COVID-19’s Impacts on BGW

[Memles]

From my apparently unending perusal of Twitter tags:

I'm curious if this reflects anyone else's experience as the Halloween Harvest event has worn on? I say this mostly because when I was at the event last week, I thought mask compliance was pretty much as it was toward the end of the Taste event, which wouldn't be close to the 50% out of compliance number cited here.

 

[horsesboy]

From my apparently unending perusal of Twitter tags:
View attachment 21376
I'm curious if this reflects anyone else's experience as the Halloween Harvest event has worn on? I say this mostly because when I was at the event last week, I thought mask compliance was pretty much as it was toward the end of the Taste event, which wouldn't be close to the 50% out of compliance number cited here.

I been at least once a week every week and have not seen anything even remotely similar to this. I seen decent mask wearing and have NEVER had a problem finding a working and full hand sanitizer station.

 

[BGWnut]

From my apparently unending perusal of Twitter tags:
View attachment 21376
I'm curious if this reflects anyone else's experience as the Halloween Harvest event has worn on? I say this mostly because when I was at the event last week, I thought mask compliance was pretty much as it was toward the end of the Taste event, which wouldn't be close to the 50% out of compliance number cited here.

Yeah I've been at the park at least once a week and the number of people not following mask guidelines is basically nonexistent.

Same with hand sanitizer dispensers. Occasionally you have to pump multiple times but I don't think I've ever come across any that are empty

 

[Memles]

Same with hand sanitizer dispensers. Occasionally you have to pump multiple times but I don't think I've ever come across any that are empty

Yeah, I almost replied to this person to ask if he pumped it a few times, given that it was likely they had refilled them for the Saturday morning session he attended. But I realized that actively crossed a line in my perusal of the tags (where I only chime in if they‘re asking a question I know I can answer and which I know the park never will).

 

[horsesboy]

Yeah I've been at the park at least once a week and the number of people not following mask guidelines is basically nonexistent.

Same with hand sanitizer dispensers. Occasionally you have to pump multiple times but I don't think I've ever come across any that are empty

I come across a few but there are so many that I have never walked more then about may 10 feet to find one full.

 

[Memles]

Although this is sort of specific to Halloween Harvest, I figure it could have more broad-ranging impacts. I noticed when the park posted yesterday that more reservations were available for the next two weekends, they didn’t actually say why.

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I found that a bit strange, and wondered if it might mean they were increasing capacity without any kind of announcement. And given that there are still spaces available in every remaining Halloween Harvest timeslot (including all three today), it FEELS like the only explanation is that they’re taking reservations above whatever the original overbooking number was. I know @BGWnut had indicated this was possible, but this feels like a soft confirmation.

 

[horsesboy]

The weather forecast was very iffy eariler in the week. There seems to be a trend of people canceling starting about 3 days out if it looks like it could be bad. I also saw a bunch of people announcing that they were canceling in several FB groups.

 

[Memles]

The weather forecast was very iffy eariler in the week. There seems to be a trend of people canceling starting about 3 days out if it looks like it could be bad. I also saw a bunch of people announcing that they were canceling in several FB groups.

That maybe explains why today and tomorrow are still free, but you’d think given how many people were complaining about not getting tickets that next weekend would fill up if they were only releasing, say, 50 reservations or something.

 

[BGWnut]

The weather forecast was very iffy eariler in the week. There seems to be a trend of people canceling starting about 3 days out if it looks like it could be bad. I also saw a bunch of people announcing that they were canceling in several FB groups.

That is a normal trend. Normally, there are some reservations that pop up right before because people cancelled and/or BGW opens more because the weather looks bad.

Neither of those are why there are still reservations available though.

 

[bill s]

I think they hold slots for event-specific tickets until closer to the date. I don't think reservations have ever been a problem if you're willing to pay $45 a session, but only checked a few times.

 

[BGWnut]

I think they hold slots for event-specific tickets until closer to the date. I don't think reservations have ever been a problem if you're willing to pay $45 a session, but only checked a few times.

They do hold spots for tickets and that contribute to reservations coming. Again though that's not the reason why there are still reservations available though

 

[Memles]

I think they hold slots for event-specific tickets until closer to the date. I don't think reservations have ever been a problem if you're willing to pay $45 a session, but only checked a few times.

That would explain this weekend, but not next, where member/fun card reservations are still available.

 

[BGWnut]

That would explain this weekend, but not next, where member/fun card reservations are still available.

It also doesn't explain this weekend ?

 

[Zachary]

For the record, the crowds in the park tonight feel heavier than on the other nights I've been here this fall. In fact, this 8pm session feels significantly busier than today's 3pm one did.

 

[BGWnut]

So I've alluded to it before, but the park has been allowed to increase their capacity. The Executive Order that outlined theme park attendance restrictions was amended on Thursday by the Governor. Here is the relevant portion and links. The way it is written it really only benefits BGW and KD. We could be seeing quite the capacity increase for this coming event. Basically, the parks capacity is based on the overall capacity of the attractions, shops and restaurants open. They can then have 50% of that max capacity.

Executive Actions

Abigail Spanberger, Commonwealth, Governor of Virginia, governor, virginia, VA

www.governor.virginia.gov

https://www.governor.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/executive-actions/EO-67-FOURTH-AMENDED-and-Order-of-Public-Health-Emergency-Seven---Phase-Three-Further-Adjusting-of-Certain-Temporary-Restrictions-Due-to-Novel-Coronavirus-(COVID-19).pdf

 

[Memles]

50% is...gonna be an adventure. Goodbye easy re-rides and feeling like you can avoid spotty queue distancing!

 

[Nicole]

I'm honestly worried that it will feel crowded and unsafe and that the lines will be interminable.

 

[BGWnut]

50% is...gonna be an adventure. Goodbye easy re-rides and feeling like you can avoid spotty queue distancing!

It's not quite 50% because there are still some locations that the order prohibits then from opening. It specifically says no indoor theaters and no attractions with indoor queue lines are permitted. This will reduce the capacity that BGW can have. Also it's still capped by the locations that it has open. So for them to open at a true 50% capacity they would have to open every single ride, attraction and restaurant in the entire park. They won't be doing that. Expect something like 25% of total capacity.

 

[Memles]

It's not quite 50% because there are still some locations that the order prohibits then from opening. It specifically says no indoor theaters and no attractions with indoor queue lines are permitted. This will reduce the capacity that BGW can have. Also it's still capped by the locations that it has open. So for them to open at a true 50% capacity they would have to open every single ride, attraction and restaurant in the entire park. They won't be doing that. Expect something like 25% of total capacity.

Yeah, I was doing the math a bit on my drive to the park just now.

I’m curious how they decide on the math in terms of what they intend to open for Christmas Town to get to the capacity level that makes sense. I’m guessing next weekend will be a test of sorts to figure out the right balance.

My instinct is that the Taste footprint with 5000-ish people (roughly equivalent to the dead Howl-O-Scream weekdays last year, I think we’ve established) is going to feel crowded when there’s really nowhere but Festhaus and two coaster lines for people to GO with the shows all closed. My hope is at least that they open Sesame and just block off Festa, leaving the rest of Italy open for people to walk through at least and avoid the congestion we saw during the LCEE (Limited Capacity Event Era).

 

[BGWnut]

Personally, I think that anything will feel crowded compared to we've been experiencing. I just want to caution and say that this doesn't mean no shows. Just that the park can't operate indoor theaters. So there could be a show at Royal palace or a show in the festhaus while people are eating