Public Opinion .VS. Critics About This Page:

[Jciambor]

Critics and regular Disney tourists have often contradicted each other on many issues. Here are the following.

1.AAA and Zagat have proclaimed Grand Floridian as the best hotel. However several public polls and websites have placed Animal Kingdom Lodge ahead of Grand Floridian on enough occasions to make it questionable if there is a disconnection between the public's views and critics.

2. Critics especially AAA often place Victoria and Alberts as best Disney fare. Disney themselves have rated it there best based on the price and how you expect to get the best meal because of how much you payed them. Though several regular Disney visitors on this and many other websites have debated that California Grill and Jiko's were just as good if not better for less than half the price of Victoria and Alberts 165 dollars per person policy. Note that those two restaurants are usually the runners up for critics choice at WDW.

3. Members of this website have often contradicted what the book Passporter says about its readers views. I read the book but often find some rides and restaurants can be rated lower or higher by users from a personal opinon than what the book says about the readers opinion. Although the book is fair and unbaised Passporter can't poll all of the hundreds of thousands of members it has so they have to make estimates. Alot of mathmatical thought goes into breaking it down so It's not very easy to know what this website thinks as a whole.

However I give them alot of credit for their efforts like any professional travel outlet. However the critics views from places such as Zagat, AAA, and Passporter have not always reflected the opinions of the Disney visitor.

I know the public has a long history of disagreeing with critics. So this should not be a surprise there are probably more WDW disagreements where that came from.

[eff051102]

I agree and disagree with you on several of these issues. Since polls and surveys
are based on people's opinions it's not surprising that AAA might have rated a
restaurant #1 that say Zagat might rate #2.

I must say that Passporter does reflect the opinions of the Disney visitor at least
the ones who read the book and visit the boards.

I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish with this post?

[Jciambor]

Originally Posted by eff051102

I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish with this post?

Why do you always say that when I start a thread? I do it just to get opinions out of people. Just like other passporters start threads to get opinions. I'm no different.

[modisney]

Not sure I understand the point either but reviews are what they are, people's opinions, professional or not, of a given place, hotel restaurant etc. on a given day. You can use the reviews however you want when planning your vacations to "the World" or anywhere for that matter. I do think the Passporter does a good job with it's reviews, tips etc. There's always room for "debate", sharing updates, tips etc. and that's where these boards come in and are great.

[Jciambor]

Originally Posted by modisney

Not sure I understand the point either but reviews are what they are, people's opinions, professional or not, of a given place, hotel restaurant etc. on a given day. You can use the reviews however you want when planning your vacations to "the World" or anywhere for that matter. I do think the Passporter does a good job with it's reviews, tips etc. There's always room for "debate", sharing updates, tips etc. and that's where these boards come in and are great.

The point of this thread is that people always disagree about something with critics including about WDW.

[Tonichelle]

okay, but we already know that...

yes I like or dislike a ride/hotel/whatever differently than what Passporter (or other books/sites) do. And so yes their poll do not reflect my personal opinion 100% of the time (I mean, gost Jennifer Marx doesn't agree with me that CSR is best ever! the NERVE of that woman making me pay for her book! /sarcasm)

I guess I just don't get the post's overall goal. Is this to say that they are wrong? That they're misleading?

the averages for passporters, from what I understand, is from those that send in their reviews from the book onto the website... so in that instance yes it is a very good representation. it's not going to match this whole board (I've yet to send in a survey) much less Disney's (like they're going to say something of there's isn't the best ever?) or AAA... nor am I (or anyone else) expecting it to.

[tkm1005]

Originally Posted by Jciambor

Why do you always say that when I start a thread? I do it just to get opinions out of people. Just like other passporters start threads to get opinions. I'm no different.

Well, I guess the question is - what are you trying to get opinions on? Is it that there is a lot of conflicting opinions on all of the Disney options. Yes that is true.

[eff051102]

Originally Posted by Jciambor

Why do you always say that when I start a thread? I do it just to get opinions out of people. Just like other passporters start threads to get opinions. I'm no different.

I'm sorry you feel this way. One thing I like about the Passporter boards is that
we can discuss things without hurting people in anger. I just speak for myself but
sometimes I just don't get your posts and am curious as to what you are looking
for. In the past you have come across as wanting to write a travel book someday
and I do wonder if you are gathering your own research for that book.

[Caldercup]

I'd say that opinions will divirge across the critic/public line when it comes to just about anything -- books, hotels, fashions, etc. I don't think I'd expect anything else.
Eileen

[happyhedgehogs]

I'm a mathematical person too, Jciambior. I like to define my world in numbers, but it doesn't always work out smoothly!

Like you said, they can't possibly poll everyone, and with any representative sample, there's no guarantee that it truly represents the whole. The difference in ratings from one "guest reviews" figure to another may be something to do with the kind of people being interviewed. If one reviewing organization tends to appeal more to middle-aged business people and another tends to attract younger adults with young children, you'll get a very different result even if you're asking the same exact questions.

The other difference may be in timing. Quality and popularity of a particular ride or restaurant may vary over a certain span of time. If organization A runs its poll only every 5 years and organization B updates its survey info every 6 months, you're likely to get a wide spread of opinions from one to the other simply because of the changes that have occurred in that time. For example, right now Toy Story Midway Mania is highly rated and very popular. Where will it stand in 5 years, though? It might still be as popular as it is now (think Dumbo and its continued long lines), or it might have lost quite a bit of ground to the newer rides that have been built in that time.

[Public Menace]

Originally Posted by Jciambor

Just like other passporters start threads to get opinions. I'm no different.

I think you have PassPorter mixed up with some other boards. This is a place where people come to ask questions pertinant to their vacation planning or to share information that others may find helpful. That's the same with those polls in the guidebooks. They're for information purposes only and your mileage may differ. They're called guidebooks, not Force you to agree with usbooks or Here's something to quibble about books.  

[Danielle Harmon]

Originally Posted by modisney

Not sure I understand the point either but reviews are what they are, people's opinions, professional or not, of a given place, hotel restaurant etc. on a given day. You can use the reviews however you want when planning your vacations to "the World" or anywhere for that matter. I do think the Passporter does a good job with it's reviews, tips etc. There's always room for "debate", sharing updates, tips etc. and that's where these boards come in and are great.

Well said!

[MelC]

I personally feel that a preference is very personal. I've read critics and reviews of places and totally agreed or totally disagreed. When I'm going to go to Disney and stay at a resort I do read past visitor reviews and am amazed at how varied they are. In the long run, you just have to decide for yourself. Everyone has an opinion - including me!

[Jciambor]

Originally Posted by eff051102

In the past you have come across as wanting to write a travel book someday and I do wonder if you are gathering your own research for that book.

I'd rather not discuss that topic anymore and let it be a thing of the past . I think everyone thinks about writing a book in what interests them doesn't mean it happens.

[katsunderthestars]

I totally get what you're saying. And, to respond to someone else's reply, I definitely do not agree that passporter is only a place to come to get questions answered! That would be no fun!

As for your original post: I definitely noticed that about the GF! Before coming to the boards, I always thought that the GF was the IT hotel that was simply the best out there, but after coming to the boards and other forums, I find that many people think GF is way overrated and place other Deluxes higher. It's pretty interesting. I wonder if it's because the perceived VALUE for GF is much lower than for the other resorts? Plus, I think when critics rate hotels, they are rating them on things that the average traveler may not even recognize or perks of the hotel that they may not use. For example, I believe I read somewhere that GF actually has better quality mattresses than any of the other hotels in WDW. Plus, GF has things like upscale shopping and a full service salon. Many people may not count that as adding to the value of the hotel, but a critic or a travel website would add that to the value.

For me, I agree with the critics. GF is so very . Wish I could afford it. Someday.