Summer Job at a park (SFA)

Hello everyone! Recently I began considering summer job opportunities, and naturally working at a park came to mind. For those that have experience or are knowledgeable, I have a few questions. As some background, I'm finishing my junior year of high school and my closest "major" park is Six Flags America (residence in northern VA, about a 40 minute drive). Pay is not a huge issue for me, I'm looking for a unique summer job experience. However, I'm not just looking to slack off while getting paid.

-Have any of you worked at SFA? How was your experience? I had a friend who worked at the ticket booths and hated it.

-What is the general work experience for relatively major park, particularly in the rides department?

-Any other tips/info for me?

I'm willing to work away from home, but SFA is an option as well. Kings Dominion is too far to drive from home for me. I can work from the end of June until the beginning of August away from home, or through August if I stay at home.

Thanks for taking the time to read, really any information is appreciated!

*edit: last resort, I have some family that's about 15 mins from Great Adventure. Is that a particularly good place to work that I should dedicate a summer there? I really enjoy that park, but if SFa is a similar experience I'd rather stay home.

Hi there!

I have not worked at SFA (or any six flags park), so I can't really tell you how that is. However, I've worked in parks for the last 8 years, so hopefully I can give you some advice.

1. Pick a department that allows positive guest interaction, and working as a team. Common complaints I've heard about working admissions at other parks is that you're alone in a booth or at a turnstile a lot, and you have to deal with a lot of concerns over ticket price, enforcing dress code and outside food/beverage policies, etc. If you want something fairly easy-going, pick rides or merchandise. If you're up for something a bit more intense and unpredictable, pick Foods.

2. Of the departments I've worked in, I've had the most fun in rides. While you do need to be efficient and ensure that your attraction is being operated exactly as trained, the crowd levels will not impact you as directly as they will in Foods.

A typical day (if opening shift) started with sweeping and cleaning the ride area, re-setting the queue, and performing an opening inspection (typically making sure nothing is damaged, all informative signs are clear and readable, and that things are in working order). You will likely perform test cycles of your ride before opening for the day.

Most rides will have a rotation set in place. You will usually rotate throughout the various positions on a fairly frequent basis (typically on the hour). This keeps things fresh and allows you to do different things during your shift. Generally, your responsibilities include making sure guests are qualified to ride (checking heights and other physical requirements), operating the attraction efficiently and following procedure to the letter, ensuring safe operation by enforcing rules and observing the ride during its cycle, managing guest assistance/special access passes, and providing friendly, professional service.

3. I would recommend working closer to home. At seasonal parks, a big factor in hiring is availability. Being able to work further into August will help you.

4. Be positive! Know that working in any service/hospitality industry has its challenges, but try to make the most of your time there. Working at a park is a great opportunity to be a part of what is likely a very special day for your guests. While you will probably run into some very negative people (guests and employees) who constantly complain, don't let them steal the joy out of the great parts of the job. It truly is what you make it.

Best of luck!

Don't do it. Honestly, the majority of theme park fans make terrible theme park workers because it's too hard to separate the fanboy from the worker.

I would love to help you out with the last two questions as I have experience with two parks, one very large one very small, but none of those are Six Flags America.

-What is the general work experience for relatively major park, particularly in the rides department?

Rides Department is arguably one of the most rigorous departments for front line employees.

Guests come to parks for the rides and attractions, so your actions will be under the microscope from everyone from management to guests. Your patience will be tested, and you will must be able to not only take but improve from negative feedback. Be a good listener to guests, coworkers, and managers as everything you take in will help your perform better.

In terms of guests, you need to be empathetic to their situation. Interact and provide service to every guest as if they have never been to your park or any park. You can't work with an enthusiast assumption of what should be "obvious" for guests to know, or you will be looked upon as arrogant and rude. Be helpful and always understand that patience is more important than interval, as neither guests or employees are machines.

In terms of working conditions rides will test you physically and mentally. You need to be able to work swiftly on your feet in very hot and sometimes non-shaded conditions for a long period of time. Even worse than the heat, you need to be prepared to withstand being outside in heavy rain or unseasonably cold conditions as any kind of extreme weather will test your ability to focus, concentrate, and provide good guest service.

-Any other tips/info for me?

It is okay to be an enthusiast who works for a park (I am one of them). However, make sure you drop your enthusiast hat off at the front gate to the park when you arrive to work each day. Understand that just because you might know a lot of background on the rides or the park in general, it does not always mean you are automatically the best park employee.

Ask a lot of relevant questions at appropriate times. You will be amazed by the "real story" of why things are operated in a certain way. You will come away with a better appreciation for the industry.

2. Of the departments I've worked in, I've had the most fun in rides. While you do need to be efficient and ensure that your attraction is being operated exactly as trained, the crowd levels will not impact you as directly as they will in Foods.

A typical day (if opening shift) started with sweeping and cleaning the ride area, re-setting the queue, and performing an opening inspection (typically making sure nothing is damaged, all informative signs are clear and readable, and that things are in working order). You will likely perform test cycles of your ride before opening for the day.

 

Most rides will have a rotation set in place. You will usually rotate throughout the various positions on a fairly frequent basis (typically on the hour). This keeps things fresh and allows you to do different things during your shift. Generally, your responsibilities include making sure guests are qualified to ride (checking heights and other physical requirements), operating the attraction efficiently and following procedure to the letter, ensuring safe operation by enforcing rules and observing the ride during its cycle, managing guest assistance/special access passes, and providing friendly, professional service.

Thanks for all this. I am looking at working in rides, and I think I'm up for the challenge if it goes that way.

Don't do it. Honestly, the majority of theme park fans make terrible theme park workers because it's too hard to separate the fanboy from the worker.

Hmm. With all due respect, I don't know that I got anything out of this comment. A "fanboy" is probably the last word I would use to describe my situation. I'm looking for a summer job before college, and I don't want to be bored out of my mind. I find joy in amusement parks and roller coasters, so I don't see how a passion for a hobby would make me a bad employee.

I would love to help you out with the last two questions as I have experience with two parks, one very large one very small, but none of those are Six Flags America.

 

-What is the general work experience for relatively major park, particularly in the rides department?

 

Rides Department is arguably one of the most rigorous departments for front line employees.

 

Guests come to parks for the rides and attractions, so your actions will be under the microscope from everyone from management to guests. Your patience will be tested, and you will must be able to not only take but improve from negative feedback. Be a good listener to guests, coworkers, and managers as everything you take in will help your perform better.

 

In terms of guests, you need to be empathetic to their situation. Interact and provide service to every guest as if they have never been to your park or any park. You can't work with an enthusiast assumption of what should be "obvious" for guests to know, or you will be looked upon as arrogant and rude. Be helpful and always understand that patience is more important than interval, as neither guests or employees are machines.

 

In terms of working conditions rides will test you physically and mentally. You need to be able to work swiftly on your feet in very hot and sometimes non-shaded conditions for a long period of time. Even worse than the heat, you need to be prepared to withstand being outside in heavy rain or unseasonably cold conditions as any kind of extreme weather will test your ability to focus, concentrate, and provide good guest service.

 

-Any other tips/info for me?

 

It is okay to be an enthusiast who works for a park (I am one of them). However, make sure you drop your enthusiast hat off at the front gate to the park when you arrive to work each day. Understand that just because you might know a lot of background on the rides or the park in general, it does not always mean you are automatically the best park employee.

 

Ask a lot of relevant questions at appropriate times. You will be amazed by the "real story" of why things are operated in a certain way. You will come away with a better appreciation for the industry.

Greatly appreciated. As a general rule, I don't talk about theme parks or roller coasters unless someone asks, so I'm not worried about going in with an attitude that I know everything. I don't know anything about operating a park and I don't pretend to, but I would like to know more, which would come from working at one. As with any first "real" job, I would be starting from scratch, so I would do my best to learn the trade and ask questions. As for the working conditions, thanks for letting me know. Not a major concern for me, but I appreciate knowing what I'm in for. SFA in particular, although the summers aren't "unbearable," lacks trees/shade.

You find joy until you are working long hours for minimum wage, dealing with all sorts of terrible people, doing actual hard work like cleaning vomit/picking up trash for long periods of time without a break, dealing with terrible managers, etc.

I'm just being honest in warning you that it is FAR from the perfect summer job. You sound like your mind is made up, so I hope you make the best of it. You will meet lots of coworkers, some of which may become lovers or lifelong friends and you can still have a good time if your coworkers are fun, but...

I've worked in rides and admissions/parking departments at a park for 3 years. Some days rides was great but other days it was terrible. On the other hand I've loved working in admissions/parking just about everyday. Many of my employees seem to enjoy it as well, but operations can differ from park to park.

Another key point is that unless your 18 you won't be able to operate the majority of rides depending on state and company policy. If you're under 18 and hired to work rides you can only attend (which means not press any buttons.. just check restraints and signal clear) or work in kiddie rides. Foods usually has a lot of positions for under 18 years old but that can be a rough department to work in as it tends to get really hot in those stands, a lot of them are cramped, etc.

I can also tell you from experience that no matter where you work you will have to deal with complaints. Admissions it will be what someone listed above. Rides will be parents who is upset their kid isn't tall enough to ride or that a ride is closed. Foods will be food that isn't hot or the guest doesn't like it. Its a hospitality field so avoiding hearing at least 1 complaint daily is pretty unlikely.

The one thing that is really awesome about working in a park I found is that if you prove yourself to be a good employee you can move up into a leadership role in only a year or two. If that's something you are interested in, it can be great opportunity as you will have a pretty decent job to return to season after season and being able to not have to work while going to school/college.

Don't do it. Honestly, the majority of theme park fans make terrible theme park workers because it's too hard to separate the fanboy from the worker.

Hmm. With all due respect, I don't know that I got anything out of this comment. A "fanboy" is probably the last word I would use to describe my situation. I'm looking for a summer job before college, and I don't want to be bored out of my mind. I find joy in amusement parks and roller coasters, so I don't see how a passion for a hobby would make me a bad employee.

What's funny is that this is actually the best advice I've read. I have been in this business a very long time, and I also started as a "fanboy" and then turned cast member.

Joey is 100% correct and his comments are the most honest I've seen. Most "fanboys" (sorry, but this is what you are if you are posting to this forum) have a VERY hard time separating the business side of things from the "fun" side that the guest sees. In fact, some of the things you will encounter as being a park employee may very well put you off from parks the rest of your life. (just being honest)

I have seen more "fanboys" go to work in parks and then leave after a short amount of time than I have seen them stick around. That being said, most of the people I know who ended up making a career out of parks (and you CAN make a very good career out of it if you're good at playing the game) started out as a "summer job" and loved the business side of it. I started working at parks when I was 18 and I'm STILL in this industry, but I also love the business side of it, and it's not for everyone.

The business side of parks and the fun side are VERY VERY different. Just be prepared for that.

If you're going to go as far as to call yourself a fanboy, it can be somewhat nice working at a park. It's awesome when people are generally enthusiastic about what they're doing and happy to be at the park 60 hours a week, but remember, you're probably not going to get hired just because you like coasters. And you aren't being hired to provide a steady stream of knowledge to everyone within earshot about each and every park and coaster you know some piece of information about.

The business side of parks and the fun side are VERY VERY different. Just be prepared for that.

Thank you Robb for summing up exactly what I meant. When you mix your passion with business, your patience and how much you REALLY love theme parks definitely gets tested. It's not as simple as "I love theme parks, so it makes sense for me to work at a theme park!"

To be honest, you're not really going to learn much about the business as a entry level team member either. Your role is to be on the front lines---you don't have budgets, breaks, ordering supplies, or any other management function to worry about.

Joey is right, but a little pessimistic. But here are some reasons why it is hard to be a fanboy.

-If you're unlucky, half or more of your coworkers will not care. They will try to check their cell phones at inappropriate times, they will not check seatbelts quickly, they won't bother to check the temperatures on hot dogs before serving them, they will run one train with a 50 minute wait, they will give terrible directions to Superman or Apocalypse because they've never actually been over there to ride them...etc. This is a low-paying job attracting many low-wage workers AND the business decisions are all made for you already.

-You will hear the EXACT same questions and deal with the same guest interactions repetitively, every single day. You will hear the exact same music on loop every shift. You probably will be stuck at one burger joint in the park for every shift you have, rarely roaming around, and you will have to walk 10 minutes from your car to get to that shack every day. You are limited in what you can do and learn in the lowest level postion. You're not visiting the park, the guest is. You are facilitating 1/20th of their experience at most (but with the opportunity to be the best part of their day). You will hear complaints, complaints, complaints and you may not have the managers or service expectations in place to back you up and provide for the guest.

-You're also lucky to get long hours if you do get them. Parks have to keep labor cheap and usually pay little in benefits. Parks also need you to work all of the holidays and weekends you can. It will also be summer, so many jobs will be outdoors or in non-conditioned places.

-It will ruin some of the magic and fun. It just does, when you know how something works and you go to another park in the future you will be less impressed by that thing or annoyed at how that park is running it in some way.

So those things. Now if you are the type who can rise above; be joyous, dedicated to perfection and productivity in your work, and extremely safe in every aspect of what you do...YOU WILL BE NOTICED and you can be promoted in the future. Turnover is vast at parks and you can rise simply by being great at your job. Do consider the difference between a static-location theme park and a business that opens a new store somewhere in the country each week.

My advice if you do work in the park is to stay positive every single day and find the managers and leaders who are willing to coach,mentor, do anything to help you and advance your career. Get trained on something before you leave, offer to help in another location. Be open.

Joey is right, but a little pessimistic.

Which totally sums up Joey! lol

My advice if you do work in the park is to stay positive every single day and find the managers and leaders who are willing to coach,mentor, do anything to help you and advance your career. Get trained on something before you leave, offer to help in another location. Be open.

And this is actually very good advice.

I appreciate the honesty here guys, thank you.

So from what I'm gathering, it sounds like there are two sides to this.

On one hand, the business side might turn me off from the "fun" side of parks, and I'm going in to it just because I think I could have fun being at a park, when in reality it is overly repetitive work that I am severely limited in advancing in due to the job itself and being 17 years old. Combine that with minimum wage and a potentially frustrating/difficult work environment, and it would simply be a waste of time.

On the other hand, everybody has to start somewhere. Not saying I'll settle with a career in the industry at all, but this would be where to start out and gain some knowledge/understanding of the business side and dealing with people and work in general. If I make the best of it, work hard, and go in with a good attitude, who knows where I might end up. It could be a great way to start off, regardless if I continue the job the following summers.

These are some good points, and I appreciate you guys want me to make an informed decision. In response to some of these, the minimum pay is not a huge deal to me. I'm 17, I don't pay my own bills (obviously I will eventually). I don't believe, however, that working at a park would turn me off from the "fun" side of parks otherwise. I've been to SFA many times, and I can see that most employees don't look all that enthusiastic about their job. It does kind of turn me off. But when I see the opposite end of the spectrum; the enthusiasm and the magic at other parks like Cedar Point, for example, my enthusiasm is through the roof.

At the end of the day, I'm an enthusiast looking for a summer job. If working around my hobby is not a sound decision, then I won't do it. Not a huge deal. If working in the rides department isn't worth the time you have to put in and you don't get much out of it, maybe it isn't worth the 45+ minute drive to the park every however many days a week I work for $7.25/hour.

That being said, I haven't made any sort of decision on this. I see the cons, I see potential pros. What it sounds like to me is there are more cons to this job relative to other entry level summer jobs that would be less of a pain and less strenuous. If you all think this is the case, there we go. I'll enjoy my time in parks taking in the rides and the atmosphere, not checking restraints.

That does sound like me!

I am also still mentally scarred from my first job at a Six Flags park...

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You won't believe how many people at SFSTL consider working there an addiction. They love it in the beginning, in the middle they start wearing down, the end they want it to be over, but during the off season those same people are posting on Facebook how they miss it.

Haha, this is exactly how it is at the first park I worked for. We were all ready for it to be done, but within a month we were counting down the days 'til the beginning of the next season.

Since this conversation as escalated with a wide variety of opinions and experiences, I would like to expand on my opinion about enthusiasts/fanboys working for parks. As someone who interviews, hires, and manages park employees, this is from my experience.

Unlike young job-seekers who seek out amusement parks for a seasonal position that gives ample hours and want an upbeat environment (this is a typical response in the interviews of why they are applying for a park), fanboys come in with a whole different perspective.

Many fanboys want to come into parks and "take over" operations to try to align them with unrealistic expectations. For example, a fanboy will read a ride manual and see a theoretical capacity of 1,000 riders per hour. If the ride is only doing 800 riders per hour, they become upset, rude to guests they perceive as slow, or criticize coworkers they see as slow. A fanboy will become upset that a few ride lights are burnt out or some paint is chipped, but they never have thought once about how maintenance has far more important priorities that will come before paint and lights (which usually are a harder task than most think). A fanboy will accuse park workers of being lazy for one train operation when they have no clue the real reason why one train operation is occurring (or they don't understand that front line employees rarely have an opionion on the number of trains to operate). Basically, a fanboy will often become the chronic complainer who criticizes everything they do not see as perfect, but they will never consider the time and resource constraints parks are forced to operate within.

Now it is not impossible for a fanboy to have a great experience working for a park. My industry network of friends and connections is full of people I would consider enthusiasts to some degree. However, each one of them was eager to learn the business aspects of the industry. If an enthusiast or fanboy is not willing to learn and understand why a park operates how it does, they will not have a great experience. Coming in with an expectation of being the savior who sprints every train checking restraints and is always hitting interval during multiple train operation is a recipe for disaster.

As for the not caring part.

-If you're unlucky, half or more of your coworkers will not care. They will try to check their cell phones at inappropriate times, they will not check seatbelts quickly, they won't bother to check the temperatures on hot dogs before serving them, they will run one train with a 50 minute wait, they will give terrible directions to Superman or Apocalypse because they've never actually been over there to ride them...etc. This is a low-paying job attracting many low-wage workers AND the business decisions are all made for you already.

Partially true. There will be a handful of people who just hate life and do not care. BUT, the reality is that far more than half of park employees care about their work. I'm willing to bet the work ethic of these less desirable employees doesn't improve no matter what job they hold. And for the last time, front line employees hardly ever decide how many trains to operate, so please erase this assumption from your mind.

Your patience will be tested.

Couldn't have said it any better. As a RO, here's a little insight. Patience is a must and being able to work under pressure is invaluable. You'll deal with unreasonable guests and some co workers who are always being pessimistic. Slow days will have you really bored. Minimal hours during the slow season combined with minimum wage may make it seem like it's not worth working, unless you're fully available then it'll probably be a different story (even then, management may not be the best) Paychecks will be decent especially for someone with no bills to pay (even so, I'm still able to pay for rent and still have money to blow)

From my personal experience of working at a theme park, particularly the rides department, it's a fun job to have and I quite thoroughly enjoy it. Be open minded, friendly, and don't be afraid to meet new people and communicate! You meet amazing people and build relationships with your fellow RO's, team leads, supervisors and or even guests ( which is always a good thing). You learn valuable skills to carry forward with you. Benefits are nice but not great; for example free entrance to the park (with Cedar Fair you get free entrance to all Cedar Fair parks), discounts on food and merch, etc. I love my co workers/team leads/supervisors and I love the park I work at and I feel like it makes work not really seem like work. IMO you just have to be a glass half full kind of person to really enjoy working at a theme park because all the good outweighs the bad.

As with any job you still need to take work very seriously. One little mistake will cost you your job, especially as a RO. Discipline and Integrity are important as are all company policies. If you're good, you can make team lead in as little as five to six months of working. One of the guys in management here at Knott's started off as a janitor and now he's at the top. Even if you don't want to make a career out of the amusement park industry, just go for it. As a summer job it'll be good because summer days will always be busier and hours will be guaranteed. You're on the east coast so it'll never be as hot as Southern California so you have that going for ya Other than that, you'll honestly probably find yourself staying past summer because holiday seasons are always fun to work. Especially haunt.

Basically, a fanboy will often become the chronic complainer who criticizes everything they do not see as perfect, but they will never consider the time and resource constraints parks are forced to operate within.

Well, that sums up most fanboys!

I have never worked for a theme park, but what I think a park, much like any business where the public is dealt with is "customer service skills."

I think a "fanboy" working a theme park will at least be able to be enthusiastic about where they are (when not cleaning the trash, vomit, etc.)

I cannot think of anything more boring than "clothes" but I'm sure someone who is passionate about clothing and fashion related trends is going show enthusiasm in a retail store when there is a baseline interest. A coaster "fanboy" is likely going to be more successful as a ride op than someone who has zero interest in theme parks. My take FWIW.

This has all been very enlightening. Joey and Robb touched on some points that were exactly what makes me feel hesitant to work for a park. There was once when I went to my home park with a previous employee and hearing all the behind-the-scenes stuff took a little of the magic away from my experience. I applied this summer for a summer camp job at Busch Gardens which seemed a little more up my alley than working in the rides department, but I might do something else this summer even if I get that job. At this point, I think the only job I'd want at a park would be working with animals at an animal park, or possibly working in the higher ups and using my degrees.

How hard is it to get a job in corporate? And do you guys think that would still take away a lot of the magic or would it be more bearable?

This has all been very enlightening. Joey and Robb touched on some points that were exactly what makes me feel hesitant to work for a park. There was once when I went to my home park with a previous employee and hearing all the behind-the-scenes stuff took a little of the magic away from my experience. I applied this summer for a summer camp job at Busch Gardens which seemed a little more up my alley than working in the rides department, but I might do something else this summer even if I get that job. At this point, I think the only job I'd want at a park would be working with animals at an animal park, or possibly working in the higher ups and using my degrees.

 

How hard is it to get a job in corporate? And do you guys think that would still take away a lot of the magic or would it be more bearable?

I've worked both front line and corporate (internship) at a major theme park company. I'd say the answer to your question completely depends on your definition of the "magic". I think that by working a front-line job, what happens is you get sick of the place you love...you begin associating your "fun" place with working. That's not necessarily bad if you enjoy your front-line job. I hated one of them (food service) and loved the other one (merchandise). Therefore, on my off time a lot of the enjoyment was taken out of walking through the park in the location I worked in for food, but walking through where I worked at for merch is actually more fun since I know and love the employees there.

At corporate, it's much different. You're not working IN the park so when you're riding rides in your free time you dont necessarily start dreading your next shift by doing so. But, you start looking at the parks very differently. You're looking at it not just as a business but as YOUR business. You know there's a reason for everything in the park. You see the budget cuts. You know the big picture problems. You also see the big-picture successes, which can ruin the surprise of future developments.

All in all, I loved working both merch and corporate, and I still love visiting the park in my free time. But it's a much different type of enjoyment, and this varies further based on your position.

I would say that depends on what job you are looking for. Theme parks are notorious for hiring from within.

This has all been very enlightening. Joey and Robb touched on some points that were exactly what makes me feel hesitant to work for a park. There was once when I went to my home park with a previous employee and hearing all the behind-the-scenes stuff took a little of the magic away from my experience. I applied this summer for a summer camp job at Busch Gardens which seemed a little more up my alley than working in the rides department, but I might do something else this summer even if I get that job. At this point, I think the only job I'd want at a park would be working with animals at an animal park, or possibly working in the higher ups and using my degrees.

 

How hard is it to get a job in corporate? And do you guys think that would still take away a lot of the magic or would it be more bearable?

I don't know about corporate but even just in a leadership position at a park (ie. manager, supervisor, etc.) will change some of the magic because you start evaluating the operations as you wait in line, ride the rides, walk through the park, etc. You'll spot things like incorrect uniforms (for example. maybe just an untucked shirt) and notice other things that are being done incorrectly more often. I'm still able to go to the park I work at and other parks and have fun, but I'm also usually going with other people who I work with. If I went with a non-employee friend I would probably annoy them by noticing all the little things.

Hello everyone! Recently I began considering summer job opportunities, and naturally working at a park came to mind. For those that have experience or are knowledgeable, I have a few questions. As some background, I'm finishing my junior year of high school and my closest "major" park is Six Flags America (residence in northern VA, about a 40 minute drive). Pay is not a huge issue for me, I'm looking for a unique summer job experience. However, I'm not just looking to slack off while getting paid.

 

-Have any of you worked at SFA? How was your experience? I had a friend who worked at the ticket booths and hated it.

-What is the general work experience for relatively major park, particularly in the rides department?

-Any other tips/info for me?

 

I'm willing to work away from home, but SFA is an option as well. Kings Dominion is too far to drive from home for me. I can work from the end of June until the beginning of August away from home, or through August if I stay at home.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read, really any information is appreciated!

 

*edit: last resort, I have some family that's about 15 mins from Great Adventure. Is that a particularly good place to work that I should dedicate a summer there? I really enjoy that park, but if SFa is a similar experience I'd rather stay home.

I'll add my input to this as well.

Like a lot of the others said in similar words, it's a very different world going from being a guest at the park to being an employee of the park. To also reiterate, going from a "fanboy" perspective to an employee perspective can be really tough. Its not always fun and games.

1) If you are determined then 40 minutes is doable, I lived an hour and 30 minutes from Six Flags Over Georgia and drove it every day to work and back home. I actually lived in a separate state than Georgia. I lived in Alabama while working in Georgia. You may not make a ton of money, but if that not the concern then its not the bad part. I made just enough money for gas and food. I literally saved no money nor had discretionary income to spend on myself, but with that being said, it was not about money for me, it was about experience and beginning to build my career and build relationships in the industry.

2) Pick a department you have a true passion about. Ride/Park Operations are my areas of passion. Its what I am working to build a career in and automatically what I knew I wanted to do when I worked in my first park. Keep in mind that rides departments are very very cut throat. Like someone else said, amusement parks are about the rides. Nobody comes to the parks to eat the food or just play the games. It's about the rides. You WILL be under intense scrutiny from all levels of management from leads to direct supervisors, and all the way up to the GM making sure you are on point each day. Building on that, it can be very difficult to move up in the rides department. I was promoted to lead shortly after opening day of my second season at SFOG, but I fought very very VERY hard for that lead spot and had guidance from a supervisor. If you want to move up, you will be competing to prove yourself against at least one if not multiple in-charge team members from very likely each ride in the park. In my case, the first round of promotions came along and someone else was chosen for the lead spot at my ride although I knew the ride forwards and backwards and could operate it in my sleep. If you move up, the scrutiny will get even more intense. Things your team members do can fall back on you. It's very rewarding but can be very hectic and stressful.

3) If its like SFOG, you can expect to work from 45 minutes prior to your location in the park opening until sometimes up to an hour or more after closing. This can constitute for very long days. We once had an area Lead and In-charge meeting that lasted until 11pm. The park closed at 9 that night. I can count on two hands if not one the times that I worked an actual shift and not from before open to after close. Paired with that, you can expect a wide range of weather, from rain which can leave you soaking wet, to heat which will have you wanting nothing more than to go inside.

4) Guests are definitely not always easy to get along with. Everyone on this site would be easy to deal with because they all know the ins and outs of rides, know whats okay and whats not, and in addition know if someone tells them rules that its for a good reason. Not everyone is like the good ole folks on this site though. They wont understand, they will argue, they will cuss you out, and you will hate it. I once had a train held up in a station for 15 minutes (with a loaded train behind it just waiting) because a lady refused to take her bag off which was not allowed on the ride. In those situations you have to be prepared to stand up to guests politely, but sternly explain the rules and not get your behind handed to you by a guest and not get yourself in trouble because you didnt enforce rules. Supervisors are not always readily available to help with these kinds of situations.

5) You don't have to have prior experience to work in the rides department. You will be trained for your position/location. On the other hand, if you want to move up, you will have to earn experience within the property. You will first have to hold an in-charge team member position and be an assistant to a lead. If you want to move up, the work you do while you are an in-charge will be extremely picked apart and looked at each moment of every day.

6) In my opinion, leads have it best, followed by in-charges, with regular team members being on the bottom of the totem pole. Yes, leads are scrutinized for their work, but they have it easy in some aspects. Leads are more often than not main panel operators. They are the employees that get to sit down, that don't have to check restraints, that have a place in the shade, etc. If a lead isnt there its an in-charge job. Regular team members dont have this luxury often, if at all. You will be doing all the grunt work while often times you will see a lead or in-charge looking comfortable sitting down and operating. But hey, thats all the more reason to work hard and get promoted!

Please, if you have a passion for this industry, don't let anything any of us say turn you against it. You could get there and love every minute, but you have to keep in mind that being an employee and a guest are two completely different worlds. You have to keep the two separate and know what is work and what is for your own enjoyment. I say if you really want to, then go for it! If you dont like it, you can always resign, but its worth a shot!