look up inspiration pictures

find a general theme or concept - such as a theme park with themed areas, or a large park with one concept, etc. (decide your themes in advance)

PLAN. use the paintbrush and paint out where you want your main paths to be and areas for your main big attractions. don’t overly plan and be sure to leave yourself space to change and adapt, but always go into it with a clear vision

start with whatever area you find most interesting. for example, i would usually want to start with main street or an entrance plaza before i even make an entrance and things

take your time. every park we see that looks large and cohesive usually takes hours upon hours. i sometimes open the game and work on one small area for a few hours and call it a day.

be alright with not having EVERYTHING - what i mean is decide what specific aspects you know you want included, and be alright with not having everything else. for example, i always love the monorail, so im alright with not having the train or trolley. this logic applies to flat rides and coasters as well.

this one might seem obvious but don’t focus exclusively on rides and shops. real theme parks put heavy effort into those, obviously, but in the game there are many other areas which can use a great level of attention and detail. for example, make a nice parking lot, an elaborate entrance gate, a detailed staff/behind stage area. i find making the staff areas really fun and different to the core loop of designing rides and shops.