How using social media to plan your next Disneyworld vacation is changing the way we ask for help!
Imagine this: you are planning a family reunion to Disneyworld. There are a million different obstacles you have to work around: each family member may be working with a different budget, certain family members may require physical or dietary accommodations, your party consists of a wide range of ages which means you want to find activities, attractions, and events that the whole group can enjoy. You don’t just want this to be a vacation for the little ones; you want this to be an experience everyone will enjoy.
Before blogging, online forums, and other social media, these were vacation-planning obstacles that you could really only solve if you happen to know someone who shared a similar experience. There have always been travel agents, brochures, and websites for your use, but in a situation like this, what one really needs is an insider or more specifically, someone who has the knowledge without the incentive of making a profit. For the past few months, I have been closely following a variety of social media sites about Disneyworld vacation planning and what I have found is that social media has completely revolutionized how people share advice with one another. By allowing users to discuss budget, activities and experiences with people in similar situations (without advertisement or promotion), these online communities have changed the way people communicate, share, and advise one another by broadening the people one knows to include knowledge from all over the globe, thus transforming the Disneyworld vacationing process!
Observing the conversations that take place on Disneyworld–related forums provoked an interesting question: how do the sites stay so active? The users of forums like theinfomouse.com and disboards.com have no quota of posts required to participate, but somehow the conversation continues The online community that exists for Disney World related topics is extremely active. Members of the online Disneyworld community are passionate about conversing with people who share their same interest. One of the most trafficked forums on the website disunplugged.com is about the 2012 reopening of Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom. Aaron Delprince, one of the websites bloggers created a whole post about the rumors of what the new section of the park would consist of, when new attractions were opening, etc. The blog sparked a huge response so it was only natural that an array of forums quickly followed (DelPrince). This is only one example of the enthusiastic conversations that take place in the Disney World online community.
Social media has not only made it possible to be a part of a community online, but has broadened the number of people who contribute to the conversation. Think about what a difference it makes to be able to get advice from Disney lovers all over the world about your upcoming trip (rather than just being lucky enough to know someone personally who is knowledgable about Disneyworld). It has made being a part of a community easily accessible and the pool of available knowledge is virtually limitless. There will always be the problem of what to do with your teenage son while his little sister is getting Cinderella’s autograph. Before social media, this was a problem that could really only be solved if you happen to know someone that shared a similar experience. Fortunately, one of the most popular topics of the Disney World online conversation is which attractions and events to see or skip depending on the ages of the people in one’s party. For example, one user, IsuGuy, started a discussion about what he should do at Disney World since he wasn’t going with any children. Almost immediately, users from all over the world were posting ideas and suggestions and pulling from their own knowledge and experiences to help IsuGuy without asking anything in return (IsuGuy).
Online communities have made a huge difference in affordability to Disney vacation hopefuls as well. One of the biggest concerns when planning any type of travel is cost and it is no secret that a trip to Disney World is expensive, but online conversation has made it possible to see all the options without feeling pressure from an advertiser. Getting advice on hotels, meal plans, and tickets can be overwhelming when the only voice of advice is that of a Disney Corporation worker. Nowadays, you can simply hop onto a forum to get tips on all the aspects of your Disney vacation!
After exploring just a few of the different online communities that surround Disneyworld vacations, it is clear that social media sites have transformed the planning process. However, this usage of social media sites as an aid to Disneyworld vacation planning is not just limited to the world of travel. In many ways, online communication has entirely changed the way people ask for help. Nowadays, one is able to connect with people from all over the world, whether or not an in-person relationship exists between the two. Our database for asking for advice has become virtually limitless. So whether you’re looking to plan a vacation to Disneyworld, or looking for a recipe for beef stew, you can simply turn to the Google search box to get advice from people all over the globe! So have no fear Disney vacation planners, social media is here to save the day!
