Theme Park Worldwide

[ChristmasPud]

Its true I didnt mean to cause anything heated or appear rude to anyone, I only thought it was a fair question. I guess in the vaccuum of anonymity people read something I post picturing some angry jealous guy, and now it seems like some petty Question Time debate lol.

Anyway, everyone has their opinion, basically mine is that parks should do more to ensure fairness, I dont think offering exclusive access for being famous sets a particularly good precedent. In fact it doesnt have particularly good mental health effects on young fans, putting themselves under pressure trying to make a YouTube channel popular to get freebies and status, and that isnt Shawn Sanbrooke's fault.

 

[pluk]

nobody really answer the question of what did they do to deserve special treatment? They are the most popular channel online

Answering your own question quite succinctly there.

that's not a reason to deserve special treatment. Parks should treat visitors equally.

It absolutely is though, isn't it? All that 'special treatment' amounts to is some extra access, it costs the parks almost nothing, it brings promotion that would cost significant sums through traditional media. As soon as the parks start producing, promoting and distributing the content themselves it can come with significant cost.

Who is you think is losing out and what are they losing?

Everyone getting touchy whenever somebody questions something related to Shawn Sanbrooke, but nobody really answer the question of what did they do to deserve special treatment? They are the most popular channel online, that's not a reason to deserve special treatment. Parks should treat visitors equally.

I see the exact opposite, a needlessly bitter response to anything vaguely positive about the channel. I'm no fan particularly, I don't watch many vloger videos at all and have properly watched only a handful of TPW's. Every time he says 'of course', which is usually multiple times per sentence, I want to reach through the screen and throttle him. But I broadly agree with most of his opinions on parks and rides, so I respect his opinion over other vlogers which makes them a much more worthwhile watch to me. I'm guessing many think similar, accounting for his popularity. That isn't just by chance.

It's similar to forum posters; there are people who to me post ill informed nonsense, others who make well informed, well reasoned reliable posts. I trust the word and pay far more attention to some posters over others.

EDIT, sorry, I wrote that ages ago but when I logged back in I found it was still sitting there. I see the conversation has moved on a bit.

 

[ChristmasPud]

Answering your own question quite succinctly there.

If you think fame is deserving of special treatment, thats your opinion, although I dont share that opinion.

a needlessly bitter response to anything vaguely positive about the channel.

Every time he says 'of course', which is usually multiple times per sentence, I want to reach through the screen and throttle him.

Well, I think you need to re evaluate needlessly bitter, I dont really want to carry on this dead end argument but want to distance myself from comments like this. I have nothing against Shawn Sanbrooke as I think Ive explained. I just thought my simple question would have led to a healthier discussion but it didnt

 

[DistortAMG]

If you think fame is deserving of special treatment, thats your opinion, although I dont share that opinion.

This has to be a joke. It is quite clearly obvious they are not getting special treatment because they are famous. They are getting special treatment because of their ability to reach a large audience and essentially advertise for the park, cheaply.

Case in point, the traditional media get this 'special treatment' on press events and the opening of new rides, the editors and writers are by no means famous, probably unknown in fact. Yet they get the same treatment, why? Because publicity. This is not my opinion, it is fact, that is how it works.

The fact they are famous is irrelevant, it is a business transaction, they get treated well, in return they receive publicity for whatever they are trying to publicise. That is a business transaction to me, between what is essentially, two businesses.

 

[pluk]

If you think fame is deserving of special treatment, thats your opinion, although I dont share that opinion.


Well, I think you need to re evaluate needlessly bitter, I dont really want to carry on this dead end argument but want to distance myself from comments like this. I have nothing against Shawn Sanbrooke as I think Ive explained. I just thought my simple question would have led to a healthier discussion but it didnt

Quite clearly not anything to do with 'fame', everything to do with reach. Most popular, not most famous. If it was anything to do with fame it'd be going to celebrities with no links to theme parks who are actually famous, which Shaun isn't by any reasonable measure.

I think this sort of relationship, where the vlogger is independent from the park and free to give a generally honest opinion, is much healthier than the likes of cupcakes and coasters which is in house pretending to be independent, or the whoring of actual celebrity so their face is used for opinionless promotion. If you see Jonathan Ross at the next opening of a new queueline say hi to him for me.

I quite deliberately wasn't aiming that directly at you, hence the wording; there's 80 pages here of similar saltiness. This is a TPW, not general social media/vlogging thread and your initial comment was do they deserve access. Even if not intended it is surely easy to see why your comments appear directed at TPW.

I totally understand people not liking any given vlogger based on their personality or content or whatever, but I'm a bit lost on your apparent moral argument against them. I'm still intrigued to understand who you think is missing out on what by vloggers getting this sort of access?

 

[Davezilla]

The thing is his celebrity status will naturally come with perks, all celebrities are the same. Your going to be fuming with the freebies he'll be getting once his star on the walk of fame is put in place next year. Not to spoil it for everyone, but I heard Flamingo Land are going to offer him 30 mins ERT. I'm sure if Brad Pitt was to visit, he would get an extra 30 minutes on Mumbo Jumbo too.

 

[Tom]

The issue here is the calculation of how likely the park is to benefit from a channel's coverage.

If TPWW were renowned for unfairly slating things, I'm not sure getting on for 300k subs would be seen as virtue. From the limited watching of the channel I have done, I have known Shawn to comment on things/additions that he's disappointed by. The PR invitations seemingly still come, but I am sure more focus on criticism would lead to fewer invitations.

 

[monkeyboy]

Jesus
I haven’t read all the above as it got a little tedious!

But the general VIBES I got was Olly has a history/beef with tpww?


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[chop chop]

Hi, ex theme park YouTuber here, it might be worth my few cents. I once had a sizeable following and was given exclusives by parks etc.

This kind of bizarrely mob-like reaction should the same big names ever be criticised is one reason why I left the online community. Not the main reason though.

There is a huge industry behind the scenes with theme park influencers and relationships with park PR teams. I dont think people here actually realise how big.

Yes it is very much a business transaction, but not a nice one. If your reach is big enough we will give you incentives, invites, access etc, in return for saying good things. Parks have lists of channels and people who behave most.

It’s cut throat the other way too— Ive seen influencers openly admit how if a park rep gives them a personal tour or freebies, they are far more likely to give the park a positive review. I dont think this is particularly trustworthy for the thousands people who watch these videos.

Do influencers deserve it? All Ill say is nobody cares about deserving, effort or whatever in that world. It’s all about playing a game and having the most influence.

I remember Shawn videos in his bedroom. Hes the OG, nothing wrong with him, he was just lucky to be at the front of the social media wave. After a certain point, nobody really earns their subscriber count, its all just the algorithm working.

Not to mention I had many friends suffer for it (as they’ve now realised) growing their channel thinking it was what being a theme park fan was all about. To get freebies, insider info and the things they saw others getting. When everything you see online is like that, you feel like you have to do it too.

Countless friends they thought they could trust turn out were just in it for association, to boost their own profile. It drove some people crazy and took over their life trying to please the algorithm. It’s just playing a lottery whether you get successful or not.

These fans start when they’re teenagers and dont know any better, so it reduces you to thinking that your subscriber count is all you’re ever worth. And the people who do get lucky, once they start you feel like you cant stop and people always demand more. It has a serious effect if you never manage get out of that mindset.

It also attracts some very questionable people. Just look at how nearly everyone who hung around Shawn turned out to be in it for the wrong reasons. We see that happen again and again online.

It stops being about theme parks, thats just the vehicle. Its not about making videos either, which is now easier to do than ever with the software available.

Yes theres reasons why influencers get treated differently to other guests, but that doesn’t make it a good thing. These days I much rather just be totally unknown and visit a park as an everyday guest, and not play that game anymore. I actually work at a park now and it was a big wake up call

Of course there’s also a flipside, lots horrible trolling aimed at YouTubers, but I haven’t seen that on here

 

[tayspru]

You’ve hit the nail on the head there with regards to motivations. If you’re starting up a channel *because* you want special treatment, it’s never going to be an enjoyable experience. That’s not TPWWs fault

 

[ChristmasPud]

If you’re starting up a channel *because* you want special treatment, it’s never going to be an enjoyable experience. That’s not TPWWs fault

If theres any chance left of anyone listening, I literally said this already.

In fact it doesnt have particularly good mental health effects on young fans, putting themselves under pressure trying to make a YouTube channel popular to get freebies and status, and that isnt Shawn Sanbrooke's fault.

 

[monkeyboy]

If theres any chance left of anyone listening, I literally said this already.

Thought you were distancing lol!

Sooo if you current employers had a brand deal with a park and your company offered free entry, would you take it?


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[Rick]

I feel like I want to contribute to this debate but I honestly can't work out what it's about.

 

[ChristmasPud]

I feel like I want to contribute to this debate but I honestly can't work out what it's about.

I shouldve listened to your signature

 

[RoyJess]

Some people really should not be allowed a social media account, they are simply “just not ready” to understand that people have different opinions
My advice:
If you see something that upsets you, offends you or perhaps even negatively resonates with you, as long as it’s not illegal, simply
1. Scroll on
2. Ignore and accept you have a different opinion
3. Unfriend if your differences are that much
4. Block if you really can’t be arsed seeing what they are spouting any-more
DON’T get yourself riled up and embroiled into a lengthy wall rant/argument that inevitably makes you look a tw*t (despite how right you think you are)

 

[DistortAMG]

Some people really should not be allowed a social media account, they are simply “just not ready” to understand that people have different opinions
My advice:
If you see something that upsets you, offends you or perhaps even negatively resonates with you, as long as it’s not illegal, simply
1. Scroll on
2. Ignore and accept you have a different opinion
3. Unfriend if your differences are that much
4. Block if you really can’t be arsed seeing what they are spouting any-more
DON’T get yourself riled up and embroiled into a lengthy wall rant/argument that inevitably makes you look a tw*t (despite how right you think you are)

If it was that easy, the world would be at peace.

Come on, don't be so harsh

We are on a forum after all, the literal definition of a forum is and I quote

a meeting or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged

It is only natural that when conflicting views are being exchanged they will sometimes get heated, all part of the fun. No one is being forced to be here, no one is being forced to reply, but we do. This is exactly what forums are for! Big fat juicy and sometimes heated, debates. So the idea of scrolling past a view you do not agree with, on a forum of all the places on the internet, seems totally ludacris. We are literally in the natural habitat for these sorts of things.

 

[ChristmasPud]

Yeah, I hoped to hear peoples differing opinions put forward in a reasonable way. It was a fair question I thought, do vloggers/influencers deserve special treatment, only I didnt expect it would be so provocative.

Disagreement is good. What's only frustrating is the self entitled gangup, ignoring everything I actually meant and conspiracy theories why I could ever have such an opinion. I have a blunt way of writing that people don't always react well to, maybe that started it.

Id still like to have a considerate debate, except even I dont care about the subject by this point (lol)

 

[pluk]

Disagreement is good. What's only frustrating is the self entitled gangup, ignoring everything I actually meant and conspiracy theories why I could ever have such an opinion. I have a blunt way of writing that people don't always react well to, maybe that started it.

If what you write doesn't convey what you meant there will always be a bit of a problem. Your first few posts here were wiiiide open to interpretation.

I hoped to hear peoples differing opinions put forward in a reasonable way.
Id still like to have a considerate debate, except even I dont care about the subject by this point (lol)

Same. From what has been posted I still don't understand your moral standpoint, and I'd like to.

I totally understand people not liking any given vlogger based on their personality or content or whatever, but I'm a bit lost on your apparent moral argument against them. I'm still intrigued to understand who you think is missing out on what by vloggers getting this sort of access?

 

[jon81uk]

This kind of bizarrely mob-like reaction should the same big names ever be criticised is one reason why I left the online community. Not the main reason though.

I don’t think the recent debate on this thread was due to specific criticism of TPWW, more generally as to why a YouTuber should get access to a behind the scenes tour of the illuminations warehouse (and similar other access). And for me the answer to that is straight forward, it’s nothing to do with TPWW or Shawn himself and just to do with reach and popularity. It’s the same reason BBC/ITV shows get that access, lots of people watch it

 

[Rob]

I've just had to remove a few posts. Please remember that this is a thread to discuss Theme Park Worldwide and their content, and we have reiterated this on numerous occasions in the past.