If you’ve clicked on this post your more or less bound to be a newbie within the theme park enthusiast side of life. So, hey, welcome to the nerdy side of theme parks & amusement parks. There’s a lot of tips I’ve discovered from my years of being the newbie so here’s my advice to you. Or perhaps your someone interested in the advice I’d give to a newbie. Either way, I hope you enjoy!
1) Enjoy It:
I think this is important to remember as it can become quite easy to get caught up in the world of thinking you must know everything. I’ve been there myself. Honestly just enjoy it. Your, not any less of an enthusiast then the next if you don’t know every single coaster elements name off by heart or if you don’t know who manufactures what ride? It doesn’t matter. As long as you enjoy theme parks! Being an enthusiast doesn’t mean you have to know it all, it simply means your more interested or visits more than most of the general public do.
2) Be Open Minded:
This is something I wish I told myself way back in at the start, be open-minded. Everyone has different preferences than one another. What might be someone’s favourite rollercoaster may end up being your least. It’s an easier way to avoid disappointment. So try not to get sucked into swearing by other people’s opinions which leads me onto my next tip.
3) Accept Other People’s Opinions & Know Yours Is Equally As Valid:
My goodness, I wish I had someone telling me this back when I started getting into the community & theme parks. I’ve personally been made to feel awful for having an opinion which doesn’t match another’s on one too many occasions. I’ve deleted many blog post because of the sheer nasty comments I’ve received over my opinion been so different. So my advice is to always accept someone else’s opinion, by all means, you don’t have to agree but just always be kind. But always remember your own opinion is always valid as your voice is equally as important as anyone else’s. Debates are healthy but what’s not healthy is making someone else or yourself feeling bad for having an opinion.
4) Embrace It:
I found myself feeling a lot of embarrassment during my earlier days of accepting I’m a theme park enthusiast. Which looking back now does make me quite sad. I love theme parks yet I also felt I couldn’t let anyone else know that due to feeling a bit of a freak by it. However, I’d tell anyone now whatever your passion, hobby or interest is be damn proud as long as it’s not putting yourself at risk or anyone else what’s the harm? Don’t feel you have to hide it from the world get out there and amongst what you love. You have nothing to feel embarrassed by.
5) The Community:
If your someone who has been around during the 2020 season you’ve probably noticed there’s this reputation that the community is all bad & toxic. But I promise you it’s not. Admittedly there’s some questionable individuals & awful situations which have been brought to light, which I will not delve into any further as it’s certainly not my position to do so. However, I would like to point out the community is certainly not all bad. There’s a lot of love & support amongst many and genuinely I’ve found some of what I class as my life long friendships through it too. There are some genuinely lovely & supportive people in this community. If your someone who is looking for fellow theme park friends just know we welcome you with open arms. However, if there ever is a time where you feel uncomfortable or made to feel unsafe by others please speak out, seek necessary advice & support and just know you aren’t ever alone. But also remember to think of other people & ensure you are putting them in situations which will make them uncomfortable. So if your a newbie fancy having a chit chat about theme parks & geeky stuff, our inboxes are always open.
I hope this helps anyone looking to become a theme park enthusiast or is one. I may share a part two soon depending if this is something y’all have enjoyed!
Thank you for reading as always…