Monthly Archives: August 2013

Theme Park Safety and Small Children

Whilst theme parks are generally pretty safe places to be they can be hazardous for small children and sadly most of the threats to young visitors arise from the behaviour of their parents. Whilst working at a park I saw some of the most ridiculous and irresponsible behaviour from many adults who clearly had no concept of dangerous the environment could be. I never witnessed a disaster but on several occasions it was a close run thing! Continue reading

Theme Park Retailing In the UK

The retail offering at UK theme parks never ceases to amaze me. I am always looking for a decent souvenir of my visit but usually find a huge array of plastic junk and silly toys that have little or nothing to do with the park. Whilst guests don’t visit theme parks to go shopping most end up wandering around the stores at some point but you rarely see people leaving the parks with bags full of merchandise. It is a very different story at the Disney parks overseas where almost everyone leaves weighed down under the enormity of their purchases.  With a great deal of money to be made why don’t the British parks make more of an effort? Continue reading

The Pros and Cons of Working at a Theme Park

A theme park is obviously a fun environment with an upbeat atmosphere where you get to be part of a team and so some of the attractions of the job are obvious. There are other perks to be considered if you are considering applying for a job on the rides but several downsides too which should not be overlooked. Continue reading

How to Dress for a Theme Park Visit

Giving advice about what to wear for a day out at a theme park might seem a little curious but having worked at a park for several years I can tell you that clothing is a major consideration. Guests who dress inappropriately can run into trouble and the problems do not stop at being uncomfortable. The wrong attire can result in being denied access to a ride and can cause operational and safety issues too so here are some tips on how to dress for a successful day out. Continue reading

Paultons Park

 

Paultons Park is situated near Romsey in Hampshire and is easily accessed from the M27. Sitting on the edge of the New Forest, the park is a popular attraction amongst families holidaying in the area and is worthy of a visit if you have children to entertain. Paultons is not a great destination for adult only groups, however, as almost all of the rides and attractions are aimed at the under 12’s. Continue reading

Halloween Nights

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Most major theme parks roll out the entertainment for Halloween and offer extended opening hours together with a variety of scary and spooky attractions. These special nights have proved to be enormously popular bringing in visitors from far and wide. It should be no surprise that other businesses have cottoned on to the money making potential and are turning themselves into mini theme parks for the season of ghosts and ghouls. Continue reading

Dreams at Disneyland Paris

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Disney are legendary for the grand finales they lay on to crown your day at one of their parks. Until recently, however, Disneyland Paris was rather a poor relation of the American Parks with a low key firework display ending the day. I was pleased to hear that Dreams was to come to the Paris and last year I set off with eager anticipation to see what the new show had to offer. Continue reading

Christmas at Disneyland Paris

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No one does Christmas quite like Disney and if you haven’t experienced the festive season at one of their parks you have really missed something! Not only do you get the brilliant decorations and a unique atmosphere, there are also special festive attractions to enjoy. The best news of all is that Christmas is an extended season at Disney so you can experience all the fun and cheer in the build-up to the big day and take advantage of some great deals at the park. Continue reading

Six Flags Magic Mountain

 

I first visited this park in 1996 and boy have things changed since then! Six flags have been engaged in a long running battle with Cedar Point for the title of roller coaster capital of the world and so the intervening years have seen the addition of several new rides and the demise of a few older attractions. I liked this park very much the first time I visited and it is a great place but if you have been to Cedar Point you will know which park is king of the coasters and it isn’t Six Flags! Continue reading