THis is a quote from Al Lutz's article at
www.miceage.com about how Disney employees use posts from forums like this to back up keeping things as cheap as possible which ends up hurting the consumer. A good example could be the Peter Pan dvd which most were disappointed in and compare the improvements in the Jungle Book.
"DoMs: Bad for the Brand"
"They pop up for all businesses, big or small, industrial or entertainment. They claim to love the product so much that they feel they have to blindly support it no matter how reasoned or legitimate any criticism of it may be. Like busy bees, they flit from forum to forum online making life unpleasant for those that even begin to offer an opinion different from their unquestioning "must be positive" view, and Lord help those who feel it can be done better.
These are the Defenders of Mediocrity, or DoMs for short. And they are the single most damaging thing that can happen to the Disney brand.
You've seen their postings: Light Magic? They loved it, it was the best show they never saw because they only heard the MP3 or saw it on YouTube. Rocket Rods? What a great ride, not everything needs to be themed, the red light bulbs were wonderful! Deteriorating Attractions? Walt Disney was wrong about keeping up the exterior, the peeling paint and broken ride elements fit right into the Haunted Mansion theme. DCA? Isn't it swell it's so uncrowded and it has one good ride? Epcot's 25th? Wow, the fans got a slapped together ceremony, and they should be thankful for it and the two boxes of merchandise they offered! etc... etc... etc...
The hat from the Orlando studios park seems apt for this group.
It's well known the Disney company keeps an close eye online, and more than a few times the immediate and unsparingly honest feedback for their latest offerings has resulted in refinements, reworkings and even the rare shutdown of a show or ride. But the gushing DoM fan postings supporting a product that is of a lower quality than what Disney should offer get monitored too - and more than a few times they have been used to try to convince the higher-ups that customers don't care or notice.
The people who care about quality at Disney are very encouraged by the sea change in management at the company, from Iger on down. Unlike the latter of the two decades under Eisner, or the 10 years with Pressler there is a lot being done right nowadays. But there are still those DoM postings that get printed out by those more concerned about budgets or cutbacks that worry some of the folks spearheading the renaissance going on right now. Walt Disney World in particular suffers from the incredible amount of damage these DoMs can inflict - those little salvos praising the poorest quality shows or attractions can hold back those who want to improve the offerings out there.
How can those who care be helped? All they ask is that if you see a DoM posting making excuses for a botched product or service, that you take a few moments to respond to it. Take a minute to post how important the higher standards Disney is usually known for justify their premium pricing, and that the best quality product is important to you. It doesn't need in any way to be a putdown, it just needs to be honest about what can be done better.
It can give those who care a weapon (in the form of a counterpoint) in their quest to up the quality of what the Mouse offers. And even DoMs will ultimately benefit by getting a better product that they can gush even more about."
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