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Coronavirus: Impact on Theme Parks

Professor

Previously AndrewRollercoaster
Was at Blackpool Pleasure Beach yesterday and today. My first theme park visit of the year and first coaster credits since Hyde Park Winter Wonderland since November.
The staff really did all they could from what I could see with regards to preparations and how things were run on the day. Some markers are done with stickers which may need to improve or replaced but there was a lot of logic in how things were done and I'm surprised the social distancing was actually possible in some queue lines. All staff seemed very friendly and not nervous at all. On a few queue lines the staff do want you to wear a mask when you enter but mostly it's just on the rides themselves and they indeed stay on fine even in heavy winds today.

Hand sanitisers everywhere. One way markers in shops and other areas. Lots of rides can operate without social distancing themselves (Icon and Avalanche) due to existing spaced out seating so the queue lines were moving pretty quickly also with the fewer punters in the park. Not sure the park is making much of a profit at this rate as there seems to be more staff than usual. Also BPB seemed a bit overly ambitious with offering 7pm closures today (Sunday) and this coming week. The bad weather meant that was quickly changed yesterday to 5pm closures instead. Some people pissed off which I can understand but the park needs to limit losses but also get back in the swing of things. There's no excuse not to get on enough rides between 10am and 5pm like how this weekend was though as long as you turn up early enough. Yesterday they still closed at 7pm and I saw people on the Big One WELL after that as I was already having a little walk on the beach with the tide being really far out. Hardly ever seen that when I've been before. The rides on the pier were operating as well from what I could see. Really good to see things slowly getting back to normal.

No Big One today as has been mentioned but was glad to get back on it a couple of times yesterday and was running particularly well, maybe due to the drizzle. Big Dipper and Streak running well too. Icon fine. I've probably been harsh on it at times. It's no Taron but it's still a decent coaster in most areas. Grand National back row utter dog ****. Like a horse galloping on a coaster track. Pretty horrible. Not sure what will be done with it in the next few years but it needs attention as it probably will just get worse (if that is possible).

I'd say 80-90% of guests were sticking to social distancing and mask wearing fine. A few inconsiderate guests (mostly young ones) maybe no looking at the markers on the floor, but I also saw a few who were smoking in the Big One queue line so what do you expect.

Overall a superb experience and another great visit to BPB this weekend.

Absolutely no big problems at all.

Top job from the park and staff. Will definitely be back on my own in the next couple of months and my girlfriend (who is not a big theme park fan) can't wait to get on the rides during November / December with illuminations and in the dark, so somewhat shows you this weekend's experience was probably quite positive for a normal visitor too rather than just for us hardcore fanatics.

Some of the very few questionable / offensive parts with regards to props/characters in River Caves and on the Train ride have been removed or altered btw, which is good.
 
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Nicky Borrill

Strata Poster
you are more wise than me, Went back to Towers today... it cant be any worse than yesterday was my thinking .... Oh how wrong I was ?
Wish I'd brought a BPB pass in the sale last winter now :oops:
I can’t believe you went... AGAIN... After not originally wanting to go the first time ??

You are masochist!!! ???
 

JammyH

Hyper Poster
I haven’t actually been to any parks yet, but in my head this is how I rank the parks so far this season, based on other people’s experiences so far.

1. Blackpool pleasure beach
2. Chessington world of adventures
3. Thorpe park
4. Alton towers.

I’ll leave Drayton, Legoland and paultons out as I haven’t seen/heard enough reports from them yet.

In my head blackpool is clearly the front runner for best UK park, and from what people have said this weekend operations have been outstanding and their efforts for social distancing cannot go unnoticed, they’ve made a really good effort and if I wasn’t so far away I definitely would have made an effort to be there this weekend.

Merlin parks have been a bit of a shambles. They’ve clearly made a lot of effort when it comes to the fact they want to be “covid secure”, but the execution isn’t there. In cattlepen queuelines, Thorpe could seriously benefit from screens to reduce viral transmission, like they have in efteling. There’s been lots of photos of people in the merlin parks not wearing masks on the rides when they are supposed to be and social distancing in the queues seems to be pretty none existent.

The main issue with the merlin parks is the significant amount of unadvertised closed attractions- this heavily elevates the queue times for the other rides which means people are in closer contact in queue-lines for longer. Having more rides open would spread the people out more across the park, reduce queue times and therefore reduce contact time. Their policy of a significant amount of rides closed is obviously so they can save money, but it’s not only poor in terms of customer satisfaction, but it also means their whole “covid secure” attempt is completely thwarted, because rides like the smiler and wicker man have 2 hour non socially distant queues, and then Rita and 13teen and sitting closed. Not to mention dark rides in towers are closed too, when there is really no excuse as they are open in Europe and Blackpool.

My personal conclusions after this weekend are to stay away from merlin this season. I’ll try and get down to Blackpool when I can also to Drayton when the full park is open, apparently they have a good virtual queue system in place.
 

Professor

Previously AndrewRollercoaster
I haven’t actually been to any parks yet, but in my head this is how I rank the parks so far this season, based on other people’s experiences so far.

1. Blackpool pleasure beach
2. Chessington world of adventures
3. Thorpe park
4. Alton towers.

I’ll leave Drayton, Legoland and paultons out as I haven’t seen/heard enough reports from them yet.

In my head blackpool is clearly the front runner for best UK park, and from what people have said this weekend operations have been outstanding and their efforts for social distancing cannot go unnoticed, they’ve made a really good effort and if I wasn’t so far away I definitely would have made an effort to be there this weekend.

Merlin parks have been a bit of a shambles. They’ve clearly made a lot of effort when it comes to the fact they want to be “covid secure”, but the execution isn’t there. In cattlepen queuelines, Thorpe could seriously benefit from screens to reduce viral transmission, like they have in efteling. There’s been lots of photos of people in the merlin parks not wearing masks on the rides when they are supposed to be and social distancing in the queues seems to be pretty none existent.

The main issue with the merlin parks is the significant amount of unadvertised closed attractions- this heavily elevates the queue times for the other rides which means people are in closer contact in queue-lines for longer. Having more rides open would spread the people out more across the park, reduce queue times and therefore reduce contact time. Their policy of a significant amount of rides closed is obviously so they can save money, but it’s not only poor in terms of customer satisfaction, but it also means their whole “covid secure” attempt is completely thwarted, because rides like the smiler and wicker man have 2 hour non socially distant queues, and then Rita and 13teen and sitting closed. Not to mention dark rides in towers are closed too, when there is really no excuse as they are open in Europe and Blackpool.

My personal conclusions after this weekend are to stay away from merlin this season. I’ll try and get down to Blackpool when I can also to Drayton when the full park is open, apparently they have a good virtual queue system in place.

Wasn't at Towers obviously but I'm surprised to get the impression BPB just thought all this through SO much better than Towers. It has far less resources available. 2 big coasters down and no dark rides seems bad. Rita closed but Stealth can operate I don't understand. Stealth was even on BBC with just one guy in it. Weird.

I really didn't know how things were going to be with the mask stuff. I was prepared for far fewer rides at BPB with restrictions in place. I think ultimately it did make a small difference on the coasters as I "was done" quicker than usual and I think that's probably to do with not being able to breathe fresh air more easily. But getting on 12-15 rides on each of both days is around my usual count at BPB. With regards to the dark rides wearing a mask honestly made no difference. I can't even remember wearing a mask on there and just enjoyed getting back on the great selection of BPB dark rides. I probably would even have done Valhalla if it were open. Heck, I even enjoyed Sky Force today as due to the wind I was rotating constantly.

If Towers changes its stance and opens the dark rides I really think they should reconsider opening the David Wailliams ride too. It seems nonsense keeping it closed if it's all finished and ready to go.

As things stand don't think I'd bother with Towers in the mean time.
 
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rob666

Hyper Poster
Blackpool is great on low numbers days, but awful in the peak.
Has been ever since they dropped pay per ride.
Consistency often isnt great regarding customer service.
Good that they are keeping the late night riding events, but sadly no fireworks this year.
 

Professor

Previously AndrewRollercoaster
(Photo courtesy of TPWW taken at Thorpe Park today)
thorpe park.jpg
What the hell is going on with Merlin? No screens, normal cattle penning and people don't give a crap.
This is NOT what BPB looked like at the weekend at all.

I'm disgusted at the lack of implementation of anti cattle penning measures by Merlin considering BPB did so much. Perhaps it thus means guests will also not care at all if you don't make enough effort?

I'm staying clear of Towers & Thorpe Park. Disgraceful by a billion pound organisation.

If they wanted to go down this route they should have made masks compulsory at all times in the queue lines at least.
I really don't get how Thorpe Park got the "good to go" approved thing if it is like that.
 
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spicy

Giga Poster
Yea surely there should have been some perspex screening put up on the cattle pen fences or it's impossible to keep distance.

This was always going to happen unfortunately, you can put some stickers on the ground but enforcing people to actually stand on them and obey the distancing rules is another matter.
 

JoshC.

Strata Poster
Efteling have posted a small interview with their director Fons Jurgen on their site about the affects of coronavirus: https://www.efteling.com/nl/blog/corporate/20200706-interview-fons-jurgens

It's a simple and honest enough interview, given the fact it's them doing it internally, but here's one of the more interesting points:

Fewer guests can now visit Efteling per day. Is it profitable to be open?
Fons: “We are currently limiting the loss and the focus is on the survival of Efteling. Financially this will be a much worse year than expected anyway, the worst year ever. We have been closed for about two months and we can no longer make up for this. That means we have to take a step. We do not yet know what this will mean for the expansion plans or the construction of new attractions. ”
 

JammyH

Hyper Poster
Disgraceful is the world.
Blackpool must have spent thousands on plywood and perspex.
There was not a single spot on the Beach yesterday like that photo.
Absolutely appalling queue management..HSE...shut them down!

Just on the topic of blackpool, could you give me a rough outline of which areas masks are required and which they are reccomended, as it’s all a bit confusing right now.

Thanks!
 

JammyH

Hyper Poster
If you thought the social distancing in Thorpe park is bad, there’s currently a major funfair/festival taking place in the east of France... seems like the french have completely forgotten about corona too. ?


Second wave incoming.... ☹
 

rob666

Hyper Poster
Just on the topic of blackpool, could you give me a rough outline of which areas masks are required and which they are reccomended, as it’s all a bit confusing right now.

Thanks!
Icon was the only queueline where masks were mandatory, because the Grand Prix (its the bloody turnpike!) runs right next to the queueline.
Masks should be worn indoors at the stations, and on the coasters.
They were also mandatory on W&G, and the River Caves (I think...didnt ride).
No need for masks on the paths, though obviously some wore them constantly.
Staff were all shielded, or mask and goggles.
Masks advisory in the shops, but not compulsory.
No ride photos, and though the photo ops were limited, it was nice to dance a little jig with Donatello out of the Ninja Turtles.
Toilet access was managed, paper towels instead of blowers.
It really didnt put a damper on the day, but I would not want to go on a very busy day.
 

Nicky Borrill

Strata Poster
QUICK NOTE:

Energylandia is f**kin bangin... Better atmosphere than any of my other visits!!!! Almost forgot Covid was a thing for a day there!!!
 

Mushroom

Goon of the Year
Blackpool is great on low numbers days, but awful in the peak.
Has been ever since they dropped pay per ride.
They still did pay per ride right up till the closure in March. So you can't just say that randomly like that. Also Icon is 15 tickets per ride....
 

rob666

Hyper Poster
To clarify.
The park used to cope with high numbers on park far better when there were no wristbands.
They had an incentive to keep the queues moving, and all rides on maximum capacity on busy days.
There isnt the same incentive any more.
The Big Ones issues with wind, for example, would have been sorted, if every punter was still paying four quid a ride.
Come on Mush, when did you last see anyone using tickets on the Beach?
In about forty visits last year, I saw one punter paying by tickets, once.
And I speak randomly like that all the time.
 

rob666

Hyper Poster
The last I heard, ticket users make up less than 0.5% of entrance monies at BPB.
Cant quote my source, but it was a park manager.
Semantics and pedantics.
Once wristbands started, I stopped doing high days and Saturdays, because they simply weren't fun any more.
Queues became twice as long in a single season.
Ride ticket costs were deliberately overpriced to force people into getting a band...hence £15 to ride Icon.
 

Nicky Borrill

Strata Poster
Another article has surfaced which claims that the so called “herd immunity” is essentially unachievable and isn’t a realistic way to deal with this virus.

17% of London had antibodies in May... Confirmed by our very own magnificent (?) government...

In all seriousness you’re looking at ‘herd immunity’ from too binary an angle... Yes 60% is needed to completely prevent transmission... But ANY level of immunity is better than none :)
 
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