An Open Letter to the Admin Author on Social-Inn dot Com

First, I have to say I’m not a fan of the “open letter” thing. Unfortunately in this instance I have no other means to comment on a post that has been circulating lately from Social-Inn.com entitled: 21 Fanatical Disney Park Bloggers (with the tag line: Tips, tricks, hacks and jacks for the best Disney Park trip of your life!) You need to understand that when I read something that I think will be of interest to me, I read it fully. I click every link. I look into every little thing that the post makes me question. It’s a habit that’s a blessing and a curse. 

From what I can see, Social-Inn is a social media marketing firm for the hospitality industry. So the first issue I have is not being able to leave a comment on the post. Anyone that is suppose to be an expert in social media/marketing should know that engagement is a very important aspect of social media, yet their site doesn’t allow for engagement. Strike one. Then – no author name. Post by “Admin.” Hiding behind a site name and not “owning” your  work and what you write is a huge pet peeve of mine. Strike two. The two social media links on the Social-Inn site lead to Twitter and Facebook accounts for McGirr Enterprises. Both of these accounts are updated minimally – odd for an organization that describes itself as: A Small Business Social Media Solutions Provider, Helping SMB’s and Pro’s get more value out of their Creative Marketing Efforts. I hope they handle their clients’ social media marketing better than they handle their own. 

The author obviously did very little research. What is the post about? Is it about 21 Fanatical Disney Park Bloggers or is it about tips, tricks and hacks for the best Disney Park trip. The post in no way gives you any tips, tricks or hacks so I’m not sure why that tag line was included. Or is it the authors “list of the best Disney Dedicated Discount Bloggers?” Not one of the sites listed are dedicated to Disney at a discount.

The very first sentences of the post are misleading. In part they say:

“. . .  My friend Josh went to Walt Disney World with his family for five days this past February and all he had to pay for was travel to/from Florida and a few meals!. . .”

With that lead in after the tag line, you would think that the post will tell you how to get to a Disney Park for next to nothing. Well, since I am a link clicker, I went to the friend’s site and if the friend is a “fanatical Disney blogger” I don’t see it by his site. There is minimal Disney information and I had to search for it. What I did find though is that his friend went to Disney basically for free because he was invited by Traveling Dads for their annual retreat because he is one of their writers. Traveling Dads invited him and paid for most of his costs. This is not something the average Disney visitor can do and going to Disney on someone else’s dime doesn’t make you a Disney blogger. He was not invited by Disney or hosted by Disney.

Let’s move on a couple of paragraphs:

“If Disney is smart, and I like to think they are, then they are preparing to INCLUDE the army of mommy blogger (and daddy bloggers, too) who are arming themselves to cash in on the education of traveling to Disney Parks on a budget. I plan to keep a close eye on the feed of such producers to see where the best tips, tricks, hacks and jacks are hiding around the web. 

FYI Admin Author – Disney has been working with bloggers for years. Many years in fact. On a regular basis.

So now let’s move on to your list of 21 “Fanatical” Disney Bloggers. Most of your list are not Disney Bloggers. They are bloggers that may have a sporadic post here or there about a trip they took to Disney. How does this make them “fanatical?” Some on the list are true and great Disney bloggers that many of us rely on for information. Motherhood & Beyond, The Disney Blog, Disney Food Blog, Dads Guide to Walt Disney World, Disney Tourist Blog, Fit Disney Mom Blog, to name a few. Some of the others are great blogs but not at all what anyone looking for Disney information would consider a “go to” source. Traveling Moms and Traveling Dads I assume topped the list because of the friend referred to early in the post being one of their writers. Although two great sites that I refer to often, neither are sites most would go to for Disney information. Same with R We There Yet Mom? Great site. Would I go to it for Disney information – not necessarily.

Let’s move on to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. You write, “. . .  Although an official Disney channel, the moms on the panel are picked anew each year from some of the most in-the-know bloggers around.” Here’s where that research thing comes in handy. Most Disney Parks Moms Panel members are not bloggers. I would venture to guess that the percentage of panelists that are bloggers is less then 25%. And since it is an official Disney channel, you will find great tips and advice but the only discounts you will be led to are those offered by Disney directly. 

So in essence your post does not list “21 Fanatical Disney Park Bloggers” nor does it give the reader any tips, tricks, hacks and jacks for the best Disney Park trip of your life. It lists some really good Disney blogs and some (although slightly inaccurate information) on the Disney Parks Moms Panel. Some research would have led you to many sites that could be recommended for the best Disney vacation information. Here are 25 27 right off the top of my head, in no particular order: NOTE: I could most likely easily add at least 25 27 more with a little research!!

1. The Disney Parks Blog
2. WDW News Today
3. The Daily Disney
4. Touring Plans
5. Inside the Magic
6. Babes in Disneyland
7. WDW Magic – You list at the bottom of your post as a “News/Info.” source. Much more then that. Should be one of the top “go to” sites for Disney information. 
8. This Fairy Tale Life
9. Tips from the Disney Diva
10. WDW for Grownups
11. Jane’s World
12. DisTherapy
13. Love Our Crazy Life
14. I Am a Disney (Mommy) Nerd
15. My Adventures in Disneyland
16. Maple Mouse Mama
17. On The Go in MCO
18. All In WDW
19. Home is Where the Mouse Is
20. The Main Street Mouse
21. Rolling With the Magic
22. Journeys with Jenn
23. Dawn’s Dorky Diary
24. Sherry Boswell
25. Temporary Tourist
26. Kenny the Pirate
27. The Mouse and the Monorail

So, in closing Admin Author from Social-Inn dot com, you really need to be a little better with your research. I guess if you operate under the theory that people reading your post makes you a success, you can consider yourself successful – you know how the old saying goes – any publicity, even bad, is still publicity. However, that doesn’t necessarily hold true in the blogging community when you would like to be known for valid, useful, honest, and accurate information.

P. S. I wouldn’t consider myself a “Fanatical” Disney Blogger but I can offer better money saving advice then you did ~ Money Saving Tips for Your Walt Disney World Vacation

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