Happiest Club on Earth<\/a>, which centers on Walt Disney World.<\/p>\n ![\"1.](\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAQAAAAe\/WZNAAAAEElEQVR42mM8U88ABowYDABAxQPltt5zqAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\")
<\/p>\n
Aurora Ulrich,\u00a0junior stage management major and president of Theme Park Knights, moderates a game of trivia at the organization’s first meeting from the head of a table in a study room at the\u00a0UCF John C. Hitt Library on Monday.<\/p>\n
Emilie Gilbert<\/p>\n
Ulrich previously served as secretary for Happiest Club on Earth and now works as an entertainment technician at Universal Orlando Resort. Ulrich said she wants the new organization to mainly highlight other parks in the region while also exploring the broader world of themed entertainment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI decided I wanted to open up and make it more general and open it to everyone so that it’s not just a one-park-only club,\u201d Ulrich said.<\/p>\n
The organization\u2019s broader focus attracted students with connections to different parts of the theme park industry, Ulrich said.<\/p>\n
This includes Christopher Tarsitano, junior mechanical engineering major, who works as a ride mechanic at SeaWorld Orlando.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was a part of Happiest Club on Earth, but I felt like I just wanted a place to express my interest in more of a general theme park culture rather than specifically Disney,\u201d Tarsitano said.<\/p>\n
The first official meeting was on Monday in a study room at the John C. Hitt Library, where attendees met the organization\u2019s officers. Ulrich said she expected about five people to attend but was excited when 14 students were at the first meeting.<\/p>\n
They discussed interests and shared ideas for future activities, followed by trivia games played on Blooket, an online quiz platform. Ulrich said these activities helped break the ice and gave attendees a chance to test their knowledge and learn about attractions across the industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cI liked doing trivia that was about theme parks in general,\u201d Tarsitano\u00a0said. \u201cIt allowed me to kind of show my knowledge, which was fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Brady Davis, freshman mechanical engineering major, ponders the answer to a trivia question at Theme Park Knight’s first meeting in a study room at the UCF John C. Hitt Library on Monday.<\/p>\n
Emilie Gilbert<\/p>\n
Abigail Reeves, a second-year transfer stage management major, said she liked that the organization welcomes students regardless of their experience with theme parks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like all the theme parks,\u201d Reeves said. \u201cAurora was very welcoming even if you didn\u2019t know about all the theme parks or didn\u2019t have passes; that\u2019s okay. As long as you\u2019re interested, then you can learn about it, and be a part of the club.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reeves said she is particularly looking forward to future group outings to the parks.<\/p>\n
Ulrich said the organization plans to host trivia, games and movie watch parties while working toward group outings to local theme parks.<\/p>\n
Ulrich aims to attend Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort with Theme Park Knights soon. The organization is also considering more accessible outings, such as visiting Universal CityWalk, for students who do not have theme park passes, Ulrich said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really want to do more socials,\u201d Ulrich said. \u201cIt\u2019s the whole point of this club is to go to the parks with friends.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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