Disappointed

[rlk]

Ok, I'm totally out of the loop.
Would someone privately message me as to what's going on. Where did you read this ? or hear on a podcast(I don't describe to a podcast), where?.

Is this all about the New Studio??
I'm only picking up pieces of things that are not making sense. TIA

Google, it will lead you to all the answers.

 

[petermac]

It appears that my original post on Patreon is being criticized by plenty of people including @Tonyz particularly, so let me clarify. Dustin and Pete brought me into this company as a freelancer in late 2012 before going part-time in 2013 and then full-time. When I say I found out about the allegations (Dustin's) the same way as others, it's because it's the absolute truth as Dustin has clearly stated. And I was truly shocked. The DIS was an abnormal place to work from day one and something like Pete and Dustin dating was presented to me as consensual and normal. There was plenty of fighting along the way that seemed like red flags to me, but I'm never going to be one to judge anyone's relationship. When Dustin chose to leave, I supported him doing what was best for him.

You can choose whether or not to believe me when I say I was not aware of what happened with Dustin before or during my time working with The DIS even with Dustin saying flat out we didn't know. You can choose to believe me or not when I tell you that John told me he knows Dreams needs a bigger presence on the show and that means he and Kevin returning but they need a new studio because the reality is it's impossible for Kevin to navigate into a narrow door and down a narrow hallway into an extra bedroom that was our studio.

Right now, I'm just trying to do my job to the best of my ability and I'm waiting to hear more the same way everyone else is.

I appreciate your statement, and I trust it is true. I think it is improper for people to be casting judgement on the team members who were not involved and didn't know for sure. It's a difficult situation, and apparently an unorthodox (at least) workplace. I hope you and the rest of the team are well, and that the company finds it way to better and healthier days.

 

[Tonyz]

I don’t think the team understands something about the situation… and it’s that the same old tired lines they always use won’t work anymore:

“It’s a private matter, you’re not entitled to know, how dare you ask something like that…”

That’s gone. These things have been made public, and now since the entire company depends on Disney fans either buying vacations from Dreams Unlimited, using these boards, watching these youtube videos, and donating to Patreon, we’re entitled to know some things if we want to continue supporting the DIS and all its facets.

We want to know who knew what when. If anyone was aware and looked the other way, I don’t want to support them in any way. If people tried to suppress it in any way (such as the move out of the studio), I’m out. But if people knew and tried to help or wanted to get out but couldn’t, or were totally unaware of the major issues, that is understandable and forgivable completely. But to say there were plenty of red flags and then say you’re shocked? It doesn’t make sense and gives the impression we’re not being told the truth.

The DIS and Dreams are not entitled to our support, and if we want HONEST communication to continue to support them, that’s a reasonable request. You’re free not to give it; we’re free not to support you anymore.

Also, and probably most importantly, is Pete benefiting from any of this? Does just being on these boards support Pete? What about the Patreon donations? What about booking through Dreams?

Ultimately, it’s a desire for knowledge about an awful situation to try and make sense of the madness. And I know it’s a tiny fraction of what the team is dealing with and absolutely insignificant to the point of laughable to what the actual victims dealt with. But it’s not done out of malice. It’s done out of hurt and disappointment and disillusionment (again, in a very very small semblance compared to the bigger picture, I know).

I think some of us are anxious for answers because the DIS was important in a silly little way. I recently wrote a book about Disney and mental health, which is currently being published, and I name-checked the DisBoards as a place that Disney fans could go for community, and to feel included. I interviewed one of the most beloved people on these forums, who is sadly not with us anymore about it, about how much the DISBoards helped her. This place mattered. These people mattered. I’ve met some of them. I loved them as commentators. It was a part of the Disney fandom. And now it’s potentially stained in a way that is hard to overcome, but CAN be overcome… we just want to hear the truth and be allowed open communication.

 

[Tigger2ntinkerbell]

There is a lot to catch up on then. Grab yourself a snack and start reading. It looks like the closed thread that started the discussion has been deleted but I think you’ll get the gist when you start reading.

sent you a message

 

[jozefd14]

Maybe he edited the video I’m not seeing anything

Edited: Never mind I misread your time stamp. I agree this is enough for me for now.

Like you can see in his face how he should articulate his words/the pain he is in… what took me out was when Ryno says “Its difficult for me too.”… like for me as a viewer/follower, EVERYONE is affected one shape or another and everyone is processing it all in their own way etc.

 

[dachsie]

. It looks like the closed thread that started the discussion has been deleted...

Well that is unfortunate. There was nothing in that thread that hasnt been discussed in this one. Transparency will be more beneficial to everyone, especially those trying to hold on to a business and protect employees.

 

[Strimp]

Well that is unfortunate. There was nothing in that thread that hasnt been discussed in this one. Transparency will be more beneficial to everyone, especially those trying to hold on to a business and protect employees.

Deleting that thread pretty much sums up many of the frustrations. Very disappointing.

 

[ainswokp]

Well that is unfortunate. There was nothing in that thread that hasnt been discussed in this one. Transparency will be more beneficial to everyone, especially those trying to hold on to a business and protect employees.

Yes and some other posts have been removed so moderation is still occurring. Not great.

 

[♥ Mandi ♥]

I sincerely doubt Craig or Ryno knew about this to the extent some of you are assuming that they did. Pete is a narcissist at best, to be honest his behavior screams Borderline Personality Disorder. He’d want everyone to assume these men were so enamored with him - he’d never allow anyone to know his advances were forced and unwanted because that would paint him in a negative light and image is everything.

But can you imagine walking on eggshells as an employee around this man, day after day, year after year… look at this email exchange Dustin posted. This was four months after he started with the Dis and was sent by Pete because he left work earlier than Pete would have liked. Look at this manipulation, coercion, passive aggression, veiled threats… this is how he led. This is how they were ALL treated, how they were ALL expected to work…

On Jul 13, 2012, at 10:35 PM, Peter Werner wrote:

Hey Dustin,

I have something that's been weighing on me the last few days that I feel I need to address with you.

Its becoming apparent to me that this job is creating issues for you with [Roommate.] I can't say I completely understand it, but its not my place to understand. I'm only telling you what I see and I feel I need to nip this in the bud now. I think I understand better why you were hinting about a job for him last Tuesday on the phone, and why you put him forward for a job when you were here on Wednesday. Tonight just kind of confirmed it for me. I understand that your life at home might be easier if I gave [Roommate] a job here. I understand you enjoy working with him. But let me be very clear – I have no plans or intentions of hiring [Roommate.] If you harbor any thoughts of that, let this put it to rest now.

By the same token, I don't want this job to be the source of consternation or ******* in your friendship with [Roommate.] While I feel I told you honestly about the time demands the job has when I first hired you, I understand that it can be much different in practice than in theory.

You've gotten a good look at the job here over the last four months. You have an idea of what kind of time demands are required – the travel schedule, the pressure filled events, the brainstorming sessions. While that schedule will vary and not always be so hectic – we are embarking on a major project with the video version of the show. That will end up being one of the biggest, and potentially one of the most important projects that the company has ever taken on. That will mean that it will be stressful, and it will be time consuming. And I'm beginning to think that it might cause problems for you in other areas of your life and I simply don't want to see that happen.

Knowing what you know about the job – I need you to make a decision. Are you up to this? If the answer is no, I will respect that. But I have to have someone on board who can handle it, and I need you to respect me enough to tell me if this isn't going to work. If you think that this might not be the right fit for you – this is your get out of jail free card. I will keep you onboard until you find something else, I don't want to see anything bad happen and if a transition needs to be made, I will go out of my way to make it painless and amicable and we'll part friends. You have my word on that.

However, if you choose to stay you need to clearly understand what my expectations are. As much as I like [Roommate] (and I sincerely do), I can't consider him when looking at what work needs to be done and when that work needs to get done. We are not going to have much face time before September – several aspects of this project are no where near ready and I'm already concerned that we will not be set up for a January launch. Whatever time we do have together between now and then needs to be focused as much as possible on this project. In addition to this there's the show we're currently doing, the shows we're planning to do, and the video we need to produce for the site. The next several months will be difficult and time consuming. I need you to understand that now and in no uncertain terms.

I need you to consider all of this carefully before we move forward any further. I'd like you take the weekend, carefully consider this and let me know what you decide on Monday.

Pete

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Hi Everyone,

For months, I’ve debated “coming out of the woodwork,” so to speak, and posting here. It’s been eight years since I last wrote for wdwinfo and the Unplugged blog and moderated this exact board. It’s been 10 since Julie and I recorded our shopping segment at the same studio (more footage with Dustin was recorded at that time but never made it to air). It’s been 12 since I attended someone’s wedding at his home. It’s been 14 since I was made into a flattie (do people still do those) and brought on what I believe was the first ever podcast cruise. I could go on and on. Hundreds of us battled it out on Toy Story Mania into the wee hours of the night; we volunteered at Give Kids the World, and for many years, raised thousands to help sustain its efforts; there were more cruises, trips to Disneyland, Adventures by Disney, and countless hours spent in the Florida parks. Friendships were formed, some for a lifetime, others only on the surface level.

One thing always held true during those years: as much as he may have wanted it to be, it was never all about him. He didn’t create that magic. The people did. They were the ones who were truly invested and, based on the replies I’ve read here, remain to be this day. Sure, many have come and gone, but the sentiment is still there even as fractured as it may be at the moment.

I too have a story. There’s not a person that doesn’t whether they were on-air talent, a writer, editor, producer, etc. With that being said, I think we need to give everyone some grace right now. They didn’t create the monster. Making demands or offering critiques is unwarranted. Let them have space to process and move forward in whatever capacity that is to come. This is a truly gut-wrenching situation. I have full faith that things are happening behind the scenes; give them a breather so things can be squared away. Adding onto an already toxic situation will not do anyone good. You have absolutely every right to be hurt and angry, but don’t place those feelings on the wrong people.

 

[gillwall-E]

This is correct. All payments are paid directly to Disney. DU never holds money. The agents, who work very hard, are not paid until after the clients travel.

But when I book a cruise on Royal Caribbean I make payments to DU (through the client payment portal) and DU then send me a confirmation. I guess I’m trying to understand if DU hold that money or send it right away to Royal Caribbean. My trip is in a couple weeks so I’m all good but if I were to book another trip it would be nice to have clarification on whether my payments are held or actually go immediately to the cruise line.

 

[samsteele]

Like many, I've slowly made my way through the comments and can't begin to describe how I feel.

The Boards, the DIS and the friends we've made here matter. The mods and countless contributors who gave so many hours of their lives to helping others matter. Our feelings matter.

This place and the show were an escape from our day to day lives and all the nasty and terrible things people have done around us. Sometimes to us. Many of us, like me, are so fortunate we haven't personally experienced this. But there are people on these Boards who have lived this nightmare or have endured experiences that are terribly similar. To say this information is a trigger is an understatement. To have it unfold in a safe place of escape is horrifying. After reading many comments, I believe some of my DIS friends are really struggling now. Sometimes with experiences they thought were behind them.

If wading through this and other online forums is taking a huge toll, don't be afraid to reach out for help. Your family doctor may be a good place to start. Referrals can be made to local community support groups and therapists. Venting online helps many. It doesn't help all. If you need support, and more support than talking it out on a thread can ever do, know you aren't alone.

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

Continuing to censor this site is loosing what little trust some of us have left. The other thread had statements from Fiasco that are now removed. I want to trust that things are being done behind the scenes to right the ship but when things are be deleted I loose trust. I’ve been a fan a long time and have much adoration for the team and the community on these boards. Please allow us fans the space to work through it.

 

[ainswokp]

From my perspective the next step is some sort of statement from management (John) but I fully expect that could take weeks given how tricky this must be from an ownership perspective. Otherwise I wouldn’t expect or need any other staff members to get into it. It’s not going to serve them and if I was John I would want them to wait until things were sorted out. However hopefully the conversation can continue here unabridged assuming people are being respectful.

 

[disneyland_is_magic]

@Dustin did you edit your post by your own choice or did the webmasters ask you to? I ask because it appears you “violated” the same stupid rule I did, by originally mentioning a “hostile” site. Maybe they asked you nicely, I don’t know.

Basically that sums it up for me me right there if they asked you, Dustin, to edit your words.

 

[jozefd14]

I sincerely doubt Craig or Ryno knew about this to the extent some of you are assuming that they did. Pete is a narcissist at best, to be honest his behavior screams Borderline Personality Disorder. He’d want everyone to assume these men were so enamored with him - he’d never allow anyone to know his advances were forced and unwanted because that would paint him in a negative light and image is everything.

But can you imagine walking on eggshells as an employee around this man, day after day, year after year… look at this email exchange Dustin posted. This was four months after he started with the Dis and was sent by Pete because he left work earlier than Pete would have liked. Look at this manipulation, coercion, passive aggression, veiled threats… this is how he led. This is how they were ALL treated, how they were ALL expected to work…

On Jul 13, 2012, at 10:35 PM, Peter Werner wrote:

Hey Dustin,

I have something that's been weighing on me the last few days that I feel I need to address with you.

Its becoming apparent to me that this job is creating issues for you with [Roommate.] I can't say I completely understand it, but its not my place to understand. I'm only telling you what I see and I feel I need to nip this in the bud now. I think I understand better why you were hinting about a job for him last Tuesday on the phone, and why you put him forward for a job when you were here on Wednesday. Tonight just kind of confirmed it for me. I understand that your life at home might be easier if I gave [Roommate] a job here. I understand you enjoy working with him. But let me be very clear – I have no plans or intentions of hiring [Roommate.] If you harbor any thoughts of that, let this put it to rest now.

By the same token, I don't want this job to be the source of consternation or ******* in your friendship with [Roommate.] While I feel I told you honestly about the time demands the job has when I first hired you, I understand that it can be much different in practice than in theory.

You've gotten a good look at the job here over the last four months. You have an idea of what kind of time demands are required – the travel schedule, the pressure filled events, the brainstorming sessions. While that schedule will vary and not always be so hectic – we are embarking on a major project with the video version of the show. That will end up being one of the biggest, and potentially one of the most important projects that the company has ever taken on. That will mean that it will be stressful, and it will be time consuming. And I'm beginning to think that it might cause problems for you in other areas of your life and I simply don't want to see that happen.

Knowing what you know about the job – I need you to make a decision. Are you up to this? If the answer is no, I will respect that. But I have to have someone on board who can handle it, and I need you to respect me enough to tell me if this isn't going to work. If you think that this might not be the right fit for you – this is your get out of jail free card. I will keep you onboard until you find something else, I don't want to see anything bad happen and if a transition needs to be made, I will go out of my way to make it painless and amicable and we'll part friends. You have my word on that.

However, if you choose to stay you need to clearly understand what my expectations are. As much as I like [Roommate] (and I sincerely do), I can't consider him when looking at what work needs to be done and when that work needs to get done. We are not going to have much face time before September – several aspects of this project are no where near ready and I'm already concerned that we will not be set up for a January launch. Whatever time we do have together between now and then needs to be focused as much as possible on this project. In addition to this there's the show we're currently doing, the shows we're planning to do, and the video we need to produce for the site. The next several months will be difficult and time consuming. I need you to understand that now and in no uncertain terms.

I need you to consider all of this carefully before we move forward any further. I'd like you take the weekend, carefully consider this and let me know what you decide on Monday.

Pete

Omg that screenshot text about the best Chinese food… I’m sorry but for a moment I was and shaking my head at the same time…

 

[Cafiasco]

I don’t think the team understands something about the situation… and it’s that the same old tired lines they always use won’t work anymore:

“It’s a private matter, you’re not entitled to know, how dare you ask something like that…”

That’s gone. These things have been made public, and now since the entire company depends on Disney fans either buying vacations from Dreams Unlimited, using these boards, watching these youtube videos, and donating to Patreon, we’re entitled to know some things if we want to continue supporting the DIS and all its facets.

We want to know who knew what when. If anyone was aware and looked the other way, I don’t want to support them in any way. If people tried to suppress it in any way (such as the move out of the studio), I’m out. But if people knew and tried to help or wanted to get out but couldn’t, or were totally unaware of the major issues, that is understandable and forgivable completely. But to say there were plenty of red flags and then say you’re shocked? It doesn’t make sense and gives the impression we’re not being told the truth.

The DIS and Dreams are not entitled to our support, and if we want HONEST communication to continue to support them, that’s a reasonable request. You’re free not to give it; we’re free not to support you anymore.

Also, and probably most importantly, is Pete benefiting from any of this? Does just being on these boards support Pete? What about the Patreon donations? What about booking through Dreams?

Ultimately, it’s a desire for knowledge about an awful situation to try and make sense of the madness. And I know it’s a tiny fraction of what the team is dealing with and absolutely insignificant to the point of laughable to what the actual victims dealt with. But it’s not done out of malice. It’s done out of hurt and disappointment and disillusionment (again, in a very very small semblance compared to the bigger picture, I know).

I think some of us are anxious for answers because the DIS was important in a silly little way. I recently wrote a book about Disney and mental health, which is currently being published, and I name-checked the DisBoards as a place that Disney fans could go for community, and to feel included. I interviewed one of the most beloved people on these forums, who is sadly not with us anymore about it, about how much the DISBoards helped her. This place mattered. These people mattered. I’ve met some of them. I loved them as commentators. It was a part of the Disney fandom. And now it’s potentially stained in a way that is hard to overcome, but CAN be overcome… we just want to hear the truth and be allowed open communication.

I understand where you are coming from and want to put myself out there a little more. So I’ll try to do that without crossing anyone else’s boundaries the best I can. I am still processing all of this and reflecting on my own experiences and yes, I have my own experiences and no, they are not to the level of the ones you already saw. I’m still working through all of that. Things did not go well for me after I had my medical issue. I appreciate everyone checking in on me and such and for the most part I haven’t really replied to most of your nice comments because in part I’m really not sure what to say. I’m traumatized and I feel like my life was falling apart and I have nobody to talk to and honestly not doing very great. Social media shows how awesome other people’s life is and stuff but that’s people showing their best days, or just forcing yourself to be okay because who am I to have a bad day? When I got this job I had just got out of active duty military - spent one year in a corporate office and hated my life - then landed a job doing theme park content I felt like I actually manifested. My dream at the time actually came true. I’m still working through stuff, as I’m sure many people are.

 

[Dustin]

@Dustin did you edit your post by your own choice or did the webmasters as you to? I ask because it appears you “violated” the same stupid rule I did, by originally mentioning a “hostile” site. Maybe they asked you nicely, I don’t know.

Basically that sums it up for me me right there if they asked you, Dustin, to edit your words.

It was asked of me to remove the reference to the other site. I have no problem saying that. It was made very clear to me that I'm very welcome here to share my story. However, I have to follow the rules like anyone else. It didn't bother me to change one little sentence. What really matters is the content. I'm hoping there's some understanding there. I was not edited. I was asked and I agreed.

 

[OKW Lover]

But when I book a cruise on Royal Caribbean I make payments to DU (through the client payment portal) and DU then send me a confirmation. I guess I’m trying to understand if DU hold that money or send it right away to Royal Caribbean.

Dreams never had your money. All Dreams did was to pass your CC info on to Royal.

 

[gmi3804]

But when I book a cruise on Royal Caribbean I make payments to DU (through the client payment portal) and DU then send me a confirmation. I guess I’m trying to understand if DU hold that money or send it right away to Royal Caribbean. My trip is in a couple weeks so I’m all good but if I were to book another trip it would be nice to have clarification on whether my payments are held or actually go immediately to the cruise line.

On your cc statement, who was listed as the vendor? RC or DU?