Yes, it's been a few months since I've posted. I still want to post some food porn and comments about the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, my birthday trip to Las Vegas, and meeting up with some of my Disney fan friends I've known it seems forever in December.
But before I do that, I want to show you what brought me back to blogging.
Irresponsible reporting on Examiner.com. More specifically, an "Orlando Insider" giving advice. A friend of mine on Facebook told me that the author deleted comments she posted to this article.
Orlando secrets: see Disney free! by Elana Nichols
Elana made reference to last year's birthday pass promotion, which she edited out after my friend commented that this promotion is currently over. After she fixed her article, Elana deleted my friend's comments. This led me to look at the article and see what she would do when I commented.
Before I post what she deleted, let me comment on her "secrets":
1. You can park at the theme parks two hours before closing...for free!
But before Elana mentions this "perk", she casually mentions buying an annual pass to make subsequent visits free. I almost posted a comment that standard annual passes allow you to park for free, anyway! After I re-read the article, I believe she's a Florida resident who must own a seasonal annual pass, only available to Florida residents. Seasonal passholders do not get free parking.
2. Weekday Select Pass - what a deal!
Yes, if you're a Florida resident. One of my comments mentioned that only Florida residents can take advantage of that deal. It does nothing for those of us in other parts of the country.
3. Go to a Holiday Inn 90-minute timeshare presentation to get a free Disney ticket!
This was something else I mentioned in my comments she deleted. I told Elana that I believe that timeshare presentations are a waste of valuable vacation time. I didn't elaborate that those 90-minute presentations aren't always 90-minutes. I've heard horror stories of people getting the hard-sell tactics, and they were feeling captive for a few hours before they were allowed to get their tickets.
4. Volunteer for the Give a Day, Get a Disney Day promotion!
Gee, I wonder where Elana got that idea? Oh yeah. From me. I didn't tell her that she must be living in a cave not to have seen all those ads featuring the Muppets. If I had, I could understand why Elana would delete my posts. I was respectful. But I did ask why she didn't mention that promotion in her article. Now she has and conveniently deleted any evidence of me as her source.
I'm glad I didn't mention that standard or premium annual passholders get free parking. I'm also glad I didn't mention that people staying at Disney-owned resorts also get free parking. If I had, I bet Elana would have edited her article again, taking away the glaring omission in her annual passholder comments.
One last thing:
Love me or hate me, I will never delete your posts unless you threaten me or use profanity. Anything else will stay posted here. Because that's the way I roll.
Thank you! I'm glad someone else gets it! She's an idiot!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the comments deleted club!
I read some of her other "helpful" tips. I think Disney PR types will blanch when they read her parking advice. Egad.
ReplyDeleteHi Lori - Welcome back! Please let us see your goodies from F&W!!!
ReplyDeleteI actually lost a good friend over how she was "controlling" a blog she worked for. I agree with you - what she did was despicable. That's shoddy journalism and, I think, highly unethical.
Can't wait to read more here though! (gotta read something to lead up to our May visit!)
Thanks, Carbzilla! I've posted a food review on the DIS message boards. I am not sure if they will allow me to link it from my blog so I'm going to err on the side of caution and try to post directly here.
ReplyDeleteWow. How much extra time you must have on your hands. My article was meant to help people and that is all. I am sorry that you find your time best spent insulting and putting others down. No matter how you feel about my advice, that is your opinion. Instead of being so hateful, why not revel in the fact that we are both avid Disney fans? I welcome constructive criticisms, but not rude and ill-mannered comments. Really, you have broken every single net ettiquette rule in the book.Your comments were not respectful, but in poor taste. I am really not sure what you have against me. I am not interested in immature comments. Oh, and I am not on a "blog." Since you share an interest in Disney, I would actually encourage you to join examiner.com. You will find that it is a very unique and fun job and experience. I truly hope that you find it in your heart to stop being so nasty to others. Aren't we all in this together? Perhaps you should reflect on how you might make one's day brighter rather than how and how many people you can successfully try to put down. Just a suggestion. No hard feelings here, this is a free country and you are entitled to your opinion. Also, just a question? What about my article was "irresponsible?" I really would like to know so that I can improve any errors as I am human as well. Like I said, I only wish to share my knowledge in travel tips for others. Hopefully you share my desire in helping others to make the most of their Disney trip. The reason I did not add the Give a Disney Day initially is due to the fact that it was so highly advertised. I would have left your comment up, had it not been so distasteful, however, it was not your credit as you did not come up with the idea and several other examiners have already written articles about it. What about the free parking was incorrect? You may have known this fact, however, many do not. In fact, when I interviewed a Disney employee, he did not know that parking was free...I had to be transferred to a transportation specialist. As for the 90-minute presentation, I did it myself. You may have friends who have horror stories, but you do not really know what its like until you do it yourself. It did not suck for us. It was great and we acheived a free Disney pass for it. You may keep or delete posts. That is your choice. Just remember, we all have a choice. And my choice is to delete distasteful posts whether you like it or not. To sum it up, I have covered your things about my article that you did not like. I hope you did not take a negative tone from this email. In spite of how offensive your comments were, I fully encourage posts to my articles. I refuse to be subjected to offensive, distasteful, or ill-informed comments.
ReplyDeleteYou sure are snarky and opinionated .... and irrational, illogical, and outright annoying. The internet has so many advantages, but allowing people to talk bad about someone who they don't know because they disagree with some facts that were stated (and are hiding behind their computers to do this) is not one of them. I do hope that someday people will find something constructive to do with their free time, and will learn once again how to interact in person with other humans.
ReplyDeleteFirst off I read Lori's comments and they were not insulting or rude. If you think they were you need some thicker skin if you want to be on the internet. She simple pointed out that 1) your blog post (really, you read like a blog) was misleading in the fact that you mention the weekday pass without stressing it was for Florida residents only. Your posts get picked up by sites like Dismarks and Orlando Updates so you have readers that live outside the state. 2) explaining her opinion on why suggestion timeshare presentations are poor examples of way to get free tickets. But then I guess it's your word vs. her's since you deleted all her comments for others to see.
ReplyDeleteThe one you really should be speaking to is me because I was the one that questioned your reporting skills. And criticized you for deleting posts.You reported about a program that ended a month and a half before you wrote your post. Any good Disney fan would know that. This was the main item in question for giving credit. You also neglected to include "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" in your post, which is the best way to get into the parks for free.
As for the major issue I have with you, it all falls with the "Park at Disney for free" post. Did you ever stop to think that the reason the buses don't run between the parks and Downtown Disney is to DISCOURAGE people parking there for free to visit the parks. My comment explained why it was not a good idea and stated reasons why you lose a number of hours in the park and adds a lot of inconvenience to other people's vacations. No REAL legitimate reporter would give those tips to their readers. You are basically encouraging them to cheat the system! And I'd like to point out that 4 other people also stated that this was a bad suggestion, one of them even calling you a loser. Yet their comments remained and mine was removed. Double Standard much?
As for you UFSU... pot, meet kettle.
Thank you Lori for proved a space where the issues can be discussed without risking comments being deleted.
I'm glad Elana came to see my blog. Ashley was the one who brought Elana's post to my attention. I was not distasteful, rude or ill mannered in my comments on that article, yet most people reading this wouldn't know, because she deleted them.
ReplyDeleteThe blatant censorship of non-inflammatory comments is what set me off to write my blog entry. There were new comments by a couple people, Ashley being one of them, that Elana deleted AGAIN. But I did see the comment where someone called her a loser. I haven't checked to see if that rude and distasteful post is still there. ;)
As Ashley said, I didn't resort to name calling. I only brought observations to the table. I called the reporting irresponsible because of the lack of research and clarity on the topic at hand.
But when I read the link to the Downtown Disney parking "tip", I felt that was personally irresponsible on Elana's part for the simple reasons that Ashley covered on her response.
I would never recommend parking at Downtown Disney to try to avoid the parking fee. And none of the Disney fans I've met over the years would condone that, either.
"Fabulous Disney Diva", huh? Cute name.
ReplyDeleteI'm back in LA and I owe you a brunch or dinner someplace - I remember my long-ago birthday and remain grateful - and indebted.
Let me know when you're out this way, and say hi to Figment.
Michelle Valladolid
The Fabulous Disney Babe