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Theme Park Jobs

Introduction To Theme Park Jobs
Theme parks are a popular form of entertainment in the UK. Usually set over many acres of land, they attract people of all ages through their gates and the main emphasis is on fun. Theme parks usually charge a fixed fee at the entrance gate and then once inside the area, guests at the park will be able to go on rides of their choice. You are normally required to pay extra for any refreshments, snacks and meals you want to buy.

In the past, an amusement park usually consisted of a selection of fun fairground rides along with basic refreshment areas and a few snack bars that sold the usual array of fries, burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches. These days, the ante has been upped and amusement parks have become theme parks where the whole area will be based around one particular theme, or even a number of themes if the park is set over a larger area. Visitors to the theme parks of today can enjoy landscaped gardens, themed buildings, themed thrill rides and a whole range of other entertainment and facilities. Such is the number and variety of added extras, some theme parks now call themselves 'resorts' with the theme park just one of the attractions on offer.

Many theme parks close the fairground sections during the winter months and peak season for British theme parks is during the summer holidays for UK schools. The companies that run the parks recruit many extra, temporary staff during these weeks and months. This makes theme parks an ideal place for students to hunt for seasonal or holiday work. At E4S, we advertise a whole range of temporary, summer vacancies that will suit students of all personalities.
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Three of the most popular theme parks in the whole of Britain are THORPE PARK in Surrey in the south of England, Alton Towers in Staffordshire in the west midlands and Chessington World of Adventures Resort in south west London.

Each of these three theme parks is owned by the Merlin Entertainment Group which is one of the largest family entertainment groups in the world, second only to Disney. Merlin Entertainment Group are committed to employee development, so if you are recruited for a summer job, you can be confident of full training, uniform, staff incentives and committed team work where you all work within the Merlin ethos of being 'serious about fun.'

If you think you've got what it takes to work in a theme park, start your hunt for a student holiday job by checking out our list of current vacancies for temporary staff.

Latest Theme Park Jobs:

Games Hosts at Drayton Manor, Alton Towers, LEGOLAND Windsor, Thorp Park Resort, Chessington World of Adventres Resort and Paultons Park. HB Leisure are recruiting for a variety of seasonal vacancies with flexible hours.
What Theme Park work is available for students?
When you consider the myriad of ways theme parks work to generate income, it gives a good idea of the variety of positions that could be available and the sheer numbers of people needed to fill those temporary vacancies over the busy summer holiday period. As a student looking for a holiday job, you could be one of the people recruited to fill any of these roles.

So let's take a look at just some of the ways theme parks make money:
Parking and Entrance Fee

Some theme parks charge a fee for visitors to park their car before entering the enclosed areas, whilst others will offer free parking. The entrance fee will be in addition to this. Car parks will be manned by car park attendants. At the entrance to theme parks, visitors will be required to pay an admission fee if they haven't pre-booked online before their trip.

Some theme parks, such as those which are a part of the Merlin Entertainment Group will offer generous discounts to those who book online and there are usually family tickets, group tickets and special offers for school groups and other young people's clubs. These days, it's also possible to buy monthly and annual season tickets which are valid in one or more theme parks. All of these are incentives for people to keep returning to the theme parks and the sales and marketing teams will always be coming up with new ideas that will continue entice more visitors.

Inside the Theme Park

Once inside a theme park, you've paid your entrance fee and so you can enjoy the rides you choose to go on. These rides are watched over by ride attendants for your safety but as there is no fee to pay, how else does a theme park generate profit?

We all get hungry and thirsty while enjoying a day out at a theme park - it can be a long day, queueing up for rides, walking between them, strolling around the landscaped gardens. Catering staff serve the hundreds, if not thousands, of daily visitors and make sure they are fed and watered. Don't forget, these are theme parks. While it will be possible to grab a quick snack, there will also be themed eating areas with themed menus that will keep children and adults happy.

Many people like to buy a souvenir of their time in a theme park so souvenir shops will sell official merchandise. Theme parks employ lots of retail staff to serve the customers.

These days, theme parks have become mini resorts and now offer so much more than a day out on the fairground rides and walking around the gardens.
What Type of Holiday Job Can I do in a Theme Park?
After reading the previous section, your brain is probably working overtime as the sorts of jobs you could possibly do in a theme park. Theme parks thrive on creativity and work hard to provide something for everyone. It follows then that, as a student looking for a temporary job for over the summer holiday, you should be able to find a role that suits your personality. Some roles are even placements where you can gain valuable work experience and there are also graduate career opportunities.

Here are the types of temporary holiday jobs that students could apply for in a theme park.

Ride Attendant - Ride Attendants are responsible for the safety of people getting on and off rides. Sometimes, you may need to assist people on and off rides and check particular visitors are eligible to go on a ride. For example, some of the rides will have a height restriction and you may have to check a person against the height measurement chart. Ride Attendants will mostly work outdoors.

HB Leisure hire game operators to man amusements equipment and skill games at zoos, theme parks, and amusement parks across the UK and abroad, such as Thorpe Park, Drayton Manor Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Legoland Florida and Legoland California.

Retail - There are many roles covered by the retail departments of theme parks and if you got a holiday job in this sector, you can expect to be involved with shelf-stacking, cleaning the store, operating the tills, merchandising and serving customers.

Food & Beverage - From waiting on to working behind the bars to serving and cooking snacks, to learning about food hygiene and safety, no two days will be the same in the food and beverage department of a theme park. As with all the jobs mentioned here, this will be a fast-paced environment where you will work as part of a team to make sure all types of customer and guest are catered for.

Filming & Photography - This is one for the creative student out there. How would you like to spend your summer holidays wandering around a theme park capturing those special moments on camera? Picsolve specialise in theme park photography and film offer temporary, as well as permanent, posts for roaming photographers, ride photographers, on-ride filming and even studio photographers.

As well as being a talented photographer, students interested in a role with a company such as Picsolve will have to enjoy working outdoors and have a good rapport with people. A good rapport will get better results in photos and your subjects are more likely to purchase the photograph later on. That is, after all, the aim.

Entertainment Staff - Whatever theme a theme park follows, entertainment staff are always needed to support that. These roles will vary greatly but if you enjoy singing, dancing, playing a musical instrument, making people laugh or dressing up, then there are worse ways to spend your holidays than working in theme park, making sure everyone is entertained.

Further Roles

Theme parks require staff both front of house, working with the customers, guests and clients, but they also recruit for many behind-the-scenes roles. Think about what makes a theme park tick. Temporary posts could also be available in engineering roles, assisting with ride maintenance; you could be part of the conference and events team or a member of the warehouse staff.

Superbreak Depending on the facilities at the theme park, working with the animals could be an option or you might work in one of the luxury spas. Students interested in fitness could be an aerobics instructor or gym instructor or even a lifeguard. Or maybe you're not too concerned about working with the public and would like to be a part of the cleaning staff or housekeeping in the hotels.

Theme parks work with schools and young people's groups such as the Girl Guides and Scouts. If you enjoy working with children and teenagers, you could work as part of the team that run workshops for these groups.

As you can see, there are lots of temporary roles you could consider applying for in theme park. So, what sort of person gets the most from working in a theme park?
What Kind of People Work in Theme Parks?
Whichever role you would like to do in a theme park, all members of staff are considered to be part of the same team and, as such, work towards the same goal of being the fun face of the theme park. Theme parks are looking for bright, bubbly people with a fun personality and you will be able to carry out tasks on your own initiative. Staff are also required to be adaptable, working a mixture of hours, including evenings and weekends, depending on the role you take on.

Obviously, if your temporary post is working with people, customer service will be a strong point for you and you will be able to stay lively, outgoing and smiley even towards the end of a long, tiring day.
What Are the Benefits of Working in a Theme Park?
If you are working for a group such as Merlin Entertainment Group, they will have an emphasis on fun and teamwork and full training will be given. So, despite the hard work, you should also get a lot of personal reward from your holiday job.

Of course, there are other little perks that come with a Merlin Entertainment Group theme park job. Social events are organised for staff and you also get a Merlin pass which entitles you to free entrance in all Merlin attractions. As well as theme parks, this includes attractions such as the London Eye.
When Can I Apply for Theme Park Jobs?
Theme Parks tend to open in the spring and close in the autumn, but you will need to apply early to get a job because they try to get their recruitment done before opening. Theme Park recruitment drives tend to take place between December and February so that's the best time to apply, but there are sometimes opportunities to apply later in the year if the parks still have vacancies available.

Most parks will have part time and full time job openings for the whole season or part of it, so it's a great option if you are a student living near a park and can work weekends or during the holidays, or if you are on a Gap Year or a recent graduate looking for temporary contract work for the whole season.
Search for Theme Park jobs
Great Theme Parks For Students To Work At!
So, do you think you've got what it takes to work in a theme park? Click any of the links at the top of this article to read the company profiles or use the search facility to see who's recruiting right now. You never know, your student holiday job could end up being your eventual graduate career!

Alton Towers - is set over a massive 500 acres and claims to be the most popular theme park in the UK and is in the top 5 tourist attractions in the UK. So, what is it that attracts so many visitors each year?

Here are just a few of the extras Alton Towers offer. The theme park now boasts two hotels for guests who want to stay overnight or longer. They arrange weddings, birthday parties, stag and hen parties and special theme weekends for large groups. With a golf course, water park, spa and restaurants, you can imagine the variety of holiday jobs students could apply for! Find out more and apply for jobs at Alton Towers.

Chessington World of Adventures Resort - has very much of an animal orientated theme and as well as introducing new rides to tempt visitors, they also offer special zoo days where you can become a zookeeper for the day. Visitors also get to experience different themed lands (safari, for example) and groups can enjoy a camping experience or overnight guests can stay in themed rooms in the hotel. Find out more and apply for jobs at Chessington World of Adventures Resort.

Crealy Great Adventure Parks - two parks in the West Country: 1 in Devon just outside Exeter and the other near Newquay in Cornwall. With parks packed with rides and animals, there are lots of seasonal and summer jobs in numerous roles including food & beverage, guest services, ride operators, cleaners, retail assistants, cooks, ticketing and more. Find out more and apply for jobs at Crealy Great Advenutre Parks.

LEGOLAND Windsor Resort - is a theme park with 55 rides and attractions aimed at kids aged 2-12 years old. Set in 150 acres of parkland in Berkshire just off the M3, M4 and M25, it easy to commute to from London, Reading, Slough, Maidenhead, Bracknell, Staines and Camberley. Seasonal jobs are available between March and November in all departments including customer services, entertainment, food & beverages, facilities, first aid, rides & attractions, hotel, retail, security, warehouse, and wardrobe. Find out more and apply for jobs at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort.

Oakwood Theme Park - is perfect for any students looking for theme park jobs in Wales. Based in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, Oakwood Theme Park offers full and part time jobs. Apply very early in the year for these jobs as some positions are snapped up right at the start of each year. Find out more and apply for jobs at Oakwood Theme Park.

THORPE PARK - As well as its 'thrill rides', THORPE PARK also has also recently added a hotel, The Crash Pad, for overnight guests. They cater for groups and boast a nightclub that hosts special DJ nights. As with many other theme parks these days, THORPE PARK has also tapped into the corporate market and they host corporate events corporate events such as Thrill Days, conferences, evening events, team building days and parties. Find out more and apply for jobs at THORPE PARK.

Walt Disney World Resort - an incredible combination of theme parks and water parks in Florida, USA. There are summer work experience opportunities for UK university students each year for up to 4 months over the summer months as part of the J-1 Cultural Exchange Program. Work in roles across the resort including lifeguards, operations, retail and catering. Find out more and apply for the J-1 Cultural Exchange Program at Walt Disney World Resort.

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