Losing interest in the main show

[rteetz]

I have a question. Do any of you listen to other podcasts? Many if not all do some sort of ad read whether at the beginning, middle, or end or even more than once. Would you prefer non-related advertising or Dreams related? To me I'd rather have the Dreams related "advertising". Sure it does get a bit long at times but to me better than an ad for buffalo wild wings randomly.

 

[rchristiansen]

I have a question. Do any of you listen to other podcasts? Many if not all do some sort of ad read whether at the beginning, middle, or end or even more than once. Would you prefer non-related advertising or Dreams related? To me I'd rather have the Dreams related "advertising". Sure it does get a bit long at times but to me better than an ad for buffalo wild wings randomly.

I watch a bunch of non Disney related video podcast. They all advertise, and usually one will be for Nord VPN .

Yes, I prefer the Disney related advertising rather than a random spot for a VPN service.

 

[disneyland_is_magic]

I have a question. Do any of you listen to other podcasts? Many if not all do some sort of ad read whether at the beginning, middle, or end or even more than once. Would you prefer non-related advertising or Dreams related? To me I'd rather have the Dreams related "advertising". Sure it does get a bit long at times but to me better than an ad for buffalo wild wings randomly.

Yes. A local one I love reads a couple of thirty second sponsorships on an audio podcast that lasts about hour.
The main Disney blogger I love promotes their merchandise for about 30 seconds and has a quick YouTube ad or two.

It was like 12 minutes in today of housekeeping (mostly ads) and I admit it, I clicked it off.
I am totally fine with some advertisements, promotions, etc. Yes, absolutely! But I have never in my life seen a 12 minute spot for BWW.

I also have no idea how joining multiple FB groups will help pay their bills. What am I missing?

 

[Heather07438]

I continue watching, though sometimes wish the pace was better. The relaxed vibe is great and fits perfect the intended audience. Still, I'd prefer more ground or more exciting topics being covered within those 28 minutes or so. Needs a little more energy Nothing crazy, just a tad.

Maybe there's too many shows being spread out now? Kinda of watering them all down? Could help to cut down the frequency of each show and dial up the focus/content/energy.

 

[CHEMISTSP]

I am so happy to see this thread. I have tried to make constructive comments of the faults of the flagship show in the YouTube comments section and constantly get responses of - it's a free show, you are rude, etc. I say these things because I care about the show. I look forward to it every week but it is hard to ignore the problems that are causing more dislikes and less interest from fans then I have ever seen resulting in threads like this one.

I echo some of the previous posters that Pete is the Alpha and his participation truly matters. Regardless of the alternative host (John, Craig), the show consistently goes off the rails when Pete is not hosting. However, IMO - it seems to me that Pete's passions are focused on other projects in the Dis Board Universe (DVC, DCL and other future unannounced projects) and it is showing on the main show. He went on a long stretch between November and February and hosted like 3 shows. I also cannot ever remember a time when Tuesday would come and I would wonder if there would even be a show that week. Lately, when Pete is on the show, he comes across as going through the motions and he has also been outside of the Disney lane with too much Jersey coming out too frequently. Maybe a solution to this would be to have Pete retire from this show to allow him to focus on his current passions (his DVC show is great!) and get that consistent new host that could keep the show running with a new energy, while allowing the personalities of the others to shine. I would give Deni a shot.

IMO - the other big problem are some of the long time guests at the table. Let's be honest, when they announce the guests it becomes predictable what kind of show it is going to be. I really like Kevin - but I cringe every time there is going to be a Star Wars topic and he feels the need to inject himself into the discussion that does not offer anything more then him being snarky about something a lot of fans love. I have really liked Theresa over the years but she distracts more then offers anything of value on the shows lately. Her banter with Craig a couple of weeks ago actually made me uncomfortable. Julie also distracts more then offers. Though I do appreciate that she has young kids and occasionally gives an opinion of value from that perspective. And lets be honest, two of the best personalities on all the channels (Craig & Ryno) are stuck at the production desk and do not get enough time at the table. And the reality is that the new talent they have brought on (with the exception of Deni) have not lived up to some of the regulars that have left the show over the past few years (Oliver & Charles specifically). Successful content providers are able to give information but also have entertaining personalities. The later has been off for a long time and the flagship show is really suffering because of it.

I truly appreciate this show. I hope it is able to come back to it's potential.

 

[samsteele]

the other big problem are some of the long time guests at the table.

I guess we can agree to disagree. The banter and personalities of the original Team is what drew me to the DIS years ago. I loved the saucy and clever humour of the original group. I can get dry info, or worse, bunny hugs and sunshine kool-aid, from any number of vlogs. The DIS shines when the strong personalities of the Team are allowed to roam. Going off the rails is part of the charm. Honest and witty interactions is the heart of the show.

I agree with some of the PPs that the show has lagged esp the past year and I haven't watched as often as I used to. Most of us understand that the original Team have jobs, other interests and, like all of us, their interests have changed. I admire the hard work of Craig, Ryno and the new cast. But I adore the old guard. I'd love to go back in time and have the show be exactly as it was 5 years ago. But that ain't gonna happen. We all change. Hopefully, Pete and the Team can find a realistic balance for the future. But please always stay smart and funny.

 

[auroralark]

I rarely post, but I sort of agree. I've been listening since 2008 and this show has always been a MUST listen for me. Wednesday morning, it was the first thing I'd download and listen to. Now, not so much. I still love everyone involved with the show - for me, it's a content problem. I miss when they talked about something in depth consistently other than housekeeping/news/rapid fire. I remember when they used to talk about threads from the boards - those were always my favorite. A few weeks ago, when Julie brought up the Disney Divorce post from the blog, I thought that discussion was great! Overall, I guess what I'm trying to say is that the content is starting to feel a little stale. I still listen, but other shows come first. (This is also the only Disney podcast I listen to anymore.)

 

[FredQc]

Speaking of long in the tooth... we know Kevin doesn't care for Star Wars. But every time the subject of Star Wars comes up there has to be a couple minutes dedicated this and why and that no one needs to email him for not supporting John. I'm not necessarily "bashing" Kevin. I'm just saying... we know. We are OK if you don't like it. I'm not a big fan myself. It doesn't need to be a discussion if you don't want it to be.

Yes. It reminds me that I stopped to listen to another WDW podcast (more specifically, an AK podcast) because one of the two co-hosts did not refrain to argue against the introduction of Pandora : The World of Avatar in AK. While I didn't share his opinion, I was OK with expression of his view that Avatar (or other IP) is not a good fit in AK. However, he could not refrain to express and to detail his view each time Pandora was discussed. Once, in a show dedicated to the Navi's River Journey, his criticism was much longer than the informative segment of the other co-host. At one point, I decided to “unplug”, it was too repetitive and I had enough!

 

[Tom P.]

Some quick thoughts from my perspective:

1. While most of the team is good, for me the core of the show is and always has been Pete, John, and Kevin. When any or all of those three are absent, I am far less interested in the show and find it less enjoyable.

2. I agree that the housekeeping segment is once again way too long. Pete had cut it way back for a while, but now it has grown again. If everything they plug in housekeeping is truly needed, then I would suggest sprinkling the plugs throughout the show in small bites, rather than having one huge segment of it before any real content begins.

3. I enjoy the news and rapid fire segments and would not want them to go away. But I also enjoy the more freewheeling discussions and a lot of humor and banter between the team. I think once the news stories are done, Pete should allow the show to be more freeform and less structured than it is now.

4. While I don't mind some content outside of Walt Disney World (e.g., Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, etc.), I tune into this primarily as a WDW show, and I think there has been too much non-WDW content of late.

5. I think some of the other podcasts, like the Disney Dining Show and the Best/Worst show, while good in their own right, have left the main show hurting for content in slow news weeks. I, for one, really miss having dining reviews be a part of the main show, for example, and having John and Kevin participate in them.

 

[PixieLily]

I often marvel how they find new content week after week; along with all the other podcasts.

 

[Jafar30]

That's one thing I definitely miss are the John and Kevin dining reviews. I just went back not too long ago and listened to their legendary Shutters review

 

[disneysteve]

I have a question. Do any of you listen to other podcasts? Many if not all do some sort of ad read whether at the beginning, middle, or end or even more than once. Would you prefer non-related advertising or Dreams related? To me I'd rather have the Dreams related "advertising". Sure it does get a bit long at times but to me better than an ad for buffalo wild wings randomly.

A couple of years ago, maybe more, there were a lot of listeners complaining about Housekeeping being too long and essentially one big commercial. They acknowledged it on the show and switched to the much briefer housekeeping format that they maintained for quite a while. However, many of the rapid fires just ended up being things that used to be in Housekeeping so they still got those ads in one way or another. The difference was it was better incorporated into the flow of the show. I'd like to see them get back to that because they've slipped back to the older format of having 15 minutes of ads at the beginning instead of sprinkled throughout.

I've been listening for a long time and overall, there is definitely way more advertising than there used to be, but I totally get it. The podcast isn't their business. Their business is the travel agency. The point of the podcast is to sell travel. The agency pays for the podcast, not the other way around. It is what it is.

I still listen to the Tuesday show every single week and I enjoy it. I rarely listen to any of the other shows. I do the Dreams show 2nd most whenever it's a topic that appeals to me. That's about it.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I have a question. Do any of you listen to other podcasts? Many if not all do some sort of ad read whether at the beginning, middle, or end or even more than once. Would you prefer non-related advertising or Dreams related? To me I'd rather have the Dreams related "advertising". Sure it does get a bit long at times but to me better than an ad for buffalo wild wings randomly.

The other podcasts I listen to have actual ads, so I can skip those easily. They have background music and a completely different sound to help me identify when it's over. They are 2 minutes total, usually.

I honestly don't mind the ads for Magic Candle Company or Dreams. I just don't want to hear 10 minutes on cruises and ABD, but that's MY problem. I'll never do either one, so I simply don't care about it.

 

[disneysteve]

I honestly don't mind the ads for Magic Candle Company or Dreams. I just don't want to hear 10 minutes on cruises and ABD, but that's MY problem. I'll never do either one, so I simply don't care about it.

That's funny. We have never done a Disney cruise or ABD but that info doesn't bother me nearly as much as the candle ads. At least that stuff is relevant to a travel-related podcast. We don't burn candles. My wife and daughter both have allergies. And even if we did, I'm not tuning into a Disney show to hear about candles.

I've also made a mental note that if we book a cruise through Dreams again (we did cruise with them once) to make sure to tell Teresa not to put the candle air freshener in our gift bag because we'd probably have to trash the whole bag when we got it.

 

[DLgal]

The housekeeping and ads really are just too much. I mean, just make that content its own podcast at this point.

 

[MegaraWink]

And lets be honest, two of the best personalities on all the channels (Craig & Ryno) are stuck at the production desk and do not get enough time at the table.

This was an insightful critique, but I had to laugh at this part because... yes, yep, yeah. I absolutely agree, and it's weird that it's like this.

 

[ELLH]

The other podcasts I listen to have actual ads, so I can skip those easily. They have background music and a completely different sound to help me identify when it's over. They are 2 minutes total, usually.

I honestly don't mind the ads for Magic Candle Company or Dreams. I just don't want to hear 10 minutes on cruises and ABD, but that's MY problem. I'll never do either one, so I simply don't care about it.

x2.

I listen to numerous podcasts with advertisements in them. But like a previous poster stated, they are sprinkled throughout and I can skip them easily (two clicks of the 30 seconds forward button is all it takes).


Which brings up a point I forgot to mention…
The fact the front ¼ of the show is essentially one long ad might be hurting them. I typically listen to the first 30 seconds to find out what they’re going to be talking about and then I skip to the 10-minute mark. If it’s not the news or related discussion then I skip ahead another couple minutes. If there’s anything that I would otherwise like to listen to (or the team really feels I should know other than deals for ABD/Cruises) then they’ve essentially trained me to skip over it.

Again, I’m not bashing them. This is nothing personal against any of the team. I appreciate the podcast. It's entertaining. And I understand the podcast is a way to promote their other businesses. I get it. I just choose to skip over the first 1/4 of the show because I have come to expect things I'm not at all interested in. And that’s something many choose to do as well. I’m quite certain the Team understands this. And it doesn’t seem to be an issue of concern. However, if there is a reason those of us who don’t necessarily care for cruise and ABD packages should listen then they may need to switch up tactics. Otherwise, I’m happy with continuing the status quo if they still need to be able to plug their other businesses.

 

[PixieLily]

..and while I don't like his "anti hippie" comments about earth day ... .

Yesss. What's with that?

 

[Alison S]

I don't mind the ads- all podcasts have them.

I think the show shouldn't be weekly. There simply isn't enough content. Maybe every two weeks would be better?

 

[ELLH]

I think the show shouldn't be weekly. There simply isn't enough content. Maybe every two weeks would be better?

I disagree with the bolded. Nevermind the ads. I think if they went with more of the open discussion stuff they've been doing lately at the end of their shows they'd have more time to debate/discuss and fill a good bit of time this way.

Referencing an article as the starting point might even help them more than the vocal ads. People would be more willing to go check the article; I know I have on a few occasions and that's a few occasions more than I've clicked a link for magic candles. And people clicking on the article could turn in to people clicking in to other areas of their business.