Valuating Spaces of Leisure and Pleasure: Theme Park Visit Motivations, Experiences, Memory, and Attachment at Enchanted Kingdom, Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Philippines
Keywords:
hedonic landscapes, theme parks, leisure experiencesAbstract
Hedonic landscapes such as theme parks serve as important places for leisure, entertainment, and pleasure-seeking experiences. In the Philippines, it emerged from pre-colonial spiritual and ritualized spaces that were later shaped by colonial influences into church plazas and fairgrounds - the imprints of contemporary Philippine amusement parks. Existing Western contexts in examining these places’ leisure experiences are ubiquitous. However, studies on local amusement parks and recreational experiences remained unexplored. To bridge this gap, this study examines the motivations, experiences, memories, and attachments of Filipinos when visiting theme parks, grounded in Push-Pull Theory and the concepts of the Four Realms of Experience and Collective Memory. Using a quantitative research approach, data were collected from Filipino respondents (n=412) via an online survey and analyzed to identify patterns in visitor motivation, experience, memory, and attachment to Enchanted Kingdom in Sta. Rosa, Laguna- the study site. Data revealed that across all factors examined, theme parks remain relevant to Filipinos as spaces for escape, novelty, entertainment, celebration, and social bonding across generations, contributing to overall well-being and quality of life.
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