Spring Break
Are Disney fans out of their minds?
Scott Dennis
Issue date: 8/13/08 Section: Forum
Haven't the Olympics been great so far?
Okay enough of that.
Perhaps even more surprising than the U.S. victory in the men's 400 meter relay is that Disney will no longer allow guests to turn in written complaints or compliments regarding its theme parks.
Disney's legal department has determined that written comments are too much of a liability, so all guest comments must now be made verbally to the cast members in Guest Relations. While this new system may put off guests who'd like to complain but are too antisocial to complain face-to-face, it surely won't stop the segment of guests who comment the most - Disney fans.
These enthusiasts are distinctly different from your run-of-the-mill "OMG-I-love-the-Disney-Channel" fanatics. They're usually over the age of 12, for one thing.
But the most important distinction, and indeed the thing that proves most irksome to the current company management, is that these Disney aficionados often know the company's history better than those running it. Unfortunately, the relationship between Disney fans and Disney executives suffers from not so much a failure to communicate but from one-sided communication.
In a situation similar to that of the American colonists in 1771, the Disney fans (e.g. the colonists) are plenty vocal when they feel that the company (e.g. the British government) isn't doing its job, but the company either doesn't understand the fans, or just doesn't care.
Poorly researched analogies aside, the Disney company has shown time and again that it is incapable of understanding why its fans are so devoted and yet so often critical. They must figure that since these devotees jump every time someone across the room mentions "Disney," they should be the company's best customers. This isn't the case.
Sure, they try to visit the theme parks as often as possible, but the desire to do so comes not from blind faith in company, but from the knowledge that there are a couple of things Disney has remained good at through the years. Running theme parks is one of them.
Okay enough of that.
Perhaps even more surprising than the U.S. victory in the men's 400 meter relay is that Disney will no longer allow guests to turn in written complaints or compliments regarding its theme parks.
Disney's legal department has determined that written comments are too much of a liability, so all guest comments must now be made verbally to the cast members in Guest Relations. While this new system may put off guests who'd like to complain but are too antisocial to complain face-to-face, it surely won't stop the segment of guests who comment the most - Disney fans.
These enthusiasts are distinctly different from your run-of-the-mill "OMG-I-love-the-Disney-Channel" fanatics. They're usually over the age of 12, for one thing.
But the most important distinction, and indeed the thing that proves most irksome to the current company management, is that these Disney aficionados often know the company's history better than those running it. Unfortunately, the relationship between Disney fans and Disney executives suffers from not so much a failure to communicate but from one-sided communication.
In a situation similar to that of the American colonists in 1771, the Disney fans (e.g. the colonists) are plenty vocal when they feel that the company (e.g. the British government) isn't doing its job, but the company either doesn't understand the fans, or just doesn't care.
Poorly researched analogies aside, the Disney company has shown time and again that it is incapable of understanding why its fans are so devoted and yet so often critical. They must figure that since these devotees jump every time someone across the room mentions "Disney," they should be the company's best customers. This isn't the case.
Sure, they try to visit the theme parks as often as possible, but the desire to do so comes not from blind faith in company, but from the knowledge that there are a couple of things Disney has remained good at through the years. Running theme parks is one of them.
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