Emotions Running High

[john7994]

I’ve spoken with one member of the team directly about this and can confidently say, they did.L not know about it. And they also alluded to the fact that they had spoken to others and none knew of the SA.

Of course, Pete was a POS boss at best, but the separation needs to be made that whilst everyone knew he was a real piece of work, bully, terrible person in general, doesn’t mean they could have:
1. Known he was forcing Dustin into a relationship. From the outside, it was a (dysfunctional) consensual relationship. And therefore commuting SA.
2. That any of them could have stopped it or SHOULD have stopped him. People work for horrible bosses every day because they need a pay check.

I am curious? Are you speaking on behalf of the team in any official capacity?

 

[80sTerraceCafeFan]

I’ve spoken with one member of the team directly about this and can confidently say, they did.L not know about it. And they also alluded to the fact that they had spoken to others and none knew of the SA.

Of course, Pete was a POS boss at best, but the separation needs to be made that whilst everyone knew he was a real piece of work, bully, terrible person in general, doesn’t mean they could have:
1. Known he was forcing Dustin into a relationship. From the outside, it was a (dysfunctional) consensual relationship. And therefore commuting SA.
2. That any of them could have stopped it or SHOULD have stopped him. People work for horrible bosses every day because they need a pay check.

Agreed - mostly....Your #2 would again be based on them knowing it was happening, which conflicts with your earlier point. If so, there are plenty of other actions available besides taking it upon yourself to stop him - but I take your word that they didn't know.

 

[take36]

John is not connect to the DIS/DISboards, at least not directly.

PW owns/ed the boards, John and PW own DUT.

John =/= DIS

That was what the prevailing thought but at the DL live event (maybe I’m looking too much into it); Ryno mentions it will be cheaper for him to come to DL since he already had bought a DL annual pass and John asks something along the lines of “didn’t I reimburse for that?” It’s at around 51:30 time stamp.

This suggest John is very involved in the Dis side of things at least the financial aspect.

 

[john7994]

That was what the prevailing thought but at the DL live event (maybe I’m looking too much into it); Ryno mentions it will be cheaper for him to come to DL since he already had bought DL annual pass and John asks something along the lines of “didn’t I reimburse for that?” It’s at around 51:30 time stamp.

This suggest John is very involved in the Dis side of things at least the financial aspect.

John's own statement on Aug 2, 2023 said:

"I can say that Dreams Unlimited Travel and The DIS both have incredible teams of people working for and with us. We are a very strong organization and we will continue to grow and improve, as we have done every year we have been in business. I have the best people in the world working for and with me and I am so grateful for all of them. We are on strong financial footing and our business continues to grow...."

 

[BooToYou7]

One point I would sort of side with Yankee626 here (and it's basically a defense of the wider team) is that we shouldn't take their lack of standing up for Pete as indicating they knew he was guilty of SA. It more likely means they did not like him for other reasons more directly related to how they have been treated and rather see him go (perhaps rightfully so).

Think about it - it cannot be both ways. Either they all knew he was an active predator and chose to ignore it for their jobs.......or they learned about this when we did, meaning their silence now is not due to some secret knowledge that he did it. My opinion is the second scenario in which their conscience is clean and they just want him out for basically being a horrible person to work for - but it's one or the other.

When I mentioned everyone's lack of support, I wasn't trying to imply they knew. To me, it was more that nobody seemed disbelieving-shocked. It felt, to me, that the way everyone reacted possibly meant they felt, deep down, that the accusations were entirely plausible.

I could be misreading it though.

 

[Angel Ariel]

One point I would sort of side with Yankee626 here (and it's basically a defense of the wider team) is that we shouldn't take their lack of standing up for Pete as indicating they knew he was guilty of SA. It more likely means they did not like him for other reasons more directly related to how they have been treated and rather see him go (perhaps rightfully so).

Think about it - it cannot be both ways. Either they all knew he was an active predator and chose to ignore it for their jobs.......or they learned about this when we did, meaning their silence now is not due to some secret knowledge that he did it. My opinion is the second scenario in which their conscience is clean and they just want him out for basically being a horrible person to work for - but it's one or the other.

Perhaps it hasn't come through as clearly in this thread, now that the Disappointed thread is closed - but many of us posting here are well aware and cognizant that the team at large did not know about the SA. Dustin was very clear that he did not tell anyone. Sean indicated, I believe, that he didn't tell anyone. Charles indicated PW told him what he did to Dustin, but as I recall charles also said he didn't share that with anyone else. This conversation has been going on for weeks for many people, and people aren't going to keep restating this over and over.

It appears they all were likely dealing with that toxicity on a daily basis, and it's possible any of them may have been subjected to emotional or financial abuse as well. That doesn't mean they "ignored it for their jobs" - that's a really simplistic way to address how people can be and feel trapped when they are in a toxic environment with a clear power imbalance. You can be aware you're in a toxic environment and not feel as though you have the power or ability to extricate yourself from it - esp when power imbalances are in play. It's part of the manipulation (/emotional abuse) from the one who has more power.

 

[80sTerraceCafeFan]

but many of us posting here are well aware and cognizant that the team at large did not know about the SA. Dustin was very clear that he did not tell anyone. Sean indicated, I believe, that he didn't tell anyone. Charles indicated PW told him what he did to Dustin, but as I recall charles also said he didn't share that with anyone else. This conversation has been going on for weeks for many people, and people aren't going to keep restating this over and over.

It appears they all were likely dealing with that toxicity on a daily basis, and it's possible any of them may have been subjected to emotional or financial abuse as well. That doesn't mean they "ignored it for their jobs" - that's a really simplistic way to address how people can be and feel trapped when they are in a toxic environment with a clear power imbalance

Re-read what I wrote - the ignoring it for their jobs mention was if they had known about the SA and chose to ignore it (which you actually dispute in the same post, so your whole reply confuses me). No one addressed working in what was seemingly a very toxic environment in a 'really simplistic way'.

 

[leaf44]

Didn't Sean say he was a prostitute and a customer of his. Maybe there's sour grapes if Pete stopped giving him gifts during their relationship. Who really knows the truth here. A jury would throw this out in a minute. Dustin says that he was drunk and allowed it to happen. After he felt abused. This is probably why they didn't file charges. Also Sean went into business with Pete and it didn't go well; the other Loved being on the Dis but hated Pete. This is all very strange. Maybe some gaslighting or Drama Queen stuff happening here. One fact is for sure they could both have beaten the hell out of that old man if they wanted to. I sure as hell wouldn't take an unwanted SA from a short Old Man well without a fight. He would be the one crying not me. These are not innocent little women getting abused by an overbearing ogre.

Damn. You’re kind of awful. You are a part of the reason so many people don’t come forward when they are assaulted.

First being a prostitute is not a reason to discount someone’s story. As someone who has worked at an organization helping people exit that life, your comments reflects the dehumanization that they face.
If this was about “sour grapes” wouldn’t Sean have spoken up long before this? He’s doing pretty incredible on his own right now, so there’s really no reason he benefits from speaking out, except sharing the truth. That and preventing Pete from abusing anyone else.

Second being drunk is a state of mind in which you cannot give consent which is why if you’re not an ******* you won’t try to sleep with someone who is drunk. In this case Dustin wasn’t drunk, he was drugged. Fighting back is difficult when you are drugged. It’s also difficult when you have been mentally and emotionally broken down by the person abusing you.

So happy for you that you’ve never faced systematic abuse and gaslighting, and 100% know how you would react and thus expect this is how everyone would react.

If you can’t see the fire for all the choking smoke here, that seems like a you problem. Men, in particular, are very unlikely to come forward about SA and abuse. Your response is a clear example of why, but it’s also evidence of why it’s unlikely two men just made this up.

I won’t even touch your incredibly condescending innocent little women comment.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I am curious? Are you speaking on behalf of the team in any official capacity?

No, she is not. The team will speak for the team.

 

[john7994]

No, she is not. The team will speak for the team.

I presumed as much, but I thought I would ask to be sure.

 

[chris abercrombie]

Didn't Sean say he was a prostitute and a customer of his. Maybe there's sour grapes if Pete stopped giving him gifts during their relationship. Who really knows the truth here. A jury would throw this out in a minute. Dustin says that he was drunk and allowed it to happen. After he felt abused. This is probably why they didn't file charges. Also Sean went into business with Pete and it didn't go well; the other Loved being on the Dis but hated Pete. This is all very strange. Maybe some gaslighting or Drama Queen stuff happening here. One fact is for sure they could both have beaten the hell out of that old man if they wanted to. I sure as hell wouldn't take an unwanted SA from a short Old Man well without a fight. He would be the one crying not me. These are not innocent little women getting abused by an overbearing ogre.

We define consent based on what it is, instead of what it's not. Consent is an enthusiastic and ongoing "YES!" Consent must be given freely, without coercion, intimidation, or threats. Consent to one sexual act does not mean consent to other sexual acts. Consent to past sexual activity does not mean consent to future sexual activity. Consent can be withdrawn at any time, even midway through a sexual act. And Some people are incapable of giving consent like children, people who are unconscious or incapacitated by drugs and alcohol.

 

[GAN]

Based on your posts, I really don't think that's a big worry for you anyways.

Sayhello

Hey I’m 60 not dead….

 

[Princess Jes]

I am curious? Are you speaking on behalf of the team in any official capacity?

I was using “they” as a pronoun, not for a group of people.
I can confidently say that “they” (the person I’ve spoken to) didn’t know.
Not sure which part of my comment suggested that I was speaking on behalf of the team? Just relaying that I’ve spoken to one member and they had absolutely zero idea.

No, she is not. The team will speak for the team.

Thanks NB, I’d never presume to be a spokesperson for the team, didn’t think I had to spell that out but here we are.

 

[Yankee626]

I'm from Jersey....can confirm, we're ashamed of him.

Your ashamed ? I guess you never watched Pete . Didn't like him at all. But stayed on the boards anyway. You are so disingenuous. He started this whole thing. Do I agree with his choices ;absolutely not , Just said I liked his humor,, like everyone else did.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Is that what I said ? Read it again idiot.

We all read what you said. It appears that you’re performing for an audience of one.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Your ashamed ? I guess you never watched Pete . Didn't like him at all. But stayed on the boards anyway. You are so disingenuous. He started this whole thing. Do I agree with his choices ;absolutely not , Just said I liked his humor,, like everyone else did.

I‘ve said that I enjoyed an occasional rant from him. I also really enjoyed the Cosby show until we found out he was literally a monster. Now, I can’t look at the guy without my skin crawling. Same applies here after hearing the victim’s stories. I don’t know how the DIS doesn’t scrub their library of content with him in it…..if I was running the place, I would.

 

[Lizgistix]

Okay…. Wait a minute, this is getting a little complex. I don’t think I’ll ever have sex again after reading this….

I have my partners sign a consent form, damage waiver, and a NDA.

 

[GGThomas]

I've been a spectator as this story unfolded over the past three weeks or so. I wanted to attempt to let the details shake out as much as possible, especially as an outsider before I commented on anything. I'm going to attempt to cover the bases on a very complex story and give my opinion on it, with the hope that maybe some discussion can provide a level of clarity for everyone still reeling from this.

First, I must say that I've watched The Dis for years and much of why I enjoyed the parks (as well as took my first trip) was because of the enthusiasm from those on the team. Craig reminds me so much of Charlie Brown, he seems like such a genuine and lovable guy. His dynamic with Ryno is so great, they seem like such great friends that pal around to have fun like it's a buddy comedy. Corey and his family seem so wholesome. I really looked forward to the Tuesday shows and the other channel content. I wasn't much into the dining shows, as fancy food isn't my thing, as I'm more of a wings and fries guy, but the fun that Craig, Ryno, and the team had on their adventures was a little slice of Disney.

The accusations against Werner are horrific and appalling. It goes against everything that Disney stands for, bringing happiness into each other's lives. If those claims are true, Werner should be held responsible for his actions. Given Dustin's posts on the other forum and the live stream that he did on Youtube earlier this month, I must say that I believe his story. He seemingly doesn't have anything to gain from this other than to tell his story to allow others to understand who they are dealing with as far as Werner.

The fact that Werner does have a lawsuit against him from American Express for a staggering amount of credit card debt lends credibility to claims of erratic behavior. Each strike against him on their own is more than enough for him to be exiled from The Dis/Dreams Unlimited Travel. If I understand it correctly, Werner took out a credit card in the company's name without knowledge or permission and ran up massive debt. That alone should be a red flag for anyone dealing with him in any financial capacity. I would never want my money to be anywhere near Werner in any way, shape, or form. What would stop him from compromising a client's financial information?

How The Dis and the travel agency continue forward is anyone's guess. I hate to say it, but Werner was more or less the public face of the organization. I'm not sure if the company can shake the black cloud that he created, and it's very possible that the stain of Werner might be permanently on The Dis.

That said, I hope there's a way for the team to keep their jobs. Again, Craig and Ryno clearly have such a passion for what they do. The remaining team didn't deserve to be included in the Werner abyss. Dustin has stated very directly that the team didn't know what happened to him, and given how upfront he has been, you must take his word for it. I believe that the team didn't know so the understandable animosity should be directed at Werner, not them.

Something that I often noticed about Werner from the Tuesday shows, his trademark "sassiness" or "everyone loves a good rant" mode seemed to cross over into just being rude. It happened more and more often to the point that instead of rightful criticism of the Disney corporation, it became Werner being mean to the team if they didn't agree with him.

I wish Dustin the best and I hope he can continue to heal from this tragic situation. I wish Craig, Ryno, Corey, and the rest of the team the best during this very difficult situation. I'm not sure what can be said legally, but if The Dis is truly going to move forward, something will have to be said about Werner's departure from the organization on the show.

The saddest aspect of this whole story is how Werner ruined so much of what was joyful about Disney. He turned Dustin's dream job into an awful situation, he associated his monstrous actions with The Dis, and he was resposible for such a tragedy that affected the Disney community.

 

[john7994]

I was using “they” as a pronoun, not for a group of people.
I can confidently say that “they” (the person I’ve spoken to) didn’t know.
Not sure which part of my comment suggested that I was speaking on behalf of the team? Just relaying that I’ve spoken to one member and they had absolutely zero idea.

Thanks NB, I’d never presume to be a spokesperson for the team, didn’t think I had to spell that out but here we are.

Yes, I read your statement, and I understood that this unidentified "team member" didn't know (according to you and the authority you conveyed to this person).

Regardless, you continued using that same pronoun to parlay into a larger set of two statements (apparently your own opinion by association to "they") related to the entire team - which is why I asked the question.

Of course, Pete was a POS boss at best, but the separation needs to be made that whilst everyone knew he was a real piece of work, bully, terrible person in general, doesn’t mean they could have:
1. Known he was forcing Dustin into a relationship. From the outside, it was a (dysfunctional) consensual relationship. And therefore commuting SA.
2. That any of them could have stopped it or SHOULD have stopped him. People work for horrible bosses every day because they need a pay check.

Clearly, as one former team member speaking for themselves (Charles) have shared, some aspects of the so-called "dysfunctional consensual relationship" (your words or 'they'?) were known and anything but that situation.

So yes, here we are ...

 

[IBlessTheRainsDownInAfric]

I've been a spectator as this story unfolded over the past three weeks or so. I wanted to attempt to let the details shake out as much as possible, especially as an outsider before I commented on anything. I'm going to attempt to cover the bases on a very complex story and give my opinion on it, with the hope that maybe some discussion can provide a level of clarity for everyone still reeling from this.

First, I must say that I've watched The Dis for years and much of why I enjoyed the parks (as well as took my first trip) was because of the enthusiasm from those on the team. Craig reminds me so much of Charlie Brown, he seems like such a genuine and lovable guy. His dynamic with Ryno is so great, they seem like such great friends that pal around to have fun like it's a buddy comedy. Corey and his family seem so wholesome. I really looked forward to the Tuesday shows and the other channel content. I wasn't much into the dining shows, as fancy food isn't my thing, as I'm more of a wings and fries guy, but the fun that Craig, Ryno, and the team had on their adventures was a little slice of Disney.

The accusations against Werner are horrific and applauding. It goes against everything that Disney stands for, bringing happiness into each other's lives. If those claims are true, Werner should be held responsible for his actions. Given Dustin's posts on the other forum and the live stream that he did on Youtube earlier this month, I must say that I believe his story. He seemingly doesn't have anything to gain from this other than to tell his story to allow others to understand who they are dealing with as far as Werner.

The fact that Werner does have a lawsuit against him from American Express for a staggering amount of credit card debt lends credibility to claims of erratic behavior. Each strike against him on their own is more than enough for him to be exiled from The Dis/Dreams Unlimited Travel. If I understand it correctly, Werner took out a credit card in the company's name without knowledge or permission and ran up massive debt. That alone should be a red flag for anyone dealing with him in any financial capacity. I would never want my money to be anywhere near Werner in any way, shape, or form. What would stop him from compromising a client's financial information?

How The Dis and the travel agency continue forward is anyone's guess. I hate to say it, but Werner was more or less the public face of the organization. I'm not sure if the company can shake the black cloud that he created, and it's very possible that the stain of Werner might be permanently on The Dis.

That said, I hope there's a way for the team to keep their jobs. Again, Craig and Ryno clearly have such a passion for what they do. The remaining team didn't deserve to be included in the Werner abyss. Dustin has stated very directly that the team didn't know what happened to him, and given how upfront he has been, you must take his word for it. I believe that the team didn't know so the understandable animosity should be directed at Werner, not them.

Something that I often noticed about Werner from the Tuesday shows, his trademark "sassiness" or "everyone loves a good rant" mode seemed to cross over into just being rude. It happened more and more often to the point that instead of rightful criticism of the Disney corporation, it became Werner being mean to the team if they didn't agree with him.

I wish Dustin the best and I hope he can continue to heal from this tragic situation. I wish Craig, Ryno, Corey, and the rest of the team the best during this very difficult situation. I'm not sure what can be said legally, but if The Dis is truly going to move forward, something will have to be said about Werner's departure from the organization on the show.

The saddest aspect of this whole story is how Werner ruined so much of what was joyful about Disney. He turned Dustin's dream job into an awful situation, he associated his monstrous actions with The Dis, and he was resposible for such a tragedy that affected the Disney community.

Perfection. Agree 1 million percent.

(editorial note: you said PW's actions were applauding - I'm sure you meant appalling )