Big Update Before The Pro Show

Good morning to everyone here on The Patreon!

I first would like to thank everyone for your patience. I took July 4th and 5th off and then was traveling quite a bit last week. That included significant time inside the Disney Parks to keep myself up-to-date on everything. I need to know what I'm talking about when I cover them; that means typically I'm in the parks something like thirty days a year. I won't go into details about my ticket situation and what is paid, but I would like to say that I do not pay Disney the typical amount someone would be offering for that kind of time inside the resorts. Nothing illegal or ethical about how I pay so little -- but also I can't publicize the secret way to get tickets cheaper because i think Disney would quickly shut down the method.

Now all of that is to say that I haven't been as available in the first half of July as I wish to be here on the Patreon. It is necessary but regrettable. About 2-3 times a year, I do need a little bit of a break to recharge. But for the most part, I'm here and ready to rock 365.

I would like to tackle two topics with you before I begin recording for The Pro Show Live today.

First up, there have been some calls for us to tone down our coverage of Hollywood and its reaction to the miraculous survival of President Trump. That is a hard "no" from me. It is far more than political... this is moral bedrock. I never thought I would need to clarify that I am staunchly anti-assassination, but some seem to think that's now a political statement. Had President Obama faced a similar situation, I'd condemn and cover any celebrity who wished he be eliminated. It's vile, reprehensible and evil. I do not believe that we will take any real loss of viewership for telling the truth, and my moral compass won't allow me to avoid this topic. That said, I'm not aiming to turn any of what I do into a partisan effort. Once the news shifts back to more normal topics, we'll be able to do so as well. But you can bet that I will never shy away from covering entertainment, even (and especially ) when it moves into this sort of territory.

The second thing I'd like to say is that I did not have a good time at Walt Disney World during this last series of visits. That 2/3 of the last visits that did not go well. While cast members were largely improved, the protocols and procedures in place at the park were distinctly anti-consumer and definitely anti-experience. I have never seen an entire crowd treated so poorly as I did at the Magic Kingdom last week when mobile ordering when down and all but a few restaurants were closed with hours left to go at the park. On that same evening, monorails were being taken off the track while people attempted to leave, meaning that it was a struggle to even leave Magic Kingdom. Major attractions like Tiana's and Tron were also not running as the rest of the park was open. This is the sort of treatment that leads me to not recommend anyone go to Disney World until something improves. I cannot in good conscience recommend that people spend thousands of dollars to be treated that way.

On the other hand, I can tell you that I did, on some occasions, spend the money for more premier experiences. I did so in order to know what the heck is going on. Just as a had thought, if you're willing to spend EVEN MORE money at Disney World, they'll treat you like royalty. My time at San Angel Inn and Coral Reef were excellent. Boma was a great experience (although not as good as in the past). But the treatment of guests if you don't have Genie+ or if you want to eat at a quick service restaurant -- very, very different. And that's not okay.

More coverage to come soon!

Your pal,
Pro