COVID-19 & Coasters: Coronavirus Impacts on the Amusement Industry

[belsaas]

So I'm guessing this is going to fuck some plans up.

New Gathering Restrictions

(I for one am 100% for this. COVID is far worse than ever, opening up more is criminally negligent)

 

[R75]

I also agree that these new restrictions are needed considering the continuous rise in cases. It just makes you wonder if we’ll remain in a vicious cycle of lightening and revamping restrictions until a vaccine is widely marketable. That’s what I think will happen, at least.

 

[Nicole]

Or until there is a systematic, scientifically-based, and centrally-managed approach that everyone in the country follows consistently.

 

[R75]

I think the centrally-managed approach that needs to be consistently followed will continue to be the issue, unfortunately.

 

[Nicole]

I don't think that it is inevitable that we won't change our approach with a new Administration.

 

[Jonesta6]

It's not so much a unified national set of standards and policies, it's the people that aren't willing to comply and law enforcement that doesn't enforce it that will preventy cause issues.

 

[warfelg]

It's not so much a unified national set of standards and policies, it's the people that aren't willing to comply and law enforcement that doesn't enforce it that will preventy cause issues.

Have the power to enforce anything. That's the finish right there.

 

[Turbo]

It's not so much a unified national set of standards and policies, it's the people that aren't willing to comply and law enforcement that doesn't enforce it that will preventy cause issues.

You mean like the Governor of Virginia... who got COVID?

 

[Jonesta6]

So I guess I see where I helped drift us off-topic. Ultimately, doesn't matter where one stands politically, we all need to do our part so we can go back to the important things, like having our parks be allowed to go back to normal capacity.

 

[Luke]

So I guess I see where I helped drift us off-topic. Ultimately, doesn't matter where one stands politically, we all need to do our part so we can go back to the important things, like having our parks be allowed to go back to normal capacity.

Well that's just crazy talk.

 

[Memles]

Bumping this back up—gosh, a lot has changed since November, and yet also not a lot? Time flies.

Disney's earnings call today gives some insight into their perspective on where things stand. Per Chapek, via Theme Park Insider:

"I believe that Dr. Fauci said earlier today that he hopes that there's vaccines for everyone who wants them by April this year," Chapek said. "If that happens, that is a game changer. That could accelerate our expectations and give people the confidence that they need to come back to the parks. Will there be some overlap [with current Covid-19 safety protocols] until we know that we have herd immunity? Sure there will, but do we also believe that we'll be in the same state of six-foot social distancing and mask wearing in 2022? Absolutely not."

I'd quibble with his reading of Fauci's statements on the Today Show this morning which is that he expects the country to be moving onto vaccinating the general population beginning in April, NOT that there will actually be enough vaccine supply (or vaccination capacity) for everyone to be vaccinated. Those are two different things, and will create two different impacts. But Biden's announcement this afternoon that they're moving timelines up by a month or two for additional major acquisitions of vaccine (like from end of June to end of May) will definitely have a net impact on how soon parks can approach capacity differently.

But it confirms—in case anyone for some reason believed otherwise—that 2021 will be socially distanced/masked.

 

[Mushroom]

Some of you might have already heard, but Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, and California's other theme parks have been permitted to reopen with limited capacity as early as April 1. That's big news, because the California parks have been pretty much completely closed since the shutdown began in March 2020. Source.

 

[horsesboy]

Screaming on coasters will be banded as the California parks reopen.

Trade Group Asks California Theme Parks To Mitigate The Effects Of Screaming On Rides – CBS Los Angeles (cbslocal.com)

 

[Zimmy]

I hope they stop people from putting their arms up too. I hate that it DESTROYS my view and makes me not want to ride!

 

[Zachary]

Unvaccinated people — defined by the CDC as those who have yet to receive both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson formula — should wear masks at outdoor gatherings that include other unvaccinated people. They also should keep using masks at outdoor restaurants.

Fully vaccinated people do not need to cover up in those situations, the CDC says.

However, everyone should keep wearing masks at crowded outdoor events such as concerts or sporting events, the CDC says.

And the agency continues to recommend masks at indoor public places, such as hair salons, restaurants, shopping centers, museums and movie theaters.

It sounds to me like under this new recommendation, if parks were to implement vaccine passport systems restricting admission to vaccinated persons, outdoor masks could go away, yeah?

This guidance doesn't seem to change much of anything for crowded places populated by those with a range of vaccine statuses though (read: like amusement parks without vaccine requirements).

 

[horsesboy]

It sounds to me like under this new recommendation, if parks were to implement vaccine passport systems restricting admission to vaccinated persons, outdoor masks could go away, yeah?

This guidance doesn't seem to change much of anything for crowded places populated by those with a range of vaccine statuses though (read: like amusement parks without vaccine requirements).

The CDC guidelines are just that guidelines it's still ultimately up to the states to decide. Another aspect of this from the park situation is many of those employees are likely not vaccinated yet and given the hard time many places are having finding employees a vaccine requirement to work doesn't seem likely so even if a passport was required of guest they would have to enforce employee mask use which would be a very interesting situation.

 

[Memles]

Yeah, I don't think this changes the actual science of Theme Park policies. It just gives some additional weight to those parks loosening the mask policies in outdoor spaces, with the understanding that by early June everyone who WANTS a vaccine should have one, and everyone who doesn't is taking responsibility into their own hands.

Gonna be interesting to see how this plays out.

 

[Nicole]

My concern is that at theme parks inside vs outside is a bit ambiguous. For example, would the LNM station be considered inside? What about the theater in San Marco? Or the Griffon queue?

Thinking about Disney and Uni, most of your day is spent inside show buildings, anyway.

 

[Howl-O-Scream Fanatic]

I went to Six Flags Great America opening day and was very impressed with their COVID precautions and the high number of people complying with mask requirements. I hope that this is a sign that as more parks open, the COVID rates won't increase.

 

[Memles]

I hope that this is a sign that as more parks open, the COVID rates won't increase.

I really don’t think there’s any reason to believe that largely outdoor spaces would contribute to a COVID rate increase under any circumstances right now. It’s less a matter of “open theme parks will set us back” and more “poor enforcement of individuals’ action creates unnecessary risk for other individuals, threatening what should be a safe activity.”