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Coronavirus: Impact on Theme Parks

Back on topic, it looks as if Oakwood plan to open on the 4th July too

And does this mean Drayton Manor are expecting to be open by 21st July?

I have heard from a friend (who has a friend who works high up at Oakwood) that Merlin and Aspro have been in close co-ordination with the government about the reopening of theme parks. "Apparently", theme parks are high priority on the list of "leisure" attractions allowed to reopen from the 4th July as they are majority outdoor spaces, and it has been proven that the virus is far less likely to spread outdoors than in indoor spaces. Therefore, it is possible theme parks could well be given the green light before the likes of cinemas and indoor spaces of pubs (perhaps beer gardens can open up first). It is clear Merlin, Oakwood and Fantasy Island are looking to get their doors open at the earliest possible date set out from the government.

And as for Drayton manor, they just haven't updated their calendar. The purple squares reference to the main season of the park whereas from 21st July is a special event, so it doesn't have any indication as to when they might reopen. I would also see them looking to reopen for the earliest possible date, even if they just start off by operating the zoo without the rides or something similar for the initial stages of reopening.

As for international travel, it's not looking too promising for us Brits at the moment. Greece will reopen to tourists by 1st July, however excluding those of us from the UK. Cyprus & Poland are expected to lift restrictions in some way on 15. June, however how relaxed they will be and who will be allowed to come is not clear as of yet. Italy seems to be most ahead of the game with the quarantine being lifted from 3rd June, and no mention of those of us from the UK being banned. Maybe I will have to try and piece together a theme park holiday to Gardaland and Movieland this summer if there are no other options...
 
looks like visits to French parks from UK are a no no for the time being

People arriving in France from the UK will have to self-isolate for 14 days from 8 June, the French government has announced.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52781812
Oh dear... Tit for tat... Seems somebody has had a falling out!!! The exact same date too ??

I have heard from a friend (who has a friend who works high up at Oakwood) that Merlin and Aspro have been in close co-ordination with the government about the reopening of theme parks. "Apparently", theme parks are high priority on the list of "leisure" attractions allowed to reopen from the 4th July as they are majority outdoor spaces, and it has been proven that the virus is far less likely to spread outdoors than in indoor spaces. Therefore, it is possible theme parks could well be given the green light before the likes of cinemas and indoor spaces of pubs (perhaps beer gardens can open up first). It is clear Merlin, Oakwood and Fantasy Island are looking to get their doors open at the earliest possible date set out from the government.

And as for Drayton manor, they just haven't updated their calendar. The purple squares reference to the main season of the park whereas from 21st July is a special event, so it doesn't have any indication as to when they might reopen. I would also see them looking to reopen for the earliest possible date, even if they just start off by operating the zoo without the rides or something similar for the initial stages of reopening.

As for international travel, it's not looking too promising for us Brits at the moment. Greece will reopen to tourists by 1st July, however excluding those of us from the UK. Cyprus & Poland are expected to lift restrictions in some way on 15. June, however how relaxed they will be and who will be allowed to come is not clear as of yet. Italy seems to be most ahead of the game with the quarantine being lifted from 3rd June, and no mention of those of us from the UK being banned. Maybe I will have to try and piece together a theme park holiday to Gardaland and Movieland this summer if there are no other options...

The Drayton remark was supposed to read ‘by’ the 21st of July, as in some time before that date... As it doesn’t say ‘closed‘ next to that calendar period like it does the other :)

Our government have seen to it that any breaks away will be ‘difficult’ at best. They mentioned sky bridges yesterday at the briefing. While it is reassuring to know it is officially being looked at as a policy, with 3 weekly reviews on the quarantine from 8th June, it would be fair to assume no ‘sky bridges’ would be in place before the 29th June.
 
Apparently the Oxford trial has jumped into hospitals to test people so as they can get the vaccine testers a little more exposed to the virus, so they’re not entirely stuck for options. I know they did also say about potentially going to places where the virus is more present in the population, such as Africa and South America.
 
Sunday morning good news, ?


The oxford vaccine trial going a bit adrift tho as they say the virus is so low in the population, those testing the vaccine are not being exposed to the virus

maybe this virus will die out before they can actually get a vaccine to kill it
Thanks for some more good news :)

Would it really be THAT surprising if SARS-CoV-2 followed exactly the same trajectory as SARS-CoV-1??? It’s roughly on track so far...

Nobody really knows what’s going to happen naturally, all they can do is plan for worst case scenarios to save lives... It is perfectly plausible that Sars Junior burns out in July or shortly after just like Sars Senior... But it’s also possible for a second wave, or seasonal returns, or ten years of dormancy and a huge new pandemic... So many possibilities... So we MUST hope for the best but plan for the worst :)
 
A bit of an update on Denmark.
- The initial plan was to "allow" parks to open from June 8th, but now it has been accelerated a bit and parks in Denmark can now open from May 27th!
The only two parks who will take advantage of this is Tivoli Friheden in Aarhus and Bakken near Copenhagen, which will both open this friday (May 29th) and you can bet your sweet ass I will be there for it at Bakken!

All the other Danish parks will open as follows:

Tivoli Gardens - June 8th

Legoland Billund - June 8th

Fårup Sommerland - June 11th

Djurs Sommerland - June 11th

Sommerland Sjælland - June 12th

BonBon-Land - June 19th
 
A bit of an update on Denmark.
- The initial plan was to "allow" parks to open from June 8th, but now it has been accelerated a bit and parks in Denmark can now open from May 27th!
The only two parks who will take advantage of this is Tivoli Friheden in Aarhus and Bakken near Copenhagen, which will both open this friday (May 29th) and you can bet your sweet ass I will be there for it at Bakken!

All the other Danish parks will open as follows:

Tivoli Gardens - June 8th

Legoland Billund - June 8th

Fårup Sommerland - June 11th

Djurs Sommerland - June 11th

Sommerland Sjælland - June 12th

BonBon-Land - June 19th
So jealous :(

But happy for you guys still... Hope you enjoy them, and I hope your parks make as much money as possible to make up for the last month or two...
 
Spain is lifting quarantine restrictions from July 1st and PortAventura World indicate on their site that their 3 parks are opened from that date. No opening times available though but will probably be excellent I guess.

I'll be looking to visit probably late summer (first time :)).
 
Interesting but sad article about the threats to the future of the travelling amusments industry - speaking with the owners of Ireland's largest travelling funfair.

The financial impact of the Coronvirus pandemic has put at risk the survival of a 160-year-old family run business.

No business has been immune to the adverse effects of the coronavirus and subsequent lockdown, but the very existence of travelling funfairs and circuses are believed to be under threat in Ireland.

Unlike most businesses who can lift the shutters once permission is granted, for Cullens Funfair it takes months of planning and site meetings with health and safety officers to obtain a council site.

Some councils have safety advisory groups which they must meet weeks ahead of a planned event.

Cullens Funfair is a well-established business which dates back to 1860 or before.

It has passed through seven generations of the family.


Their journey is one from humble beginnings when it consisted of manually operated rides such as swing boats, along with a few stalls and a dodgem track.

These were transported around the country with the use of horses.

The business has grown to become the largest travelling fair in Ireland and large modern vehicles are used nowadays to haul over 1,200 tonnes of equipment.

Cullens has been based in Derry since 1945 and is currently situated on the Limavady Road.

Joe Cullen, one of four brothers who are partners in the business, said a typical season starts in March when they go to Newry for St. Patrick’s week festival then back to Derry for Easter at Ebrington.

Approximately 70% of events are held in the North and the remainder in the Republic of Ireland.

They then move on to, amongst other destinations, Enniskillen, Lisburn for the Balmoral Show, Ballyclare and Carrickfergus Classic Sail.

In the second half of the year they’d travel to Ballycastle for the Auld Lammas Fair, could have equipment at the National Ploughing Championships in September and Ballinasloe Horse Fair in Galway in October.

However, due to Coronavirus all of these events have been officially cancelled this year.

Money has already been spent on machinery, public liability insurance and engineers who test the equipment.

Cullens can’t cancel those insurance contracts for fear that they wouldn’t be approved next year as a limited number of companies offer that type of cover.

A risk assessment has also been carried out so that measures can be implemented in the event the business is allowed to reopen later this year.

The funfair was given the go-ahead to set-up in Newry prior to St Patrick’s Day.

Rides were built, licenses issued by the council and customers queued outside when the plug was pulled at the last minute.

Joe explained: “We had the expense of travelling the whole way to Newry with over 30 vehicles, staff, living accommodation, equipment, putting it up and getting the last of our test certificates completed with the equipment up.

“We were ready to open and had to take it down and bring it back home.”

There are no events left this year other than ‘private business’ where they book a site and advertise it rather than working in conjunction with a council. It leaves little room for profit.

Cullens has received £10,000 worth of support from the government and rates relief but it is nowhere near enough to cover their costs.

“That money wouldn’t last a month and there’s nothing else in the kitty,” Joe said.

When asked if he is hopeful about the future of the business Joe referred to a BBC documentary made about the family last year which looked at their unique way of life and explored whether it’s in danger of becoming extinct or if the next generation of Cullens can keep the family tradition alive.

He added: “It’s a 50/50 question, more so this year with the Coronavirus about whether we will survive.

“Not only us, but our business in general, we are one of the bigger operators but some of the smaller men can’t afford to do it.

“I know two or three already who have thrown in the towel, they just can’t pay the insurance and expanses and they’re selling equipment.

“That’s because of the coronavirus, if they’d been out earning and covering expenses, and putting money aside for the winter they’d be fine.

“And the circuses are in the same boat.”

He does remain hopeful that the next generation will carry on the legacy and said ‘your heart and soul has to be in the funfair business’.

“It’s hard to explain to someone who’s not in it, it has to be bred into you and you cannot do it. And you cannot do it without your family.”

The next generation were committed to its future pre-Coronavirus but Joe said it’s a question that will have to be asked again at the end of the summer.

“I would surmise so, some of the younger generation are very dedicated and they would still be in the sheds right now working on the machines doing painting and cosmetics,” he added.

When the green light will be granted to get back on the road is ‘the million-dollar question’, Joe said.

It will not be until phase 5 in the governments’ roadmap/steps to recovery both North and South.

In the Republic of Ireland that is anticipated to be on August 10 but no date has been published in Northern Ireland.

Cullens are therefore eyeing a return in mid-August but it would only be private business events at this stage. Their sights are already set on rebuilding next year.

Joe said numbers attending can be managed and social distancing controlled on all rides bar one which would stay closed.

Seats and bars would be cleaned after each ride and hand sanitisers provided for customers.

Joe concluded: “If the South opens earlier than the North or vice versa, that is where we will aim to set-up.”
Source
 
Spain is lifting quarantine restrictions from July 1st and PortAventura World indicate on their site that their 3 parks are opened from that date. No opening times available though but will probably be excellent I guess.

I'll be looking to visit probably late summer (first time :)).
Gonna bang in a Mon to weds as soon as quarantine is lifted back here... Or the ‘sky bridge’ in place... was on my radar this year anyway... I wanted to try one of the resort hotels out, as we’ve always airbnb’ed it.

You’re gonna love Shambhala!
 
According to BBC news the government has a “new policy”. It now seems that holidays are no longer strongly advised against and you are allowed to go on holiday abroad as long as you agree to a 2 week quarantine upon return. Correct me if this is wrong though, here is the quote:

“But under the UK's new policy, any tourists returning home after taking holidays in Spain and most other foreign destinations would have to spend two weeks in self-isolation”.

As said above, I cannot see the UK quarantine lasting for that long, seems more of a token gesture to the fact that we didn’t impose quarantine when we should have. We will see how it plays out but it’s possible that international travel may be possible again from July onwards. (Although flight prices seem to have rocketed through the roof for the limited schedule).
 
Just because I don't believe this has been posted here yet, here is Ohio's Governor Mike DeWine on Cedar Point and Re-opening (the first question that was asked). One would assume this applies to King's Island as well

 
Just because I don't believe this has been posted here yet, here is Ohio's Governor Mike DeWine on Cedar Point and Re-opening (the first question that was asked). One would assume this applies to King's Island as well

On the Ohio front, Governor Dewine is indeed playing it cool; however Kings Island and Cedar Point have both begun their battery of runtime testing in order to meet the state minimum hours of operation to certify rides for reopening. Gatekeeper at CP has been spotted beginning it's test cycle runs, and Kings Island even tweeted a GIF of testing on Orion:


I appreciate governor Dewine's caution on reopening, and in turn wouldn't be surprised to hear word over the next month on when amusement parks may plan reopening.

Also, Disney has announced their new timelines for reopening, submitting plans for state review later this month:

July 11 - Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom
July 15 - Epcot and Hollywood Studios

Safety protocols are what you would expect, full face mask, social distancing, temperature checks, virtual check-in for crowd control, and no parades or shows. Also interesting, the park will feature "relaxation zones" where guests can remove masks; thoughtful to help folks deal with stuffy masks in the Florida heat.

 
A bit of an update on Denmark.
- The initial plan was to "allow" parks to open from June 8th, but now it has been accelerated a bit and parks in Denmark can now open from May 27th!

PLOT TWIST; In an absurd turn of events - on the day that the parks had the green light to open here - the government has announced some new guidelines, that basically says that the parks can't operate any of their "thrill"-rides, as the infection-risk is higher on these with people screaming.
The rides are, however allowed to run, if there are some sort of shield between guests (not exactly feasible is it?) or if they load the different rides in groups that came to the park together (e.g. families). - For instance, if you visited with your two friends, you'd basically have Piraten to yourself for a ride.
But this would obviously reduce the capacity to the point where it might not even make sense for the parks to open at all.

While it hasn't been specified exactly what rides can open and which can't, it basically seems like all the bigger roller coasters and rides (the main draw for the parks) will have to stay closed. What about people who scream on kiddie rides? - There are so many things wrong with this decision and the details are so vague.

How many guests would wanna pay a visit to a park under these circumstances?

This is a MAJOR blow to the theme parks here and naturally they are not happy with this. They've spent the last two weeks preparing with guidelines in mind, which have now been completely changed...
The parks have made their frustration clear and hopefully the government will look at this again and revise these ridiculous guidelines.
 
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