinion of it before experiencing it, or at least some preconceived notions. I am firmly in the camp of “withholding judgment until I experience it,” but being exposed to so many opinions online prior to that does tend to prejudice or at least skew thinking, even if only subconsciously. I’ve been wrong enough times about Disney additions when judging them before the fact that I’ve mostly learned to avoid doing this, even if I still do judge a bit in terms of concept, thematic fit, etc.
Setting aside opinions, the amount of information we’re exposed to before an attraction’s opening creates expectations. Part of this is on Disney, and part of it is on us as fans. For years prior to its opening, Disney hyped up New Fantasyland as the “biggest expansion in Magic Kingdom history” and slowly fed fans tidbits of information and ‘sneak peeks’ of the project. Likewise, fans discussed the project endlessly via social media, and it seemed like almost every fan blog had weekly construction update photos, further fueling the fire. This continued (and still continues, I suppose) for over three years.
I don’t care what it is, if you’re anticipating something for that long and are constantly discussing it, chances are the actual experience is not going to live up to your expectations, no matter what you’ve told yourself about not having an opinion before experiencing it. (And this post is certainly not written to defend what I consider to be a thus far underwhelming New Fantasyland, it’s just the best recent example for making my point.)
It isn’t just big additions, either. Nowadays, we know so much about every little thing going on, and have the chance to dissect every change and addition to death before even insignificant changes have been made.
I’m not completely condemning this, as I do think that active, constructive criticism from the fan community has led to certain positive decisions and even has caused Disney to revise plans. At the same time, though, are we our own worst enemies? Does our constant fixation on and knowledge of the goings on of the parks take away from our enjoyment of them? Would that sense of discovery with new experiences, and a completely blank slate going into them, be better for us? Would it be a good thing for us to step away from the rumor mill, to avoid the construction photos, and just see everything “fresh” (or close to it) in person?
To some degree, there is no going back. We can’t “uncreate” the internet. If we want to participate in the fan community, we will be exposed to certain things. I think many things are beneficial to know before going (so don’t stop reading this blog, you NEED to read it, dangit! ;)), and a dialogue about the parks is good, but is our tendency towards analysis of things that don’t yet exist, or even minor existing details, healthy for our enjoyment of the parks?
These are all actual questions and meant to be an open dialogue with you–not rhetorical writing devices. I’d love to hear some of your thoughts on this.
LeSportsac Giveaway
We mentioned this giveaway of a LeSportsac ‘it’s a small world’ on Facebook bag earlier in the week, and here it is! One winner will come from the giveaway widget-thing below, one will be picked at random from our newsletter mailing list. (So subscribe if you haven’t already.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Read the newsletter this week to find out whether you won!
Upcoming Posts
Here’s the slate of posts for the upcoming week:
Monday – Disneyland Hotel Review
Tuesday – Tokyo Disney Resort Trip Report – Part 11… Last morning in Tokyo Disneyland. Click here to catch up on past installments of the Tokyo Disney Resort Trip Report!
Wednesday – Wild Card Wednesday! Walt’s Restaurant Tour, Studio Catering Co. Review, or Harbour Galley Review. This is your call, vote in the comments. Majority wins!
Thursday — Luggage Review & Comparison
Friday – TBD
Cool Linkage
Our photos this week on TravelCaffeine include Kyoto, Walt Disney World, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Plus, I did an essay on why Professional Photographers are an Endangered Species.
The Disney Parks Blog announced Jingle Cruise coming this holiday season to Disneyland and Walt Disney World!
TouringPlans released comprehensive coverage of the Disney Cruise Line, including a helpful Disney Cruise Line fare tracker tool.
A lot of people ask us about vegetarian options, and we have no clue. Fortunately, for those interested in vegetarian stuff at Food & Wine Festival, Disney Food Blog has you covered!
ImagineeringDisney has an awesome post about a fan-made 1/87th scale Splash Mountain model. This is some really incredible work!
Gorillas Don’t Blog takes a look at the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship at Disneyland with a few gorgeous photos.
If you’ve written or read a good blog post recently (or know of any meet-ups, etc.), please share a link in the comments of this article. Hopefully this will help me find great new blogs to read and feature in future “Cool Linkage” sections, and also send a bit of traffic your (or their) way!
…
That’s it for this update! To follow our adventures, find us on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and Flickr!
Your Thoughts…
Have any comments about this update? Do you think internet interactions have changed expectations and experiences for Disney fans? Have a vote for our Wild Card Wednesday blog post? Have any of your own blog posts to share? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
Tom:
Thanks for serving as a catalyst for this discussion as I think it’s important to us as park-goers who, let’s face it, all turn into big kids when we visit Disney and should work to preserve that wondrous effect.
Our first adult trip was October of 2011. We knew next to nothing about the World, and other than making ADRs on the advice of my DVC member brother-in-law and forming a loose daily agenda we had no plans, must-dos, spoilers, notions, or expectations, heightened or otherwise.
I would not have had it any other way. We were able to explore the park just like you did as a kid: as first time adventurers, blazing new paths (at least to us) into unknown frontiers, finding new magic around every bend in a park and around every curve in a ride.
While we will never regain that childlike naivete, I also subscribe to your strategy of trying not to spoil new experiences to retain as must wonder as possible. News, sure. Complete dissection? No thank you.
Just read the dust jacket, not the CliffNotes, if you will.
***
I will oddly vote for the Studio Catering Co.
***
My quixotic, rambling, tantalizingly tangential Trip Reports can be found at http://www.rajahreport.com
Anyone is welcome to stop by and snicker with (at?) me.
Link is also in my name. It’s in me, if you will…
***
Keep up the good work,
-JB-
Great, great post.
This encourages me to stay away from reading too much in the next few weeks. We leave in 40 days for my husband’s first ever trip. I’ve been plenty in the last few years, and I completely get what you’re saying. It does lose a touch of it’s magic when you can read every tiny detail about any sort of change on such a regular basis. And if I have long periods of time between trips, I like reading those things. Ya know, I feel “in the loop”. But with a trip so close, I want to be just as amazed as my first time if I can manage to pull that off. And a step toward doing just that will be staying off the sites (except yours…and maybe DFB – don’t want to miss any awesome snack opportunities) until after my trip.
And for WWW, I vote for Walt’s Restaurant Tour!
I think there’s a big difference between sites like DisneyFoodBlog and news/rumor sites that feature construction photos and a lot of cynical (albeit sometimes accurate) commentary on Disney. At its core, DFB (and even this site) is a trip planning site. Like the online equivalent of a travel guidebook that updates VERY regularly. It provides information about dining that you’d miss out on otherwise, and *I think* doesn’t in any way negatively impact the experience.
I suppose the argument could be made that it ruins the element of surprise, too, but I really don’t think so.
I love your blog!
My vote is for Walt’s tour!
Going with my fiance to WDW for the first time since I was in elementary school in a couple of weeks (to celebrate my 29th birthday/our engagement!) and even with the criticisms I read, I’m insanely excited to go! That said, I try not to read too much nitpicky stuff, and I don’t watch videos on youtube of guest experiences.
Since I’ll be down at the World soon, I’d appreciate a Studio Catering Co. review. Thanks Tom (and Sarah)!
I believe the internet is the reason for such large queues at rides like toy story mania, if it wasn’t for the constant blogs posing about how you need to get there early the queue wouldn’t be half as bad.
Long lines being a self-fulfilling prophecy because of the internet might be about 5% true. However, that ride has had long lines since day 1, well before the internet started commenting on its long lines. Even now, far more guests go totally unprepared than read planning info online.
The better explanation is that Disney heavily promotes Toy Story Mania to guests when they arrive, and there’s a serious lack of family attractions that are RIDES at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Our first WDW Christmas season trip is coming up soon. While I have seen plenty of photos of the decorations, parades etc. I make sure I avoid watching any video or trying to view every scrap info about it ahead of time. I love to be surprised and see things for the first time in person.
To date this has been one of your best posts. It put into words things I’ve been feeling for awhile now. From somebody who hasn’t been to WDW in many years I have been reading and researching EVERY little thing for my trip, but it is taking away part of the magic. Most Disney sites are run by hardcore fans who tend to note the negative things because they’ve already focused on the positive. (Understandably, they have seen the parks at their best and worst). It is hard to find a good word said about Future World and how the place is going downhill fast. It was starting to depress me until my husband (who is not the obsessive planner in the family) wanted to help plan the fast pass+ rides with me. As I was going through the list of attractions explaining them to him he was like a little kid in a candy store. “No way! There is a place we can try sodas from around the world?” I forgot how exciting the little things are. His reaction to finding out there is a Finding Nemo musical was priceless. My biggest regret was not videotaping it. Who know he was such a fan of the movie?! Point is that the internet can numb us. I’ve decided to not check another Disney planning site until after our trip, except for your of course. I wouldn’t miss your posts and photos for anything. I in fact get Facebook notifications for all your posts. If I start to feel like I’m losing the magic again before my trip, I’ll just tell my husband about the goat petting zoo at AK and the excitement will be back! The man loves goats. 🙂
Anyone who loves goats is okay in my book! 🙂
I have a simple philosophy when it comes to planning and reading about Disney Parks- Read all you can about the food, learn about the hotels, history and other people’s experience (like your trip reports, because they are fantastic) but don’t read or watch anything that would ruin the first-time experience of the rides or shows.
Also, I vote for Walt’s restaurant tour! Keep up the good work!
I vote for Walt’s restaurant tour 🙂
Like you I try to avoid ride videos until after I ride them, however, I enjoy reading the updates. I can honestly say the only thing that I was excited about in the new Fantasyland was Be Our Guest Restaurant. I look forward to getting there in 2 years. Lately I have been enjoying going to the parks with people that have never been there before. Several years ago when my wife and I were first dating we went on vacation to Walt Disney World. She had not been there since she was 5 (she was 29 when we went together). Her face lit up and still lights up whenever we go. In 2 years my daughter turns 3 and I cannot wait to see her face when she experiences the parks for the first time. The updates and blog postings help me determine if something will be the right fit for her. I actually like knowing some of the behind the scene stories that some of the blogs get, it adds something.
I still live in that Michigan snow belt! Lol
I vote for Studio Catering Co.
I look forward to your blogs!
I am, as my son likes to call me, “A total Disney Creeper”. I read, watch and listen to as much Disney info as I can. I truly enjoy learning about all the new happenings and it is a way to feed my Disney fix until the next trip. Also, I am not as imaginative as a lot of people who visit. For instance, I would have never thought of the “gem secret” for Philharmagic or the “golf-ball secret” for Soarin, but having read about them, I totally stole them and my kids now think I am amazing!
Having said that, I don’t always agree with what is written about Disney, nor do I allow others opinions to sway me from trying something new, Yes we will be trying the new Little Mermaid attraction, and, how do I say this……we like Captain EO, there said it!! I do believe that fellow lovers of Disney sometimes jump to extreme conclusions, need I say Avatarland??
I guess what I’m trying to say is that the information I receive through the multitude of sites, blogs, and videos can be very helpful, motivating even, after all I am now dreaming of a Tokyo trip due in no small part to a certain blog I’ve become addicted to!!
As with everything, advance info via internet, friends, blogs, etc., is both wonderful and blunting to personal experience. Yes, being forewarned regarding unpleasant issues makes for a better vacation (yay for that kind of information sharing.)
But the truest Disney experience as it is designed to be (& the highest quality memory-maker) is first-hand, with all senses engaged in the present, minus spoilers, I think.
Disney specializes in grand design. Visually and experientially…scents, music, emotional associations…all is so well integrated and usually extraordinarily well-planned by so many talented people, that it can take away from that glorious to whole know too much about it ahead of time.
My husband & I are in our 50s, and have been to WDW nearly 30 times since the mid 90s, but those first times were and are the most precious.
A bit of careful studying helped maximize those experiences, but it was mainly from those old-fashioned things called travel books.
My very early memories of Disneyland CA were in the 60s, and my parents’ and grandparents’ home movies of it in its first weeks and years are priceless. The magic of Disney to Boomers lies mainly in the fact that we experienced it afresh each visit. Thus our powerful loyalty to the brand and our desire to share our rich childhood / teen experiences with our children, and now, grandchildren.
Knowledge and planning are necessary. It can take us out of the moment, though, out of our purely emotional, pleasureful (childlike) reactions, and cause us to see things through an overly adult, analytical lens. Too much saturated, focussed foreknowledge seems to rub off the glow of those innocent, wondrous experiences in time.
I still like your blog, though! It’s the next best thing to being there….
Very well said. Travel guidebooks probably remain the best source of “spoiler-free” planning.
I think I’m the only one voting for a Harbour Gallery review, but at least I got you to spell it right 😉
You realize you’re spelling it incorrectly, right?
About the internet and how it affected my experience in the parks.
When my AP expired in 2012 before everything new opened that year, I didn’t renew immediately since I thought it would be extremely crowded and in the middle of summer, I don’t have time for that. It let me go off tangent and visit other places other than Disney. So for the time being, I was on Instagram, twitter, Tumblr, Disney discussion boards keeping up with the news and experiences and *staying away from spoilers*. I didn’t seek out things about cars land,Buena Vista Street, the new shows at princess fantasy faire and the theater at fantasyland and some other little things. Everyday I see a photo of main street, sleeping beauty castle, Mickey Mouse, you get the picture.
Then last month when I thought it’s a good time to go back and see the new additions myself. I was very impressed with DCA. But the moment I stepped in Disneyland Park. I was like “Woah! I have seen all of these before like last week” even if I wasn’t physically present for more than a year.
My conclusion, I have to back off consuming media a little bit. It’s like the experience is getting stale. Yet I still hop on Instagram and liking this and that then posting my own photos from the queue.
I like the weekly updates and reading what’s your take on things.
I see how things could be cool if you know nothing about a specific attraction; this is how I did it on our honeymoon. We knew nothing and loved our whole trp. But now that I am more educated, I wish so badly that I could go back and do our honeymoon all over again. For instance, we made it for rope drop and got in line for the first attraction we laid eyes on. Which was stitches great escape. Which didn’t open until 9:15. And we stood there at a closed door as others rushed to far better attractions, us assuming that all attractions open at 9:15. Apply this type of scenario to our entire honeymoon.
But now that we have kids, I felt the need to plan big time to avoid as much extra stress as possible, and I now love planning our trips to the minute. ( thanks touringplans.com). Additionally, allowing my kids to view rides on YouTube made them excited and not afraid. Attractions that I didn’t think would be an issue, like voyage of the little mermaid, we actually had to leave because one of my kids kept crying “I wanna go I wanna go”, and it was only due to her not knowing what was coming. In the hotel we watched it on YouTube, and the next day she did it no problem. For me, “knowing” most everything before hand has led to much greater trips. And yes, I keep looking for updated pics of the seven dwarfs mine ride 🙂
That Splash Mountain model is amazing!
I vote for the Harbour Galley review.
OMG! What a good idea for the calendars – never thought of that! And, for Wild Card Wednesday, my vote goes to Walt’s Restaurant Tour! 😉
Never thought of using vintage calendars! Awesome idea!
The shortest but sweetest bit of info from this blog! I thought “who would want a calendar from the 80’s… right?”. My brilliant friend was like “Aw! What a good idea. Everyday you will get to relive the memories from that year”.
I did not watch one video or read one sentence about new Test Track before my recent trip. All I knew is there was a lot of “blue” theming.
It was really tough to do but I managed to do it.
It actually worked out well because I really had no idea what to expect. I think it was WAY more enjoyable that way.
Same here. Although we visited like a week after Test Track 2.0 reopened, so it was much easier for us.
While I am pretty connected with what’s going on regarding Disney, I totally disconnect when it comes to video spoilers. I think that is a MUCH better way to experience the parks. I’m wondering if being even a bit more disconnected would be a good thing, too…