COVID-19’s Impacts on BGW

[Zachary]

I would think forcing masks outside in the summer in Williamsburg will keep people away.

Unlikely enough to matter, and requiring masks brings many people out who otherwise wouldn't be willing to visit.

All of the major parks in Florida required masks all last summer and experienced countless capacity days despite that requirement. I don't know why this summer would be any different. If anything, people are far more used to masks now meaning it is likely to be even less of a deterrent.

No one is saying it's fun to wear masks outside in the middle of the summer in VA. That said, it is and will continue to be a reality until a significant portion of the population gets their vaccines.

Saying my four year old has to wear one though does not make sense, any way you slice it, and that will be the part that actually keeps us away until it is more fully normal. I can sort of understand everyone else for now wearing it, even though I don't like it, but the all people 2 and up part, I just can't wrap my head around.

For the record, two and up is the CDC recommendation. As such, it seems like the correct policy for BGW.

COVID-19 and Your Health

Symptoms, testing, what to do if sick, daily activities, and more.

www.cdc.gov

 

[Nicole]

On it’s surface the mask policy may seem extreme, but if you consider the realities of the theme park experience, it makes sense to me.

Queues for attractions are impossible to socially distance adequately, especially when they include switchbacks. Not only are you uncomfortably close to other guests, but you are often in the same place (sharing the same air) for extended periods of time. Large groups make it worse, as they form big clusters that overlap everyone else’s space. Last summer I was particularly uncomfortable in line for Griffon, even with mask requirements in place.

The paths, especially at BGW, are relatively narrow, forcing everyone to pass fairly close to one another. Bathrooms and restaurants are even worse. Children’s areas are generally populated by lots of adults sitting in crowded areas, not moving.

Yes, the parks are a mostly outdoor type of venue. That does not mean, however, that on busy days you have a ton of personal space to keep you relatively safe.

 

[nick]

No one is saying it's fun to wear masks outside in the middle of the summer in VA.

We may see the return of "mask rest areas," or no?

 

[wombat96]

We may see the return of "mask rest areas," or no?

Yes, yes you will, and you will see them in most regional and destination theme parks in North America this summer if they can even operate. These are all private businesses, they can do whatever they want as long as they abide by state legislation. Just because a mask mandate is dropped does not mean some park is going to just overnight peel off all of the social distancing stickers, remove any and all plastic barriers, and just suddenly decide, "Eh, you know what despite this verified science we're just gonna say no masks!" That's just not going to happen, as these are a private business that gets to decide what they want to do to ensure that guests stay safe. I'm fairly neutral on all this COVID stuff as I don't really care at this point, but to be upset about a private business requiring masks during a global pandemic just doesn't make sense. If you truly do not like going to parks in masks, don't go. There are hundreds of other outdoor activities in VA that don't require a mask, it's up to you

Also, most of these COVID cleaning procedures are pure theater. Why can some parks run the same model of the coaster with full trains while a park in another state might do every other row? It's just to make people feels safe and comfortable during their visit. Yes, many of these procedures are extremely effective and do keep guests safe, but a lot of this is just for show. If a chain park in Texas was to drop the mask mandate like Six Flags next week, it would be terrible optics. No park is trying to end up on the news with a photo of a crowded maskless midway as the "SUPER-SPREADER EVENT OF THE CENTURY!" The masks will go eventually, and it will be a great day. I can't wait for the day when there are some huge ParkFans meet up and we're all kicking it back at BGW with no COVID procedures, it will be awesome. However, for now, we are in a global pandemic, theme parks are private businesses that aren't really essential, so they will continue to do anything and everything to keep guests safe until the science and federal government officials say it's okay to go back to normal. Until then, there will be masks, there will be reservations, and unfortunately, there will be continued bickering on this forum.

 

[RollyCoaster]

No more social distancing on InvadR. They fill in all rows now.

 

[Mushroom]

No more social distancing on InvadR. They fill in all rows now. View attachment 22281

Why is this a good thing? I get that InvadR's capacity is awful with every other row skipped, but those seats are definitely not six feet apart... (Not asking you specifically @RollyCoaster, but I'm puzzled by the positive reactions to this news.)

 

[Nicole]

My thumbs up wasn’t in support of the decision. It was for the information.

 

[RollyCoaster]

@Mushroom I didn’t like it at all. There were 3 people on the whole train... 2 of which decided to sit directly behind me on an empty train. Didn’t wear a mask the entire ride either. Line was short, yes, but safety wasn’t particularly present. Safety > Throughput In my opinion at least.

 

[Zachary]

Please, please, please file a complaint with the park regarding your experience @RollyCoaster.

Anyone who is made uncomfortable by this change should do the same too for the record. Feedback is the only way BGW knows what you're thinking.

 

[Memles]

@Mushroom I didn’t like it at all. There were 3 people on the whole train... 2 of which decided to sit directly behind me on an empty train. Didn’t wear a mask the entire ride either. Line was short, yes, but safety wasn’t particularly present. Safety > Throughput In my opinion at least.

Echoing @Zachary, definitely make a complaint, especially related to the masklessness. On some level, the park's argument regarding the trains is an open debate: duration seems critical to transmission, rides are short, and as long as people are wearing masks the chance for transmission even at close proximity during the course of a ride is low. But if people are unmasking, and not facing consequences/reprimand for this, it's a whole different ball game.

 

[rswashdc]

They did every row last week when we were there, and honestly with how busy the park was I barely noticed. If they didnt do every row, it probably would have been an hour wait with that queue all crammed up. Pick your poison or have them open different rides.

 

[Mushroom]

Echoing @Zachary, definitely make a complaint, especially related to the masklessness. On some level, the park's argument regarding the trains is an open debate: duration seems critical to transmission, rides are short, and as long as people are wearing masks the chance for transmission even at close proximity during the course of a ride is low. But if people are unmasking, and not facing consequences/reprimand for this, it's a whole different ball game.

I know you're just giving the park's argument and not necessarily your own @Memles, but for the sake of discussion, there are several flaws in the park's argument. For one thing, the "short duration" factor goes out the window if the coaster breaks down mid-ride. We know it's fairly common for trains to get stopped on a lift hill or brake run for several minutes, and if a rider isn't wearing their mask properly, an extended breakdown could provide ample time for the virus to be transmitted.

Moreover, having every row open means the riders will have to fill every row in the queue. That means guests are not only sitting next to each other for the duration of the ride, but are also standing substantially less than six feet away from each other for possibly several ride cycles, not to mention the time it takes to clean the ride.

And of course, from an optics perspective, it's fairly hypocritical of the park to have signs and announcements everywhere about social distancing, only to corral people right next to each other in InvadR's station and force them to sit ~4 feet apart from each other on the ride.

 

[Memles]

Moreover, having every row open means the riders will have to fill every row in the queue. That means guests are not only sitting next to each other for the duration of the ride, but are also standing substantially less than six feet away from each other for possibly several ride cycles, not to mention the time it takes to clean the ride.

Yeah, I'm not advocating for this, but just pointing to what the park is building this on.

I agree about the breakdown concern, but the lines really depend on how they're handling the queue: historically, they have only sent guests to their rows when one train has been dispatched, thus limiting that time. I agree on the cleaning point, to be clear, and as you note I'm not really making this argument myself, but if the park is diligent with everything else then I can understand their position. Are they being diligent with everything else, though? This is the question.

 

[Zachary]

Disclaimer: I'm not advocating opening every row.

THAT SAID, if the park is going to open every row, they need to be downright militant about masks. I'm talking playing a recording at each dispatch and on the lift hill speakers warning guests that they must keep their masks over their noses and mouths at all times during the ride, they are being watched, and if they fail to properly wear their mask on-ride, they face expulsion from the park. I'm talking monitoring the lift and brake run cameras for people without masks covering their mouths and noses and having security to confront people at the end of the ride. I'm talking modifying evacuation procedures to be ready to evac a train from the lift or brakes as soon as a train-stopping shutdown occurs.

Aerosol transmission seems to be incredibly unlikely on a moving, outdoor coaster, but direct droplet transmission is a whole other issue. From what I understand, masks are great at blocking the larger droplets that could be an issue on a coaster, but if masks aren't worn over everyone's mouth and nose, that suddenly becomes a much more serious issue for those seated behind the person wearing a mask improperly. If the person in front of me on InvadR isn't properly covering their face with their mask and they cough, sneeze, scream, anything during the ride, where is that explosion of larger, potentially COVID-carrying droplets going? All over my face, mask, eyes, etc.

PS: I find this all sorta entertaining because BGW's magical headrest solution from Loch Ness Monster doesn't even apply here. I wonder what bizarre stipulation made them think this was OK.

 

[Memles]

PS: I find this all sorta entertaining because BGW's magical headrest solution from Loch Ness Monster doesn't even apply here. I wonder what bizarre stipulation made them think this was OK.

My guess is that they're operating under the belief that masks remove the risk of droplets as you say, and that if guests adhere to all of the required rules in relation to social distancing and mask use, the circumstances in which there represents a significant risk are unlikely events like shutdowns, which are still not super likely to create high risk situations in an outdoor environment.

To be extra cynical, they might also be presuming that the ability for a guest to prove that they contracted COVID during such an instance are extremely low, limiting their liability even more than the fact that guests are basically waiving their right to sue by entering the park in the first place. Which means that the only way they'll change directions is if they face enough pressure, which is what happened with Loch Ness in August. But guests—I include myself in this, not with pride—seemingly shrugged off the choice to stop blocking seats on Verbolten, so I think it also speaks to how guest risk assessment is also shifting over time.

 

[nick]

Got to be on Grover’s Alpine Express first ride of the park being “fully” (-ish) open. Very emotional & exciting words from the ride operator. He was so incredible happy to have the park opening more.

 

[vacoasterfanatic]

Every bgw fan: Are you finally gonna open fully even with covid? Bgw: yesn't

 

[Crunchewy]

I believe it's because they think there's more risk from people standing in line, then from being on the trains. I have never ridden Invadr so I don't know what the queue is like nor their policing of it, but I can understand this point of view. If they can't keep people social distanced in line, then because you'll be spending a longer amount of time in line (and/or more standing still) if rows are blocked off, then they reduce the risk by opening all the rows and getting the queue moving faster.

Having said all that, this is another reason why I'm not doing any parks until I get the vaccine. I don't think there's really a good answer. I did SFA once last season and fortunately it was completely dead and that felt safe, but I realized while doing it that I would not feel comfortable at all if there'd actually have been lines.

 

[rswashdc]

I believe it's because they think there's more risk from people standing in line, then from being on the trains. I have never ridden Invadr so I don't know what the queue is like nor their policing of it, but I can understand this point of view. If they can't keep people social distanced in line, then because you'll be spending a longer amount of time in line (and/or more standing still) if rows are blocked off, then they reduce the risk by opening all the rows and getting the queue moving faster.

Invadr's queue isn't the greatest for spreading out or getting fresh air in. The queue circles backs on itself and there are high walls around it, making wind less of a factor circulating air. This is in contrast to say Verbolten or Alpengeist that have largely open queues that are easier to spread out through.

 

[Nicole]

None of them are good inside the stations.