L&T Publisher Earl Watt
I didn’t know Adam’s last name, but that didn’t matter.
His Youtube channel called “The Daily Woo” shared a chapter in his life of being an annual pass holder at the Disney parks, and he would share the experiences, the ride openings, closures and a host of other happenings.
He usually started his vlog with “Today’s adventure takes us ...” and always asked if we would join him on his excursion.
His mellow style, calm demeanor and inter- activity with other vloggers and characters endeared him to many.
He was a new wave celebrity on a platform that he embraced early and grew his channel into a profession.
Perhaps it was his sense of humor or his candor of living the life he wanted to live, but he was relatable, and I found myself tuning in regularly to watch his newest video.
And I clicked the subscribe button for the first time and kept up with Adam from my home in Kansas.
Through Adam I experienced the last day of Splash Mountain, my favorite Disney attraction, and one of the first days of Tiana’s Adventure that replaced it.
Adam gave you that feeling of being a guy that you would like to get to know if he lived in your neighborhood.
This is different than celebrity. Adam wasn’t someone else.
I love the character Jim Hopper on “Stranger Things,” but I don’t think I would care for David Harbour, the actor who portrays Hopper.
A vlogger is not necessarily a put-on act. They could be, and I am sure some are. But Adam was authentic. He hung out with friends and other vloggers and shared his thoughts and views on what was happening.
When McDonald’s brought the McRib back, he did a video of that, too. And I get excited every time the McRib returns as well.
Adam wasn’t like a member of the media, either. He wasn’t always pushing his point of view. I couldn’t tell you if he was a Republican or a Democrat or something else.
But through his vlog, I related to him, and for the 750,000-plus of us, he related to us through the lens of his video camera.
During a Christmas vacation in 2022, I was able to meet Adam in the parks, exchange pleasantries, and ask if it was ok to take a photo. He readily agreed. It was the day the refurbishment for the Magic Kingdom train was complete and open to the public. He was doing his job of recording the event for those who wouldn’t make it, and after the photo he simply said, “Enjoy the train ride.”
There are tens of thousands of vloggers, but Adam was a waymaker for those who followed.
Adam was found unresponsive in his home Dec. 22, and he passed away from an apparent heart attack at the age of 51.
Unlike when a celebrity passes, this wasn’t just a shock of news, this felt more like the loss of a relative.
We live in an era where video is a connection. Adam understood that. And I’m learning just how real it is to lose the joy of the person holding the camera.
