Are disney trying to skew dining reviews?

[MarkE83]

Didn’t know whether to put this in here or in the restaurant forum, but I’m listening to (ahem Len’s) podcast, and he mentioned getting a reservation for the newly opened restaurant in Japan; and he mentioned that the fact he got a reservation / how he got a reservation when they weren’t taking any suggested they knew what was going on...

TT seems to get comped / invited to more stuff than anyone, but even that seems to have increased (at both Disney & Universal) lately...

Finally there was the AK reviews that Craig, Eli, Ryno Fiasco, and Kylie did that were comped DURING the meal, and it got me thinking:

Several of the more popular bloggers are very recognisable; and it’s obvious from the equipment they’re using to film stuff what’s going on. I know there’s dozens of frequent bloggers/vloggers; but are disney starting to recognise the most popular, and giving them preferential treatment, possibly as a way of skewing the reviews?

I know that Pete much prefers to pay for everything he does when possible... are we going to get to the point where they’ll just refuse to take his money?

Anyone else noticed this? Or am I being paranoid?

 

[Jennasis]

Social media influencers are BIG from a marketing stand point. Companies need them and use them.

 

[ELLH]

I think the majority of folks have some degree of skepticism when it comes to reviews that weren't paid for. I review a slew of items for a particular niche hobby (stereo stuff); sometimes getting items sent to me to test for free and other times paying for them myself. Even I dealt with confliction on whether or not to accept test samples. And that was just me running a lowly ol' 3rd party test/analysis website. When you're doing this for a living it brings it's own set of issues because your livelihood is staked on the ability to have access to these items and if you want to be the first at something then you need the companies' help to have that privileged access sometimes. Ultimately, it's a matter of trust for the viewer. So, it's a personal thing. I think as long as there's pros/cons given and I don't feel like the source is being heavily biased or influenced by their free stuff/early access then I have no issues. You mentioned TT... I've been following his videos for 5+ years. His videos now seem to be less negative but there's plenty of times where he's just flat out said "oh, that's terrible" in some of his food vlogs (the Epcot F&G and F&W festivals come to mind). Plus, with those food reviews... it's food... which is pretty subjective. So I always take those more with a grain of salt (no pun intended). I listen/watch more the entertainment factor as less for the "this person's word is gold" factor.

 

[jcb]

I really don't want to come off as a "heavy" or imply anyone has done anything unethical or illegal (small differences in conduct in any one situation make a difference) but there are Federal Trade Commission (FTC) "guidelines" regarding "paid" or compensated endorsements in blogs, social media and youtube. https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/bus...tcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking

Compliance is relatively easy. the FTC says no "special wording" is required and a "simple disclosure like 'Company X gave me this product to try . . . .' will usually be effective."

Adopting a policy of not reviewing something without self-paying for it goes well beyond anything the FTC requires.

 

[wariokartel]

Disney always has and always will try to skew reviews. That’s their job. Unfortunately, too many influencer just don’t care. I don’t consume any other Disney social content except the Dis so I have no opinion on any of the particular people.

 

[OKW Lover]

One of the things I really appreciate about reviews on the DIS is that they give their honest opinion about the experience. Their policy of not doing a real "review" if the room/meal/whatever is comped is really important to me.

I have no doubt that the DIS people sometimes get recognized when visiting restaurants on their own. I have gotten to know several of the team pretty well and they seem astute enough to realize when they are getting special attention.

 

[hertamaniac]

One of the things I really appreciate about reviews on the DIS is that they give their honest opinion about the experience. Their policy of not doing a real "review" if the room/meal/whatever is comped is really important to me.

I have no doubt that the DIS people sometimes get recognized when visiting restaurants on their own. I have gotten to know several of the team pretty well and they seem astute enough to realize when they are getting special attention.

Case and point. I have followed several of Pete's reviews and mirrored his dining adventures over the past year or two (Jiko and the steak over mac-n-cheese with red wine reduction, Flying Fish with the Wagyu).

Fast forward to yesterday, and I celebrated my elderly mother's birthday with an alleged appetizer trip to The Wave at the Contemporary Resort to try his recommended bacon and egg. Well, we arrived about an hour earlier to see if the chef could oblige us to make this appetizer (yes, I know Tim at The Wave and recommend him highly as a server). They not only made the appetizer early, but gave us first samplings for the night.

The reviews by Pete, so far, perfectly align with my tastes and expectations.

For those that may want to salivate via photos, it was the best pork belly, appetizer I've ever had not only onsite but ever; it became my entree' and didn't even go to California Grill or Grand Floridian Cafe'.

 

[Ellie Webbs]

It doesnt matter to me whether people are comped or not, as long as they are up front about it. IMHO the dis team not reviewing properly when they are comped means I miss out on their opinions but I understand the reason behind it.
And of course Disney wants every review to be a1 5 star shining and wonderful. Do they play dirty to get there? I just think they have a clever team of people who have a clever bag of tricks, as any large company does. But in the end the truth will out about any hotel / restaurant with the sheer numbers of us normal folk who visit.

 

[gdrj]

Didn’t know whether to put this in here or in the restaurant forum, but I’m listening to (ahem Len’s) podcast, and he mentioned getting a reservation for the newly opened restaurant in Japan; and he mentioned that the fact he got a reservation / how he got a reservation when they weren’t taking any suggested they knew what was going on...

TT seems to get comped / invited to more stuff than anyone, but even that seems to have increased (at both Disney & Universal) lately...

Finally there was the AK reviews that Craig, Eli, Ryno Fiasco, and Kylie did that were comped DURING the meal, and it got me thinking:

Several of the more popular bloggers are very recognisable; and it’s obvious from the equipment they’re using to film stuff what’s going on. I know there’s dozens of frequent bloggers/vloggers; but are disney starting to recognise the most popular, and giving them preferential treatment, possibly as a way of skewing the reviews?

I know that Pete much prefers to pay for everything he does when possible... are we going to get to the point where they’ll just refuse to take his money?

Anyone else noticed this? Or am I being paranoid?

Just my opinion here. As I know Pete has mention as well as the guys have mentioned, when they are comped they talk about the experience and dont do a review.

As far as the "Dis" reviews I watch them to get a feel of the restaurant/dining experience. Am I going to really worry about the detailed evaluation from (no offense) Steve who eats Mac and Cheese and prefers Chicken fingers or "Fiasco" who doesnt eat cheese?!?! We arent talking palates that are going to give us a review more that I liked it or it was just OK.

I did appreciate the review of Black Tap Craft in Disneyland. We were making our first trip there and were looking forward to it. Once I saw the review and saw the size and pricing we skipped it. Their review of Toledo recently confirmed to me I made a good choice to attend the dining event on 8/1. Another example was Jaleo. I am a fan of Jose Andres and his restaurants and of his charitable ventures. I knew it would be expensive but the review of yes its expensive, but worth it for a special occasion was good to know. I'm sure there are times when they are recognized and it can impact the service to a certain degree but it sure didnt impact Pete's Grand Floridian Stay.

 

[Fred M]

Adopting a policy of not reviewing something without self-paying for it goes well beyond anything the FTC requires.

As a viewer, I really appreciate a policy of not reviewing comped meals. It adds to the reviewers' credibility.

If a meal is comped and the meal is terrible, and the reviewer says the meal is terrible, then no one will ever question it. But if it's comped and the reviewer says it's an awesome meal, there is part of me that will always ask if the review was really that good or if the comp influenced the final result (e.g. meal was a 6/10, but since it was free, 8/10).

That just leaves the issue of whether my palate (or lack thereof) is the same as the reviewer.

 

[Ellie Webbs]

As a viewer, I really appreciate a policy of not reviewing comped meals. It adds to the reviewers' credibility.

If a meal is comped and the meal is terrible, and the reviewer says the meal is terrible, then no one will ever question it. But if it's comped and the reviewer says it's an awesome meal, there is part of me that will always ask if the review was really that good or if the comp influenced the final result (e.g. meal was a 6/10, but since it was free, 8/10).

That just leaves the issue of whether my palate (or lack thereof) is the same as the reviewer.

Maybe its because I'm from the UK and we are born cynical anyway

 

[OKW Lover]

That just leaves the issue of whether my palate (or lack thereof) is the same as the reviewer.

That's a very important point. We know our taste aligns with some specific members of the team but not so much with others. Of course the real answer is to try it yourself and make your own decision.

 

[Spencer Wright]

.......they seem astute enough to realize when they are getting special attention.

A really good example of this is an episode of the dining show where they didn't review the California Grille, because it was indicated that the restaurant knew they were there (i.e. working). So the show was what they love about the California Grille, as opposed to a review.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Their reviews are entertaining but I honestly go where I want to and could care less. Love the Coral Reefs ambiance and had shockingly good meals.

 

[Lindsey17]

Disney definitely tries to skew the review in their favor as would any other company really. This is probably why you haven't seen Pete on the dining show recently. Pete and Craig are probably the most well known to Disney, since Craig is always the one at the media events. I really hope they can figure out a way for both to continue to do dining reviews and vlogs because I really appreciate the way they try to describe things. Also, my tastes align with Craig because I found all his reviews to be spot on when we went last year. Especially with the overhyped Flametree BBQ. He was literally the only one saying it's not good BBQ unless you've never had it and I couldn't agree more. We were so disappointed because so many people kept talking it up to us.

I appreciate that Pete won't review things that haven't been paid for, but I also think they're all honest enough that they would say if something was good or not or if they would spend their money there. I think the real issue is when they know it's them before they start filming or before they get their food because they aren't going to get the same experience as any other guest because more attention will be paid in how their food is prepared giving us false information. It's honestly a great problem for the DIS team to have really. Disney feels that they need to do this because they feel the DIS has a big enough voice to make a difference and that's pretty amazing.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

Case and point. I have followed several of Pete's reviews and mirrored his dining adventures over the past year or two (Jiko and the steak over mac-n-cheese with red wine reduction, Flying Fish with the Wagyu).

Fast forward to yesterday, and I celebrated my elderly mother's birthday with an alleged appetizer trip to The Wave at the Contemporary Resort to try his recommended bacon and egg. Well, we arrived about an hour earlier to see if the chef could oblige us to make this appetizer (yes, I know Tim at The Wave and recommend him highly as a server). They not only made the appetizer early, but gave us first samplings for the night.

The reviews by Pete, so far, perfectly align with my tastes and expectations.

For those that may want to salivate via photos, it was the best pork belly, appetizer I've ever had not only onsite but ever; it became my entree' and didn't even go to California Grill or Grand Floridian Cafe'.

@hertamaniac - Glad you had such an enjoyable meal. And, more importantly, very happy and healthy birthday to your Mom. She's lucky to have a son like you!

 

[smiths02]

Disney definitely tries to skew the review in their favor as would any other company really. This is probably why you haven't seen Pete on the dining show recently. Pete and Craig are probably the most well known to Disney, since Craig is always the one at the media events. I really hope they can figure out a way for both to continue to do dining reviews and vlogs because I really appreciate the way they try to describe things. Also, my tastes align with Craig because I found all his reviews to be spot on when we went last year. Especially with the overhyped Flametree BBQ. He was literally the only one saying it's not good BBQ unless you've never had it and I couldn't agree more. We were so disappointed because so many people kept talking it up to us.

I appreciate that Pete won't review things that haven't been paid for, but I also think they're all honest enough that they would say if something was good or not or if they would spend their money there. I think the real issue is when they know it's them before they start filming or before they get their food because they aren't going to get the same experience as any other guest because more attention will be paid in how their food is prepared giving us false information. It's honestly a great problem for the DIS team to have really. Disney feels that they need to do this because they feel the DIS has a big enough voice to make a difference and that's pretty amazing.

I don't think that Craig or Ryno or the others (aside from Pete) are spending their own money the vast majority of the time anyhow. I mean they are employees of the DIS, so I would assume that Pete (the DIS) pays for the meal anyhow. I agree that I still trust their reviews. I also appreciate the footage. I don't worry as much about who is paying because worth is so subjective anyhow and relative to income. I agree, I worry more about them getting special treatment than not paying for it.

 

[TexanInTheMidwest]

Several of the more popular bloggers are very recognisable; and it’s obvious from the equipment they’re using to film stuff what’s going on. I know there’s dozens of frequent bloggers/vloggers; but are disney starting to recognise the most popular, and giving them preferential treatment, possibly as a way of skewing the reviews?

I don't know if you follow Disney Food Blog, but this is the EXACT reason there aren't photos of AJ Wolfe out there - or any of her team members. Because she knows that if they are recognized, they may get different treatment.

Tim Tracker's videos are more about personality, however, anything he is comped he mentions it and he and his wife seem to still give their real opinions.

And I really have to say that THIS group of folks at The DIS are very upfront about (a) what they think and (b) if anything was comped. If you are a Patreon subscriber, Pete talked in his solo show about being too recognizable. And, in the case of the review with Kylie, Fiasco, and Ryno where at the end of the meal, it got comped, I think they handled it SO well. To state what happened but still give the in-real-time reactions as they ate.

 

[Lindsey17]

I don't know if you follow Disney Food Blog, but this is the EXACT reason there aren't photos of AJ Wolfe out there - or any of her team members. Because she knows that if they are recognized, they may get different treatment.

Tim Tracker's videos are more about personality, however, anything he is comped he mentions it and he and his wife seem to still give their real opinions.

And I really have to say that THIS group of folks at The DIS are very upfront about (a) what they think and (b) if anything was comped. If you are a Patreon subscriber, Pete talked in his solo show about being too recognizable. And, in the case of the review with Kylie, Fiasco, and Ryno where at the end of the meal, it got comped, I think they handled it SO well. To state what happened but still give the in-real-time reactions as they ate.

So agree with you about their Jiko review. Honestly they didn't even need to tell anyone that since they reviewed it at the table while eating it thinking they were paying. Even though AJ makes sure she isn't seen on social I still feel like she isn't completely honest or maybe not picky enough with her reviews. I feel like she likes a lot of things that I hear bad things about pretty frequently. Of course it's all preference and maybe she tries to be gentle about it so she doesn't offend fans watching who like it. I do enjoy DFB and DisUnplugged for their food reviews though. My husband groans any time I'm watching TV because it's only those two channels lol

 

[SorcererHeidi]

I don't know if you follow Disney Food Blog, but this is the EXACT reason there aren't photos of AJ Wolfe out there - or any of her team members. Because she knows that if they are recognized, they may get different treatment.

Tim Tracker's videos are more about personality, however, anything he is comped he mentions it and he and his wife seem to still give their real opinions.

And I really have to say that THIS group of folks at The DIS are very upfront about (a) what they think and (b) if anything was comped. If you are a Patreon subscriber, Pete talked in his solo show about being too recognizable. And, in the case of the review with Kylie, Fiasco, and Ryno where at the end of the meal, it got comped, I think they handled it SO well. To state what happened but still give the in-real-time reactions as they ate.

VERY well stated, @TexanInTheMidwest, and I totally agree with everything you said - so much so that anything I wold have come here to post would pale in comparison, so I ain't even gonna try. I also watch, and notice, exactly the same vloggers, and "habits" you mentioned. Very nicely done!!