Matt has slowly been recognizing his transformation.
I must admit that when I first starting paying attention to this board about a year ago, I was quick to dismiss most negative comments as Disney bashing, and therefore didn't approach the discussions with as open a mind as I should have. That came from my experience with discussion on other Dis boards, which, shall we say, lacked substance. Example:
Poster A: They canceled EE! That's stupid! I used to ride 15 rides before 9am!
Raidermatt: Isn't it possible that there really weren't that many people who used EE, and it was just too expensive to maintain?
Poster A: What!?!?!? There were TONS of people at EE! They never asked me what I thought!!!!
Raidermatt: If there were tons of people at EE, how could you ride 15 rides before 9pm?
Poster A: You Disney apologist!!!! Disney will soon go out of business because they did something I don't like!!!!!!!!!!
and so on....
(disclaimer: this was not meant to prove that canceling EE was right or wrong, only to illustrate the depth (or lack thereof) of the discussion)
After posting here for awhile, I found out that the posters here really do understand what they are talking about, and for the most part, understand the reasoning behind certain decisions (some even have an insider's view). So I learned a lot, and take a much more analytical view of Disney's moves now.
I don't think my position has really changed much, and if we stick to the original literal definitions of the cars, I'm still a 1. But I do have a better understanding of what those dark clouds on the horizon mean. Unlike most 3's, I don't see the Magic as having faded much. However, unlike most 1's, I do see problems that could become pretty serious, and maybe accelerating.
I can definitely say that the discussions here have led me to be more interested in Disney's history and philosophies. Through these discussions, and through the reading I've been doing, I am now convinced I am the best person to lead Disney in the 21st century.
(sorry, Head, but I had to throw in a couple of smilies. Give the people what they want, right?)