Category Archives: Discussion

Another Season Ends

November is here and in addition to signalling the imminent arrival of Christmas this is the month when the British Theme parks close for the season.  After the relative excitement of the Halloween period it is a time when enthusiasts must face months away from their favourite attractions. They can usually then cheer themselves up with the anticipation of new rides being built for the following season. Except that next year there don’t appear to be any! Continue reading

Ride Specific Uniforms

When I was working at a theme park we all wore the same rather boring uniform regardless of the ride we were staffing. I found this rather disappointing and was very jealous of the staff at other parks who had ride specific uniforms. I always felt that these must help immensely when it came to acting the part whatever that might be and I couldn’t help thinking that the special uniforms were much better for the overall look of the park. The only thing that made me feel better about my uniform were the hideous neon green shirts the staff at Six Flags Magic Mountain were forced to wear! Continue reading

Thorpe Park and Young Children

British theme parks lack the land and the financial clout of Disney and the big American operators. This has basically meant that it is very difficult for any of them to be all things to all people. They feel that they are forced to configure their parks to cater for one demographic or another and Thorpe Park has very much gone down the route of adult thrills. Continue reading

The Lunatics in the Asylum

Please excuse me but I need to rant! I have just read a news story that has completely infuriated me and I need to let loose. I have long been aware that there are some people who will complain about anything and it is a major irritation. Whatever you do there always seems to be some idiot who will find fault and I have now found the zenith of ridiculous complaints. Someone has actually started a campaign to close a Fright Night attraction at Thorpe Park because it stigmatises mental illness. Continue reading

Should Theme Parks Have Fast Track Systems

Accelerated access to rides is a thorny issue. Some people are great fans of paying extra to jump the queues others think that it is an abomination. In truth, there is no system which would allow people fast track entry without any detrimental effect on the rest of the guests so what is the fairest solution for everyone? Continue reading

Roller Coasters Inspire Travel

Poseidon (650x488)

You might think that it is only serious coaster geeks that would travel long distances to experience a ride but that is not always the case. The journey can lead people to visiting destinations that they otherwise would not have considered and that is often a very good thing. Travelling to theme parks does not have to be about the park alone and can inspire a love for the entire region in which the park is located. Continue reading

Theme Parks and Obesity

As well as the huge health implications the obesity epidemic is also an issue for theme parks and their guests. The populations of the western world are getting bigger and so there are more and more people who are going to have problems when they visit the parks. I think awareness of the problems should be raised because guests are spending large amounts of money to visit parks in which many of the attractions will be off limits for them due to their size. Continue reading

Chessington Ban Animal Print Clothing

Chessington_World_of_Adventures_Resort,_official_Logo (1)

I have just heard that Chessington World of Adventures are banning guests from wearing animal print in the park as it is confusing the resident wildlife! The announcement made the BBC news but that doesn’t mean it is true. Merlin Entertainments have a long history of gaining valuable publicity from PR stunts and this might turn out to be just another of those. If it is I think it might be a bit counterproductive as this policy is something which is guaranteed to annoy people. Continue reading

Theme Park Art

Theme parks are generally bright and colourful places with lots of interesting structures and forms. You would think, therefore, that they would make great subjects for paintings but I am struggling to find art which features roller coasters and rides. I would like to reflect my interest in rides and amusement parks with art in my home but the choice is surprisingly limited. Continue reading

Supersized America

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As a frequent visitor to the US I should be used to their propensity to supersize everything but each time I visit I am always shocked at the contrasts with the UK.  I thought that with all the publicity about obesity and the cost of fuel, the food portions may have shrunk a little and people would be driving smaller cars but last year when I visited Cedar Point and Six Flags Magic Mountain nothing seemed to have changed. Continue reading