Today is not so much about the children but thinking of things I had in my childhood that my children may never experience. In this case my children will never experience going to the local Amusement Park. Don’t get me wrong I live near several large Amusement Parks but it isn’t the same as when I was a child. We would buy tickets to go on the ride, I can’t remember waiting in line for very long for any ride. They never wound us around ½ a mile or so so we would think that we weren’t waiting that long. I never saw a sign that said wait time 30 minutes or more. We stayed for a while and then when the tickets were gone we left. I think tickets were 10 -15 cents each or you bought a book of tickets that were a better deal. I think most Kiddie land rides went for 1-2 tickets and adult rides were around 3-5. You could get a hand stamp and go on unlimited rides. There was no admission prices and we never stayed long enough to have to visit the snack places where were reasonably priced as well.
The other day Dad was over for dinner and he reminded me of the time his sunglasses fell in the water when he putting my in the boat ride. I remembered it and also remembered another woman asking how deep the water was. It was just about my dad’s elbow. My favorite ride was the Mother Goose ride. Thinking back I can remember my mom insisting I go on this mother goose ride when I was maybe around 3. The ride was a kid’s carousal with giant geese. She placed me in the little “saddle” between the wings of the brightly colored goose that had a little sailor hat on it and handed me the reins. As the ride went around the goose gently bobbed up and down as it went around in circles. Mom was so sure I would enjoy the ride and I was so sure I would hate it. Luckily I was the only kid on the ride because I had to prove I was right and mom was wrong; so I cried the entire time I rode the ride. Yes I was a stubborn little child and to this day I remember crying while mom and the little old man running the ride tried to cheer me up. The really funny thing is I remember thinking I was not going to let her know she was right. After that day, those ducks became my favorite ride until I out grew them. I wonder if Mom realized I was just being stubborn, I am sure she got some satisfaction out of my wanting to go on the ride every time we visited so I must assume she realized she was right. There were lots of other rides I enjoyed and many I wouldn’t dare to go on even as I got older and that was ok. I even had my first job working at the park. It was hard and fun at the same time. Our only uniform was a t-shirt that identified us as Park workers. We were an eclectic group of people working there from young to old; model citizens to people of questionable character. But we were a type of family, each looking out for the others in their own way. It is a feeling I haven’t felt at a job since.
My children now have Disney World, Sea World, Universal, Bush Gardens, and soon Lego Land as their amusement parks among other things. Each one costs a small fortune. Our first visit to Disney was a mini family vacation because we wanted to get the most out of the price of the tickets and we saved up to go there. We haven’t been to Universal or Bush Gardens and don’t have plans to go anytime soon. It cost too much.
We received Lego Land annual passes for Christmas so we will be spending a lot of time there. I know it won’t be the same. The lines will be long and the prices for drinks will be expensive. Because we have the passes we won’t have to stay all day but I know many families will feel that pressure and there will be cranky kids around us because families will feel the pressure to get their money’s worth out of the day. I can’t say I blame them because that is how I would feel. I will have to budget in money for drinks and a meal. Most likely we will bring snacks with us to save some money. Without the passes I doubt that we would go often enough for the kids to develop favorite rides.
My children may have a job working at one of these parks someday but I know these parks are run more like corporations than small family owned businesses meaning they probably won’t have that family feeling I experienced. It will just be a job.
In this day and age when more and more things seem to pull the family apart it would be nice to have more places like “the park” I grew up with. Places that are affordable, where families can develop fond memories.
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