Do You Ever Visit Theme Parks Alone?

[Mysterious Sue]

I end up going on my own when I travel for work but I wouldn't chose to do it for my local parks as I think it's more of a social activity. Having said that...there is something quite nice about choosing what you do all day and riding when and where you like. The main problem I find on your own is the queuing. I take a book/headphones. It's especially tedious abroad when you can't even play around on your phone if the park has no WiFi.

 

[Intricks]

I enjoy both. While I have gone to parks alone, I have met up with friends for a day at one park before continuing my trek onward. Since I enjoy taking pictures of rides, I try to make sure I get all the creds first and then just leisurely stroll around the park til Im bored and leave. Plus, if its my first visit ever, I want to go through the park at my pace. Subsequent visits thereafter are at a more subdued pace.

Dependent upon which group of friends I go with, I could either have goon time, or pne in which I get dragged onto the annoying wet rides.

So first time in a park = Alone.
2nd visit and beyond = Group.

 

[3Dimensions]

I ended up going to Alton Towers alone, whilst is was a great day and was able to go on everything I wanted to (Smiler was closed, but that was pre-crash) but it was incredibly lonely. Ended up talking to a lot of people in the queue lines. Hated the journey though, despite it only being a 3 hour journey from my uni (Huddersfield) via train (and the bus from Henley to the park), it seemed almost unbearable especially as I had no music to listen to.

Luckily it was during a pretty quiet day in April so pretty much everything had a 10 minute wait (apart from the odd walk on such as Duel and Hex). I'd never go to a park alone during the busy peak season; it would be somewhat of a nightmare for me!

 

[caffeine_demon]

I go alone a lot - the only times that bugs me are
- rides with bizarre "no single rider" policies
- Rapids - just no fun on your own!

But it's great to just reride what you want, have lunch when you fancy, etc...

 

[Gavin]

I go to parks alone all the time, but if I didn't then I just wouldn't get to go since my friends here don't share the same interest and don't have the same free time.

For the most part, I tie it in with general travel/tourism though. Even if it's a park or two that prompts the decision to go somewhere, I'll give myself time to do other stuff while I'm there.

I generally don't go to parks by myself that I've already been to before. I'd never go to a UK park by myself, for example, because I know that I'd always be able to find someone else to go with. Here, I can always grab someone to go to Disneyland with - though I'll occasionally pop in for a few hours if I'm bored since I've got an annual pass and it's easy to get to - but my friends here would never in a million years go to some minor Chinese city for the weekend to go to a couple of theme parks. Most of them won't go into mainland China at all.

I much prefer to go with other people, but it's often quite nice to do things at your own pace and not have to pander to what others want to do. I'll happily not bother with lunch, for example, or just grab something from a stall as I'm getting around, but when you're with other people, lunch becomes a thing because people "HAVE TO EAT SOON!!!!" and you end up wasting time while people discuss what to eat and then waste even more time while you sit around eating it.

 

[Robbie]

I've visited theme parks on my own all the time. Mainly because my girlfriend doesn't like many rides - so if she's having a day out in Blackpool, I'll just pop along to the Pleasure Beach for a bit. Another time was when I was driving home from an event in London, had a MAP and decided to call in Alton Towers. May as well!

It's not quite the same as going with others, but it's more 'efficient' and if you're used to being alone (as I am) then it's no big deal.

 

[ATTACKHAMMER]

I've never been to a park on my own as I doubt that I would enjoy it. I enjoy the experience with friends.
Never say never though, if I happened to be near some creds I wouldn't not go.

 

[Darren B]

Last year I did a few cred runs in the UK by myself and enjoyed it. I like to be militant when I'm getting +1's and there's not many people on CF that I trust not to hold me back.

When it comes to major parks I always tend to go with someone else or with a group. I don't particularly fancy standing on my Jack Jones in queue lines all day.

 

[ECG]

I don't particularly fancy standing on my Jack Jones in queue lines all day.

Here is the States it's called your Johnson and there's no way you can stand on it. It's not THAT big. At least that's what Ian's mum told me.

 

[Bat Fastard]

Nope. I live too far away from the nearest "big" park (Worlds of Fun which is 3 hours away) to make me able to go by myself. While I could go alone if I really wanted to, I never would, as the car ride would be insanely boring with no one to talk to for 3 hours in a car. Me being 17 doesn't help either, as my parents don't want me driving 3 hours alone to a major city. I went to WOF earlier this summer with a friend and no adults, and it was fun. However I may go to Frontier City alone (Hour and a half away) to mop up the creds, as I've never been because it just doesn't look that good.

 

[Karly]

I'd would have never gotten to most of the parks I visited if I wouldn't go alone.

I know one person that actually likes to ride coasters. She's got her own life and family and isn't able to take a few days to travel just to go to a park or two. I've been sent to training classes for work in Atlanta & St Joes, MI and If I wouldn't go parks myself, I would have missed out on 2 Six Flags parks. Work reimbursed me for the airfare and rental car because of the classes, so I just added a day or two to the trip when I scheduled the flight. It wasn't required to list travel days on the reimbursement form so accounting never knew. Unfortunately, I couldn't put in for reimbursement for my hotel the extra nights.

 

[CanobieFan]

I've gone to dozens of parks alone and on coaster-trips by myself... But if I have someone to go with, I'm all for it. But again, I'm not gonna just not go, because I don't have someone to go with.

 

[SimonSays99]

I do most of my coaster trips alone as I can get my friends to maybe visit one or two parks during a holiday. Mostly German parks and funfairs I visit with friends. Except there is a major new coaster were I want to park myself for a day and not doing many other rides.

 

[Howie]

Ok so here's a thing; I'm intrigued by this solo-gooning lark, right? The more I think about it, the more appealing I find the idea.
So yesterday I conduct a little experiment. I'm off to visit a mate who lives oop north for a weekend right, so I say to myself 'Right Dave' (for 'tis my real name), 'Right Dave, take this opportunity to go to Lightwater Valley while you're up there'.
It's pretty much the only 'proper' UK theme park that I hadn't been to yet, and I've wanted to ride the Ultimate for years, so I went for it - I visited a theme park alone!
That makes me a goon, right?

But here's the rub: there's another thread that asks 'Do You Ride Kiddie Coasters?'
Like this thread, that's basically asking the same question right? ie 'How Much of a Goon are You?'

But while I was gooning around Lightwater Valley, on my own, in a decidedly goonful manner, on what was basically a quick cred run... I didn't mop up the kiddie creds while I was there.
So what does that make me? Goon or not?
On the one hand I went 75 miles out of my way and paid 28 quid to ride the world's 2nd longest coaster (I'd like to have the 'world's longest' credit but I'll be fooked if I'm going to Japan to get it!), but on the other hand I passed up on 3 easy +1's while I was there. Weird huh?
I had 3 goes on the Ultimate (1 front and 2 back - awesome!), 1 go on Raptor Attack (also awesome, but oh so slow-loading), 1 go on the Black Pearl cos I'd never been on one of those inverting pirate ships before, 1 go on the Whirlwind cos it reminded of how Samurai used to be back in its Chessington glory days, and I just love a good gyro-swing me, especially the KMG Afterburner so I had 2 goes on Eagle's Claw. And that was me done, mission accomplished, all in less than 2 hrs.

I stood and looked at Twister for several minutes, uhhming and ahhing about whether to ride. It's an easy +1, I thought, with no queue, it's right there in front of me..... BUT, it's a Reverchon spinner. I've already been on 2 of those. They're horrible. So in the end I thought 'Nah, sod that.'
I'll be honest with you, I was quite tempted by the Ladybird - it does look like quite a fun little coaster... but I'm 41 years old, and I'm in a theme park on my own. I wasn't gonna embarrass myself on a tinpot kiddie cred, 'just for the count'.

So again, what am I? Goon? Cred whore? None of the above? Or some sort of weird hybrid?

Sorry for rambling, but this post can also double up as my (very brief) LWV trip report.
It's quite a nice little 'medium' sized park. I liked it.
It's got 2 unique, quirky coasters that are both very good.
It's got some flat rides and a couple of water slides.
Like most UK parks, it could do with a brand new coaster (one with a loop or two).

There. Don't say my posts don't deliver value for money.

 

[Ketchup]

Never done it. I guess it's because I find that part of the fun of visiting parks and riding coasters comes from visiting with friends and family. However I wouldn't be against visiting a major theme park with a renowned coaster by myself if I was in the general area and had nothing else to do.

I can't see myself ever doing a credit run by myself though.

 

[toofpikk]

^ same here. I find the fun in parks is sharing the experience with someone else. Especially seeing as all the parks near me I have visited countless times, it's a little dull to visit by myself. I am also too concerned about my self image if I visited alone.

I have visited a park by myself once, (Thorpe Park in 2013) and I ended up spending the whole day taking pictures and filming stuff, I only ended up doing 2 coasters and loggers leap. Other then that the day was very dull and I just have no fun unless I can share it with someone else.

 

[Superbatboy]

Not local parks, but when travelling out of state, yes. It's hard to get friends to want to pay $500-1000 to go ride coasters. Especially if they're non-enthusiasts.

 

[The Beast]

Most of the time I do like to ride by my self but sometimes I'll go to amusement parks with friends. I have gone on coaster trips alone by my self to which I don't mind because when I go on coaster trips and spend money I go to ride roller coasters not just to sit around. Since Valleyfair is my home park if I offten go alone since I live close by and a season pass holder. I spend a lot of time riding Renegade. My ride count on Renegade is 943 going for 1,000 on Monday last day of the regular season.

 

[Thekingin64]

I do occasionally but much prefer it with friends to be able to talk about the experiences with.

 

[Colossus]

No I never go alone, I'm quite fortunate in that my partner is into rides as well as me, when we got together she was actually scared of coasters, then one day she lost a bet to me and the forfeit was that I had to take her to Thorpe Park, 6 years later and shes ridden some of the biggest, best rides in the world.
She really enjoys now, although she isn't into the ins and outs of the rides like we are, (although she knows more than she would let on) she just enjoys riding the rides.
Its nice because its almost like the best of both worlds, we can go to a park and we can almost do what I want, she is happy to go with the flow and follow suite (that don't mean I drag her around all day ) she understands the importance of a cred run and re-rides.
But also we spend a lot of time chilling and relaxing, its just really nice to share all these experiences together in a mutual hobby, spending time together enjoying ourselves.

That said sometimes when in UK parks, if there's a large group of us I may venture off on my own for a bit, example, Fright Nights, the group will often go and do the scare mazes which don't interest me, however, night riding does interest me, so I'll go off and do that for a few hours then meet up at the end.

But no I never actually go alone