Hey guys, coaster enthusiast and credit counter from Australia here. Thought I'd weigh in with a different perspective, since Aus is rather different when it comes to coasters.
Here, our parks are few and far between. For me personally, it's a 5-6 hour drive to my nearest major park - a 6 hour flight to one particular park on the other side of the mainland - and there are less than 30 coasters in total in the entire country. While my focus is always on quality over quantity, this means my entire credit count relies on overseas trips, which are rare occasions normally and even more so under the current circumstances.
So, I can unashamedly say that I have done very long road trips to get a few kiddie credits. But this is the way I think of it:
1) If it's a kiddie credit, or even just a boring/unappealing/bad quality credit, then I'll ride it once. Credit and forget it. It's more about appealing to my fascination and love for coasters in general by ticking the box, admiring the coaster for what qualities it does have, and then moving on unless it has any re-riding appeal.
2) Generally if I'm making a long trip to get to the park, it's a park that has more to offer than just that coaster. We have a number of parks in Aus that have only one kiddie/small coaster credit, but a number of decent flat rides, waterslides, toboggans, water rides or other attractions. I'll always make a day of it, even if I was only there to tick off a wacky worm or an SBF spinning coaster.
3) That being said, if there is a park that doesn't have anything else worth spending time on, then I'll generally make the park a side-trip while I'm going to do something else that I enjoy. That way, I don't feel like I've totally wasted my time and I don't feel embarrassed for driving long distances, buying park tickets and lining up for a kiddie coaster. I feel no shame in taking a break on my road trip to grab a theme park coffee, ride a wacky worm and then get back on the road.
As someone who has walked up as a single 20-something-year-old male into the lines of quite a few kiddie coasters now, I definitely don't feel embarrassed by it anymore, because I always make sure I'm there for something else as well. Not to mention I've had a few conversations with ride operators who turned out to be enthusiasts as well, discussing our favourite coasters and our dream coaster vacations.
As for the making kids or parents uncomfortable factor, I think that just comes down to being considerate. Stand in the line politely, following operators' instructions and not making a nuisance of yourself. Occasionally if you feel like you're getting "looks", doing something to make people feel comfortable with your presence, such as letting people go ahead in the line or starting a friendly conversation with a parent, can put everyone at ease. Also, a lot of kids have no filter, and it is a guarantee that they will start conversations with you if they're next to you in line or sitting next to you on the coaster. If that happens, just respond like you would to a friend or family member's son or daughter of the same age. Chat with them if they chat to you, be polite without overstepping any bounds, and if a parent sees their child is OK, that can help too.
So in short, no, I'm not embarrassed about it. Credits are credits, and some of my favourite theme park trips ever have been for only a handful of credits, or even just the one kiddie coaster!
