What type of enthusiast are you?

[Snoo]

I'm a bit of all of them really, but mostly Social anymore. I don't geek out like I used to as it's not my sole hobby anymore (a career and kids can do that). I like traveling, seeing new places, riding new coasters, all with a group of folks I love to be around. That's all you need really.

 

[witchfinder]

I'd describe myself as a Park Enthusiast with a focus on Rollercoasters. I like to experience as much as possible at a park and certainly wouldn't just go, get the creds and leave (although that may differ if I was in a country that had more parks) but that said, the main reason I go to parks is for the coasters!

The social side is also important to me. Going to a park and experiencing the rides with some good friends is great...

 

[caffeine_demon]

In order from best fit to worst:


The Park Enthusiast- I'm Mostly this one I just love the escapism and atmosphere at a good park - whether it's one with Disney/universalesque theming, or good landscaping

The Roller Coaster Enthusiast- I'm a decent chunk of this too - both high thrill and family coasters can be great if done well.

The dark ride enthusiast - One not on the list, but I like a dark ride almost as much as a coaster - they can really make a park!

The Enginerd- a little bit - I can appreciate the tech that goes into making a ride, but when it comes to equations and graphs I get a bit scared!

The Historian- again a little bit - I do like Schwarzkopf, Blackpool etc, but hoping that the margate scenic isn't as dull as dishwater!

The Social Enthusiast-A little - Most of the time I'm fine on my own - but rapids and a few others are better in groups.

The Filthy Whore- Absolutely not - Whilst My trips usually do some smaller parks there has to be something interesting there - A nice Zierer or ghost train at a minimum

The Extreme Marathoner-nah - about 10 goes in a row would be a maximum for me - and that's for a great ride!

 

[nadroJ]

Park enthusiast for sure. Maybe more so at Disney/Universal parks where the non-coaster rides are usually the better ones, but I do tend to try and ride all of the 'E-ticket' attractions when I visit parks. Of course at a Six Flags or Cedar Fair park these would be the coasters, and that's fine, but I would definitely say that I get as much if not more enjoyment out of a good dark ride than a **** +1. I just love being in theme parks!

 

[CarolinaRider]

Park enthusiast. I don't necessarily need theming to have a good experience, just a nice, clean atmosphere with plentiful landscaping and friendly employees. However, parks that do have heavy theming are the ones I tend to enjoy the most.

 

[JoshC.]

I'm primarily a park enthusiast I'd say. The general description fits me perfectly and I'd much rather ride a good non-coaster than some small kiddie coaster just for the +1 (though will always try to get both in at any visit!).

I'm a bit of an enginerd too I s'pose, in that I like finding out how attractions work and all the behind the scenes stuff. But I'm always a bit dubious of finding out too much and worrying it would spoil the overall experience for me a bit. And I don't usually follow IAAPA and the like in that much detail either.

So yeah, park enthusiast and a part-time enginerd.

 

[QueenOfSkyrush]

AHAHAHA...Oh man.

I'm most definitely The Extreme Marathoner. As recently stated in the introductions thread, I don't have that high of a coaster count overall, but my laps on Skyrush are pretty impressive for someone that is not a Hersheypark local.

I have 1,206 laps in total. I've hit 100+ in a single day on multiple occasions, with my record being 135. My most recent trip to Hersheypark was 9 days in total, all of which were spent on Skyrush - open to close everyday. I was able to get 653 laps on that trip alone.

I wasn't always The Extreme Marathoner. I started out as The Rollercoaster Enthusiast. I'm also a bit of the The Social Enthusiast (I love going to ACE events!) and The Filthy Whore (Hey, Coco Cruiser and Kozmo's Curves are not that bad). I rode Skyrush in 2012 and it naturally became my #1. In 2014, a friend of mine asked if I've ever tried to see how many laps I could get in day...and so the obsession for a high lap count began.

 

[sparky2u]

Hardcore Coaster & Park enthusiast

 

[Serena]

I'd say I'm a Park Enthusiast followed closely by Social Enthusiast. I love riding everything at a park and soaking up the atmosphere. Good themeing is more important to me than the number of creds.

A huge part of the fun for me is the social side of theme parking. I enjoy all the silliness and joking around in the queues as much as the rides themselves!

 

[Hyde]

I definitely started out in the "Enginerd" camp. Like Hixee, I fondly remember visits to Cedar Point to just watch roller coasters in action. I had a passion (and still do) for model railroads growing up, and roller coasters became a natural extension of this. This was my initial draw to roller coasters and amusement parks.

Since that time, I have moved to the "Roller Coaster Enthusiast", "Social Enthusiast", and "Historian" parts of the spectrum. First and foremost, I love riding roller coasters. It is such a fun experience, and one I have really treasured over the years.

I also love being with people. And when you live next to America's Roller Coast, it becomes the social hang out, especially while school is in session. There were visits to CP where the one ride ridden was the Witch's Wheel, or we would play $20 worth of skeeball. Visits were not for the roller coaster, but rather the fun venue to hang out with friends.

I also love history, and understanding the background of places and events. While amusement parks have modern day attractions, they didn't always. Rather, amusement parks can be a great case study of historical change, often reflecting changes in technology and society as time marches forward. If you haven't noticed, RF II is my favorite roller coaster overall. This is not only in part because of the very good GG layout it sports, but also heritage to the original Ravine Flyer, which also spanned over Peninsula Drive. What is the greatest roller coaster of all time? While the coaster enthusiast would argue for Helix, Outlaw Run, etc.; the most likely answer is the Coney Island Cyclone. While the roller coaster does not sport the best layout, there are still historical connotations of the ride that transcend just how the roller coaster rides.

So bring those all together, and I am happiest when riding a historic roller coaster at a park with friends.