Learning from Amusement Parks

As a writer, there’s so much I can learn from amusement parks. After all, I will never outgrow the magic of Disney. I’ve ridden the park attractions over and over again. Year after year, I find myself returning eagerly to go through the parks and ride the rides yet again. Why doesn’t it ever get old?

Yesterday, at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, I got in line for the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. It was a familiar ride, one I’ve ridden several times before over the years. But the new Interactive Queue fascinated me. Playing in Rabbit’s Garden, the touch screen technology of the Hunny Wall, and more…

It’s the same ride, but my experience of it was new and exceedingly enjoyable.

Another go-to ride for me has been the Haunted Mansion. The experience over the years hasn’t gotten old with all the things to see throughout the ride. Not scary, really, but spooky fun. Again, the new Interactive Queue gave me a completely refreshed experience of the ride. Seriously, I need to go back because the line moved too fast for me to play with it all. I was having too much fun running hesitant fingertips over books on the Secret Library. I missed doing more than looking over the Musical Crypt, Sepulcher of the Sea Captain, and the Tomb of the Posthumous Poetess. I also wish I’d gone back to experience the ride–and the new Interactive Queue– at night.

Not too long ago, at least in my perception, the Haunted Mansion ride itself had been refreshed. Certain scenes along the ride had been added and others had been updated. Similarly, the Pirates of the Caribbean (one of my absolute must-rides!) was updated to include cameos by Captain Jack Sparrow and others from the movies. I’m particularly fond of the mermaid’s song.

These rides have been around for decades. And yet, they remain not only popular but repeat-experiences for many.

Writers do something similar with tropes. It’s the same fundamental story, told in a completely new way and presented with twists or spins to make the experience fresh and enjoyable. Readers know the trope, as visitors to theme parks might know the ride, and there’s a level of expectation. How the writer takes them for the ride is what will draw the readers back to read again and again.