How Rollercoaster Fatigue Destroys Immersive Lands: An Analysis on Theme Park Guests, A Brief History of Theme Park Rollercoasters, and How Theme Parks can Do Rollercoasters Better.

How Rollercoaster Fatigue Destroys Immersive Lands: An Analysis on Theme Park Guests, A Brief History of Theme Park Rollercoasters, and How Theme Parks Can Do Rollercoasters Better.

Hello Readers,

Today I wish to discuss the rollercoaster fatigue I am feeling and the flaw of Theme Parks trying to put Rollercoasters in every new immersive land, and why it’s not always a good idea.

For one, I would like to mention now, I love these rides, for the most part, but I have never been a fan of rollercoasters, and prefer a dark ride with audio animatronics and scenes instead of the vomit inducing, high speed thrill ride. Now this isn’t to say all rollercoasters are bad, but they aren’t always the best choice for Theme Parks to create attractions in the future.

To first understand my reasoning for my rollercoaster fatigue when it comes to immersive lands in Theme Parks, one must first understand my reasoning, and in order to understand my reasoning one must understand the theory of types of guests, a concept as old as the first theme park itself, that I have been categorizing for years now. 

What many people don’t understand about Theme Parks is there are three types of guests who visit theme parks. I have categorized them into three names: Theme Park Fans, Amusement Park People and Looky Loo’s. Each of these are different and they are all different in their own way. Allow me to explain each, and then I will dive into why rollercoasters aren’t the best use of money(or space) for Theme Park immersive lands(in some cases). 

The Three Types of Guests: Knowing Your Audience and The Risk that Comes with Them: How The Rollercoaster Changed Park Demographics

In Order to best understand all of the this, the first subject I must discuss when it comes to Theme Parks( the Orlando Theme Parks in particular)comes from the history of Disneyland, and the audience Walt Disney himself wanted to attract to his park. This comes from a criticism of Walt wanting to create Disneyland(the first Theme Park) from his Wife Lilian. When Walt told Lilian Disney about the concept for Disneyland, she looked at him with confusion. What many don’t know about Walt Disney is rumors claim he was a bit of a clean freak(he didn’t like dirt or grime or anything unclean), he wanted a place that was family friendly and honestly hated the unsafe and unkempt nature of an “amusement park”. Lilian questioned Walt Famously about wanting to build such a park. “Why do you want to build an Amusement Park? They’re so dirty” she asked him, and Walt reportedly told her “that was just the point-mine wouldn’t be”  this historically is the reason Walt wanted to design Disneyland, to create an orderly environment that was cleanly to guests and would be a different type of amusement enterprise. Before Walt Disney built Disneyland, The only real Amusement parks were places like Coney Island, and traditional traveling fairs, which weren’t the same level that Disney or Universal that exist today.

These Amusement enterprises of the times were unclean, full of teenagers, of dirt and grime and sometimes vandalism, were run down and many were associated with criminal(if not undesirable or negligent) activity. The creation of the Theme Park thus was born through Walt’s invention of Disneyland, which was full of audio-animatronics, and a new type of amusement enterprise that would avoid the topics that gave a bad reputation to these other amusement parks and traveling carnivals that existed around the world at this time. 

Overtime Disneyland(and later Walt Disney World) would become known as and referred to as "Theme Parks" instead of Amusement Parks simply because they had higher standards and theming as well as cleanliness within their borders and thus this is where the argument of  the divided audiences and critics of the Theme Park versus the Amusement Park people came into play.

The Theme Park Goer (The Theme Park Fan) is the guest who knows what Walt was trying to accomplish, and attract they love and respect the parks not for the thrills but rather for the nostalgia, these types of guests like to be immersed in lore, to get lost playing (and LARPing)within the parks, meeting characters, and engaging in theme entertainment. These guests have visited the parks regularly and many of them can even quote their favorite attractions and know where everything is, and are more respectful to Cast and Team Members at the parks. They don’t litter, they don’t vandalize and they follow the rules of the parks, out of love and respect. They are the custodians of Walt’s vision for the Theme Park, they are the people Walt envisioned would come to his parks they dress up(not always in bounds or cosplay) to respect the lands and engage with those lands in meaningful ways. They are the fans of media as it transcends into different mediums and will follow the rules of the park, many of them in fact today are (the ideal) Annual Passholders, and collectors of souvenirs, and exclusives within the parks, simply because they love the parks, and care for them the same way Walt, and Lilian envisioned.

In my opinion these should be the favored guests for the Theme Park, and these are the guests who Imagineers, and Cast/Team members who work for and with these parks, want to come back and return time and time again. As these guests want to play they want to interact and they want to respect the park as museum or monument to conserve Walt’s Vision and the parks history for years to come and for future generations. To them the theme Park is a conservatory, a treasury, a testament to artisan craft of the history and Nostalgia, they aren’t necessarily into the need to return and ride an attraction in fact just being in the park, and having an ice cream (or dole whip) or just sitting on a bench and enjoying their day in the park without riding a single ride, is enough for them to enjoy their day and experience, and when they do eventually ride something it is normally because it is meaningful to them, and healthy for them to redeem this sense of nostalgia and love for this attraction. There are limited influencers in this category, these are the Pin-Traders, the People who’s entire personality is Disney(Harry Potter or Star Wars fans) who live in the greater Orlando area(Central Florida locals or from around the world) and they live and breathe the parks.

The second type of Park Goer is the Amusement Park Person. These people do not understand the theme park, they don’t care about the history or the nostalgia, or the art.All they care about are "Thrills" about riding as many rides as possible, eating junk food and getting "the most bang for their buck". They are normally the problematic guests, who we read about in the news. The gangs who fight in universal parking garages, the guests who make the magic feel less magical by yelling at Cast Members, and assaulting other guests, these are the guests who get drunk and only ride roller coasters, and call anything that is a dark ride “lame” or call rides like Yoshi’s Adventure(at Epic Universe) “stupid”. These people care about themselves, and will do anything to get as much out of their vacation as possible. The thrill rides are theirs to enjoy and they tend to be bitter, and complain about Disney after their trip because it doesn’t have enough rollercoasters or tower dropper (thrill) attractions. They don’t want to be immersed, they misquote and mislabel items and characters(out of ignorance and without care), and are disappointed by everything with a “this is it?” attitude that ruins the guest experience. They don’t know the history, the work that went into the park, and nor do they care. They want to go to the bar(Oga's Cantina or Beak and Barrel) because it’s a bar and they can get “lit”(drunk) not because it’s the most immersive dining experience in the park, and there is an animatronic DJ(or Parrot). What's worse is, these people tend to litter, they tend to break Disney rules and rules having to do with common decency(or the code of conduct) while within the parks, because they want everything to go their way. These are the guests who don’t buy souvenirs, and if they do its a singular tee shirt or something stupid that within a few years ends up in a thrift store, never to be worn ever, because they really don’t care about their visit, because to them it was a waste of money. These people really don’t belong in a theme park, they tend to undertake “criminal acts” within the park, as well and really have no place attending a theme park to begin with, as they ruin the experiences for everyone else. 

These are the guests, I have the biggest problem with at the parks, they are once in a lifetime guests normally who do drop $1000+ on their vacation(also many of these people get banned from the property hence why they are once in a lifetime) , but they are also a nuisance to cast-members, locals, other guests and law enforcement alike, and they end up regretting their trip because for them it’s about getting their “biggest bang for their buck” or “getting their (sometimes metaphorically)Rocks off”(to put it bluntly), and they are also currently the greatest number of guests I see when I am in the parks (regularly). The Amusement park person also encompasses most of “the influencer class”, the social media obsessed, E-Girl’s who go to the parks to experience something, they know nothing of the fandom’s but dress up (fandom cultural appropriation is real), they care nothing for the parks but go to take pictures for their social media, or blog about nothing that they about, they are the fakest of the fake, and they leave a bad taste in your mouth as the walk around the park in skimpy(normally inappropriate), or unkept outfits and break dress code rules, constantly(the type of adults at Disney who give Disney Adults a bad name). The Amusement park people don’t care about the parks, they are selfish in nature, and they ruin experiences for other guests because they simply don’t get it.

The final type of guests is the "Looky Loo", this is the broadest category, and everyone knows somebody who is this one. This guest wants an experience, or wants someone else to have this experience(their whole purpose is to see everything, or see what they can or do so for other people). They want to see everything, take in the environment in most cases. These guests are fine, normally respectful, but they are attracted to the park just to “come and see” they aren’t prone to taking pictures and just enjoy their vacation as a family or with their group of friends. Yes, they will try to still get on as many rides as possible, but they aren’t malicious or over zealous about the way they experience the rides and attractions. Some influencers I can characterize under the category of Looky Loo(particularly those who just happen to be in Disney World,but Disney World isn’t their entire thing). The Looky Loo’s mostly tend to be Grandparents and Parents, they are normally along for the ride, they want to see this at least once in their lifetime, and they normally just carry on their way, without being overly zealous, many of the Looky Loo’s are my personal favorite guests to meet, or see as they try to enjoy the parks and relax(as well as learn something new, when they meet a Theme Park Fan), they know what the park represents to some people, and they normally don’t get to ride everything and are grateful and happy for the experience not just the thrill but the glad to be there. 

Of these three types of guests everyone knows at least one of these three types of guests and can differentiate between the three very easily. These are also verifiably the three types of “Disney Adults” and the reason I will always stand up for the Disney Adults, because 2/3rds aren’t as bad as the singular group(the Amusement park people) that is a false bunch who ruin the experience for everyone who visits. However this also part of the reason Theme Parks have Roller Coaster Fatigue.

Why is their Roller Coaster Fatigue in Immersive Lands: A History of the The Rollercoasters in Parks, and Why I have Rollercoaster Fatigue:

When Disneyland Park first opened there wasn’t a single Rollercoaster in the park. The thrills were Dark rides, Animatronics and Character meet and greets. The park was designed for Theme Park fans and Looky Loo’s the two types of guests ,that Walt preferred, and intended to enter these parks, those to belong to. Those who wanted to experience this with their family and those who would respect and cherish this park as fans and custodians of the past, present and future of the parks. The attractions during the park's opening are the classic rides like Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Carousel of Progress, that have existed or were being overseen by Walt himself and the Nine Old Men(look it up). In fact the only opening day thrill ride at Disneyland opened in 1959 and was the Matterhorn Bobsled, which was the only thrill ride “roller coaster” in the parks for years. So what changed this, why have these Amusement Park People been allowed into the parks?

The year is 1969, 9 years after the opening of Disneyland, another Studio attempted to replicate the success of Disneyland, this was Universal Studios in Hollywood, which would focus on the success of their Hollywood Blockbusters and put guests in a mostly Horror based movie park, providing new thrills, ride vehicles and excitement to the park. This park attracted a different “older” audience and rivalled Disneyland with a focus on theme parks set in their classic (mostly monster Movies) including a backlot tour, a costume exhibition and a western stuntman show, as well as a simulated flashflood, which eventually lead to attractions such as Jaws, King Kong and Earth Quake.

When Disney World opened in Florida in 1971, the park didn't have any roller coasters and in fact wouldn’t have a roller coaster until 1975, when Space mountain opened which would shortly after be followed by Big Thunder Mountain in 1979. In 1989 Disney wanting to stay ahead and pitch itself to a different audience opened up Disney’s MGM studios(which eventually became Disney Hollywood Studios) under CEO Michael Eisner who wanted to have rides for a Teenage Audience who seemed to be "bored" because Disney was "a park for kids" and he knew Universal was building Universal Studios Park in Florida which would steal this audience from Disney with their more teen and adult centered attractions(so they needed to act quickly). 

Universal couldn’t compete with Disney, and so in 1990 they opened a new Park in Orlando, while still acting as a working Studio backlot(at the time)it would include new attractions including ET, Jaws, Kongfrontation, Earthquake, which as Eisner predicted was aimed at an older audience than Disney’s family friendly park. While Disney continued being the custodians of family friendly entertainment Universal focused on the Adults and Teens. 

Because of Eisner’s want to compete with the still underwhelming Universal Studios Florida, Disney pulled away from the Family Friendly, Looky Loos and started creating attractions aimed at Teens and Adults(the Amusement Park Class) moving away from the Theme Park People and Looky Loo’s who enjoyed these parks for years, and held custodianship of the parks.for them Disney developed a new park, Disney's Animal Kingdom which opened at Walt Disney World in 1998 and following this park opening Universal Opened Islands of Adventure in 1999, which included the First Real rollercoasters in Orlando Dueling Dragons, and The Incredible Hulk. 

The theme Park wars had begun and the theme Parks then began challenging each other to see who can make the better "thrill rides", and attractions. However Disney took a big risk and started bringing in Amusement Park people with rides like Rock N’ Rollercoaster(staring Aerosmith) and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in 1994, to compete and continue to stay ahead of Universal Orlando, which was a rising star competing with Disney for the audience in the Orlando Theme Park and Universal spent years redoing their opening day attractions replacing Kongfrontation with The Mummy in 2004. The competitions had begun and with the competition Orlando became the Tourism capital of the world, with two entertainment giants attempting to out do the other. At this time the Teenage and Adult audience started becoming the target for both vacation destinations and with it the Amusement Park people became a more prevalent group within the parks, as the thrills needed to become more and more obscene and experimental in order for one group to stay ahead of the other. In 2006 Disney opened Expedition Everest marking Disney’s last thrill attraction of the era and in 2009 Universal opened Hollywood Rip Ride marking there last move before the great flip in the industry’s focus, that being a focus on singular land that would change the industry forever.

1n 2010 after years of negotiation, a deal was finally signed and Universal Orlando was given the theme park rights to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and with it, the first highly Immersive Land in Theme Park history was created. Gone was the old lead by Disney, as the industry leader of Immersive Entertainment, menus rapidly changed(across all parks to provide more immersive menus), and rides slowly began to become more about immersion within the parks instead of about Thrills and who can have the better thrill attraction. Universal was now turning a new leaf, after following the Disney Model with an extra layer of Immersion to it, and it revolutionized the industry. 

Disney competed by creating New Fantasy land in 2012, with Seven Dwarves Mine Train becoming the last Disney smaller family rollercoaster attempt as a competitor to the thrills at the Wizarding world of Harry Potter. The only problem was, the value of the coasters within these lands. 

Disney had a key Universal Didn’t yet understand. Instead of creating Roller Coasters, for Thrills, Disney had done something Universal hadn’t yet thought of, creating rollercoasters with Immersion at it’s center. Proving once again Disney will always compete when it comes to the Theme Park Wars. So Disney needed an Answer to Harry Potter. While Universal doubled down on Harry Potter taking their first step in the correct direction for immersive roller coasters with Diagon Alley opening in 2014 with Escape from Gringotts, Disney Under Bob Iger, purchased Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm as well as securing a deal for Avatar’s theme park rights. In 2017 Pandora opened at Animal Kingdom, in 2018 Toy Story Land opened at the newly renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios(featuring Slinky Dog Dash) and in 2019 Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge Opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In the time it took Disney to catch up to Universal with new immersive lands Universal took a different approach in 2016 they opened Kong Skull Island, in 2017 Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon opened, (two non-roller coaster thrill attractions) and then in 2017 Dueling Dragons Universal's long time (recently rethemed to dragon challenge for the Wizarding world) and award winning rollercoaster closed  and in 2019 was replaced with Hagrid's Magical Motorbike adventure which was Universals first attempt in years for an immersive outdoor roller coaster attraction. In 2022 Disney opened Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind at Epcot, in 2021 Universal Opened Velocicoaster at Islands of Adventure(in their Jurrassic Park area) and in 2023 Disney opened Tron Light Cycle Run at Magic Kingdom, all of which were "immersive" coaster attractions. 

This brings us up to date. In 2025 Universal Opened Epic Universe opened, and with it came my (hot take) biggest criticism of this park which was, how many outdoor large roller coasters they built for this park: Stardust Racers, Hiccups Wing Gliders, Donkey Kong: Minecart Madness and Curse of the Werewolf while great, are all out door roller coasters, that take up a large amount of space within this land locked park. 

Now I understand Universal Specializes in rollercoasters, they seemed to have always preferred the teenage (Amusement Park People) audience, and Disney is a hard company to compete against, given their mastery of the Dark Ride, the problem I have is Roller Coasters at Universal are usually outdoors, while Disney’s Roller Coasters, while some do Venture outdoors(and few are completly outdoor Slinky Dog Dash), have a part if not most of the attraction within a show building with animatronics and special effects. That is why Donkey Kong, Hagrid's, Gringotts, and The Mummy work so well, and rides like Curse of the Werewolf, Stardust Racers, and Velocicoaster (in my opinion do not). For Disney this is also why Tron Light Cycle run is a flop, and I think that Slinky Dog Dash in Toy Story land is a bit of an eye sore(but more on that later). 

When it comes to these immersive lands, guests don’t want to have immersion break and while Roller Coasters are E-Ticket Thrilling attractions, I have to express concern that these attractions take up unnecessary amounts of space and break the immersion(Slinky Dog as an honorable mention can be argued is set in Andy’s backyard and looks like it was made of Toy’s which was brilliant to keep things immersive) simply because if the aim is to immerse guests in these lands to make them feel like they are in another exciting universe or world, should they really feel like they are in a carnival or street fair(unless that is the story)? Or should they feel like they are in a new exciting world? 

My Rollercoaster Fatigue isn't based on the fact that I don’t like roller coasters, but because as I have mentioned, Walt Disney(The founder of the Modern Theme Park) wanted guests to get lost in these worlds, to forget they were on a ride, and wanted to keep Amusement Park People out of the Theme Park space. Guests don’t want to be reminded of the money they spent to be at this park, or that they are even in a theme park, they want to imagine to live in these immersive worlds and regardless of How Immersive you make a land, a rollercoaster eye-sore tends to remind guests they are in an amusement park and by proxy confuse and blur the lines between what is a Theme Park and what is an Amusement Park. Yes while they cannot bore the teenage or adult guests, they must not forget that the Amusement Park People exist and they aren’t the easiest or friendliest park guests, and while the Theme Park is meant for everyone the marketing campaign shouldn’t be angled towards them but angled towards indoor or semi- indoor coaster attractions that work, instead of the roller coasters for the sake of having roller coasters. 

That is why I pose this challenge to Universal Creative and Disney Imagineering, create rollercoasters, but highly theme them so guests forget they are on a rollercoaster, that they are immersed in the land(Simulacra, Simulation, a liminal space) and they cannot be seen by the lands paths. I remind these creates that they aren’t in the Amusement Park industry you are in the Theme Park industry, and thus should focus on the immersion, without discounting the thrills, and urge them to use their mastery of camouflage,(fake rocks),liminal space creation and magic tricks to create immersion and the Rollercoaster Fatigue will slowly but surely dissipate. If I wanted to ride roller coasters I'd pay for the cheaper and more Thrill seeking tickets for the attractions of Amusement parks like Six Flags, Cedar Point, Dollywood or Coney Island, Disney and Universal must return to standards of what makes a theme park great(simulation, and liminal space), not the street fair aspects, but what separates the travelling carnival, or roller coaster amusement park from these two destinations. If they continue only making Roller Coasters to bring in Amusement Park People, everything that they have worked to build(that Walt worked for them to build)will be ignored(lost to time) and the misbehaviors of the Amusement Park People will continue to ruin the experiences for the Looky Loos and the Theme Park Fan’s.

Thank you for reading, do you agree? Let me know in the comment section bellow,so we can continue our discussion.

(images created by chat GPT)