The life of
a theme park enthusiast is a hard one, full of first world problems and people
moaning about complete non-issues. I always feel like my privilege is showing
when I write pieces like this, but hey, I guess my life is pretty privileged
and I can only write from personal experience! So, theme park fatigue then –
what the heck is it? For me, it’s that time when you take a step back and
realise that maybe, just maybe, you’ve been spending a little bit too much time
at the parks – so much so that you’ve immunised yourself to the magic and
excitement and honestly for me that just won’t do. A big part of why I love
this hobby is the fun I get out of visiting parks, and honestly if that ever
went away there’d be no reason to spend the amount of time and cash I do on it!
So, heed my warning and always be on the lookout, here are six signs you’re
suffering from the fateful Theme Park Fatigue.
You Can’t
Remember The Last Coaster You Went On
I get it –
there’s another end of the spectrum here where it’s been just so long since you
last visited a park that you genuinely don’t remember the last thing you rode.
And man, I feel for you, but I’m talking about the opposite. Have you ever
visited so many parks within a short space of time that they’ve all just blended
together and you can’t get it straight in your head what you went on on what
day and in what park? This sort of thing is particularly true of the big
American road trips I’ve done in the past – particularly ones with a bunch of
Six Flags parks on the agenda. They’re so similar and all have such similar
names that your brain just plumps them altogether into a giant mass of coaster
goodness.
You Can’t
Remember The Last Free Weekend You Had
It’s
mid-season and you’re once again comparing calendars with your non-coaster
friends, trying to lock down a date where you aren’t visiting your local park
for the umpteenth time this year. You can’t help it, you’re a planner, and I
feel that. But when you get to the point where you’re looking back over the
months and genuinely can’t remember the last Saturday you spent in your pants
binge-watching Netflx and wishing you were at a theme park then we’re starting
to get an issue on our hands. Remember, it’s OK to take time off. Self-care is
vital. And I promise you, the one weekend you do choose to not spend at a park
will just get you all the more excited for the next!
Your Diet
Mainly Consists of Pizza/Pasta Buffet
Or similar.
Yh, I’m very guilty of this. I’m so, so bad at adulting, and visiting parks is
a great excuse to cover up the fact that I rarely cook anything for myself. If
I’m not stacking my plate at a pizza/pasta buffet at least three times a month
I’m not happy. My body and my skin are though! When I find myself feeling
bloating and wondering why I feel so sluggish and gross all the time, I can
usually blame it on a poor diet of not-so-healthy-but-oh-so-delicious theme
park food. It’s just so tasty I can’t help myself!
You Can’t
Tell Theming From Reality
Urgh, I’m
so bad for this one. When you visit as many parks as I do you get accustomed to
taking in magnificent sights in the form of awesome theming. So much so that it
can get to the point where any time you see something awesome your brain tends
to automatically register this under the ‘immersive theming’ tab, and therefore
the awe is slightly dulled. Case in point – the castle in Buda. I distinctly
remember walking around that and being so impressed, but all the time thinking
‘ooh, this looks like Disneyland’. NO BRAIN! STOP IT! This is actually the real
thing, which makes it so much better on every level.
You
Actually Look Forward To A Non-Park Day
Now this
for me is when I know I’ve been hitting it a little too hard. I’m exhausted, my
step count is off the chart, I have no money in my bank account and all I’m
looking forward to is a lie-in, a long bath and theme park YouTube videos
playing on a loop in the background. When I look at my calendar at a weekend
and see a glorious halo-ed blank white square staring back at me, filled with
the opportunity to fill it by doing sweet FA.
You Don’t
Get Excited Any More
And this is
the worst one. When you’ve hit it so hard that the magic is fully drained and
it feels more like a chore than a fun day out. At this point, you’ve hit rock
bottom and are experiencing symptoms of full blown Theme Park Fatigue. If the
entrance music to your local parks doesn’t get those butterflies of excitement
going, if the thought of spending your day riding coasters and eating crap
doesn’t fill you with joy, then it’s time to take a step back. Don’t burn
yourself out, it’s all good!
If you’re
reading this and experiencing any of these symptoms yourself, then I extend my
deepest condolences. But, there is hope yet! Follow my advice – take regular
breaks when needed, schedule in some down time and regularly take a step back
to ensure the fun is still there and you’ll be sure to keep those symptoms at
bay – you got this!
Talk later xoxo,
0 comments