CoasterFan3180

California is finally allowing amusement parks to reopen on April 1st. There are severe capacity limitations and only California residents will be allowed to attend, but it’s a step in the right direction. https://ktla.com/news/california/some-outdoor-ballparks-stadiums-and-theme-parks-eligible-to-reopen-april-1-in-california-state-officials-announce/

Worlds of Fun has announced their operating calendar for 2021, they will be bringing Haunt back but they are not having Winterfest this year, I wonder why that is and what it could mean for Kings Island and other parks’ Winterfest.

Six Flags Magic Mountain is announcing that they’re planning on reopening with rides running this spring. Maybe they know something we don’t about California easing restrictions to allow parks to open?

Looks like Disney will be keeping mask and social distancing protocols in place for the remainder of 2021, though they’re hoping to be able to drop them by 2022. https://www.wzzm13.com/mobile/article/entertainment/disney-will-keep-requiring-face-masks-for-the-rest-of-2021/67-e9c9c248-327b-49c9-aa2a-7bc8a5f59de5?fbclid=IwAR16V3G9rGSuRFgfHH0s9BhPRgYNMvXfeKGu2f0EE7bdShEH4Yvr9yG1-sQ

Another park falls victim to COVID, Conneaut Lake Park is filing for Bankruptcy.

https://youtu.be/k0O4qokpYs0 Found this interview on YouTube between Dennis Spiegel and Cedar Fair CEO Richard Zimmerman, where they discuss Cedar Fair’s handling of the COVID crisis and their thoughts on the future. It’s a lengthy interview but it has some fairly interesting information. Something I found interesting was that Zimmerman mentioned that parks will probably be opening later in the spring than usual in 2021 (I’d assume that means sometime in May), and can’t quite figure out why they might be doing that. I’d though the parks would open at their usual times next year unles

Do you have a source for that?

With COVID vaccines expected to roll out over the next several months, do you guys think Kings Island/Cedar Fair and other amusement parks may require proof of vaccination to visit the park (once vaccines are widely available to the point that anyone can get one)? There has already been talk of vaccines being required to attend concerts, sporting events, and the like, so I wonder if the same might apply to the parks. Knowing that everyone in the park has been vaccinated would probably be an easier way to provide a more normal park experience for guests, though I’m not sure what percentage of

Here’s some good news, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine candidate has shown to be over 90% effective at preventing COVID-19 in trial participants so far in its Phase 3 trials. I agree it’s probably to take a while to distribute, and COVID restrictions will probably be in effect at the parks for much of next year, but we might finally have a light at the end of the tunnel. https://investors.pfizer.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2020/Pfizer-and-BioNTech-Announce-Vaccine-Candidate-Against-COVID-19-Achieved-Success-in-First-Interim-Analysis-from-Phase-3-Study/default.aspx

https://www.cleveland.com/business/2020/11/cedar-point-cedar-fair-preparing-for-another-pandemic-focused-season-in-2021.html?fbclid=IwAR2LG82p6xmgiTkZWgo65FRnVyqbT85VqMAF1LaSmZfnpx5ktssTK0SEJBc Cedar Point, Cedar Fair preparing for another pandemic-focused season in 2021 SANDUSKY, Ohio — A strong ending to the shortened seasons at Cedar Point and Kings Island is giving parent company Cedar Fair confidence heading into 2021, even though it’s likely the coronavirus pandemic will affect operations for at least part of next year. In a call with analysts Wednesday, Cedar Fair CEO Ric

Ohio looks like they’re in the middle of a COVID spike right now, averaging 2333 cases per day as of yesterday. I wonder if Dewine might add additional restrictions and/or order certain businesses to close in the next few weeks, though I don’t think there will be a second lockdown/stay-at-home order unless hospitalizations and deaths become significantly worse than they were in the spring.

^ I don’t really think that’s the best move right now. IMO, the COVID restrictions at the parks like masks and social distancing should remain in place until a vaccine or effective treatment is widely available, which is still at least several months away at this point. Even though parks have thankfully not been the source of any major COVID outbreaks, it’s better to be safe than sorry right now.

Yeah, I definitely don’t think masks should be mandatory once the pandemic is over, though it might not be a bad idea to wear a mask if you have go out in public while sick with any contagious illness (cold, flu, etc.) going forward.

So what are everyone’s thoughts on what the 2021 season at the parks may look like at this point? If a vaccine and/or effective treatment becomes available in the next several months or so, maybe there’s a chance we could have something resembling a normal summer at the parks next year. If that doesn’t happen within that timeframe, I’m afraid that next summer may look fairly similar to this one.

Kennywood and Lake Compounce have cancelled their fall/Halloween events and will be closing for the season on Labor Day, September 7th. https://www.kennywood.com/calendar https://www.lakecompounce.com/hours-and-directions/calendar