COVID-19’s Impacts on BGW

Register or Login to Hide This Ad for Free!
We were at SeaWorld and Aquatica last week and I have SEAS did a great job at SeaWorld. Aquatica was just a mess, the employees tried but on some of the rides people stacked up nut to butt. We did not go on those and the slides we did go on we used out raft to distance. It also helped we wore a neck Gaither while on the rides for masks. We ended up leaving Aquatica soon because it just wasn't worth it. We all wished we had went back to SeaWorld.
With that being said i see no reason BG can't open to the 5000 they recommended to be profitable. Northam, like Coopwr in NC, have both been terrible in their responses. This is killing Williamsburg. An article in Wall Street Journal last week talked about the entertainment industry and mentioned Williamsburg. They said hotel stays have dropped 90% from the same time last year and they saw the same evidence for restaurantes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: michaeelaln
Other states are seeing spikes and Texas had to re close everything. I’m honestly not sure that the response is bad, just “bad for certain businesses”. If data can show that parks are safe, which we don’t yet, I’d be more annoyed with the parks staying closed. However, since enforcement has been lacking at most of the parks, I don’t expect to see that data for a while.

*wildly gestures at the dangerous virus that’s killed over 100k people in America*
 
  • Like
Reactions: r757chan, Ziva and BenWilkerson
PrincessArlenasDad said:
If they do bankruptcy solely for debt restructuring, from the guest's perspective, it isn't a big deal at all. There really would be nothing to see there. Bankruptcy laws give them greater flexibility in paying off their debts and options not otherwise available to them. No matter what they do or don't do, they are going to be cash poor for quite awhile because of all this.
Click to expand...

makes it harder to get financing for future attractions
 
qdeathstar said:
makes it harder to get financing for future attractions
Click to expand...

So... Assuming the current state of rides almost completed or paid for are still in the pipeline, this just means another several years dry spell in major rides at SEAS parks, or additional problems?
 
Jonesta6 said:
So... Assuming the current state of rides almost completed or paid for are still in the pipeline, this just means another several years dry spell in major rides at SEAS parks, or additional problems?
Click to expand...

It's hard to say for certain, and it will differ park by park, but effectively yeah: you are likely to see significantly less capital investment, whether that means improvements, new attractions, or potentially upkeep/refurbishment. Likely to see increased prices in profit-driving areas (food, merch, etc.) as well.
 
I got a survey from bgw asking roughly 30 questions about how likely I'd visit the park if they reopened.

It mostly consisted of "would you visit if everyone had to wear a mask" multiple times, worded differently. (To which the answer is, everyone has to wear a mask I don't care who you are. Put a mask on.)

Although it was funny when they asked me when the last time I visited the park and the first two answers were "within the past 4mo" & "within the past 6mo"
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: Alf33, ijerngvidsnvk, Zachary and 3 others
Applesauce said:
I got a survey from bgw asking roughly 30 questions about how likely I'd visit the park if they reopened.

It mostly consisted of "would you visit if everyone had to wear a mask" multiple times, worded differently. (To which the answer is, everyone has to wear a mask I don't care who you are. Put a mask on.)

Although it was funny when they asked me when the last time I visited the park and the first two answers were "within the past 4mo" & "within the past 6mo"
Click to expand...
The question "would you visit" isn't asking if people should wear a mask if they open. It doesn't ask if you would visit and not wear a mask anyway, or if you would visit if it wasn't required. It asks if you would simply not go, i.e. stay home or do something else instead. My answer is I'd try it but also that I almost don't care if they stay closed under those conditions. Especially in July.

I went to SFA and they're underperforming, check out any activity that is still permitted without a mask and it's booming. I think -- I haven't seen much of those activities before because I'm usually at a park so it could just be normal...
 
  • Like
Reactions: rswashdc
Actually, it did ask if I was more likely to visit if they weren't required, it asked at least two times in the roughly 15 questions relating to masks specifically. They definitely reworded the questions to try and get answers they wanted, even though that definitely will alter your numbers. And it seems pointless to ask people's opinions, including ranking on a scale from 1-15 on how important things were. Three of those options involved people wearing masks. (There was also a 16th option where it said, and I quote, "I don't really need any of these")

It also presents masks wearing, and cleanliness as a "well, we're considering not making it a requirement." (Despite it being mandatory under phase 3) And it kinda fuels the fire of the anti-mask/covid-is-a-hoax brigade, bc it was in fact presented as an option.

My biggest issue was the fact that it was the same like five questions just reworded differently, with my end point being: if you don't make masks mandatory, and if you don't clean the park to go with the mask wearing, I will not step foot into the park.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Alf33, Nicole and Zachary
bill s said:
The question "would you visit" isn't asking if people should wear a mask if they open. It doesn't ask if you would visit and not wear a mask anyway, or if you would visit if it wasn't required. It asks if you would simply not go, i.e. stay home or do something else instead. My answer is I'd try it but also that I almost don't care if they stay closed under those conditions. Especially in July.

I went to SFA and they're underperforming, check out any activity that is still permitted without a mask and it's booming. I think -- I haven't seen much of those activities before because I'm usually at a park so it could just be normal...
Click to expand...
This is where regional parks really need to figure out how to thread the needle mask policy wise so as to keep the park safe, but not push away half their customer base. Obviously the parks don’t want a super spreader event on their property, but having dead parks will simply bleed money on the road to financial ruin.

I don’t think any park has found the right balance yet policy wise. Hershey’s was busy the first couple days, but has been very slow since which included a Sunday. Compare that to the local lakes and beaches which have a full parking lot every weekend by 9-10am.

Maybe park goers will accept full time mask wearing and what we are seeing is just reopening pains. Worse case is that guests do masks once and not come back or simply avoid the parks altogether.
 
There won’t be a Pantheon if they can’t get guests to come to the park. Parks bleeding cash creates a death spiral which don’t end well.

Right now there’s a lot of backlash against the mask policies, and much of that is being required to wear it all throughout the park on hot days. I don’t see BGW being immune to that response, unlike say Disney.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Le Moose
1 - I think all of this “if it’s there” is incredibly melodramatic.
2 - your response is perfect. You want to complain about mask policies while skipping the fact that if people wore the damn mask it would possibly be open by now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Alf33 and Zachary
The mask policies don’t bother me personally.

My concern is one or more of the parks going under during this period. If the mask policies, which far exceed state requirements, drive down attendance and revenue at parks I like, that’s not a good thing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Le Moose
rswashdc said:
The mask policies don’t bother me personally.

My concern is one or more of the parks going under during this period. If the mask policies, which far exceed state requirements, drive down attendance and revenue at parks I like, that’s not a good thing.
Click to expand...

Counterpoint: I am personally not comfortable going to a park that doesn’t require masks. I’m sure I’m not alone there.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: DJTLG, Nibbins, Alf33 and 5 others
Applesauce said:
Actually, it did ask if I was more likely to visit if they weren't required, it asked at least two times in the roughly 15 questions relating to masks specifically. They definitely reworded the questions to try and get answers they wanted, even though that definitely will alter your numbers. And it seems pointless to ask people's opinions, including ranking on a scale from 1-15 on how important things were. Three of those options involved people wearing masks. (There was also a 16th option where it said, and I quote, "I don't really need any of these")

It also presents masks wearing, and cleanliness as a "well, we're considering not making it a requirement." (Despite it being mandatory under phase 3) And it kinda fuels the fire of the anti-mask/covid-is-a-hoax brigade, bc it was in fact presented as an option.

My biggest issue was the fact that it was the same like five questions just reworded differently, with my end point being: if you don't make masks mandatory, and if you don't clean the park to go with the mask wearing, I will not step foot into the park.
Click to expand...
Interesting.

warfelg said:
1 - I think all of this “if it’s there” is incredibly melodramatic.
2 - your response is perfect. You want to complain about mask policies while skipping the fact that if people wore the damn mask it would possibly be open by now.
Click to expand...
You want to complain about those complaining about masks. Even if that wasn't their actual point.
 
  • Eye-Roll
Reactions: Applesauce
Joe said:
Counterpoint: I am personally not comfortable going to a park that doesn’t require masks. I’m sure I’m not alone there.
Click to expand...
That’s the needle that needs to be threaded in policy. Parks have guests all along the spectrum with how they deal with masks and pushing a large percentage of them away is not going to end well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Consider Donating to Hide This Ad