Coronavirus: Impact on Theme Parks

[Bert2theSpark]

Too many people are thinking that as soon as the vaccine arrives, the whole pandemic will be over. The vaccine won't be the "silver bullet" we all want it to be so we can get on as everything did pre-pandemic. The logistical issue of vaccinating everyone in the world and the slim odds that the vaccine will be 100% effective. The seasonal flu vaccine is only 33% effective and is prioritised for the more elderly/vulnerable.

Not to mention those demographics don't really visit theme parks, the vast majority of people who visit parks are either families with children or those going with friends in often a 13-35 (generally) age group, so whilst they aren't likely to get COVID severely, it can spread the virus around still. Also there will enviably be those who think "I had the vaccine so I don't have to wear a mask and social distance" whilst still being a carrier of the virus and pass it onto others.

Also this virus has completely changed how businesses and institutions think about operations, we've seen it in the parks already, hotels and food venues (Work from Home, Online meetings/conferences too) streamlining operations to minimise exposure to the virus, often reducing wait times in the process (automating things in the process). Not to mention the economic depression that has just hit/is about to hit us, People will, under a tighter fiscal budget, cut expenditure and think about where their reduced amount of income (if any) gets spent, people will always prioritise having a roof over their heads and food in their bellies rather than getting on coasters for the 25th time this season. I know that there have been predictions of unemployment of 3.5m people, where I'm from (the UK), likely to be disproportionally effecting younger generations (ie the ones more likely to visit theme parks in the first place). Whilst the economy will bounce back eventually and COVID restrictions phased out, we're still miles of being out of the woods yet.

TL;DR The COVID vaccine won't be the "That's all folks" to this situation.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

The logistical issue of vaccinating everyone in the world and the slim odds that the vaccine will be 100% effective.

It’s great to see the plan to ‘train more people.’ However We did some quick maths, even if 100,000 people are trained to vaccinate folk in the UK (not likely...) Each of those still has to vaccinate 670 people before we get everybody! That’s gonna take a LONG time.

You’re right to manage expectations, however I do think you may be playing down the impact a vaccine will have a little too much. Once at risk groups are vaccinated, I fully expect them to let the virus spread through the rest of society with just the basic ‘Hands, Face, Space’ restrictions in place for a long while after.

Don’t forget that Phase 3 trials cover a large sample tested against a placebo. So by the time a vaccine is authorised (and probably already to be honest) they’ll have a good idea of it’s efficacy.

 

[Professor]

If it's going to happen, please let it be "end of next month" rather than "end of this month". We really don't want anything that might give a last-minute boost to Trump's campaign.

It's this type of mantra that you hear (political benefit or political disadvantage over anything else - in this case potentially people's lives) I think makes people vote exactly for the one you don't want people to vote for.

I want the vaccine to become available asap.
Whoever wins the USA election is up to the American people and they will have to think about more than just Covid 19 I would have thought. Whoever wins, hopefully will not have to deal with this for much longer but instead will have to deal with mostly the economic consequences and perhaps healthcare in general. It will be tough regardless. I wouldn't want to do it and I personally don't think that either candidate deserves even a fraction of the abuse that is hurled at them from around the world.

 

[rob666]

I disagree.
After all the division between haves and have nots in America, and the pathetic handling of covid, Trump deserves all the abuse he gets.

 

[FarleyFlavors]

It's this type of mantra that you hear (political benefit or political disadvantage over anything else - in this case potentially people's lives) I think makes people vote exactly for the one you don't want people to vote for.

I want the vaccine to become available asap.

Oh come on; everyone wants a vaccine available as soon as possible. I was just expressing concern that a pre-election announcement might benefit the idiot-in-charge who politicized the virus in the first place.

 

[cookie]

Anyone hoping for parks to reopen in California may want to be on the lookout for new state guidelines coming tomorrow.

New California Theme Park Guidelines Coming Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom Says; No Widespread COVID Vaccine Until 2021

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that new guidelines on theme parks and team sports events are coming Tuesday.

deadline.com

 

[cookie]

Ireland's going back into lockdown.

Coronavirus: Ireland's PM announces six-week lockdown - 'If we pull together, we'll be able to celebrate Christmas'

Micheal Martin said Ireland's new measures are "probably Europe's strictest regime".

news.sky.com

Edit: And like that, Tayto Park's announced they're cancelling the rest of their season.

https://www.facebook.com/TaytoParkIreland/photos/a.900254826682169/4770749166299363

 

[SeanC]

Anyone hoping for parks to reopen in California may want to be on the lookout for new state guidelines coming tomorrow.

New California Theme Park Guidelines Coming Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom Says; No Widespread COVID Vaccine Until 2021

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that new guidelines on theme parks and team sports events are coming Tuesday.

deadline.com

Based on what came out today, there's a good chance we don't see the major parks open until late 2021/early 2022 unfortunately:

Disneyland, Universal Studios Fire Back At California’s “Irreparably Devastating” Theme Park Reopening Guidelines

Executives at Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Legoland and others rail against the state's new reopening requirements.

deadline.com

 

[Professor]

Based on what came out today, there's a good chance we don't see the major parks open until late 2021/early 2022 unfortunately:

Disneyland, Universal Studios Fire Back At California’s “Irreparably Devastating” Theme Park Reopening Guidelines

Executives at Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Legoland and others rail against the state's new reopening requirements.

deadline.com

Who needs a job if you live in California I guess.

Unemployment Rates for States

www.bls.gov

 

[SilverArrow]

(Source: government travel advice and also @NathP who found it.)

 

[Mushroom]

View attachment 10172
(Source: government travel advice and also @NathP who found it.)

Well that's lucky I didn't book a trip for November then

Sent from my small tapping device...

 

[Hixee]

Damn, that's going to be a lot of disappointed goons.

 

[Mushroom]

Damn, that's going to be a lot of disappointed goons.

Big time! Well you can go if you get a covid test 48 hours before departure, so yeah, that's not great!


Sent from my small tapping device...

 

[Dar]

Big time! Well you can go if you get a covid test 48 hours before departure, so yeah, that's not great!


Sent from my small tapping device...

Only until mid-November, then it's a 10 day quarantine for everybody, that can be cut short to 5 if you test negative on day 5!

 

[JoshC.]

Forgive me for not including a direct source, but it's all over social media...

All Belgian parks have to now close. Zoos are excluded from the restrictions, but any indoor spaces at zoos do have to close.

Not sure exactly what that means for Bellewaerde, and whether they can something similar to what Kolmarden are doing. But in any case, still mass closures across the board.

 

[Rein]

Not sure exactly what that means for Bellewaerde, and whether they can something similar to what Kolmarden are doing. But in any case, still mass closures across the board.

With the reopening of the parks earlier this year, zoos were already allowed to be open some weeks before. Bellewaerde opted not to open as zoo-only because it wasn't economically feasible. My guess is that they will do the same now.

Edit: They just updated there website : see you again in April 2021.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

Not bad timing really, especially for UK parks if something happens this week... Season is pretty much done after next week.

 

[Hyde]

I want the vaccine to become available asap.

Don't we all. As has been alluded to, it's the logistics and distribution of the vaccine that will be key. Inventing a feasible vaccine and getting it injected into everyone are two very different things. Here in America, we realistically expect to have ability to install vaccine, at-scale, but mid-summer; assuming the vaccine would have a relatively effective rate (and no side-effects - vaccine details have been murky at best on both accounts).

Whoever wins the USA election is up to the American people and they will have to think about more than just Covid 19 I would have thought. Whoever wins, hopefully will not have to deal with this for much longer but instead will have to deal with mostly the economic consequences and perhaps healthcare in general. It will be tough regardless. I wouldn't want to do it and I personally don't think that either candidate deserves even a fraction of the abuse that is hurled at them from around the world.

I mean yes, that's how democracy works. ? The honest truth is that Covid-19 absolutely dominates our politics, and will well-extend into the next 4 years of presidency. We have 220,000 dead in America, a higher per capita than the UK, with 200,000+ more dead expected at current rates. We have no national guidance on mask wearing, Trump has called Anthony Fauci, one of the world's leading experts on infectious disease, "a disaster", and frequently rebuts mask-wearing requirements or any safety precaution; rather focusing on "we should open everything up" without still presenting any sort of plan. And there is an absolute impact to economy that occurs not only from the virus, but from a lack of coordinated, national strategy to mitigate the virus and safely re-open.

I don't know, you tell me who was on watch, knew as early as February how dangerous Covid would be, very seriously gested that one could inject bleach or light, and yet was one of the last developed nations to close borders, never implement a national mask wearing policy, or really - do anything?

TL;DR We want a coordinated national strategy so we can get all amusement parks open, and FINALLY be let into other countries to ride coasters. ?

 

[Professor]

I don't know, you tell me who was on watch, knew as early as February how dangerous Covid would be, very seriously gested that one could inject bleach or light, and yet was one of the last developed nations to close borders, never implement a national mask wearing policy, or really - do anything?

TL;DR We want a coordinated national strategy so we can get all amusement parks open, and FINALLY be let into other countries to ride coasters. ?

We have a national strategy, yet the virus is still spreading. So what is next? More localised strategies too:
Ah... you can't buy a kettle or bedding because those are non essential. Really? Who decides what is non essential. What if your washing machine breaks and you need more bedding? Leaders WITH a national strategy aren't necessarily handling this better I believe.

Wales lockdown: Supermarkets covering up non-essential items

Some shops are blocking off clothing and decorations after being told to stop selling them.

www.bbc.co.uk

What if the approach in Wales also doesn't help? Maybe NO more physical shopping at all? How will this be managed and at what cost?
Are you only allowed to buy from Jeff Bezos? Hell, why not make it law?

One can use this virus to frame Trump as the worst leader ever. I think it is a total nonsense position to be honest and I think it comes from a mentality based on people who made their minds up about Trump well before the virus hit.
I agree with his stance: to try to take care of the virus AND the economy.
He was right what he said in the debate last night; the virus isn't his fault and it isn't Joe Biden's fault. China clearly stopped it from spreading within its own country but allowed it to leave internationally.
Trump wasn't last to close the borders at all, that is simply a lie. I have posted articles in this actual thread that stated that the EU was extremely mad with Trump for closing the borders at short notice but a week later could see where he was coming from.

With the actions taken, I do not want to see 12% unemployment rates in the UK and homelessness at a level that is frankly a complete disgrace.
It will be near impossible to recover for years. Deaths will be much higher from other causes and at much younger ages.

Not until people are on the street do I think people will see that a virus is bad but that its cure could be much worse.

I agree with mask wearing, but it clearly does not stop this virus on its own.
This virus started to spread like mad again in the UK with schools and universities reopening (halls of residence). It wasn't Alton Towers, it wasn't Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
IF you want to close anything you'd need to start with education FIRST. Anything else is just trying to cut away at the edges I believe.
So if you don't want to close education I don't think anything else will be as successful. It will slow things perhaps but it will not stop the spread entirely as we have seen.

There are good reports recently about a vaccine.
Let's hope that it works.

For me it is far more important than who takes the White House for a brief moment in history.

If the virus is STILL around and vaccines don't help in say a year's time I honestly think acceptance of having to live with a virus is the only way forward.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

This virus started to spread like mad again in the UK with schools and universities reopening (halls of residence). It wasn't Alton Towers, it wasn't Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
IF you want to close anything you'd need to start with education FIRST. Anything else is just trying to cut away at the edges I believe.
So if you don't want to close education I don't think anything else will be as successful. It will slow things perhaps but it will not stop the spread entirely as we have seen.

WOW, so pleased to see somebody else has the balls to say it!!!

Keeping schools open mostly for ‘child protection’ reasons is ridiculous, our teachers should be teachers first and foremost, not social workers. If we had been investing properly in our social services in the past, we wouldn’t be in such a mess!!!