France & Germany - Post Covid-19 Lockdown

[Nicky Borrill]

Thanks for the update. I’ll take walibi off the list of potential places to visit now. From all the measures I’d seen them put in, it looked like it would be a really safe day out, but with the chaos you have described to be honest I would rather stay away.

It’s a really weird one, in deciding where to go I’ve watch a LOT of videos from efteling, and looking at people lining up there the majority of people actually seem to stick to the distancing markers in the queueline, which obviously makes for a safer day out.

I can only think at the end of the day it comes down to the target market the park attracts. Parks like walibi holland attract a lot of young adults/ teenagers who won’t bother with social distancing, whereas parks life efteling attract more families who will probably try and be more respectful than others. Of course this is probably a generalisation, but from what I’ve seen so far more family orientated parks seem to be a safer day out than the “thrill” parks, not due to difference in measures implemented by the parks, but rather due to the attitudes of the people visiting the parks and whether they stick to the rules or not.

It’s good to see europa park are being strict on the mask policy. I guess at the end of the day visiting any park in the current situation is a risk, but personally I’d be more comfortable in visiting the parks where the risks are less and more people obey the rules rather than ones where people literally don’t give a s***

It’s a real shame my assessment has lead you to this decision, because honestly Walibi themselves are doing an excellent job! But social distancing is just not enforceable on it’s own in such large crowded places, despite their best efforts. I feel kinda bad for highlighting it, because for their actions, and all of their efforts they definitely deserve for this to work and to have a great season!

I guess there’s a cultural difference in that they’ve had less than 50k cases total, despite their population density, so aren’t ‘as’ nervous as some may be.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

I forgot to add this excellent idea for controlling the number of people in Europa Park’s toilets post covid...

Basically a traffic light system that counts people in and out. Once capacity is reached it changes to red, until somebody leaves, then it returns to green.



Also here is a visualisation of our drive, which I think is kinda cool ?

 

[UP87]

I have to say I don't agree with this posts title. And that has been itching me every time I came around. We are just not post covid. We're still in the middle of a pandemic. We know the virus and the ways of infection but there are still outbursts at a lot of places. For now this is the best we can do. But the measures in parks you see are not meant to stay forever. There are two possible outcomes until (I guess) about the end of 2021. Either we manage to beat the virus (by vaccination, eliminating all infections or some other miracle) and return to more or less the situation we used to know for all our lives or we just won't in which case we'll have to adapt to the situation as we do now. In the second case we'll just never be post covid. But I assume that the measures in the parks will be improved and social distancing markes will be more subtile. In time everything will become second nature.

I'm sorry I had to write this. I just don't like the thought that anyone thinks this is the new normal. It's just for now.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

I have to say I don't agree with this posts title. And that has been itching me every time I came around. We are just not post covid. We're still in the middle of a pandemic. We know the virus and the ways of infection but there are still outbursts at a lot of places. For now this is the best we can do. But the measures in parks you see are not meant to stay forever. There are two possible outcomes until (I guess) about the end of 2021. Either we manage to beat the virus (by vaccination, eliminating all infections or some other miracle) and return to more or less the situation we used to know for all our lives or we just won't in which case we'll have to adapt to the situation as we do now. In the second case we'll just never be post covid. But I assume that the measures in the parks will be improved and social distancing markes will be more subtile. In time everything will become second nature.

I'm sorry I had to write this. I just don't like the thought that anyone thinks this is the new normal. It's just for now.

Don’t be sorry, it’s lazy titling... Should read ‘Post Covid Lockdown’ or maybe even just ‘Post Lockdown.’ I agree with what you are saying, this is all temporary. I also agree that the title as it is could be misconstrued as a suggestion that the worst of Covid is over and done with, which of course we just don’t know for sure yet.

I’ll happily change the title

 

[Nicky Borrill]

Have done a proper lab test as it’s been pretty much a week now since I got home... Negative... I’ll still follow the stupid quarantine rules though... For the most part... ?

 

[KoasterJ]

Just wanted to add a recent experience for a after-quaratine visit to Europapark incase someone reads this like i had before my visit.

My first visit was a very smooth one with relative low crowds for what usually is a very busy park. I heard it was at 1/6 capacity(?) and the only ride that had significant waits for more then 20 mins was Wodan who had a busy queue the entire 2 days i was there and the water rides during mid-day.

The COVID rules are enforced pretty good here and youre required to wear a mask inside any building expect when you sit at a dinner table and in every ride. Basically everyone complies to this but some lower their masks from their noses or mounth on occasion, but a park member will enforce this when they see it.

Mostly younger people tend to do this a bit more and take it a bit less strict staying behind the lines but i never felt unsafe or anything. That the number of cases have dropped steadily the recent weeks in Germany and The Netherlands where im from to single digits. In The Netherlands there is no mask police anywhere and we seem to have things well under control, common sense seems to have worked here and i felt the approach was the same at Europa park.

Coasters were fun but unimpressive, Thought Arthur was a big let down as many parts of the ride remained what seemd unfinished as you saw wheels and mechanisms without even looking for them. I enjoyed my visit but i felt the park wasnt he best park in the world, Efteling and Phantasialand are better.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

Just wanted to add a recent experience for a after-quaratine visit to Europapark incase someone reads this like i had before my visit.

My first visit was a very smooth one with relative low crowds for what usually is a very busy park. I heard it was at 1/6 capacity(?) and the only ride that had significant waits for more then 20 mins was Wodan who had a busy queue the entire 2 days i was there and the water rides during mid-day.

The COVID rules are enforced pretty good here and youre required to wear a mask inside any building expect when you sit at a dinner table and in every ride. Basically everyone complies to this but some lower their masks from their noses or mounth on occasion, but a park member will enforce this when they see it.

Mostly younger people tend to do this a bit more and take it a bit less strict staying behind the lines but i never felt unsafe or anything. That the number of cases have dropped steadily the recent weeks in Germany and The Netherlands where im from to single digits. In The Netherlands there is no mask police anywhere and we seem to have things well under control, common sense seems to have worked here and i felt the approach was the same at Europa park.

Coasters were fun but unimpressive, Thought Arthur was a big let down as many parts of the ride remained what seemd unfinished as you saw wheels and mechanisms without even looking for them. I enjoyed my visit but i felt the park wasnt he best park in the world, Efteling and Phantasialand are better.

Glad you enjoyed your trip. I think your assessment of the coasters is fair... Except Arthur!!! Arthur is brilliant ?

How was the distancing in queues and other areas? On our visit the risk management seemed to rely mainly on masks, with many people ignoring distance guidelines, and staff would enforce masks but not distancing. Which was fine for us, but some people do not trust masks.

 

[Hypercoaster_fan_uk]

Arthur is great, I rode and re rode in 2016, silver star was also great, although I don't remember any trim breaks being used so that might be why. Blue fire is good fun but not super thrilling, and wodan feels like you're doing 100mph all the time

 

[Hypercoaster_fan_uk]

Trim brakes not breaks ffs

 

[Nicky Borrill]

Trim brakes not breaks ffs

It happens, if you click on the little down arrow towards the bottom left of your post there is an edit button ?

 

[Nicky Borrill]

Well... I may have got away without contracting covid... But I didn’t get away scott free...

Bloody speeding fine on the autobahn!!!!

In my defence, the road was empty, there was no limit on that section until I hit roadworks (afaik,) and they just didn’t allow enough time to slow down safely from 200 ??

 

[Nicky Borrill]

Well... I may have got away without contracting covid... But I didn’t get away scott free...

Bloody speeding fine on the autobahn!!!!

In my defence, the road was empty, there was no limit on that section until I hit roadworks (afaik,) and they just didn’t allow enough time to slow down safely from 200 ??

View attachment 9208

EDIT: Also, I was under the impression they had a month to contact you or the offence was wiped clean? Anybody in Germany enlighten me on this... As the 2 dates (offence and marked letter date) are way over a month apart...

 

[Bentleya]

If you don't pay, you'll get stopped next time you go to Europe (if you are are traveling the vehicle with the same registration)

If you don't intend to go to Europe in the vehicle with the registration plate you got caught in; then I personally wouldn't pay it.

I've personally never done this, but I go to the Nurburgring a couple of times a year and some of the guys I go with drive silly quick and are always getting fines sent through; most don't bother paying them - but a couple have been caught short and made to pay as they were stopped just after the ferry crossing.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

If you don't pay, you'll get stopped next time you go to Europe (if you are are traveling the vehicle with the same registration)

If you don't intend to go to Europe in the vehicle with the registration plate you got caught in; then I personally wouldn't pay it.

I've personally never done this, but I go to the Nurburgring a couple of times a year and some of the guys I go with drive silly quick and are always getting fines sent through; most don't bother paying them - but a couple have been caught short and made to pay as they were stopped just after the ferry crossing.

It was paid before I posted I have a historical record for forgetting things like parking tickets, bus lane tickets and them turning from a £30 fine into a £300 knock in the door ?? I’ve (hopefully) learnt the hard way!

 

[rob666]

If you don't pay, you'll get stopped next time you go to Europe (if you are are traveling the vehicle with the same registration)

If you don't intend to go to Europe in the vehicle with the registration plate you got caught in; then I personally wouldn't pay it.

I've personally never done this, but I go to the Nurburgring a couple of times a year and some of the guys I go with drive silly quick and are always getting fines sent through; most don't bother paying them - but a couple have been caught short and made to pay as they were stopped just after the ferry crossing.

What...you get tickets for speeding on the Nurburgring now???
What is the world coming to!

 

[Bentleya]

@rob666 - no; just on the way there and way back - however you can technically get a ticket on the ring, as there is several sections with a speed limits in place. Notably T13 (where the Nordschleife and GP track meet) and where the 2nd entrance / exit is for the town of Adenau.