Disappointed

[ainswokp]

So I've been chatting with Pete Scheidle (who was discussed earlier in this thread and was on the DVC show for a little while). I've been trying to get him to come on and post. He said he's been following along with news but he doesn't really want to come back to the boards. I asked him if I could share this that he wrote to me:

"I just don't feel comfortable going back on there. My conflicts with Pete W were not of a severity of what's coming out from his employees, though he did treat me badly. But the part that really hurt me is he and the moderators actively worked to not just ban me from using the site but wipe me from existence there. I had made a lot of friends on the DISboards from 2007-2019 and was cut off, and it really hurt at the time. I know some folks have come back with accounts recently but I just don't see coming back and feeling like the Sword of Damocles is hanging over me waiting to fall. I have found a new Disney/DVC family and my focus is there."

I will say he's not hard to find. His website is also banned here so I won't try to mention that, but if you google Peter Scheidle you'll find where he podcasts and also his site. I know from talking to him, the dude only ever really wanted to help the community and wasn't in it for payday. From what he told me, He was never paid by the DIS and never asked to be.

I brought up Pete SCHEIDLE. Pete SCHEIDLE is awesome. I didn't actively engage with him but his content was unreal. He was the only person worth listening to on the DVC podcast. It would be 40 mins of how many points Pete WERNER has, then 15 of Pete SCHEIDLE giving content that was truly helpful. When he was cut out I was absolutely furious. I always sort of tolerated Pete WERNER and came for Ryno and Craig content, but when that happened I knew immediately (and it was discussed here and on Twitter) that they did him dirty.

 

[Grabnar]

I brought up Pete. Pete is awesome.

Might want to add an initial there given the context of the thread

 

[nfreeman]

Copy and pasting what I wrote on the other thread:

I definitely don’t support a lynch mob mentality. It would be unfair to the entire team. I would however strongly support Disney using a third party perhaps to investigate the entire company before continuing to allow it media access and to book travel.

Pete has bragged for years & years and years about he is treated like a King at Disney. He bragged about getting all types of special treatment. It’s time for Disney to take a stand and decide if the curtain needs to come down if the abuse is as bad as it seems.

 

[pianomanzano]

I brought up Pete. Pete is awesome. I didn't actively engage with him but his content was unreal. He was the only person worth listening to on the DVC podcast. It would be 40 mins of how many points Pete has, then 15 of Pete giving content that was truly helpful. When he was cut out I was absolutely furious. I always sort of tolerated Pete and came for Ryno and Craig content, but when that happened I knew immediately (and it was discussed here and on Twitter) that they did him dirty.

Agreed, the last episode of the DVC Show in their new format was a snoozefest. Amy/Paul are nice people but I don't think they have the personality to keep me engaged.

 

[soniam]

i can’t understand why he thinks his passing thoughts are worthy of posts.

@GAN he was drugged in his alcoholic drink! he thought he was drunk! every single time!

read Dustin’s post yourself!

not to be insensitive but are you trolling? because you raise my blood pressure!

Ironically, I started reading this stuff right before a doc appointment Tuesday morning. My blood pressure was through the roof. I tried to explain, but my doc was still concerned. So now I have to check it and go back to have them check it. Hopefully it is just due to this.

They use conscious sedation for colonoscopies. I’ve had 3. The feeling is really strange, surreal, and dream like, if you actually remember anything from the procedure.

This is so disgusting People can be such garbage.

 

[ainswokp]

Agreed, the last episode of the DVC Show in their new format was a snoozefest. Amy/Paul are nice people but I don't think they have the personality to keep me engaged.

The recent episode was rough. The calculation of DVC value and breakeven made any accountant or basic finance student cringe. They are good people but their content is minor league on the topic.

 

[Matty B13]

Pete SCHEIDLE is awesome.

I'll second Pete Scheidle is awesome, and put in a lot of work that people still use on the availability of DVC units. AND yes he was "Disappeared" by Disboards.

 

[fla4fun]

I do sort of feel for John and the team. I'm sure they knew that Pete was a jerk of a boss, but I really want to give them the benefit of the doubt that if they knew the full extent that they wouldn't have just looked the other way. No one actually involved with things - including Dustin and Shawn - have accused them of this. Speculation fine - saying
"they should have known" but out-and-out anger and hatred towards them is IMO unfair.

I agree. I am hoping that we will find out more later on. I think the team is too busy putting out the fire to do anything else right now.

Another thing we don’t know is what kind of emails John has been receiving in the last week or so. He has been open about putting his email address out there and asking people to email if they have questions. It could be that some of the worst of the anger and negativity has been reaching him via email, not via the boards themselves. Although I think he could have worded parts of his statement differently while still making the same points, I did wonder just how bad those emails had become.

I agree with Dustin. We need to keep the focus where it belongs.

 

[Jamie77]

i can’t understand why he thinks his passing thoughts are worthy of posts.

@GAN he was drugged in his alcoholic drink! he thought he was drunk! every single time!

read Dustin’s post yourself!

not to be insensitive but are you trolling? because you raise my blood pressure!

Please put this user on ignore. People are hurting and we need to concentrate on the victims and this user is tying others up in fruitless conversations. Protect your blood pressure.

 

[nfreeman]

Agreed, the last episode of the DVC Show in their new format was a snoozefest. Amy/Paul are nice people but I don't think they have the personality to keep me engaged.

I personally like Amy & Paul. However the DVC show reads to much like an infomercial for DVC lately. I’ve just lost interest completely.

 

[JimmyV_2.0]

IMO: I think if the team wants to keep going, they are going to have to rebrand across the board, even change the name of the business. There is just too much bad history here.

It certainly will be interesting to see where all of this goes. There are so many tentacles to this octopus. From a DUT standpoint, 99.99% of clients never interacted with the monster and his departure will mean nothing to them. They have their favorite agent, contact him or her directly, get their vacations booked, and all is well. I'm not sure rebranding that arm of the business makes sense. IIRC, it is the second largest (by volume) booking angency for Disney vacations in the world. That's a lot of name recognition to lose and a huge overhead to re-brand to get the name out.

As for the podcast, that is another story. Before the news broke (here) that we are all talking about, the monster announced that he was stepping away from the podcast. And when he did, the complaints about the show and its direction were rampant. Many people said that they would not return because the show just wasn't the same any more. And occasionally the monster would reappear as a panelist, and there was a sigh of relief from the viewership. Well, that ain't happening any more. Like it or not, the Dis Unplugged Podcast is going to be Pete-free forever. Will people return? Unknown. For whatever reason, there were many viewers who couldn't accept a show without the rants of his highness. Can the current crew (Craig, Ryno, Erika, Julie, Teresa, occasionally Kathy) carry the show? Will a more persistent presence of John, Kevin and Corey bring back viewers? Or will they have to audition and hire someone completely new to the job to be the featured on-air presence? My $0.02 is that the current podcast team will be "good", but is "good" good enough to prevent viewers from getting their dose of Disney elsewhere. Maybe not. A return of John and Kevin would be pointless as they are fiddling as Rome burns and people will not forgive them for that. Plus, they just aren't amusement park people anymore and what do they really bring to the table other than 7 minute infomercials for $7,000 ABD trips. Corey has a perfectly fine on-air presence, but I think he falls into the same category as the current team. Good enough to keep people from getting their fix elsewhere? Not sure. Coould Management try to show some good will by bringing back former cast members as a demonstration of healing and positive change? That would be cool to see, but I don't see it happening. People have moved on and wounds are too deep. I'm certain that there will be an effort to ressurect the Podcast. Just not sure if it is going to thrive or bleed out slowly.

 

[erinreid]

The way to support @Dustin is by giving him what he wants:

"[This monster] drugged and raped me. Let’s focus our anger on this man."

Everything else can wait.

 

[take36]

Agreed, the last episode of the DVC Show in their new format was a snoozefest. Amy/Paul are nice people but I don't think they have the personality to keep me engaged.

Was that the episode where they are trying to figure out the break even point for DVC and then said they didn't include the annual dues to keep math simple? I can understand straight up forgetting a variable in your calculations (I did several times in my own spreadsheets) but to acknowledge not putting in a (huge) variable because math is hard? I know this is not a DVC discussions but the dues you pay over time in DVC far outpaces the initial buy in.

 

[ainswokp]

I think people need to understand that even if you direct your frustration at the perpetrator, that is still in fact the company, DUT and the DIS. He was the acting CEO and part-owner. There is nothing wrong about discussion of the company at large during his tenure. I am certain existing management would like to create separation between Pete the man, and Pete's DIS, but the reality is they are intertwined. The nature of the statement that was made (not actually acknowledging any wrongdoing occurred) seems to indicate they, the company, know this. There appears to be a number of affected employees here, and if the employer itself isn't held accountable, that would be the best outcome for the ongoing organization. You have to understand this to understand the communications that have occurred and will occur in the future.

 

[Jamie77]

Ironically, I started reading this stuff right before a doc appointment Tuesday morning. My blood pressure was through the roof. I tried to explain, but my doc was still concerned. So now I have to check it and go back to have them check it. Hopefully it is just due to this.

They use conscious sedation for colonoscopies. I’ve had 3. The feeling is really strange, surreal, and dream like, if you actually remember anything from the procedure.

This is so disgusting People can be such garbage.

I’ve had two of those procedures and you’re absolutely correct. I had to block that user yesterday because I could feel my blood pressure rising. All they do is talk in circles like they have a problem with reading comprehension. If the user felt they had something to say, it should have been done as a private message because it further works to aggravate the victims in this situation. They don’t need to see those comments.

 

[DonMacGregor]

The further question becomes what will they do with all of the thousands of videos with Pete Werner figuring prominently, front and center. Do you, given the allegations against him, keep all of the DISUnplugged, DVC Fan, DCL Fan, etc. videos up and available? If you remove all of that content, some of those channels will have literally zero content for any current or future subscribers. For DVC Resale Market, all of the room tours are out, all of the resort tours as well (at least the ones featuring Werner). Ditto the restaurant reviews.

 

[fairestoneofall]

As for the podcast, that is another story. Before the news broke (here) that we are all talking about, the monster announced that he was stepping away from the podcast. And when he did, the complaints about the show and its direction were rampant. Many people said that they would not return because the show just wasn't the same any more. And occasionally the monster would reappear as a panelist, and there was a sigh of relief from the viewership. Well, that ain't happening any more. Like it or not, the Dis Unplugged Podcast is going to be Pete-free forever. Will people return? Unknown. For whatever reason, there were many viewers who couldn't accept a show without the rants of his highness. Can the current crew (Craig, Ryno, Erika, Julie, Teresa, occasionally Kathy) carry the show? Will a more persistent presence of John, Kevin and Corey bring back viewers? Or will they have to audition and hire someone completely new to the job to be the featured on-air presence? My $0.02 is that the current podcast team will be "good", but is "good" good enough to prevent viewers from getting their dose of Disney elsewhere. Maybe not. A return of John and Kevin would be pointless as they are fiddling as Rome burns and people will not forgive them for that. Plus, they just aren't amusement park people anymore and what do they really bring to the table other than 7 minute infomercials for $7,000 ABD trips. Corey has a perfectly fine on-air presence, but I think he falls into the same category as the current team. Good enough to keep people from getting their fix elsewhere? Not sure. Coould Management try to show some good will by bringing back former cast members as a demonstration of healing and positive change? That would be cool to see, but I don't see it happening. People have moved on and wounds are too deep. I'm certain that there will be an effort to ressurect the Podcast. Just not sure if it is going to thrive or bleed out slowly.

I quit listening to the Tuesday shows if Pete was on. He came across as pompous and prideful. He was rude to his employees. He was horrific to Fiasco. I've also not been a huge fan of John and Kevin lately because they've just come across as a bit arrogant about their privilege (just my opinion). And the Tuesday show seems like it lost its way a long time ago. It needs an overhaul. There are much more informative and entertaining podcasts out there. I do think that Craig and Ryno are capable of accomplishing a successful vision/redirect. And they do seem more free/happy on the recent Food & Wine and Trails End videos.

The best RECENT podcast they've done is Off the Rails. I feel like the participants were allowed creative control and it showed. It just had a different vibe. It was weekly must-see for me.

 

[wiihoo888]

Me again. I know I made a plea for calm a few days back, and I realize I may be coming across as a pseudo-Jiminy Cricket by now, but I have another plea…

Please…PLEASE…think before you type

Think of what your end goal is. We have people that are really hurting right now. Dustin himself came on here, after relating his most recent discoveries to us (which he absolutely did not have to do), and he requested that we please focus our anger towards one person. He entrusted us with his own pain and anguish and has made a reasonable request. This man deserves peace. It has to start from somewhere

If you feel that the responses so far are inadequate or are off putting, make your decisions on spending with your wallet. If you feel like you want to know more information, I’m pretty sure every question in the book is out there. John has provided his e-mail for questions. Speculation is just that. People will come forward when they are ready.

Announcements will be forthcoming. That much has been said. There is a victim hurting out there right now who is being affected further by his friends being hurt. This does matter…a lot more than us needing to know everything right now. I know that everyone has the best of intentions and is trying to look out for others, but all of this could come at the expense of something else…and we don’t need any more damage right now

Just please…think before you type. Love to all

 

[pianomanzano]

Was that the episode where they are trying to figure out the break even point for DVC and then said they didn't include the annual dues to keep math simple? I can understand straight up forgetting a variable in your calculations (I did several times in my own spreadsheets) but to acknowledge not putting in a (huge) variable because math is hard? I know this is not a DVC discussions but the dues you pay over time in DVC far outpaces the initial buy in.

That's the one. Before they changed sponsors, the content seemed like a genuine discussion of DVC and the resorts and it was how we first learned of and ended up joining DVC. If we started watching now, we probably would've never bought because their shows now comes across as more advertising and informercials for the resale market.

 

[ainswokp]

On the topic of media credentials, Len Testa posted this on another board last year:

The DIS' Dreams Unlimited is one of the 2 or 3 largest Disney-specific travel agencies in the world. They bring at least $25 million in business to Disney every year. And if you told me it was $40 million or $60 million or more, I'd believe it. They are enormous.

I spoke with Pete Werner when we started our travel agency, because I value his experience and counsel. And Pete will tell you exactly what he's thinking. I wanted to know how to deal with Disney. Pete's advice, which I'll paraphrase here, was "Generate enough revenue for them, and Disney won't care what you say about them."

So yeah, $25 to $60 million in business per year (plus a mandatory 10% increase year-over-year) buys you a lot of free speech. Credit Pete for everything he and his team did to get to that point.