I hid my head in my mom's side the whole ride as if not seeing the track would make it less scary.
Photos Courtesy of Cris the Girl
Sometimes you meet people in the weirdest of ways. On Sunday, November 7, 2021 I visited Sesame Place in Philadelphia for the first time. I was there to get in a couple rides on Vapor Trail and Oscar’s Wacky Taxi before heading to Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) for the evening. While waiting for my second ride on Oscar’s, I posted a photo of its train on Instagram (@WeWereInverted_IG) and went about my business.
A short while later I saw the photo had some comments, one of which was from a user, @CrisTheGirl. She mentioned being at the park at the same time I was, which led to a small conversation. We followed one another on Instagram and once I got home, I looked into her posts in greater detail, along with her YouTube channel, Cris the Girl.
A couple of days later I saw Cris had posted a video titled, “First Trip to Sesame Place, PA! The Only Sesame Street Theme Park in the U.S.!” I gave it a watch and low and behold, there I was walking around at the 27:14 mark. It was just my back as I stood there taking photos of Oscar’s Wacky Taxi, but it was me! I immediately sent her a message and we both couldn’t help but laugh.
Although that day is the only time we’ve been in the same place together, Cris and I have become friends online and chat on a regular basis. For months we’ve talked about meeting up, officially this time, and visiting a park or maybe even some other fun locations. While being a fan of amusement parks since childhood, Cris’ channel and journeys take her throughout the United States, going to all kinds of interesting places. I knew she’d make for a fun interview and was happy to see she was just as eager to participate.
Be sure to check out all of Cris’ links at the conclusion of Part 1 of this two-part interview. Next week Part 2 will tell her story in starting and building her chanel, Cris the Girl. Hopefully I’ll make another appearance or two in some of her future content, well, more than just my back as I’m taking some photos, of course.
Amusement Parks
An Early Age
Q. Do you happen to know the first-ever amusement park you visited and how old you were at the time?
A. My first park was the Magic Kingdom at Disney World, Fla. I was 2 years old!
Q. As a child, what parks were you able to visit? Do you have any memories from those times?
A. We lived smack dab in the middle of the theme park capital of the world, so we visited theme parks a lot. Disney World was five minutes from our house, and since my mom worked there, it meant we went to Disney the most. That was my childhood. Most of my memories are based off our visits to Disney parks. We also frequently visited Universal Studios, Busch Gardens Tampa (BGT), Sea World Orlando (SWO), and Cypress Gardens, which is now now Legoland Florida.
Q. Who did you attend these parks with a child?
A. I would go with my mom, brother, and sometimes my grandmother and great-grandmother.
Q. Since this is a coaster enthusiast site, I must ask, what was your first-ever coaster experience?
A. The first rollercoaster I remember riding was Big Thunder Mountain at the Magic Kingdom. I rode with my mom and brother at 6 or 7 years old.
Q. Do you have any memories from that ride?
A. I remember my mom bribing us to ride. She often did that to get us on scary rides. I hid my head in my mom’s side during the whole ride as if not seeing the track would make it less scary. But I do recall enjoying it.
Q. Once you began riding more coasters, what were some of your early favorites?
A. Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain were easily my favorites. They were simple, but fun rides. There was nothing too crazy about them.
Q. How about non-coasters? What other types of rides did you love as a child?
A. Honestly a lot of rides really scared me as a child. It was a long time before I could be convinced to do Splash Mountain or even Maelstrom over in Epcot, if you remember that ride. I loved slow-moving, predictable rides like The Haunted Mansion, Small World, Journey Into Imagination – easy rides like those.
Growing Older
Q. As you grew older, what other amusement parks did you experience?
A. We visited Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood (USH) when I was around 12. We also went to the Adventuredome at Circus Circus in Las Vegas during that trip. I’ve also been to Cedar Point and a few Six Flags parks, but I cannot remember which ones.
Q. What memorable rides, both coaster and non-coaster, stood out from your teenage to young adult days?
A. As a teenager I grew more comfortable with a lot of rides. MGM Studios, now Hollywood Studios, became one of my favorite parks because of Rockin’ Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror. Those are some of my most favorite rides of all time. They stuck out because it was always fun riding them with friends and on school trips. At that age those are the type of rides you want to ride.
Q. Did you ever have a “favorite” roller coaster? Or maybe even a few?
A. Well at the time, Rockin’ Rollercoaster was Disney’s only “serious” roller coaster. That was my favorite, but I also loved Revenge of the Mummy at Universal. Oh yeah! I loved Primeval Whirl at Animal Kingdom too. That is a hot take I know, but it was so much fun. I always had a blast on that ride.
Q. In our personal conversations prior to this interview, you shared with me that you are no longer able to ride most amusement rides, including coasters. I think you’ve mentioned this in a few videos as well. Can you share with the readers why this is?
A. I’m glad you asked because I would love to fully explain. The turning point was when I was working at Disney. I got really sick at one point and was out for the count for over a month. Ever since then, I haven’t been able to ride thrill rides. There is something wrong with my inner ear, so I can get pretty sick on those types of rides now.
I remember trying to ride again when I was better, riding my old favorites like Big Thunder Mountain, Dinosaur, and Harry Potter: The Forbidden Journey. They all steadily made me sicker and sicker after each ride. I think a lot of this just has to do with growing older too. My tolerance for these things was always so-so at best anyway. I had a solid, maybe five years, when I could ride anything I wanted, so I’m happy about that. I’ve been on all kinds of roller coasters like stand-ups and those Superman ones where you’re flat on your belly. I’m really happy about that.
I do miss riding rides, but mostly I miss riding them with the people I love. Experiencing fun stuff like that with people is the best part of rides, in my opinion. Other than that, I don’t generally miss it too much. I would rather have a fun, non-sick day, at the park than ride a roller coaster these days.
Q. Are there any rides you’re still able enjoy? Perhaps some of the tamer rides?
A. Absolutely. I can do slow rides for sure. Basically, as long as it’s not a roller coaster, doesn’t spin, jerk me around like crazy, or feature drops, I’m totally fine.
Still a Fan
Q. We sorta kinda met, but not really, at Sesame Place in Philadelphia, in November 2021. We were both filming content for our channels and site. It was evident watching that video that you still love visiting amusement parks. Can you share with everyone, aside from rides, what about amusement parks appeals to you?
A. Well, I grew up frequenting theme parks and in the tourist world in general. I’ve moved around a lot in my lifetime so there isn’t a place for me to “go back home to,” if that makes sense. I consider theme parks, more specifically Disney, my home because it brings back all of those memories and feelings.
On top of that, I used to work in the theme park industry. One of the best parts of that was seeing people having a great time. The energy and atmosphere is super enjoyable. I also really love ride design in general. I worked as a trainer at one point too, so I learned the ins and outs of my rides. I like seeing how other parks do their operations, their theming, and things like that.
Q. In some of our earliest conversations I was singing the praises of Storybook Land and telling you to visit them for holiday themed content. You were able to get out there and loved the park just as much as I do. You also found your way to Dutch Wonderland, which I had a feeling you’d enjoy too. Can you share what it is about these smaller family parks that you adore?
A. First and foremost, I love that these parks are far more accessible than bigger theme parks. A lot of families that live far away from Florida and California have a hard time affording trips to those states, let alone the cost of tickets to the parks. With small local parks like these, families can enjoy the magic of a park in their backyard at a much more affordable cost.
Beyond that, I love how charming they are. Sometimes parks like Disney and Universal are too reliant on their intellectual properties, so it is refreshing to be in a theme park that is simply, a park, with cute rides and charming scenery.
Q. What parks, both big and small, do you enjoy the most?
A. Well obviously I am a Disney girl, mostly because of the memories I have growing up at those parks and in that atmosphere. Same with Universal. I love all of their parks in Florida and California. I recently fell in love completely with Knoebels in Pennsylvania. It is so expansive and has some of the most unique rides I have ever seen. Plus, the atmosphere and décor can’t be beat. I am very eager to visit again soon.
Q. Are there any bucket list parks you’re still looking to experience? If so, which ones and what excites you about visiting them?
A. I would love to visit the Disney parks in other countries, but I am not sure if that will ever happen. I hate long plane rides! I think Tokyo DisneySea is the tops of my list. Kennywood, however, is a park that is realistically on my list. They have some unique rides as well. Also Legoland Florida because I haven’t visited it since its Cypress Garden days.
From Rides to Road Trips
Q. Although I’m a hardcore coaster and amusement park junkie, I also enjoy day trips to huge tourist traps along with the most obscure roadside attractions. This is something you feature a lot of on your channel, which we discuss in Part 2 of this interview. Have you always been someone who likes to go out on adventures and experience new places?
A. Oh absolutely! This is in my blood and something I grew up doing. My family and I would go on long road trips during the summer and visit all kinds of places like national parks, theme parks, and roadside attractions. There is nothing like getting out on the open road and experiencing new and familiar things.
Q. Although major tourist areas can be fun, I’ve always had a thing for visiting smaller, less well-known places of interest. Am I wrong when I say that this seems like something you enjoy too?
A. Not at all! Off the beaten path is what I am all about. I do love the bigger attractions, but I love seeing cool, unique spots, lesser-known spots around the country just as much. That is also how I feel about theme parks. Initially I never really gave small parks much thought because again, I grew up in Disney. But now that I am older, it’s fascinating to explore them and see what other people are doing.
Q. Earlier I asked you if you have any bucket list amusement parks you’re looking to visit. How about non-parks? Anything that’s been on your radar to visit for the first time?
A. Oh goodness… Way too many to name. I am a theme park person through and through, but there is so much more to me. I have a lot of gardens and arboretums I am hoping to visit this year. If I can get to some national parks, that would be great too. Conventions as well. Zoos, cities, antique stores, museums… the list goes on and on.
Q. Aside from the destinations, do you enjoy the journey along the way? It seems like you’re someone who loves the stops between Destination A to Destination B just as much as the destinations themselves.
A. To me, the journey is always more important than the destination. That’s another reason why I do not like using planes for travel. When you drive, you catch more things. You see the changes in scenery right in front of your eyes. You notice the subtle differences between towns. The journey is often the best part of any trip.
Be sure to check back next week for Part 2, when Cris shares how Cris the Girl, came to be, her journey since its launch, future plans, and even some advice for aspiring content creators.
