10 Reasons Why Amusement Parks Are Awesome!

There are so many fantastic ways to spend a holiday day or week, no matter where you are in the world. Each place offers unique activities, but something that most locations have in common is an amusement park. One of the best ways to spend a vacation day (or week)  is to visit an amusement park, and there are hundreds of reasons why. There are the rides, the food, and what some people fail to realise is that amusement parks can be great fun even if you aren’t a kid anymore. If you are looking for an excuse to go to an amusement park, or can’t think why going to one would be a fantastic experience, then you have come to the right place. As a theme park lover and roller coaster addict, here are ten reasons why amusement parks are fantastic!

The roller coasters

Duh! Of course, roller coasters are a huge reason why amusement parks are so amazing. Anyone who has ever been on one and enjoyed them will know that you just can’t beat that rush of adrenaline – that thrill of soaring over the park. What is excellent about roller coasters though is that there are so many different types that can cater to all the different kinds of adrenaline addicts. There are the ones that are more about heights, more about speed, filled with loops and turns and some that combine all of the above. If you love speed, adrenaline or any thrilling experience, then a roller coaster should already be reason enough as to why amusement parks are awesome.

Snacks

The other typical image that comes with any amusement parks are the particular snacks that you get at every single one. No matter which amusement park you go to, each has iconic snacks that add to the whole experience of the day, which is why snacks are another reason that makes amusement parks so fun. You don’t need to go on rides to enjoy the hot dogs, or distinctive mickey mouse shaped treats or have a swig of butterbeer. If anything, you should go to the parks to experience the snacks because more often than not, they are tastes that you can only ever experience on the inside of those magical gates. All I can say though is be warned that everything usually tastes terrific and can be highly addictive – so that you know.

The ambience

There is just something about an amusement park that swallows you up and into the new world you are stepping into. The ambience that you usually feel in an amusement park is something, unlike anything you can feel anywhere else because everything around you is designed to absorb you in that magical feeling. People say that you can never describe that feeling when you walk through most gates, and that is because the ambience is pure magic and transports you out of the dull, ordinary world we live in and into a world that is all about fun, happiness and enjoyment. Why would you not want to go somewhere if you can experience that?

Great photo ops

Okay now, this might just be me, but I am a person who loves to take photos wherever I go so that I can look back and remember all of the happy memories. Amusement parks are filled with great photo opportunities, no matter where you look. Some of them are very touristy and cliched; others are just perfect in the moment, depending on what you are doing. The great thing about amusement parks is also that it never looks stupid to be taking pictures or to ask someone to take your picture because everyone else also wants to capture that moment. You’re spending the day in a little patch of magic, so at the very least you should take advantage of the great photo ops to remember it by.

Non-roller coaster rides

So I mentioned earlier that roller coasters are one thing that makes amusement parks amazing, but I forgot to mention that roller coasters aren’t the only rides there and these rides don’t take away from the awesome. They actually enhance it because you don’t need to enjoy adrenaline to love them. Non roller coaster rides are so awesome because they are a lot less ‘impactful’ (apart from bumper cars but I mean the warning for that ‘ride’ is in the name) and they also mean that you still get to experience the awesomeness of rides at an amusement park without the feeling of your heart falling through your shoes. Non roller coaster rides can be relaxed, but still tons of fun and you are still taking part in the experience (plus they are a lot more versatile in terms of who can go on them), so just because you don’t love roller coasters, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the rides at the park.

There is something for everyone

One of the reasons why amusement parks are always advertised as being great for the whole family isn’t some ploy or click bait variety to get you to spend lots of money – they use this line because it is actually true. No matter what your preconceptions are (that they are only for kids or adrenaline junkies), there are actually lots of things to do at most amusement parks that can satisfy the needs of everyone. There are, obviously, the different types of rides for those with varying tolerance (note that there are a lot of rides explicitly made for young children – they won’t miss out), but there are also lots of passive, relaxed activities for the whole family to enjoy. I can assure you that no matter what pushes your buttons, you will definitely find at least one thing to do at an amusement park that makes you smile.

Great exercise

Don’t laugh because I am serious. You wouldn’t think that spending a day on rides and eating ice cream can be good exercise, but anyone who has ever been to an amusement park will know how tired you feel at the end of the day. This is because you usually end up walking a lot farther than you expect in the park, sometimes several kilometres. You don’t notice it because you aren’t focused on how far you are going, just on all the fun things you can do. You also burn calories on the roller coasters themselves, and I know this sounds surprising, but studies have shown that all of the adrenaline, screaming and laughing does burn calories. (if you don’t believe me that laughing burns calories, then go check out my blog post: ). Now, this, for me, is a huge selling point – I get to have a fantastic day having fun and burn calories at the same time. How much more perfect can it get?

Contagious energy

This point ties in with ambience, but the reason why I left it separate is that they are a little different. One thing that makes amusement parks so amazing is the energy floating around – it is, for lack of a better word, contagious. As soon as you walk through the entrance, even if this isn’t your type of leisure activity, you can’t help but smile and let the fun sweep you up for the ride (that pun was definitely intended). I know this is true because I have watched it happen. People I’ve gone to theme parks with who don’t really want to be there and yet by the end of the day they are buzzing with energy and smiling from ear to ear. That is the beauty of amusement parks – they turn everyone into fans whether they want to be or not.

Good for bonding

My second last reason why amusement parks are so amazing is that they instigate great bonding with whoever you go with. There is all that time to bond when you are waiting in line, that shared experience of the rides together, and all in all, just being able to be swallowed by that fantastic energy as a group. You’d be hard pressed to find a better place to bond with people. For this I’d like to give you an example: I have bonded more with my family in amusement parks than anywhere else because apart from doing so many things together, we spend the rest of the time talking about those things and that creates a bond that is tricky to forge. It is excellent for bonding because you get to spend time with people having so much fun, but you also get to help people through fears (like fear of heights, roller coasters, crowds etc.) and that creates a connection that you will not break.

An excuse to be a kid

This, by far, has to be the best reason of all and I am speaking to the adults for this one. Just because we take kids to amusement parks, doesn’t mean we have to be the adults all the time. What is so amazing about amusement parks is that they enable us all to unleash our childish side and get in touch with that childlike sense of fun and wonder. What is also great is that there is nothing wrong with doing this – in fact, the parks encourage us to be kids and have fun and make the most of our opportunity to forget the world outside where we have to be responsible and just live in the magical moment. I think that too often we forget how amazing it is to be childlike and let go (yes that was a Frozen reference, deal with it) so I am more than thankful that there is a place in the world that not only encourages but gives us an excuse to do that.

From what you’ve seen above, I think you can definitely see that I am above and beyond an amusement park lover. In actual fact, my vacation of choice was a trip to Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. My point, though, is to show all of you why amusement parks are so amazing and why you should take the opportunity to go to one if you have the chance. I hope that after reading this blog, I have accomplished my goal and proven to all of you why these parks are so amazing (and perhaps convinced you that your next trip needs to be to an amusement park because check out all the cool things I’ve mentioned!). For my questions of the day:

• Do you have a favourite amusement park ride or snack?
• Do you have a favourite amusement park memory?

For me, my favourite ride has to be the big roller coasters (but the absolute favourite would either be the tower of terror or the manta at Seaworld, Orlando) and my favourite snack is the Harry Potter Butterbeer. It is just so good I could drink it all day! My favourite memory, I have two, and my first would be my first roller coaster ever at the age of 8 where my older brother forced me onto a ride through sibling rivalry, and even though I was furious at him, I loved it and never looked back. My second would be last December when my boyfriend and I spent hours walking around the parks taking pictures with our favourite characters. I have the pictures to prove it.

Thank you all so much for reading this blog post – I do hope that you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Again, I want to thank all of my readers and followers, my friends, family and boyfriend for your constant support. I couldn’t do this without you, and I love you all from the bottom of my nerdy heart.

Lots of Love

Blondey on a Mission xxx