This episode marks the launch of a brand-new podcast — one that won’t be tied to a single niche, but instead will explore the things that genuinely interest me. While theme parks will feature heavily, this won’t be a dedicated theme park podcast. Think of it as a space for thoughtful commentary, personal experiences, and occasionally calling out things that just don’t sit right.
For this first episode, however, there was only one place to start.
On the very day the decision was confirmed, I’m diving into the rise and quiet cancellation of the Alton Towers Content Creator Programme — and why, in my view, it was always destined to fail.
Having been part of the programme myself, this is not an outsider’s hot take. It’s a first-hand account of how the initiative launched with promise in late 2024, offering early access, exclusive previews, and the chance for creators to help shape something new. But over time, that promise unravelled. The programme grew too large, lost its sense of exclusivity, and ultimately offered very little that creators — or audiences — couldn’t already access themselves.
In this episode, I talk openly about:
- Why expanding the programme too quickly diluted its value
- How repetitive, press-release-driven content led to audience burnout
- The lack of meaningful perks or support for creators travelling long distances
- Serious issues around advertising disclosure and creator protection
- The jealousy, abuse, and reporting culture that developed around the programme
- How constant restructuring under Merlin left the initiative without ownership or direction
I also explain why I personally chose to leave the programme, following the removal of Alton Towers’ entertainment team — a decision that affected friends and fundamentally changed how I felt about supporting the park.
This isn’t a hit piece, and it certainly isn’t written with any joy. Alton Towers is a place I love deeply, with decades of memories attached to it. That’s exactly why seeing something with real potential collapse under poor execution, overstretch, and corporate instability is so frustrating.
Finally, I explore whether a content creator programme could work in the future — and what would need to change for it to succeed — before reflecting on what lies ahead for Alton Towers as competition in the UK theme park market intensifies.
If you care about theme parks, creator culture, or how brands work (and fail) with online voices, this episode sets the tone for what this podcast is going to be about: honesty, context, and saying the quiet bits out loud.
