Hello?... Disneyland?... Are you still there?...
What? You are still there! Well, how come no one's writing about you?
It must bother you a little bit, doesn't it, DL? I mean, to see all this information about you're sister park in Florida popping up on this site day after day, week after week, and not one mention about you. Honestly, you are such a gracious and patient little theme park to let your hefty sister (I mean, zoftig) get all this attention.
I'm sure something's going on with you, lately. Something good, something bad, something happy, something sad. Maybe a new coat of paint, somewhere? How's your Candlelight Processional looking? Are you excited about the big 5-0 comming up? Oh! How about your new relative, Uncle Jay? What's he like? Is he nicer than your Uncle Paul was?
There's got to be something going on, isn't there? You couldn't have just had a shut-down for the holidays. You're even working on Christmas, so that's not possible.
Why don't you tell us what's going on with you? We're all here for you. :)

I had much the same reaction when I looked into today's edition of the mailbag. Except my reaction didn't come with a little smiley face. I'm not in the least bit interested in reading about room rates in Orlando. AliKzam, I admire your restraint of keyboard.

It's time for the monthly discussion on this? Here (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?threadid=11450) is last months discussion.

Originally posted by EandCDad
It's time for the monthly discussion on this? Here (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?threadid=11450) is last months discussion. And as of last month, I would have agreed with the fact that it is pretty well balanced. But the month since then has gone completely out of balance. Looking at just the last month (11/6-12/6). There have been 6 articles pertaining to the Disneyland Resort, including one about Build-a-Bear, there have been 6 movie/DVD reviews, 1 article about DLP, and....19 about WDW resort :eek: I usually don't complain about the mix of articles, but that's a bit much even for me. What's going on?

Originally posted by Ghoulish Delight
And as of last month, I would have agreed with the fact that it is pretty well balanced. But the month since then has gone completely out of balance. Looking at just the last month (11/6-12/6). There have been 6 articles pertaining to the Disneyland Resort, including one about Build-a-Bear, there have been 6 movie/DVD reviews, 1 article about DLP, and....19 about WDW resort :eek: I usually don't complain about the mix of articles, but that's a bit much even for me. What's going on?
While I would much rather read articles about Disneyland than WDW, it's important to consider that the WDW resort is several times larger than the comparatively miniscule DLR. It stands to reason that there're more articles to write about WDW.

I also don't think that DLR and WDW draw from the same pool of resources. i.e. Al's not putting the DIG on hiatus just to write a series of articles on WDW. Disneyland authors write their articles on Disneyland and WDWers write theirs on WDW. It seems like the WDW team is a bit more prolific right now. That is a "Good Thing"®.

The way I see it, the only way to increase the ratio of DLR stories would be to reduce the number of WDW articles posted (assuming that the relative lack of Disneyland articles is due to not much going on at the resort and not the sloth of the Disneyland editorial staff :D ), thereby reducing the total number of articles posted to MP. And that would be a "Bad Thing"®.

Originally posted by Uncle Dick
(assuming that the relative lack of Disneyland articles is due to not much going on at the resort... Let's see, a new head of park operations, two months in to his tenure, with the busiest season of the year fast approaching? There's got to be SOMETHING to write about.

Even I, who have been to WDW several times in my travels, am also tired of seeing articles on WDW show up everyday.:(

I never complain about what is on MP...because I figure that everyone needs coverage...but this is just a little too much already. :(

Only nice thing, is that I am so busy at work right now, I don't panic about having to read the homepage...because there is really nothing on it I want to read. Saves me the time and worry...:rolleyes:

Here is a link (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?postid=171705#post171705) to another thread (I think I just saw a third on this topic pop up) on the same topic. There is a link to an article in that one that may or may not hold some answers to a lack of "Behind the magic" information.

I think we should be thankful that we even get DLR updates every once and a while. These writters are working very hard. You have to give them credit.

The issue of the lack of Disneyland information was written about in a recent article at jimhillmedia.com (http://www.jimhillmedia.com/main/index.htm), it's interesting reading.

To locate article:
[list=1]
access site
go to archives
go to guest colomns
locate articles by C.W. Oberleitner (aka DizBiz)
article title is, "C.W. Oberleitner (aka DizBiz)"
[/list=1]

Originally posted by jslivinski
To locate article:
[list=1]
access site
go to archives
go to guest colomns
locate articles by C.W. Oberleitner (aka DizBiz)
article title is, "C.W. Oberleitner (aka DizBiz)"
[/list=1]
Or just follow this direct link (http://www.jimhillmedia.com/articles/guest/dizbiz.11272002.1.htm) to the article.

A intriguing article (especially the Apple comparison), although it doesn't explain why there would be less information available in regards to Disneyland than WDW.

Originally posted by Uncle Dick
A intriguing article (especially the Apple comparison), although it doesn't explain why there would be less information available in regards to Disneyland than WDW.

It does make some sense as I've noticed that MP's Disneyland coverage (mainly in Al Lutz and David Koenig's columns) has frequently tipped more towards rumors and insider news while the WDW coverage has focused more on trip planning and reviews.

-Jeff

I read the article when it came out, too. Jim Hill is great, and I'm glad he now has a website all his own.
I just have a hard time getting weaned off of Disneyland news. It's why I became addicted to the internet in the first place. To me, Disneyland news is like chocolate (or name your favorite vice): I don't need it, but I really like having it.
I'd even go for news of recent paint jobs throughout the park. Also, I want to learn more about Jay Rasulo. Sure, I could research him, myself. But it's so much more fun when I read it, here.
Otherwise, rename the site to Disneyworldplanet, which I realize is redundant.

another site you might want to look at in the future for Disneyland rumors is http://www.miceage.com

Should be interesting, to say the least.

Michelle

Originally posted by FabDisBabe
another site you might want to look at in the future for Disneyland rumors is http://www.miceage.com

Should be interesting, to say the least.

Michelle

LO-freakin'-L

Interesting indeed. :eek: Things are starting to make sense now.....

Ok, here's the deal, and let's see if I can cut off incorrect speculation.

Al has decided to leave MousePlanet and begin his own web site. He will no longer be writing here. Kevin Yee will apparently be joining him.

This has little to do with the dearth of Disneyland material lately (my explanation above is still correct, in my opinion) but it probably explains why Al hasn't written anything recently.

Just to cut off speculation, this was completely Al's decision. In fact, it is a decision we were only informed of very recently, and final details were only given today (Sunday).

We regret the decision Al has made and will do our best to adjust and keep all our readers satisfied.

OK....so we find out that two of your team has left to go off on their own. So where does that leave this site? I realize that the dust probably hasn't settled yet, but what direction is Mouseplanet heading? Are we going to see more "fluff" photos of Resorts or will we still be provided with insights to the World of Disney?

Originally posted by Main Street Magic
or will we still be provided with insights to the World of Disney?

You want another article about a store? :D

You are correct, the dust hasn't settled yet, but the fundamental mission and purpose of MousePlanet has not changed. We will have columns, we will have features - and we will have photo tours, as we always have.

AVP

Wow! I have to say that I started reading Al back in the D.I.G. days, Kevin is my own personal hero for the very simple task of the incredible amount of detail of information available on the different restrauants when there was JUST Disneyland, his work allowed aprox. 250 Special Olympic athletes (over about a five year span) from FAR Northern California experience the joy of Disneyland (think budget issues here folks...without that information available I would NOT have been able to convince a management team that the trips were affordable/doable). Will I be reading the new site, yeah I will, am I leaving MousePlanet or not continue to hang on MousePad, Not in this lifetime, I may have started here because of Al and Kevin but now I LOVE it here. Do I think there is too much on WDW and not enough on my "home park" yeah, sometimes it seems that way but you know what .. I have a great little invention on my machine.. it allows me to open or close a window at will, so if I see that the main page doesn't interest me today No biggie, chances are tommorow it will.. I love the reviews from Doc Krock, I adore the parenting in the park articles, I think AVP has her pulse on what we can expect next in the Plush department of merchandise (but I love MouseShoppe even more :) )
I think that there is room on the web for a LOT of different approaches to any topic and wish Al and Kevin success on their new venture while continuing to support MP and watch the evolution of the sites due to the changes :)

Guess I should have checked in here earlier today, that's what I get for hanging out in the lounge. :) I just found out by following a link at MouseInfo and here I was expecting their regular rant. I'm sorry to see them go and I'll add the new site to my regular haunts, but this is home.

Let me join the chorus...

I have no plans to not come to MousePlanet just because a couple of writers have decided to go somewhere else. MousePlanet has been much more, and will continue to be. I will be checking the main page every morning, and seeing what new articles are being featured, and so long as not EVERY article is by AVP and her love of shopping :rolleyes: . Variety is nice, and I think a few people have brought that up recently, mentioning that they don't mind the WDW and other Disney destinations articles, but have been missing the SoCal content. And I believe Alex when he says that they have heard the folks. Who knows, maybe we will have some new faces around here to read.

And of course, I will keep coming here to the MousePad discussion boards!!!

But I have been reading multiple Disney and other Theme Park sites for quite awhile, and now I will have one more to read, I have enjoyed Al and David's articles in the past, and I will continue to read them.

So I will keep coming here, and I hope that everyone appreciates all the work that goes on here at MousePlanet.:cool:

Originally posted by Darkbeer

But I have been reading multiple Disney and other Theme Park sites for quite awhile, and now I will have one more to read, I have enjoyed Al and David's articles in the past, and I will continue to read them.


You'll be glad to know that David wrote an article that we're running later this week and has more articles for MousePlanet in the works.

Adrienne K

Originally posted by Darkbeer
But I have been reading multiple Disney and other Theme Park sites for quite awhile, and now I will have one more to read
ugh. I know this sounds like ultimate internet laziness, but I don't want one more site that I have to check out. Sometimes writers change sites multiple times . . . I tried keeping up with Jim Hill after he left MP and eventually had to give up the chase. Anyway, I just get the feeling that -sooner or later- I wont be getting Al's or Kevin's angle on Disneyland anymore.



Sorry to say it so bluntly at this sad time, but the Disneyland newswriting staff at mouseplanet has been pretty much decimated over the last couple of years, hasn't it? And I don't mean this exactly as it sounds, but travel tips and merchandise info and movie reviews are kinda (hmm, how shall I say this?) the fluff stuff (useful and entertaining, to be sure).

The behind-the-scenes history pieces, the insider news and that sort of Disneyland thing are the "journalism" of the mix. I just don't see things holding together too well without the whole mix.

I hope that the "west coast" parks will not be compleatly forgotten now that Al and Kevin have left.

Don't get me wrong, I love reading about WDW, living vicariously through trip reports, however it gets extremely old really fast only reading about WDW.

DLR has been neglected severly on this site these past few months. I don't have the time, nor the motivation to see the ratio of WDW to DL articles to WDW articles, but it appears that WDW is highly favored on MP just as it is by the company. I rarely look at the main page of MP these days because every time I do there is a WDW something on it, and no DLR.

Now there may be reasons unknown to us. Maybe the majority of readers of MP are WDW readers. However not having any non-mearchandise, non-kids place articles about DLR is really disheartening.

I love MP, and the pad, I have no intentions of leaving. I just wish that more articles would be written and posted about DLR (not mearchandise/kids/special events) happenings.

*no offense AVP ;)

Originally posted by HB Tigger Fan
I just wish that more articles would be written and posted about DLR (not mearchandise/kids/special events) happenings.

Not picking on you, but your comment seemed to sum up the thoughts of many.

I obviously have nothing to do with the website, but for those who want more DLR content, I'm kinda wondering what kinds of stories/information people are wanting. Al seemed to be the main person on MP who had general DLR information, but then, there's only so much information to be had. MP does articles when there's a specific event or something going on, but I'm wondering if people are asking for information that may not be available. While I'm sure various staff of MP have different contacts, there is still only so much information they can get, and in some instances, I presume they can't publish something they might know.

I've only been to WDW once, so I don't read many of the WDW articles myself, but I've found a few of them to be interesting (Happy Haunts Ball and Very Merry Christmas Party) because they pertain to things I might be interested in attending some day. Purely from memory, it seems like a lot of the other WDW articles are photo essays or information about various hotels. I personally wouldn't be interested in that stuff even if it was about the DLR.

Anyway, I thought that instead of a general "we want more DLR" articles, it might be helpful to be a bit more specific about the kinds of things people are interested in reading about.