PDA

View Full Version : Does anyone know the best way to complain to Disney Corporate?



tony2979
03-06-2009, 10:45 AM
Hi all,

As a huge Disney World fan, it saddens me that we will no longer be making our annual trip to Disney.

I know this will sound incredibly silly to some, but here is my story.

I am from Oklahoma City. A local group recently purchased the Seattle Supersonics and moved the team to our hometown where they are now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder. This, of course, caused a lot of hard feelings from the fans in Seattle, and I completely understand that. I would feel the same way if I were in their position.

My issues is with a ESPN writer named Bill Simmons. He is from the Pacific Northwest and was very unhappy about this move. As a matter of fact, he takes every opportunity to belittle our City and refuses to even call the team by it's name. I know that I, and many other Oklahomans have written to him and most politely and some not so politely have asked him to cut it out. Normally this just fuels the fire. Here is a clip of some of his most recent comments about the situation:


SG: No way. It's like (TTSNBN) was a married couple and couldn't conceive a child on their own, so they went and stole another couple's kid (in this case, Seattle's) after proving in court that the kid was living in an aging house and deserved to live in a new one … but then, in the insult of insults, it turned out they lived in a house that was just as old and decrepit as the kid's old house. How would you expect me to support this? You stole their team. I will continue to call it The Team That Shall Not Ne Named, the Bennett City Hijackers and the Seattle SloppySeconds. And if it costs me every reader in Hijack City, so be it -- I have 49 other states and hundreds of other countries to work with. I'll be fine. You stole someone else's team. If you were friends with a buddy who stole another buddy's wife, you would not be friends with that person anymore. Hijack City is not my friend. At least until Seattle remarries.

As this doesn't seem to be changing any time soon, the only form of protest that I know of is to stop spending my money on anything that supports his paycheck....that would be Disney Trips, watching ABC, Disney Channel, purchases at Disney Stores, etc. As much as I hated it, I just cancelled our trip for this September.

There is a small group that is currently working to increase awareness of this issue in the Oklahoma City area and to encourage others to follow suit.

Again, I know this probably sounds like a over reaction to many of you, and I completley understand. I think the same thing sometimes also, but this is really the only way I know how to send at least a small message.

My problem is this.....I can't, for the life of me, figure out how to communicate this to Disney. Do any of you know if there is a email address or postal address that I could correspond with. I doubt Disney will be very concerned about one guy....but not really fair of me to boycott all things Disney without at least giving them the opportunity to respond.

Thanks for your help!

BamaJenn
03-06-2009, 10:57 AM
First let me just say that canceling your trips to Disney may not be the answer. Sure, to you it'd feel like a protest but, even though ESPN/ABC etc. are part of the Disney Company, each entity is still it's corporation of sorts and works out of it's own budgets etc. So ultimately, boycotting all things Disney probably wouldn't have any impact on ESPN or this individual (even if it could being just a singular family thing obviously).

That said however, if you go to Disney.com you'll find a contact us link I believe at the bottom of the site. While you won't find anything that is necessarily fitting of your complaint, there are drop downs with different subject types, one of which is bound to at least be close. The good news is that if one area gets an e-mail that should be handled by another, they do forward it along (or at least they have in my experience). Other than that, I am pretty sure if you do a google search you can find an address for Disney's Corporate Offices or better yet, ESPNs.

tony2979
03-06-2009, 11:15 AM
Hi Bama....Thanks very much for your feedback. I should have mentioned this in the original post, but we have written to ESPN a number of times, and haven't recieved even a response. This is why we are continuing to push it further. In the end, you may be exactly right but if the issue isn't addressed, we wouldn't using Disney as a entertainment outlet going forward anyway.

I thought the same as you as far as contact info, but unless I am totally missing it, there is no "contact us" link on the site.

DizNee143
03-06-2009, 01:14 PM
wow are you serious?...
that stinks youll be missing all the fun disney has over some guys opinion...

Ruprect
03-06-2009, 01:24 PM
As a Cleveland Browns fan I cannot side with you on this one. I refused to acknowledge the Ravens until Art Modell was no longer majority owner of that team.

ibrowse17
03-06-2009, 01:38 PM
I understand the point you are bringing up, but I would never let one person take something as important as Disney away from me. Instead of not going to Disney, I would just change the channel and not listen to or read from this bozo. I am glad you have pride in your city, but do not make this guy as important as he thinks he is.

btharvey
03-06-2009, 01:54 PM
It's such a shame that sports teams and local religious sites (churches, synogogues, etc.) seem to bring out such a level of ownership in people, even when the ownership doesn't in reality exist.

If ESPN doesn't respond, definitely to Disney Corporate. But also, send a note to the cable companies who carry ESPN, and to newspapers who might be carrying this loser's column. Some of them may just treasure the publicity, but some of them may not like his attitude either, and they have just as much clout as anyone else in the industry. Maybe something can happen that way.

In the end, these people feel hurt on such a personal level that it's out of proportion to the injury. If a team leaves, it's a financial consideration, pretty simply, and usually because of just a few people. It takes two to make a deal, and no one can simply "steal" another team. Ask Baltimore about the Colts, Cleveland about the Browns, St. Louis about the Cardinals, Milwaukee about the Braves (or was it Boston?). In the end, it's gonna happen.

tony2979
03-06-2009, 02:37 PM
Everyone....thanks much for your responses.

I do realize that Simmons is just one guy, and I honestly could care less what his opinion is.

My problem is that Disney/ESPN, by giving him a public platform, acknowledges him as a spokesman for their company. Whether they like it or not......that is what happens.

As far as I am concerned, it is Disney/ESPN that made the comments by allowing Simmons to continue to do so.

Mickey91
03-07-2009, 12:00 PM
Write a letter to the editor of the New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today and/or other high profile news sources. Also, our local TV station has a segment that digs deep into situations that really bother or harm someone and can sometimes get a solution. Maybe one of your local stations could help. Either the local carrier for ESPN or even one of its rivals. There may be enough response by others that something is finally done.

If not, and though I know it makes your blood boil, you may just have to accept that the media can say and do just about anything it wants and get by with it no matter whom they offend. His tongue lashings may actually boost ratings and that is what it is really all about. Nice world, huh?

Luv Eeyore
03-07-2009, 12:48 PM
I'll start out with the disclaimer that I am from the Seattle area, and while, quite frankly, I do not miss the basketball team, I do think the whole moving issue was handled badly by all parties involved. Now, onto my main point. IMHO punishing the entire Disney family of companies over one man's opinion is a little bit overkill. While I can understand the outrage felt over his continued bashing (I'm sure I'd feel the same way), he is just one person. I'd be willing to bet that each and every media outlet has someone who issues forth opinions that you'd feel strongly against also.

No company or media outlet can avoid ticking someone off. It is impossible to please everyone. Not only would life become really boring, it also would become very difficult to find a company or media outlet that didn't have some element one might object to.

tony2979
03-20-2009, 02:32 PM
I have to say that I am impressed with Disney and the way that they handled this.

I sent a email to guest relations a few weeks ago and thusfar have recieved a phone call from Disney World guest relations and Disney Corporate.

Both were very understanding of the situation and very direct and honest. Corporate didn't promise that they would address this with ESPN under the header of, "This is how one thing can affect the corporate family". She did warn me that the situation probably would not change as they give their "journalists" creative liberty as far as possible. She did mention that Simmons has been in hot water with Disney before so something like this would likely be noticed.

The truth is nothing will change, but I can't dismiss the fact that they took the time to respond to me issue and treated me with a great deal of respect.

Because of this, they have earned my business back and I am rebooking later today.

Maybe I was looking for any excuse to rebook....but I felt that they gave me a good one. :mickey: