Character Training, Keeping Safe and More Interview pt 2- Confessions of a Theme Park Worker

[@blackbearish]

glad to hear the Chip and Dale nuts incident made it into the pod. hillarious first time I heard that in another vid, and even better now.

[@tomklock568]

I apologize I forgot to finish the first part! 😂

[@tomklock568]

As an aside, my daughter was at WDW a few weeks ago, and they both said the cast members there were super friendly and helpful, much better than Disneyland believe it or not! I think maybe there is hope after all!

[@kaylawhipple7570]

Six tryouts? Man i thought I had determination by doing solo recitals when the uni said no. Respect. Also i still have that Canadian train and rides dropbox if you'd like.

[@JohanMsWorld]

Ive been wondering how genuine a lot of the characters and actors reactions I meet is over the years, if its part of the acting and being professional or if its genuine and honest. But I am glad it is, at least for the characters. J.

[@JohanMsWorld]

Also: When characters meet friends and family from the CM life and those know theyre the characters, are theyre supposed do dont react at all or can they show signs of happiness thats apropiate for the characters? I saw one video where a girl watched one of the characters doing a show and she was superhappy to see her. Afterwards they hugged and cheered eachother in a way that mske me thought they where close friends or family IRL. It could have been backstage or at the stage door but I am not sure.

[@markwright9214]

Are there any youtubers that came to SDC you wanted to meet up with? Mainly travel vlogs or Rollercoaster vloggers?

[@meaganwilliams6826]

I briefly introduced myself to John from TPF here on KZbin! Very nice guy. I was at SDC with Amber, George, and Brendon and we ran into each other. I’d like to meet The Branson Fam sometime too!

[@RockytheFox24]

I’m finding it difficult to fully adjust to the new format of the videos, but I am willing to see where this new direction takes the channel and what the future holds. I miss the old style that focused on relaxed, personal storytelling. While the new format has its strengths and brings something fresh, it feels like a significant shift from the content. It has also been challenging for me to connect with the dynamic between you, George, and Megan. I can see Megan’s enthusiasm and energy bringing something new to the channel, but it feels a bit out of sync with the calm and reflective tone the channel had before. Her high energy, with more hype and frequent gestures, seems more suited to a younger audience, which feels slightly at odds with the atmosphere the channel previously had. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as change can be positive. However, at times, the dynamic between you, George, and Megan can feel a bit awkward. There are moments where it seems like you’re both unsure of how to respond to each other, leading to long, somewhat awkward pauses before one of you breaks it in an unnatural way. Additionally, Megan can occasionally become overly energetic, to the point where it unknowingly comes across as overshadowing, especially when you, George, or others are about to speak. In some cases, this includes interrupting people when they are trying to or about to talk, which can disrupt the flow of the conversation and make it feel a little one-sided. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s something to be mindful of moving forward. I also have some concerns about the upcoming changes, particularly with the plan for Megan to take over the channel while you, George, are out of the country. It might be helpful for Megan to practice creating content on her own beforehand, with guidance and feedback from you or others who have experience in producing theme park-style videos. This could help her build confidence and bring her own unique style to the channel in a way that feels natural and engaging, ensuring a smoother transition. In addition, I think it’s important to give Megan opportunities to experiment with her style and approach to the channel. Allowing her to develop her own voice could help her connect with the audience and bring a fresh perspective. Gradually introducing her input alongside current content might help ease viewers into the change while still making space for her creativity. When it comes to editing, I understand it can have a steep learning curve. I don’t think it would be fair for Megan to be thrown into the deep end, especially if she has no prior or little experience. If that’s the case, I worry it could lead to a noticeable drop in quality, particularly with things like audio balancing and overall production. To avoid placing too much pressure on her to maintain a consistent standard for all videos, it might be best for you, George, or someone with editing experience to handle this for now. This would allow Megan to focus on learning gradually with input and guidance from you or others. That way, the channel’s quality stays consistent, and Megan has the time and support to become more comfortable with the technical side. I genuinely believe there is room for growth and improvement, and I’m optimistic that you and Megan will find your footing as the format evolves. I’d love to see Megan bring her own unique contributions to the channel while finding a way to connect with viewers.

[@SirWillow]

Thank you so much for the positive and constructive feedback! I really appreciate it! A couple of things that may help reassure you. One- I will still be doing videos in the same way I did before, just not as often. It's harder to do them because, quite simply, I've used up just about all of my material and stories over the course of 6 years. There aren't that many stories to be told that I haven't already told, often more than once. But when they do come up, and for live streams, and other things I'll still be doing the "old" solo format. Also Meagan isn't taking over the channel when I'm in Israel, and I'm not disappearing or riding off into the sunset. :-) She- as well as my kids to a lesser degree- will be our "boots on the ground" in the parks, and will be doing vlogs and attending media events, such as ride openings, when they can. She actually has a trip coming up to WDW very soon that she'll be vlogging for her first time. And we'll be working out the editing. We're not sure yet if I'll be editing her vlogs or if she will or some mix. That's one of those TBD's, but we definitely want to help her find her voice/ style/ etc. And it will go alongside mine, as I'll still be working on finding fun little things as we travel to do as well. But the "regular" videos will still be me or the two of us. In addition to what I mentioned above, one of the other issues I'll have when I'm in Israel is I won't be able to be in the parks or as up to date on what's happening. So for those 2 years she'll be the means I have to stay in touch and interact. And that's what we'll be doing. Essentially we are working on setting up being able to do this online together- with the two of us in different countries, but still doing the videos together so I'm not totally out of touch with what is going on. So for the main content that you're used to, it will still be me or the two of us. And I very much appreciate the comments on the chemistry, and how we interact. That's something that will take a little time to fully feel out and flesh out. It's a very new experience for Meagan, and talking to a camera can be very awkward until you're used to it. And trying to get to a point where we aren't doing awkward pauses, and knowing when to talk, when not to, etc. That just takes time and practice, and doing it enough that the nervous energy is no longer there. It's early, we are taking notes, and I think you'll see those things improve. (also, because it's the two of us and I'm trying to keep it more "podcasty" I'm not editing those things out like I do when it's just me telling stories. You might be surprised how much I edit out of my regular videos- usually around 50%!) Thank you again! As we go further we'd love to keep hearing your thoughts and impressions and how we can improve. It means a LOT to us that you're sharing instead of just unsubbing, because it helps us get better and make sure that you are getting what you originally came here for, plus hopefully improving on it.

[@RockytheFox24]

@SirWillow sorry I got some of that wrong. I do apologise for any mistakes I made in my previous comment. Also thank you for replying

[@eld847]

This thumbnail frustrates me to no end. It just looks like he’s explaining something important and they’re just laughing their asses off like they can’t take it seriously 😒

[@SirWillow]

Or maybe we're actually having a good time and laughing at something funny

[@maryyjanee247]

Oh noooo people having fun. The outrage!