Do you ever think you'll lose it?

I visited CP a couple of weeks ago and for some strange reason, I didn't get the "big bang" out of the whole amusement-park-thing that I usually get. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time at the park, got to ride a lot of great rides and do a lot of fun things, but I just didn't get the thrill like I did say this time last year.

It wasn't like I had any big things to get home to back here in KY. There may be one possible reason; I just bought a house (back in November) and this is the first time I actually left it for any length of time. Do ya' think that was it or am I losin' "it"? Has anyone else ever went through this?

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This ain't no book you can close, when the big light hits your eyes. Cropduster-Riot Act-Pearl Jam

I can see it now ......

Viagra for coaster enthusiasts.

I've been feeling that a bit lately having been to GAdv. 8 times in about as many weeks.

I' ve found that what can really add some spice to a trip is:
a) try new things - flats you haven't done, other smaller rides, games, DDR
b) go with new people - people that you don't always go with who will be excited about your local boomerang
c) go to a park with a different atmosphere. No matter how many times you go to a Six Flags, you'll still be wowed by a nice traditional family park (and vice versa).

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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"It's not a Toomer" - Arnold Schwartzenkoph
"Those who know don't talk and those who talk don't know." -Jeff

I can't agree more with Andy. I own CF & SF passes. Go to CP 8-10 times, WoA 2-3 times, and at least one or two other CF/ SF parks to attempt something new.
a) When at CP, I check the crowds. On a slow day, we ride all the biggies as much as we can. On a medium day we ride different flats and rides we don't normally do, when Mega crowded we see shows, walk, ride water rides and DRINK!!!
b) We make short 3-4 day coaster trips with family parks (Anything in PA, HW, IB, MiA, KW, CLP, HP, Rye, etc) in mind. A change in atmosphere sometimes makes your home park more wonderful than you can imagine. Example: our trip to PKI, LeSourdsville, SFKK, HW, IB last summer was ended by a day at CP with different faces. Cedar Point came alive again.
c) It's in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes just letting yourself go and enjoying your day off is all you need.
d) Ride hard and have fun, you'll get the flavor back.

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There's nothing like a woodie...

I "lost it" about 5-6 years ago. I just don't get as excited about coasters like I used to. I used to make sure I was at the gates when the park opened, and I wouldn't even think about leaving until closing. Now, I usually meander in about noon and leave at 7 or 8 o'clock.

I guess I'm just getting old (is 27 old?).

Although there was one time in the last 5-6 years that I felt like I was in high school again, running from coaster to coaster like a maniac and not wanting to leave when the park closed. That was my trip to Holiday World in 2001.

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A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.

There might be something to the getting old thing. I'm 34, and I find that after some combination of time in a park and rides on coasters, I reach my limit for how much more I can take. Example: yesterday at SFA, with 10-15 minute waits for S:ROS in the evening. I arrived at the park gates just shy of 4PM, and left at 8 despite a closing time of 9. No mas!

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http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~bnoble/

Ive noticed that since I have been to so many parks so many times, that I start to get bored easilly nowadays, perhaps I should scale my trips back or take different trips. I seem to have s much fun as always on rides like bumper cars and Flyers, since they are more "hands on", but when it comes to rides like M. Force or The Beast, I just don't get as excited as I used to. Heck, I wasent all that excited about my California trip last year, which was somewhat disappointing.

Perhaps there is too much of a good thing.

Sounds like you need help from 'Dr. Thrill'

I don't think you've lost it, it just sounds like you're 'growing up' (gasp).

I believe one of the keys to life is finding balance. Many coaster enthusiasts (surprise) are very NOT balanced. This is reflected in how they handle their personal lives as well as how they come across to the GP. Spending every possible moment on coasters at Six Flags is NOT balanced, no matter how much fun it might be.

I've definitely mellowed out in my approach to parks, but I still have a great time. I pretty much never ride any coaster more than twice in a day, whether the lines are short or not (Even SD2K), and when I've ridden every good coaster in a park once I usually call it a day. I pretty much never wait more than 30 minutes for any ride (I've been to SFGam twice in the last 2 years and still haven't ridden V2), and I never ride a coaster just for the credit on my TR. Well... nearly never. Does this make me less of an enthusiast? Yeah, by some people's accounts. Does this make me more balanced in my attitude towards parks? Definitely.

SO go easy on yourself, enjoy rides for what they are (An AMUSEMENT, not a life altering experience), and keep striving for balance.

I have to say though, I expect to throw all this crap about balance out the window in 3 days when I finally make it to SRM. I fully expect to be acting like a kid in love (with coasters) again, the way I felt two years ago when I first met Indiana Beach and CORNBALL.
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Maihama, Maihama Desu
*** This post was edited by ThemeDesigner 5/27/2003 11:05:36 AM ***

If you ever start getting *the blahs*, take a trip to a smaller down-home kind of park....Den's last paragraph was certainly indicative of *my* experiences....;)

edit: On a side note, SOME would say I *lost it* a loooonnnggg time ago...:)
*** This post was edited by rollergator 5/27/2003 11:38:12 AM ***

I made my first visit of the season to SFGAm on Sunday and I know exactly what you're talking about. Got there about 10:30 and by 3:00, I'd had more than enough - zero coasters, 4 flats, lunch and a season pass processed.

Moderate crowds, beautiful weather, a new coaster and ZERO enthusiasm on my part.

Fingers crossed that it was just an aberration as I've got too many park trips planned out for later in the summer, including the aforementioned Cornie.

Well, it certainly doesn't help to eat, sleep and breather amusement parks.

That said, I reached my peak in my mid to late 20's. That was when I couldn't get enough. I was an ACEer, subscribed to industry mags, went out of my way to go to parks, etc. In the last six to seven years I have dialed it back.

For one, I have responsibilities now like a wife, job, child, mortgage, etc. These things seem to take a priority. However, I took my little baby to WDW back in January. He is too young to appreciate it but I look forward to going to the parks again and seeing the excitement through the eyes of a child. I think that will give me a fresh enthusiasm for the industry.

wahoo hit the nail on the head. In high school and college, you have nothing better to do but go crazy over coasters. Once you get a spouse, career, pets, mortgage, car payments, kids, etc., you look at things with different eyes.

I probably will be very lucky if I hit the two nearest parks to my house this year (PKI and CP). I'm trying to plan a road trip to HW or KW but all my friends are busy just like me. But I *am* getting excited that I now have a 4-year-old nephew and a 7-year-old "fake" nephew (best friend's kid) who are getting interested in coasters.

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A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.

Agreed. It's about having balance...other hobbies...taking trips without a park visit. It's also about slowing down and enjoying parks at a more leisurely pace rather than trying to cram as much into a day -- or trip -- as possible.

My 12-day Con-Quest trip is packed full of parks and while we are on-the-go most of the time we have planned time to relax, late starts to the day where we can sleep in, etc. Plus I already know that the highlight of the trip will not be the parks but the people I'm travelling with.

mOOSH

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SRM -- May 30-31
Vegas -- June 7-9
ACE Con-Quest -- June 11-22

*** This post was edited by Mamoosh 5/27/2003 12:41:20 PM ***

I haven't lost it yet, but I can feel it coming. I went to SFWoA by myself opening day and once I had ridden everything once, I was ready to go - until I decided to take one last spin on X-Flight and I ended up re-riding everything at least twice and staying almost until closing. When I went to CP the first two times this year, Dragster's line just lulled me into the "blahs" and at that point, I had ridden the major 7 and I left by 6 both days (I was also there by 9 both days, something I had never done in the past - usually don't get there til 11 or 12 which could account for the early departure).

But, the last week, I went to Hershey with my best friend who's never been there before, I went to Kennywood with my girlfriend (we got together in the winter, so this was our first park) and I went to CP with her and her sister and brother in law this past weekend. All three were like new experiences to me. We didn't really marathon any of the coasters, but we did ride every coaster in every park and almost every flat at Kennywood and her enthusiasm and my friend's (who is in the band at Kennywood so was going nuts for the juggling "stomp" band at Hershey) it made all three parks seem special again, whereas if I had gone with my Dad or by myself, I probably would have ridden all the major coasters, maybe a few minors and left.

And although this is scary to admit, I am looking forward to having a kid of my own to take around the parks and get into coasters. I know that I'll probably get into a part of my life in the next 4 or 5 years where I won't get to do every weekend for a few years - until I have a thrill-seeking 6 or 7 year old to make it all worth it again!

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"You know we got a good thing goin and I don't wanna see it end" --Reel Big Fish
-- Brett
*** This post was edited by PittDesigner 5/27/2003 12:40:57 PM ***

Yeah, kids are a great way to renew your interest in parks. For example, CP has a medium-to-small whip (Peanuts 500) that I absolutely love riding with my kids (4 and 2 years old) because they laugh uncontrollably going around the corners. That gets me to laughing uncontrollably. It doesn't get any better than that.

They don't even have to be my kids. I was on Two-Face at SFA yesterday sitting across from (and looking directly at) a girl who was probably 7 or 8. She was alternately terrified and giddily happy. It made the ride much more fun for me.

In fact, I rode with a lot of youngsters yesterday, and had a good time feeling young again. Though I did feel old thanks to the group of kids in their late teens who kept calling me "sir", albeit affectionately.

There are a few rides in parks I try to always hit: the carousel, the gas-powered antique cars, and nearly anything that circles gently (or even not that gently) in the air. I also try to catch at least a show or two, just to take in the atmosphere.

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http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~bnoble/

I will say something else. As I grow older I have found that I can go to parks a spend all day without riding one ride and still have a good time. I do this up at Disney quite a bit these days. Admittedly, I don't pay to get in so I don't feel ripped off but I remember being younger and just racing from ride to ride without taking a breath or enjoying the other aspects of the parks like shows, shops, landscaping, etc.

What is the old saying... "Familiarity breeds contempt"?

I have two plans of attack when I go to parks.

a) a new park or a park I do not visit very often: Hit every coaster at least once... preferably twice. With very few exceptions I do not "marathon" ride (and even my marathon riding would be mild for some... max was 11 rides on Conneaut Lake's Blue Streak). Ride one coaster once, or perhaps twice if the line is short, and then move on. Take in the scenery along the way and jump on any unusual flat rides. Log Flumes, Carrousels, Ferris Wheels, Dark Rides, and Bumper Cars are also a "must". Don't wander aimlessly, but simply do not run from one ride to the next. IF the coaster selection is small, I may hit a coaster a few times. However, I do not stay until closing just for the pure sake of it. Last year at Kennywood we arrived at opening, and left around 6:30pm. I did not feel the need to stay until they kicked us out.

b) (and most importantly) at parks that I visit often (namely Hersheypark and Knoebels), I either arrive later in the day and stay to closing, or arrive at opening and stay until I have had my fill. With season passes at Hershey, I don't feel the need to ride every thing every time I am there. I find that it is mainly a many short visits as opposed to a few (or in some cases Many) long visits. Take time to look around... take time to just walk around and take it at a relaxing pace. I go to parks for the fun of it... I don't need the pressure of a tight schedule. Also... no marathon riding. I would rather ride a coaster once or twice during each of 5 visits rather than ride it 10 times during one visit. Knoebels is great for this... go there, buy a book of tickets and ride until the tickets are gone and then go home.

Bottom line... make the visits fun and / or relaxing. I had to laugh at a post I read sometime ago where a person was worried that they were becoming bored with coasters... "[insert coaster name here] just doesn't seem exciting anymore... after riding it 37 times this past weekend I found myself getting kind of bored." No kidding? Ya' think? Visit the same park every week for an entire season and you will undoubtedly become bored with it. When park visits are an escape they are fun... when they are a routine they can become quite dull.
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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"

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Mamoosh said:
Plus I already know that the highlight of the trip will not be the parks but the people I'm travelling with.

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Aww. :)

Oh that's right...you'll be on the trip. Well, I guess it shows there's always an exception ;)

mOOSH - expecting retaliation soon

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SRM -- May 30-31
Vegas -- June 7-9
ACE Con-Quest -- June 11-22

Yeah dawn....we'll have a good time despite mOOSH...

...retaliation is served...:)

bill, may have *lost it* in some respects, but I've still*got it* in others...;)