Why do you like theme parks/amusement parks/roller coasters?

[SaiyanHajime]

It seems that, with a few exceptions which aren't relevent reasons for the masses anyway, most enthusiasts (or even the general public) don't really know why they like theme parks so much.

So have a good think and explain why you like them.

I, like a few of us I imagine, used to be scared of roller coasters - and in conquering them I became obsessed. But I loved theme parks long before then.
I don't have a clue why I like them, honestly. :lol: I suspect most of it is based in nostalgia and the excitement of spending an entire day somewhere that required preparation and going to bed early, like a holiday crammed into a single day.
But I also think a lot of my love for theme parks is based on a hate for "conventional" socialising. Theme parks, in their pretendness, make me feel comfortable. Not because I hate the "real world" but because I feel awkward in the pub/bar (and similar) social environments. I hate the way people socialise in the real world, why is a completely different story, and one I'm not sure I understand myself.

Also suggest why you think the general public like them so much.

I'm actually rather skeptical that the general public does like them. I think, because theme parks define themselves as a fun place, people just accept this. In a similar way many people turn up at the cinema with no idea of what they want to see, just for something to do. But with a film, you at least have to pay some kind of attention. Do you at a theme park? I'm not sure you do. It's brainless fun, it's somewhere to take the family where you don't actually have to do anything, like use your brain, unlike a museum or other attractions and "things to do".

 

[Mr Nash]

Personally for me,it's a form of escapism.

I'm like a completely different person at a theme park,I have one personality in real life,and another in a theme park.

It's like I'm a child again at a park.

I've had really great laughs,mucking around,just generally being a tit,all at a park,something I wouldn't do say at work.

I love that feeling of being scared,but having fun all rolled into one,plus having friends around to top it all off.

 

[CreditCrazy]

Just something about being at an amusement I love. I love seeing people's reactions before/on/after rides, everyone in a good mood, just the atmosphere in general. I've always found that amusement parks really bring out the fun in people, like someone that is usually boring will be the life of the party.

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

It's a tough thing to explain, why I like them, really. I guess it started out with marvelling at their structure, to be honest, because before I had a love for the actual rides themselves, I'd just look at pictures and simply think they look amazing. As I got to riding them, I was scared of a lot of things but it was a good scared obviously, and as I built up to the biggest coasters, it made me feel good I guess.

Then there's the whole CoasterForce thing. If I had just built my hobby up to riding the biggest coasters and then had nothing else to really, I dunno, support my hobby, I might not be as interested as I became more use to riding them. This site made me look forward to, not only riding the coasters, but allowed me to associate this fun of parks with people who I've come to love.

Parks are just a nice escape.. They're places I spend maybe two weeks out of the year at, with great friends, so what's not to like? I still get that adrenaline rush where I feel scared on certain things too, which is always nice.

As for the public, well, mentally we associate the sights, smells, and sounds of parks with "fun", so I guess it might just sort of be programmed in our brains to think this way. And, despite being scared of some rides, the public knows that it's safe, so much like say, haunted houses, they can be scared while being safe.

Then there's the fact that some people are addicted to the release of epinephrine, so to speak. Much like any drug, the effects it can have just leave people wanting more.

 

[Brookes]

For me it's a bit of what other people have said. I used to be completely terrified of roller coasters and when I finally went on one and loved it, it got me hooked. When I got home from that trip I started researching them more and more and that's what first got me into them. Why I like them though, is because it's a place that I can go quite often, as someone said, where you can be a completely different person and just enjoy yourself. I love roller coasters because of the thrill and the speed, and basically because I enjoy them. I love theme parks because they are just unique, no where else could you get about 1000+ people in a straight line to give them about 1-2 minutes of entertainment. I love the atmosphere and everything a theme park has to offer especially roller coasters, and their designs and structure.

 

[herbinator]

They scare me stupid in the que and then as soon as it starts i love every minute. The feeling is unlike anything else I do and it give you a rush.


I think the general public like them as its fun to socialize there.

 

[tommylawrence]

I've had really great laughs,mucking around,just generally being a tit.

Same, when I'm with mates I always have a mess around. I also tend to be much chattier than in places like school.

 

[Snoo]

It's an obsession to be honest. I get a great rush, love learning about the past and future, and love being around people who enjoy it as well. Plus, as most of the season occurs when I have downtime from my true obsession, track, it gives me a great diversion.

 

[andrus]

I love roller coasters because of the adrenalin rush! Simple as that :--D

 

[Beans]

Adrenalin, live for the rush, and it makes me feel younger than I am.

 

[EnigmaHyena]

Hmm, good question there. I love theme parks because being social, having fun, and experiencing fear and adrenaline are all merged together in a great, atmospheric place and it's rare it'll ever be a bad day.

Obviously the rides are important to me, but before I became an enthusiast I would still visit theme parks with my school and family. I was too scared to ride anything but I still had a great time But I've always been fascinated by roller coasters, I would always watch them speeding around the track in amazement, admire the supports and melt at the sound of the roar of the the trains. It's just a shame I only started riding them at such a late stage

As for the GP, I reckon they like parks because it's somewhere they can take their family/friends for an "interesting day out", as put by one of my non-enthusiast friends. I also believe they see the adverts and absorb all the messages, and think 'Wow, that looks cool'. Any fellow Media students will know this as the Hypodermic Needle Theory. And lastly, I know a few GP people who like to brag about what they've ridden, so I guess that comes into it... :roll:

 

[Anonymous]

I think I like them, just becauase they are fun, I like the feeling of the bars coming down, and I act like a 4 year old when I'm there. I love them so much but I actually dont think any of us have a reason.

 

[nealbie]

For me, it's not so much about the rides - but most of you already know that. :lol:

I love going to a theme park for the escapism, for the way they make you feel like there's a completely new world out there. This is unfortunately why I only feel there are 3 "theme" parks in the country (Lego, Alton and Chessie), all of the others are amusement parks - and that's why I don't like them as much.

To be taken from day-to-day life and to find yourself in a complex of the spectacular and unreal is just a fab experience to behold. So much so that I became an enthusiast and strive to find better parks.

Roller coasters just don't cut it for me - if a trip's a credit run (unless I'm bored and have nothing to do) I'm not interested in the slightest.

Case in point being DLRP - I LOVE that place, it's so magical. Theming, interaction, characters, shows. If anything, the rides detract from the overall experience of it.

Well there's a lovely insight into the mind of Neal for you

 

[Anonymous]

Last May I bought a Merlin Annual Pass, and since then, Merlin's parks have been a different experience for me. For one, you become familiar with the parks, and learn shortcuts, and good plans to get the most out of your day.

It's also meant that I'm less stressy about cramming as much as possible into the day. But I digress, and haven't answered the question yet...

I love theme parks because I love roller coasters. I love riding roller coasters more than once, because they provide a consistent, exhilarating experience. My favourite coasters are smooth, have a lot of air-time, and feel like they're rolling effortlessly along the track.

I think the GP are drawn to theme parks because they offer a day of something so-far removed from their everyday lives.

 

[furie]

I remember as a teen being an "adrenaline junky". I'd constantly do anything which got my heart pounding and the adrenaline flowing.

So I'd ride coasters and rides, abseil, climb mountains and walk down spooky paths an alleyways late at night. I used to play games that were exciting like British bulldog, pirates (where you leap around on gym equipment being chased, avoiding touching the floor of the gym), rugby and "laser tag". Likewise, computer games needed me to be blasting a thousand things at the same time.

It wasn't always like that though. I used to just love visiting parks and fairs. However, I don't think when I was younger the draw was ever actually riding the rides. See, the other thing I've always been really keen on is things like slot car racing and train sets. I love designing and building them, and looking at great designs.

I find a real fascination in watching "transport" going around a predefined track. I also love to see the skills and imagination used in creating the tracks and scenery that surround them.

Parks are just this, only scaled up 2000 times

There's just something I find captivating about the way these things are created, and then watching the motions of the rides as they do their thing. I find it all fascinating and just never fail to get enjoyment from the simple act of watching a coaster go around a track, even something like a Big Apple.

So while the actual ride appeals to the adrenaline junky side of me (though it's rare a ride gets a rise out of me anymore), the actual appeal is simply the world and motions created in parks.

I think this ties in to the parallel Joey drew with films. It's a world of escapism. You watch a film to get out of your own mundane life and to be dragged into another world. Parks are the same, only they are physical, you're "in the movie".

I don't think it's quite that simple. People enjoy it because they enjoy it. It's a special treat I think for most people. The sights, sounds, rides and NOM that go along with a park is something so different. Do it too much though, and it loses what is special. Of course, we're different, but I think most people genuinely enjoy the whole experience and do actively chase it, just not too much. Like the odd horror film or illicit sexual encounter - there's something fun in it every so often to perk up your life and make you feel more alive...

 

[M_Force_4_ever]

I think I like roller coasters because the experience is such a far departure from the norm of everyday life. To be able to go 75 mph through giant dives and twists is so out of the ordinary in a fun/exciting/scary way that it's just awesome. I like amusement parks because they are a place where you really can let loose and have fun. Also I like theme parks and roller coasters because I've made a lot of really good friends through the hobby.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm possibly the opposite from most posters on here; but i fell in love with roller coasters & parks in general possibly... 2005 after i rode the Magnum XL-200. The tallest i rode before then was probably under 100ft at the time until then... I was horrified after that; so Magnum sparked my intrest in roller coasters .

 

[Anonymous]

The reason that I like theme parks is not for reasons of adrenaline.
It's more to do with the history, the engineering, the landscaping and theming of the park and its rides.

To me, a steel rollercoaster with inversions /corkscrews isn't a proper 'theme park' ride in the old sense. Such rollercoasters are a post 1960s space age concept in a way, something to make you lose your sense of logic, to make you feel disoriented and weightless. But a steel rollercoaster doesn't feel like it is a particularly British or American thing - it feels more like a Japanese thing.

The wooden rollercoasters, although they were limited by use of material, weren't quite about that at all. They were heightened versions of something rooted in a very 'down to earth' practical reality- minecarts. I find it fascinating looking at pictures of the huge number of great rollercoasters that were created in the 1920s at places such as Coney Island- it marked a golden age for technological leaps and the parks were simultaneously trying to mimic the contemporary popularity of the steam age and the rise and the motor car in the excitement of their parks.
That's what I like about a ride like The Ultimate at Lightwater Valley. Even though it's on steel rails, it has wooden supports. Its theme is of a standard toy train that happens to be on a very extreme track. It's a great juxtaposition that is natural and is specifically designed for its environment.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is also especially notable in the UK for preserving its older rides and for the way that some run in and out of each other. I think that any excellent theme park should have at least one good wooden rollercoaster and well themed dark ride. Blackpool Pleasure Becah does well on these counts but there is a lot to be said for the country setting of a park like Alton Towers - but it's a shame that that park has never had permission to make a tall wooden rollercoaster.

 

[Anonymous]

Me Personally its theme parks, Dont really no why lol