Happiest Blog On Earth...Integrity in Disney



Partners - Not just a Statue!

Well, it's been awhile, hasn't it? I could list off SO many excuses for not blogging more but...hey, in an election year who needs to hear more excuses! Suffice it to say, life's gotten in the way of more, shall we say enjoyable pursuits. Now that the house cleaning item is taken care of, on with the blog....

So, a lot has happened since my last blog. Joyce and I launched a new podcast (Lost Flight 815), we finally had some pretty good Monsoon storms, oh, and the U.S. put a man on the moon! Can you BELIEVE IT? THE MOON! Ok, well, that last one was just to point out how long it's been since I've blogged (sorry, my ill-sense of humor!). But, anyway...I've got a lot to blog about but there is one topic in particular that has been stewing in my soul lately and I really felt I needed to share it.

Integrity. Yep. Integrity. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, integrity is one of the most important and oft cited terms of virtue for the human species. They claim integrity refers to a quality of a person's character that refers to wholeness, or the purity of something. For example, when one has integrity, they bring a complete honesty to something. They act with a high moral regard. More often than not, a person with high integrity acts with the best interest of the "whole", to advance or bring a positive light upon something. In other words, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. You're probably asking me right now why I'm imparting a philosophy lesson on you. Well my friends, read on. My point will become clearer!

When Joyce and I became part of the Disney community through our podcast, Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast, we made the very conscience choice to present the items we claim as fact with the highest amount of integrity we possibly can. If we are not 100% certain of something, we either don't present it, or we present it with the disclaimer that the information has not yet been confirmed. And we've found MANY others in the Disney community who feel the same way: Lisa Robertson from Babes In Disneyland (in fact, she's started an Integrity in Blogging movement that we are part of); Mr. Daps from Daps Magic and Geeks Corner (VERY integrity driven organization); our own podcast sponsor and fellow podcaster Randy Crane from Mouse Ear Vacations and the Stories of the Magic podcast is VERY integrity driven. There are many more I could mention, but to honor the constraints of time, won't.

 

It's extremely important to act with integrity when you tell others that you are a "source of Disney news". Let's face it, there are so many people who LOVE Disney, and Disneyland, Disney World, etc, that are eager to learn things about their favorite passion. And there is an equal number of sources available to gather all kinds of information on Disney - some very honorable and reputable, and some...well, not so much so. Now, I'm not pointing any fingers at all, because that's not my style, but I just want everyone to be aware that there are sources out there that will take rumors and notions of rumors and pass them off as fact. That's dangerous. You see, if I'm a newbie (someone new to Disney) who just wants to absorb all I can about Disneyland, and I stumble across a source that says that Disneyland is going to give away FREE Annual Passports for the next week, and I go to Disneyland only to find that this is in fact...NOT true, well my view on Disney is now quite sullied. I begin to tell others that this happened, then they tell others, and by the time this completes the cycle, the story is now that Disneyland promised this guy a free Annual Passport and then told him NO. Doesn't matter if the story is true, it is what it becomes. And yes, I know this may sound like a rather exaggerated example and it is, but the concept is the same. Rumors are just that: rumors. Not the truth, not fact. If that original source had instead relayed that the Annual Passport story was only a rumor and not confirmed, the outcome would have been different. And this may sound pretty unbelievable, but the truth is, there are sources out there passing rumors off as fact. Intentionally, unintentionally, doesn't really matter. If a story does not come from Disney, then it's only a rumor and should be presented as such. Just my opinion.

Joyce and I love Disneyland. We love DISNEY. Since my first visit to Disneyland in 2007 I've been head over heels crazy about the place. I feel that Disneyland represents a purity and innocence that a lot of us really crave in our lives. Walt Disney inspired countless people to pursue their dreams relentlessly and to act with the utmost integrity. Yes, he was a businessman. Yes the Walt Disney Company IS a business but you know what? The IDEA of Disney ISN'T a business and the IDEA of Disney is what should be protected. By acting with integrity, we can protect that idea. For those of us who embark on the "mission" to be, for lack of a better term, ambassadors for the Disney Magic, it is our responsibility to act with honor and integrity. To report NEWS, not rumors. If we've heard or learned something that MAY be true and feel we just NEED to pass that information along, we should tack on the disclaimer that this just may not be true, it just may be a rumor, but...no matter what we do, we should always Partner with Disney.

So, to close out this soap-box blog, I'd like to offer some advice to all who come to this happy place, unless the news comes directly from Disney or a Disney approved source, take it for what it's worth: rumor. Seek out more information before you pass that rumor along. Oh, and remember....Make It A MICKEY Day!!! ~~~ Al

Happiest Blog on Earth - Integrity

Integrity. Man, that's a word, isn't it? Integrity means a lot of different things to a lot of different folks, but one thing that's pretty much universal is that integrity is not something we should take lightly. 


I like to believe that, for the most part, I live my life with integrity. Over the length of my long life (never mind how many years!), I've developed some very specific definitions of integrity, and I hold myself to these standards quite seriously. Let me expound on this a little.


Nearly two years ago when Joyce and I came to the pivotal point in our lives where we felt it was important to share our love for the Disneyland Resort, and Walt Disney, with others on a larger scale. We had experienced a very real magic throughout our numerous visits to the Happiest Place on Earth and we found that when we returned to our "real" lives (work) and answered the inevitable question that all co-workers feel the need to ask - "Did you have a good time?" - we were sharing with folks in a way that honestly made some envious, some curious and some ask for more! Eventually, it got to the point where people were asking us for advice on the whats, wheres and whens for their upcoming Disneyland adventures. So, we did what any normal couple would do: we started the Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland podcast! 


Ok, so what does that story have to do with integrity? Good question. The answer: EVERYTHING! You see, Joyce and I feel very passionate about the Disneyland Resort and the incredible vision of Walt Disney that we want to share honest information with people. This is what I was referring to in my last blog. There are a great many people in this world that share information that's not always true, or, twist it to a point where even though it may be true, it doesn't represent their topic very well. Now, I'm not advocating the "spin" machine at all. If you have something to share that's possibly negative, then by all means, share the negative information, but do it with tact. That's how we present everything we share about Disney in our podcast, in our blogs, in our social media postings, heck, everywhere. 


To me, integrity means honesty...honor. In all things, do with honor. It is possible to deliver negative news with honor, trust me. If you listen to our podcast, you'll discover that. There are many times that Joyce and I've reported on things about Disney that rubs us the wrong way, a not so magical experience we had, or yes, even reviewed an attraction or restaurant we didn't like. But we presented it with integrity, with facts and with tact. Few things irk me more than to listen to a podcast or read a blog where the presenter goes off on something in a very disrespectful way. To me, that shows a bit of ignorance and quite honestly lowers my opinion of them and removes a great deal of their authority on the subject. It is possible to say something negative in a positive way without doing the spin dance. 


Our good friend Lisa Robertson from the Babes In Disneyland blog is part of this wonderful group called The Three Disneyland Moms, and they've started a pledge for this very thing - integrity. It's available to folks who blog, and I believe it adds a great deal of authority to what you offer, as long as you mean it. It's called the "I blog with integrity" pledge, and if you agree with it, and if you truly blog with integrity, they offer a badge to proudly display on your blog site. Joyce and I are proud members of this wonderful community and we proudly display this badge. 


So, in parting I'd like to leave you with a little advice. Share. Share your passion, share your love for whatever you want to share. But do it with honor, do it with integrity. If you find yourself thinking if what you're about to say or write may be a little too...well, nasty, don't post it.  Or if you find yourself really CHEESED off about something and want to share, write it down on a piece of paper, set it aside then come back to it when you've cooled off. Then rewrite it to take the sting out of it. If you do this, if you share with integrity and honor, trust me, you'll have much more magic to offer and others will respect that! 
Thanks for reading...  ~~~ Al 

Pixie Tales - Integrity

“Our heritage and ideals, our codes and standards - the things we live by and teach our children - are preserved or diminished by how freely we exchange ideas and feelings.”

This famous quote by none other than Walt Disney speaks of the integrity of Disneyland and the Walt Disney Company. 

At Tales from the Mouse House - A Disneyland Podcast, we pride ourselves in following the beliefs of Walt and use this philosophy when bringing our podcasts to you. 

The Mission of Tales From The Mouse House – A Disneyland Podcast:

“As true fans of Walt Disney and his Disneyland Resort, it is the sole purpose of “Tales From The Mouse House – A Disneyland Podcast” to deliver the magic and happiness we have experienced in all that Walt Disney created with his Original Park to our listeners by delivering the most entertaining and sincere shows possible through the use of audio and video episodes.  Following the example set by Walt Disney, Tales From The Mouse House – A Disneyland Podcast will always strive to improve what we bring to our listeners.”

We are joining The Three Disneyland Moms in pledging that we will blog and podcast with honesty and integrity.  By taking this pledge, we commit to bringing you only the facts,  showing respect to our audience and being honest in our reviews, remain positive and have fun when sharing our Disney experience, report on news story in a timely manner and verify the news is accurate and reliable, never use other bloggers or podcasters materials without their consent, and be friends to other Disney bloggers and fans.

Hop on over to http://www.3dlandmoms.com/p/three-disneyland-moms-pledge.html and take the pledge.--Joyce