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Coronavirus: Impact on Theme Parks

For the month of August Orlando's Universal parks have reduced their operating hours, with Studios Florida closing an hour early (9am-5pm) and Islands of Adventure opening an hour later (10am-6pm). SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa August operating hours remain the same.
PortAventura is doing likewise and reducing its operating times by two hours from August 1st (10:30 am-8pm) and Ferrari Land (11am-4pm). The park also decided to close the PortAventura hotel, one of four that were open, and open Colorado Creek. The intention is to concentrate all the hotel guests in the Far West area of the resort.
 
ECG said:
For the month of August Orlando's Universal parks have reduced their operating hours, with Studios Florida closing an hour early (9am-5pm) and Islands of Adventure opening an hour later (10am-6pm). SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa August operating hours remain the same.
PortAventura is doing likewise and reducing its operating times by two hours from August 1st (10:30 am-8pm) and Ferrari Land (11am-4pm). The park also decided to close the PortAventura hotel, one of four that were open, and open Colorado Creek. The intention is to concentrate all the hotel guests in the Far West area of the resort.
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Wow, when I was thinking about going I would have booked to stay in portaventura hotel. It’s really off the cards now ahh.

In other news:

According to euronews, UK government are actively considering removing Belgium and Luxembourg from the “travel-safe” list, which means travellers from these countries would have to quarantine for 14 days upon return to the UK.

https://www.euronews.com/2020/07/30...s-self-isolation-period-from-seven-to-10-days

Makes sense given Belgium is experiencing similar rates to Spain, I could see this being announced over the next few days.
 
Small update: travellers arriving from Luxembourg to the UK now have to do a mandatory 14 day quarantine.

Was to be expected.
 
There was an article last week on doubts of Hyde Park Winter Wonderland going ahead.
www.mylondon.news

Doubts as to whether Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland will open this Christmas

The huge Christmas funfare usually draws an estimated 2.5 million people
www.mylondon.news www.mylondon.news

Even whilst social distancing might be possible at the event the article rightly points out almost everyone arrives via public transport at HPWW unlike at most theme parks and zoos.
Seeing the estimated visitor numbers is very interesting. Higher than Thorpe Park.

I reckon a decision on this will be made very soon.
Since no application for the event has been made so far I think it won't go ahead.
 
@AndrewRollercoaster I’m with you on this one, I think it’s looking unlikely.

Even if it can go ahead with a social distancing set up and limited capacity, temperature checks and what-not, if they have to reduce capacity by 40-70%, what’s to say the event would even be financially viable.

November is still a few months away but the final decision will have to be made within the next month or two I imagine. Normally there are loads of rides coming over from mainland Europe so who knows what’s happening in that regard as well....
 
JammyH said:
Even if it can go ahead with a social distancing set up and limited capacity, temperature checks and what-not, if they have to reduce capacity by 40-70%, what’s to say the event would even be financially viable.
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Not to mention in a post-Brexit world bringing in the hundreds of trucks across the channel. They may be ok coming in, but post-Dec 31st the transition period ends and all bets are off at this stage. Olympia Looping alone requires 50 trucks, they can’t afford to get even one stuck in a lorry park in Kent on the way to Dover, let alone the whole lot. Without imminent clarity (and no chance of this) I can’t see the organisers going ahead, it’d be mad.
 
Face masks now mandatory in england in other indoor settings from 8th august.

Cinemas, museums, galleries and places of worship are all included in this rule.
 
JammyH said:
Face masks now mandatory in england in other indoor settings from 8th august.

Cinemas, museums, galleries and places of worship are all included in this rule.
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Hmm somewhat crazy or at least sad I think. I can't see people going to cinemas wearing masks for 3 hours. People will just not go. With the whole classic trilogy coming back from tomorrow (Dark Knight, Back to the future) that would be even more unlikely.
I could be wrong.

I'd think in a museum it is much easier.
 
Starting August 5th Busch Gardens Williamsburg will be open to the state mandated limit of 1000 guests, but in a limited fashion to hold a new Coasters and Craft Brews event. Only some of the park's areas including Ireland, Scotland, France and New France will be accessible. Several of the coasters, including Loch Ness Monster, Griffon, and InvadR will be open along with Le Catapult and Finnegan's Flyer. Reservations will be required and the first day is for season passholders only, then it will run for two weeks Thursday through Sunday. Thursdays have one reservation for a 5pm-9pm slot, while Fridays through Sundays have two: 11am-3pm and 5pm-9pm.
To some it might not be worth $45 (+$10 parking) for non-season passholders, but at least the park has found a way of operating with the ridiculously low guest mandate Virginia is imposing. Kings Dominion might want to consider a similar plan, but I wouldn't be surprised if they remain closed for the season.

In other news, Six Flags has confirmed that they will go against the trend set by Universal, Kennywood, Cedar Point and Kings Island and will hold their annual Fright Night events this fall with social distancing and other safety guidelines in place.
 
@AndrewRollercoaster

Loughborough street fair has just been cancelled. It normally takes place in November. I imagine that means hull and goose fair will also be called off.

Can’t see winter wonderland happening anymore to be honest as it starts late November ?
 
PortAventura has modified their operating schedule. During August the park is reducing opening hours from closing at midgnight to 8pm every day. Neighbouring Ferrari Land is also cutting hours back from closing at 5pm to 4pm (somebody is learning from Merlin Entertainment).

If guest numers don't add up, they are rumoured to even close for this season once high season (August) is over.

On a positive note, season passes policy limiting holders to two visits per month have been lifted, supposedly to help alleviate the drop in park attendance.
 
oriolat2 said:
PortAventura has modified their operating schedule. During August the park is reducing opening hours from closing at midgnight to 8pm every day. Neighbouring Ferrari Land is also cutting hours back from closing at 5pm to 4pm (somebody is learning from Merlin Entertainment).
Click to expand...
Posted 3 days ago at the top of this page. :p
 
Matt N said:
There is now apparently a concern that pubs & restaurants may have to close again in the UK in order to get children back into school in September: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12283045/pubs-restaurants-shut-schools-reopen-fully-scientists-warn/

Could this see UK theme parks closed again after the summer holidays?
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I understand this is a very difficult decision to make and by no means am I not suggesting children’s well being and education isn’t important - it completely is!

Education is by far the most important of a children’s development and as a society we will be living will the issues of children missing education for a lot of years to come.

However - my main concern is without further financial business will have no option to go bust and unemployment is going to sore.

The rich are going to get richer out of all of this; waiting to snap up failing businesses by no fault of their own.

The middle have the most to lose and in my opinion are the people who keep the majority of the economy moving and are realistically the majority of these are SME’s and earn a modest wage.

The poor will get poorer and it’s extremely sad!
 
Cant see how even the rich are going to make money from this.
They want schools back to get parents back to the workplace, to get the economy back on the rails.
Too many are getting comfortable "working" from home.
 
The app makers for table service at pubs and restaurants will be making a fair bit, plus the sign makers that are getting extra orders in? Maybe, someone's always making money somewhere

Working from home is going to be the way forward, regardless of peoples perceptions of it. Why do we make people travel to an office to sit down and work, when they can do the same work, better and faster (if studies are to be believed), at home? Companies can save money by not maintaining huge office blocks and if they're clever about it they can get away with effectively paying staff less by passing on the cost of internet connections and general work environment to the employee! :p

Obviously people's experiences are going to be different, but everybody I've spoken to that have switched to home working has loved it! They're getting everything done, but they're comfy and don't have to commute hours every day.
 
Everything isnt getting done, the economy is shrinking rapidly, and unsustainably.
Travel industry at the point of collapse, lowest car production since the fifties, lunch catering mostly going to the wall, who is going to fill, use and service all those office blocks that are empty?
They will not pull themselves down with no cost to society or the economy.
If people dont get back to at least some office working, there will be a much slower recovery, and the overall economy may never reach pre covid levels.
We are in an absolute economic crisis, that will not be resolved by people staying at home to work.
...in my humble opinion.
 
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