Would you ever work in or closely with the theme park industry?

[Matt N]

Hi guys. We all share a passion for theme parks on here, and all of us could, I feel, say that we’re more interested in parks than the average person. Some enthusiasts take their passion to the next level and end up working in the theme park industry or in close connection with theme parks, yet other enthusiasts don’t. With this in mind, I’d be keen to know; would you ever work in or closely with the theme park industry? Would you ever want to mix business with leisure and make theme parks part of your way of making a living?

For clarity, I do also include theme park influencers such as Shawn Sanbrooke under the umbrella of working “in or closely with the theme park industry”. While influencers don’t work directly within the industry, I would argue that someone like Sanbrooke will have theme parks be a significant enough part of their job that you could almost conflate it with working in the industry in terms of level of exposure to parks on a day-to-day basis.

Personally, I would actually say no; I’m not sure I would ever work in the industry. While I did have dreams of being a roller coaster designer when I was younger, I grew out of this, and I’ve grown to realise that I think it would be a bad idea to mix business with pleasure. I worry that working in or closely with the industry would make me lose my passion for theme parks and roller coasters; part of the appeal of parks is that they aren’t something you do every day, and I fear that they’d become too routine if I was exposed to them every day as part of my job.

The other thing I think is that I might lose the ability to speak freely about parks. One thing that being “on the outside” allows me to do is to speak my honest mind about my opinions on the parks regardless of what I think, but if you’re employed in the industry or work closely with it, you lose that ability because you need to be complimentary about your employer/benefactor in order to not lose your job or lose access to perks.

But that’s just my view! I’d be interested to know; would you ever work in or closely with the theme park industry? I’d be particularly interested to hear from those who have worked in the industry with regard to how, or if, your relationship with the hobby changed.

 

[Bowser]

Hi guys. We all share a passion for theme parks on here, and all of us could, I feel, say that we’re more interested in parks than the average person. Some enthusiasts take their passion to the next level and end up working in the theme park industry or in close connection with theme parks, yet other enthusiasts don’t. With this in mind, I’d be keen to know; would you ever work in or closely with the theme park industry? Would you ever want to mix business with leisure and make theme parks part of your way of making a living?

For clarity, I do also include theme park influencers such as Shawn Sanbrooke under the umbrella of working “in or closely with the theme park industry”. While influencers don’t work directly within the industry, I would argue that someone like Sanbrooke will have theme parks be a significant enough part of their job that you could almost conflate it with working in the industry in terms of level of exposure to parks on a day-to-day basis.

Personally, I would actually say no; I’m not sure I would ever work in the industry. While I did have dreams of being a roller coaster designer when I was younger, I grew out of this, and I’ve grown to realise that I think it would be a bad idea to mix business with pleasure. I worry that working in or closely with the industry would make me lose my passion for theme parks and roller coasters; part of the appeal of parks is that they aren’t something you do every day, and I fear that they’d become too routine if I was exposed to them every day as part of my job.

The other thing I think is that I might lose the ability to speak freely about parks. One thing that being “on the outside” allows me to do is to speak my honest mind about my opinions on the parks regardless of what I think, but if you’re employed in the industry or work closely with it, you lose that ability because you need to be complimentary about your employer/benefactor in order to not lose your job or lose access to perks.

But that’s just my view! I’d be interested to know; would you ever work in or closely with the theme park industry? I’d be particularly interested to hear from those who have worked in the industry with regard to how, or if, your relationship with the hobby changed.

I think you make a lot of good points and you've obviously put some thought into it!

I'm sure many of us have at some point fantasised about being a theme park designer via RCT or Planet Coaster but in terms of realistic propositions, i've seen a few videos celebrating elderly workers at Disneyland and that seems like a nice way to see out your final working years, being in an environment you loved, helping to keep it special and seeing the next generations enjoy it.

 

[rob666]

Seasonal work, low paid, irregular hours, poor job security and prospects.
So no thanks for me.

Thought about it a few times, and then thought better.
Would do the retirement years stuff, but gardening pays double the money basically, even after factoring in costs.

 

[Benzin]

Been there done that.

Was good at 16-19 but post uni? Not worth the amount of effort.

Wider industry has good possibilities. Did apply for Vekoma a long time ago but wasn't to be. Even harder now considering the lack of right to work etc.

It's a niche interest and a niche industry. Influencer is very different as half the time it becomes a case of what opinion gets me clicks and revenue as opposed to an actual unbiased account.

 

[Alsty]

I worked at Alton Towers seasonally for three seasons when I was at university. It was great experience and gave a good insight into the industry from a very different perspective that you get as a guest. I would recommend it for anybody who is interested in the industry. I still look back at it now as a positive experience with good memories.

I didn't find it affected my enjoyment of the parks. I often still visited on odd days on my own if I had nothing else going on. On the forums I did have to keep a low profile if there was a conflict of interest, but I was still fairly active. I kept my employment a secret at the time.

After graduation, I moved into a full time permanent position in the technology industry and never looked back. Unless you are one of the lucky few who makes it to the upper echelons, I don't think working at a park is a viable way to make a living long-term term.

 

[East Coast Mariner]

If there was a very local theme park and I was in my 20s, sure. It'd be just like working in a supermarket, which can be a great laugh if you're surrounded by your own age.

The point about being an influencer is an interesting one. I wouldn't accuse any of them of being dishonest, but there's a funny thing that happens when you get a freebie - you find yourself not wanting to be overly critical about something. It's the same with video game reviews (and all reviews, I suppose). Out-and-out corruption is incredibly rare, but if you really slate something, or give an important release less than 9/10, are you going to be given another freebie? No. That absolutely happens, and in the back of your mind there'll be that subtle understanding.

As for owning a theme park, that's absolutely something I'd love to do if I won the Euro Millions, but I think you'd need approximately £100,000,000 to really play around with. Not one for doing if you have a lot less than that, and would enjoy spending the money more on other things.

 

[Bowser]

As for owning a theme park, that's absolutely something I'd love to do if I won the Euro Millions, but I think you'd need approximately £100,000,000 to really play around with.

I think you’d need multiple times that to begin to satisfy the average enthusiast!

For example £20m will only get you a half finished hyper coaster with no theming

 

[RicketyCricket]

- Win the euromillions

- Buy some land

- Spend £15 million on a big RMC

- Pay a mechanic to live on site

= Thoosie profit

Could break even in a hundred years or so.

 

[East Coast Mariner]

I think you’d need multiple times that to begin to satisfy the average enthusiast!

For example £20m will only get you a half finished hyper coaster with no theming

Oh, nothing that big. I want to buy Pleasurewood Hills!

 

[Bowser]

Oh, nothing that big. I want to buy Pleasurewood Hills!

I'm sure Loopings will be delighted somebody does.

 

[NuttySquirrel]

I think there's a big difference between working as a ride host/seasonal staff at a theme park - which a lot of people will do for a few years as students or in their early 20s - and actually building a career working in the industry, often for B2B support companies rather than theme park operators directly. A lot of those roles are not necessarily as glamarous as you might think (although some certainly are!). I think you'll find that members of this forum that have developed successful careers in the industry probably won't share very much about their work on a public forum - partly because there is a code of professional conduct and partly because many of them will want to keep their personal interests and their professional interests quite separate.

Personally I'm happy to be working in a different industry to the one in which my hobby is based - I think it's healthy to have a range of interests and things you care about in life. It's possible to end up in a bit of a bubble otherwise where you can never fully switch off from work.

 

[Poisson]

I work for a large company that has done some major theme park work. I'm happy to be in my workshop with the odd chance of a site visit rather than actually being on site. Public facing roles are miserable and I don't have the quals for tech side anyway.

 

[owenstreet7]

It's something I've considered but it's definitely very difficult to move to that considering the pay of theme park jobs.

One thing I have done recently is that I've started my first steps to becoming an independent travel agent (with a theme park specialism) with a company who mentors agents. They're excited about the idea that I'm really into the theme parks so am very excited to get started.

 

[John_P]

- Win the euromillions

- Buy some land

- Spend £15 million on a big RMC

- Pay a mechanic to live on site

= Thoosie profit

Could break even in a hundred years or so.

This but with 6 differently themed wacky worms, 4 Runaway Trains, 1 of those human powered coasters, and 1 spinning mouse. Market my park as the UKs rollercoaster capital.

£10 each ride if you turn up wearing a foreign theme park t shirt
£20 if you've got a go pro.


Seriously looking back I'd sort of lost interest in theme parks barring the odd trip when I was in uni so in hindsight I suppose I could've worked at Southport Pleasure land. And with real hindsight, or even a university that offered or mentioned it a few summers working theme parks in America would've been nice.

Right now I'd say not, I like having hobbies and interests that have zero to do with my job.

I've noticed over the years with trips to America a lot of parks seem to use (or have used) more older staff as greeters/gate staff so something like that in a part time position when I'm sort of retired but would like a small job would probably be fun.

 

[Poisson]

I've noticed over the years with trips to America a lot of parks seem to use (or have used) more older staff as greeters/gate staff so something like that in a part time position when I'm sort of retired but would like a small job would probably be fun.

Hotel Charles Lindbergh had an older gent letting you into the park and doing ticket checks when I went. Seemed to enjoy chatting to guests and gave Matty a good beer recommendation. Might be a similar thing.

 

[Benzin]

Think its a culture thing and possibly that its not the most minimum wage job possible in the States.

 

[John_P]

Hotel Charles Lindbergh had an older gent letting you into the park and doing ticket checks when I went. Seemed to enjoy chatting to guests and gave Matty a good beer recommendation. Might be a similar thing.

Was such a friendly chap, gave advice about the park and the viewing area at the top of Charles Lindbergh.

 

[Islander]

Would I ever work in the industry? Wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole tbh

 

[BSwiss]

It’s something I’m mulling over, and asked for advice on a different thread a few months ago.

In my current role, I’ve worked theme park adjacent on a few projects and have enjoyed that.

I’m really torn whether I’d want to go in-house at a theme park/entertainment group, or not.

 

[Bert2theSpark]

Like quite a few people above, I worked at a theme park during my college years for two seasons and have ultimately voted no on the poll above. It's similar to any other service job, really, except that a theme park is going to be in a more remote location compared to a pub or a shop.

My first season was very much learning the foundations of work at weekends after college, meaning that for the first time, I had money but very little free time to spend with friends and family, but it was still very easy to compartmentalise working there and had its fun moments as well as its miserable moments. It did put me off visiting, though, as I knew someone who visited on their day off and management spotted them, then got rota'd in for those dates, when it wasn't part of their normal availability... I was also lucky in the sense that the attractions I worked on, I didn't have any particular affinity for and wouldn't usually do when I was there as a customer. I made the most of it, and was very proud of my work as well as having a very big social circle whilst at work. It was great that it was a job that was both physically and cognitively stimulating, surrounded by colleagues who actually want to be there because they also have passion.

Yeah, you can get a lot of verbal abuse (as well as some physical abuse and sexual harassment on occasion) from guests, but I didn't find it too hard to deal with, as you just think the guest is just complaining to the theme park, not you personally. You have a radio if anything kicks off, and security/management was pretty solid in sticking up for you.

However, the second season was definitely a pivotal experience for me, especially going full-time, it's so easy to get encapsulated with the theme park, as so many people in that environment have enmeshed themselves with the theme park to the point that it was their identity, and I felt uncomfortable with that as I consistently had to miss social engagements and had other interests beyond theme parks. Eventually, the last thing I wanted to talk about with colleagues was theme park stuff that was not work-related; it kind of killed the passion for me. I also noticed that every season always plays out very similarly, just with different faces and when burnout/turnover is going to occur.

I also got treated very differently as an adult compared to a teenager, which meant more immediate responsibility for myself, but also much easier to get caught up in that theme park identity if you really aren't careful. People above in this thread have mentioned how everything about a certain vlogger can be boiled down to the answer "at a theme park", and I really wouldn't want that for myself. I'll always have a passion and affinity for the theme park, but I just didn't want it to define me. It was a great experience to learn what was meaningful to me and the lifestyle that I wanted to live.

My honest advice for anyone who wants to work in the industry is to work a local service job in hospitality, and then get the relevant educational opportunities to work for companies that might work as a contractor at a park. That way, you build work skills that are much specific to what you'd actually want to do, and whether you'd want to do that job if the theme park element got removed. There is such a diverse range of contractors, both local and international, that do contract work for the parks; learn what you find is meaningful and fulfilling to you. The theme park industry can be very niche, and there will be a lack of career progress if you just want to work "at a theme park".