What You Need to Know About Working at a Theme Park
If you’re looking for a seasonal acting gig, you may want to consider applying for a position at a theme park. After all, in addition to your hourly wage, you’ll likely get nice-to-have perks such as free admission, parking validation, free or discounted food, and the ability to enjoy the attractions as often as you’d like!
Plus, you’ll be able to dress in character and entertain thousands of guests all at once, which will help to hone not only your acting skills but public speaking abilities. This experience will be invaluable no matter what direction you choose to take as your career progresses. Some of the biggest stars on the stage and screen got their start entertaining at theme parks.
The live entertainment experience also means that you will be able to improve your improv skills as you interact with guests and are inevitably asked off-script questions that are character-related. If you really know how to do your research and pull off a believable role, you will be able to use this to your advantage in other acting outlets.
Theme parks tend to need a ton of talent during peak seasons so there are often opportunities available at every level of experience. This makes it a great way to get started and have steady work. It’s always a good feeling to know you’re in demand! As you prove yourself in smaller roles, you’ll always be afforded the opportunity to “climb the ladder,” so to speak, taking on larger, more visible ones. You could receive a long-term contract, too, as opposed to a one-and-done opportunity.
Theme parks offer opportunities to work on stage when you’re not mixing and mingling with guests. There are a variety of shows that need acting talent on a daily basis. You might be on stage one minute and in a parade the next. You might start your day greeting guests near the entrance and end it hosting a tea party or two. The whole purpose of the park is to entertain from the moment a guest arrives to closing time, so there are a multitude of positions that need to be filled.
Working at a theme park can be a fun way to get to know a new area and to understand every facet of acting, from assembling your costume and doing your makeup, to performing and posing for pictures after events. What a fun way to get your start!
