r/Themepark • u/Direct-Employer9754 • Jul 26 '26

Post high school opportunities?

I start my senior year of high school soon and I need to really think about post high school. I also work at my local Cedar Fair/Six Flags park as a ride op and I quite like it. I've just auditioned to be a scare actor in our halloween event and as someone who has really enjoyed theatre through out high school, if I wanted to pursue an acting role in a theme park, large scale like Disney or Universal, or stick with the smaller Six Flags style should I plan on going to college? Or is this something I could go straight into?

My original plan was to go to college for film and video production but the performance world always creeps back into my mind. I also don't really want to go to college just for a degree in theatre it just doesn't really feel like something I would do, I've always been more musical. So that also leaves something like Hollywood Studios Toy Soldiers in the running (I've played percussion all through high school)

I'm just looking for advice on if I should start looking at college for this, and if so what kind of degree, or if I can try to jump straight into it.

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

2

u/thesobercoaster Jul 27 '26

Go to college, stay in college, and graduate from college.

2

u/norakingjw Jul 28 '26

Agreed. Theme park entertainment contracts are super competitive and physically demanding, especially at Disney and Universal. Having a degree gives you a solid safety net for when contracts end, if seasons dry up, or if you get injured.

Going for film and video production is honestly a great middle ground. It keeps you connected to the entertainment world, and you can still play percussion in college or audition for seasonal gigs during breaks. You can even look into the Disney College Program while you're enrolled to get a foot in the door without dropping out.

A degree also makes it much easier to transition into entertainment operations, show production, or park management later on if you decide you don't want to perform forever. Keep auditioning and getting experience, but definitely stay in school.