Honest feedback on the Podcast The WDW Radio Show Disney Podcast Discuss Honest feedback on the Podcast in the The WDW Radio Show forums; Hi All, Full disclosure: I have only registered for this forum to make this one post, but that's how strongly I feel about making this feedback. I'll probably get flamed ...

[MJ6987]

Hi All,
Full disclosure: I have only registered for this forum to make this one post, but that's how strongly I feel about making this feedback. I'll probably get flamed but here goes...

Firstly, I love the WDW Radio podcast. I listen to every one without fail, and look forward to doing so each week. It is one of my favourite podcasts without a doubt. It is very entertaining, Lou is first rate as a presenter and the content is very strong.

BUT...

There is one thing that I can't rely on the podcasts for and that is opinions of what is good / worth paying for in WDW and what is not. The reason being that Lou is uniformly positive and glowing in praise for EVERYTHING that Disney does. So, I can't judge what is really good or not.

A good recent example of this was the Stitch's Super Sonic Celebration show (or whatever it was called) in Tomorrowland. Like everything else, Lou said he "absolutely loved it" (that is pretty much a word for word quote). I found this strange as every other person I saw online talking about it pretty much thought the opposite. Even Disney seemed to think so as it was closed after about 2 weeks. Then, even when it was closed, I was expecting a rant from Lou because they had closed an attraction that he "absolutely loved" but of course there was not one. There are many other examples.

I have no doubt that there are reasons for Lou not wanting to criticise Disney - e.g. I see they are a sponsor on this website, and Lou clearly gets much better access to Disney for interviews, etc than any other Podcast. Ok, so he has some sort of "commercial" reasons for keeping Disney sweet. But surely, even they would not object to some sort of balanced views - most things are good, but not all.

I just think it is a bit unfair on listeners who have not worked this out and rely on Lou's opinions, and then go and spend their hard earned cash on things that turn out to be not quite so wonderful as they thought from the podcast. Or at least, Lou could be a bit more open about his commercial interests.

The diametric opposite to this is, of course, DIS unplugged where the hosts are refereshingly honest about what is good / not so good / poor about Disney, even though they have a clear commercial interest in selling Disney, as Disney Travel Agents. And, they always fully disclose any commercial interests.

So, keep up the great work, but please pleas please can we have some more balanced reporting. Disney does not always do things right and you shouldn't be afraid of saying so!

That's me done,
Thanks,
MJ

[tiggerguy]

You say you only registered to make this one post, but your info says you registered back in June.

You say you want to be honest, I think it would carry more weight if you signed your post with a name rather than initials.

You are entitled to your opinion and you have in my opinion presented it well.

[Lissa]

Personally, I think your assumptions that Lou is uniformly positive just because of commercial interests is unfair. I think Lou has always been up front and honest about the fact that he is unabashedly pro-Disney. This podcast is designed and intended, as my understanding, to be for uber-Disney fans like Lou. It was never intended to be geared toward people who are seeking reviews or balanced discussions on the pros and cons of specific attractions or even merchandise. Lou started out as the Disney World Trivia resource (and remains so, but with several new branches), not a travel agent who advises for or against specific items or experiences.

I can see your point of view and you do express it well, but I think that this is, in my opinion, just a matter of misunderstanding the intent of the podcast.

[Lissa]

It seems to me that you perhaps misunderstand the intent of the podcast. Lou has never represented himself to be an "unbiased reporter" - quite the contrary. He is very open, and always has been, about being an unabashed uber Disney fan. His podcast, this website, his books and cds, everything is geared towards and intended for fellow Disneyphiles - those of us who know and love Disney more than the average visitor. Not to say that it's closed to the casual Disney fan, but I think it's pretty clear that those that dedicate an hour plus a week to listening to detailed information about a theme park and/or spend even more time on a community forum dedicated to the same theme park aren't necessarily in the market for general reviews or travel recommendations.

I don't think Lou's positivity is related to commercial interests, as you postulate. I think it is a natural byproduct of his undiluted love of and for the Disney company, culture and, most specifically, theme parks. He shares his enthusiasm and the byproducts of that enthusiasm (in depth information, trivia, access to behind the scenes interviews etc.) with other like-minded individuals who, I believe, choose to participate knowing that they can share in that enthusiasm without being clouded by negativity.

You make your points well, I just really do think this may be a case of misunderstanding the intended purpose of the podcast.

[Lissa]

Sorry for the duplicate entries there! The first one didn't post so I retyped to the best of my memory and then both suddenly appeared. Most likely user error, and now I can't figure out how to delete one. *sigh* Sorry!

[tdf192]

MJ, as you can probably guess from the podcast and this site, the people involved are Fans of Disney. Therefore have most likely been before and so know their own likes and dislikes of the parks. Lou's aim is to inform others of new and different things to try and to give them information that they may not know. He's also good for rumours and upcoming news. If you want a more balanced view then go somewhere else for that, but I keep listening as it enhances my Disney experience.

I'd rather have a positive view of something than a negative. Just look at WDWMAGIC.COM WDW, Walt Disney World News Rumors Photos Reviews Discussion Forum although they are quick with the news, a lot of the commentators just slate the company and moan and groan about changes or lack of.

[Sharon&Randy]

Hi!

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I am thankful that we can state them.

This made me think. Want to hear my opinion on the matter?
Some people see the glass half full, some see it half empty, and some the cup over-floweth. Lou just loves his Disney. He loves it so much he moved his family down there. Sometimes when you love something so much all you see is the positive. (Hopefully I take that to heart when dealing with things and mostly people I love.)
I'm sure that he has opinions on things that he would change. We all do.
There are a lot of podcasts that will give the other side and that's great. Lou gives a positive side and that's great also.
As far as the example of Stitch's Super Sonic Celebration, someone else gave a positive review. Ever read Jack Spence on allearsnet? He's a great writer and wrote a nice blog about it. Reviews are funny. One person will say it's the best and someone right after will hate it.

So goes our great country of opinions and thankfully we have a choice of which podcasts to listen to. Now I will go and post on someones site that they are too negative. Ha! Ha! I'm joking!

Thanks for listening!
Sharon&Randy

[wdwtristan]

You are entitled to your opinion as incorrect I may think that it is.

[tdf192]

I think also from his podcasts Lou admits that Stitch's Great Escape is not brilliant and he would quite happily see it changed.

[Lissa]

May I humbly submit, too, that this very respectful and friendly debate (even over the defense of our beloved Lou!) is a testament to the tone that Lou himself has fought to maintain on this site.

[EpcotNut]

I will agree with many of the posters here. You make a fair point, but if you are looking for unbiased opinions of what is worth spending your time and hard-earned money on, you would be better served to check in with one of the other podcasts (of which there are plenty!)
As for Lou's interests, I feel like he makes no bones about his allegiance to Disney and all that they produce, which I can respect and even admire, but if you are looking for advice on what to do or not do - he's probably not the guy you want to rely on for that info because he would, invariably, give you all the pros and none of the cons and probably make your decision that much harder.
It is why many (if not all)of us go back, week after week, to listneing to his show and feeling great after having listnened to it.
Good and really well made points, but I'm sure theres more than enough unbiased opinions out there to help guide you in your decision-making process.
Have a great one!!

[Dizisit]

Originally Posted by MJ6987

Hi All,
Full disclosure: I have only registered for this forum to make this one post, but that's how strongly I feel about making this feedback. I'll probably get flamed but here goes...

Firstly, I love the WDW Radio podcast. I listen to every one without fail, and look forward to doing so each week. It is one of my favourite podcasts without a doubt. It is very entertaining, Lou is first rate as a presenter and the content is very strong.

BUT...

There is one thing that I can't rely on the podcasts for and that is opinions of what is good / worth paying for in WDW and what is not. The reason being that Lou is uniformly positive and glowing in praise for EVERYTHING that Disney does. So, I can't judge what is really good or not.

A good recent example of this was the Stitch's Super Sonic Celebration show (or whatever it was called) in Tomorrowland. Like everything else, Lou said he "absolutely loved it" (that is pretty much a word for word quote). I found this strange as every other person I saw online talking about it pretty much thought the opposite. Even Disney seemed to think so as it was closed after about 2 weeks. Then, even when it was closed, I was expecting a rant from Lou because they had closed an attraction that he "absolutely loved" but of course there was not one. There are many other examples.

I have no doubt that there are reasons for Lou not wanting to criticise Disney - e.g. I see they are a sponsor on this website, and Lou clearly gets much better access to Disney for interviews, etc than any other Podcast. Ok, so he has some sort of "commercial" reasons for keeping Disney sweet. But surely, even they would not object to some sort of balanced views - most things are good, but not all.

I just think it is a bit unfair on listeners who have not worked this out and rely on Lou's opinions, and then go and spend their hard earned cash on things that turn out to be not quite so wonderful as they thought from the podcast. Or at least, Lou could be a bit more open about his commercial interests.

The diametric opposite to this is, of course, DIS unplugged where the hosts are refereshingly honest about what is good / not so good / poor about Disney, even though they have a clear commercial interest in selling Disney, as Disney Travel Agents. And, they always fully disclose any commercial interests.

So, keep up the great work, but please pleas please can we have some more balanced reporting. Disney does not always do things right and you shouldn't be afraid of saying so!

That's me done,
Thanks,
MJ

Your BP went up over this? Really?!?!
NEWS FLASH!!! LOU LOVES DISNEY!!! EXTRA! EXTRA!!
Like you stated, there are other podcasts, etc., that balance...
Take deep breaths...!

[Dizisit]

Sorry! Couldn't resist...!

[Disney2000]

I do understand partly where you are coming from, but if Lou had came on and said "I HATE STITCH'S SUPERSONIC CELEBRATION. Worst Show EVER. Don't even go near the stage while it is going on!! I bet you some people that would have loved the show wouldn't have discovered it... Lou encourages people to try new things. they may like them, they may not. He can't be a great host like he is if he told people what they should like and not. There are plenty of other podcasts that will give you your oppinion, and Lou even encourages you to listen to them on his show! Good luck making your oppinion, I hope this kind of clears things up a bit.

[Tmntrans]

This is like going to a Steak House and complaining they don't have Shrimp. Get a grip..this is Lou's website last I looked. And were all happy in OUR part of the ocean. If you don't appreciate Lou's effort..go somewhere else and don't be so negative here and try to destroy the magic that all of us hold so dear. Way to go Lou..keep it up. My family and I have 6 more weeks to go to a week at OKW!!!