Why Do You Go to Amusement Parks?

[s15c]

Had my debate that I totally failed at with UC on the other thread, it left me a bit curious. Why do you, the enthusiasts, go to amusement parks? I'll be asking the same poll around my school (and maybe on a few other forums) to see how we compare.

I personally go for the coasters. And possibly a bench to rest if I start to feel sick. I don't ask for much else. But I'm a loon

 

[KDGrizzly4Life]

Coasters. I do enjoy flatrides, but in all honesty, I'm much more inclined to go to a CF or SF park then a Disney park. More coasters > Good theming.

 

[RCF]

Check out chicks. But on a serious note, it's for a good time. I mean I haven't ridden everything, just everything I want to ride. So mainly, if I go to parks, it's usually for a special event, or cuz I'm bored. So a good time is the answer for me.

 

[Hyde]

It's not uncommon for me and a few friends to go to a park, ride one or two things, kill a few hours, and just leave. It's just a relaxing place. When it gets crowded or unbearable, we leave. No big deal at all.

You just described my childhood. :razz:

It is all about having a good time with friends. To me, there is nothing worse than riding a roller coaster by yourself, as you do not have anyone else to share the moment with.

Just the same as any other point of attraction, amusement parks have a set of attractions and interests that cater well to a group of friends and hanging out.

Now, admittedly, I did grow up being able to see the top of TTD and MF from my high school. And since the tourism industry is the biggest part of Sandusky, Ohio, Cedar Point is a natural hang out for teenagers in the area. In all sincerity, I completely avoid the park/riding rides during the summer months, except for visiting friends, family, or CF Lives. And whenever I do go, it is to be with friends, often resulting in riding Paddlewheel Excursion more times than the total roller coaster count.

It's just about having a good time and being in good company. Roller coasters happen to be the medium.

P.S. I do believe this poll will be biased, considering the primary reason everyone is posting in this forum in the first place is because of roller coasters! :roll:

 

[Snoo]

Personally, a fun time with friends.

This. While I do like to go to new places.. as long as I can have a nice day or few day out with family or friends.. I'm quite content.

 

[Hixee]

Personally, a fun time with friends.

This. While I do like to go to new places.. as long as I can have a nice day or few day out with family or friends.. I'm quite content.

Pretty much this.

For me it's a combination of the "Everything" option and the "Friends" option. I go to parks to try out the new coasters, the new flats, the shows, everything really, I like to get into the park and just be absorbed by the place. However, doing that on your own can be difficult. I've done it at Alton Towers a couple of times, but that's different because I know the park so well. Parks are just a great place to relax, forget the world and have fun. The 'fun-factor' is multiplied by 100 when you're with friends and can have a great time with them.

So yeah, basically friends, then parks.

 

[ECG]

I really enjoy meeting up with my CF friends at parks, but I go to many more parks with my family than I do with my CF buds. So for me it's mostly because it's what we (my family) like to do. And we don't go just for the coasters. We like to try all different rides, see the shows, soak in the atmosphere & just generally have a great day out. I guess I'm lucky in that the wife & kid enjoy going to parks as much as I do.
I think furie might be with me on this one.

 

[furie]

Yep, absolutely Jerry. It's a choice of "go to the mall shopping (or whatever the UK equivalent is, Tesco maybe?)" or "go to a theme park". In terms of what is the best for the family, the theme park wins every time.

Actually, we do a lot more than theme parks, but I do love my coasters

Generally, I will tend to lean towards going somewhere because there's a coaster. However, I tend to spend very little time on the coasters, and more time doing all the other stuff. This may sound like a contradiction, but it really isn't. I don't care about going on the the Big Apple for my "Credz", I just love the atmosphere and magical feeling a decent park (even a tiny one) has.

Actually, for some parks I'm quite leaning towards "everything but the coasters". It's rare I ride a coaster at Alton now (special visits from foreigners an exception ). I'm happy to go to Thorpe and not ride a coaster... And Chessington... And Wicksteed... And, yeah the list goes on actually. It depends who I'm with and my mood, but when I arrive at a park, unless there's a new coaster I haven't been on before, I'm in no great hurry at the start to ride a coaster. I just let my mood take me.

However, when I was a teen, it was a very different story. If I wasn't getting a high of endorphins every five minutes at a park, it was a waste of time for me. I much prefer my attitude now. I still love the rush (Jerry can tell you how enthused I was to get back on Lightning Racer and Boulder Dash), but most of the time it's just something I don't need any more.

As the person with the car, driver's license and money for entry - the family do what I do

 

[Ian]

My primary reason for visiting theme parks is for escapism. I work all week (he says posting on CF at work) so it's nice to have a release and do something fun. Some people like to cheer on their local football team from the stands, I'd rather go to a theme park.

Secondly, it's very much a social thing for me thanks to CF.

Combine escapism and mates and that's the best reason to visit a park imo.

 

[nealbie]

Escapism is the main reason that I'm so attracted to theme parks. Life sucks, people suck, the world in general is rubbish*insert ellipsis here* etc, etc, ad infinitum.

I love being able to be somewhere that allows me to just forget about all my troubles and (hopefully) provide me with a decent adrenaline rush. Sometimes, I'll want to be made to feel totally ill by silly unnatural forces, others be drowned on a water ride (calm down Will!), or maybe I just want to go round a nice twisted piece of metal a few times. As long as I'm having fun and doing what I want to do with my time there, then I'm not fussed at all.

I like enjoying life, and it's easier to do it in the pretend world of theme parks than it is in the real world! I'm just lazy like that!

 

[s15c]

Just an interesting result from posting this on my other forum- We have 5 for just the coasters, 3 for everything, 1 for everything BUT, 2 for with friends, and someone that said they go for dates. So maybe we're not quite AS biased as you would think.

 

[Ben]

The creds, defo. If that little number at the bottom of my posts isn't slowly ticking up, I'm doing it wrong.

 

[A-Kid]

Escape probally. Being in the fairytale-like place with loud music, lights and rides creates a nice feeling of freedom... You don't have a worrie or care.

I reject the reality of the real world as it is today and don't want to be part of the average cycle. Everything of the 'real' world bores me to tears. So this is my reality. Lands of magic, music and creativity....

Its not soly about coasters like it used to be... they take up what? 10 mins of the day? It more about the entire experience.

Probally why I enjoy films so much too... its essentially all the same elements...

 

[Jer]

The coasters for sure, I like getting the creds (what little I have), and while I may ride and enjoy the flats, I'm mostly there for the coasters.

 

[Brookes]

It's everything for me. I love the whole feeling of a theme park; the atmosphere, the sounds and the whole experience. I don't go just for coasters, but I do go with the sole intention of experiencing some good rides and generally having a good time.

 

[CMonster]

For me, it's definitely ^, although when I go to parks for the first time I try to get on everything possible while having fun.

If it's a park I've been to many times (I'll use BGT for this discussion), I go to have a great time and really just relax. Being homeschooled definitely helps this, as I can go to a park on like a Wednesday with my other homeschooled friends and just chill.

I've reached the point where I can go to Busch Gardens with friends, stay for four hours, ride one or two rides, and still really enjoy myself, just immersing myself in the experience.

 

[DjTommyB]

I mainly go for the coasters, flats, atmosphere and just having an awesome/fun day out with family/friends i'm not too fussed about the shows though but ill watch a show at a theme park now and then.

 

[walker1104]

It's everything for me. I love the whole feeling of a theme park; the atmosphere, the sounds and the whole experience. I don't go just for coasters, but I do go with the sole intention of experiencing some good rides and generally having a good time.

This pretty much sums it up for me. I go for the whole package. I love everything about the theme park, not just the rides. Its just a nice escape from the 'real' world.

 

[nadroJ]

Depends what park I'm at. One of my favourite theme parks is Epcot and there aren't any coasters there. I love exploring Epcot, I've been like....5/6 times now and every time I leave I feel like there's still something I've missed. I could just walk around the country pavilions all day long, or spend hours in Future World learning =] I'm a big geek hahaha.

But then you get to places like Universal where the music as soon as you enter the car park gets me all excited. I love the theming, the characters, the shows AND the rides. I love Rockit along the main street now because it does add a little adrenaline to the park but then I also adore ET and Jaws. Similar thing with Disney.

Then I come to places like Thorpe and Six Flags. I want to go to ride the coasters. Unfortunately for me a lot of my friends don't really dig coasters so when I get a chance to go I try and get my fill =] I still enjoy the atmosphere but Six Flags and Thorpe for me are more about the thrills than a themed experience.

Alton and Chessington I could go with the family or Sam for a relaxing outing, maybe take a picnic and soak up the atmosphere. I LOVE these two parks, especially on a lovely hot summers day, I can't imagine anything more perfect than spending that time outside at a theme park.

So yeah, there you go.

PS Hurry up summer.

 

[Thekingin64]

Though I voted For everything, I only go to theme parks for the coasters and Flats. I will do the and shows if I've done everything else and if I'm staying at the park. I will occansinaly have the food if I'm Hungry, Have no food with me and have some money with me. Very rarely does all those things happen to me.