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Coronavirus Impacting Theme Parks


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Its too early to know how it will impact parks here in the US.  But yesterday both Tokyo Disneyland, and Universal Studios Japan announced they are closed through March 15th, and both indicated that date is likely to change.

At this point one third of the 25 most visited theme parks on the planet are closed due to the virus, possibly for several more weeks or months.

If we see a major outbreak in the US, expect parks in effected regions to close.  We could see major impacts on the amusement industry, or the spread could largely stop with warmer weather, and we wasted our time worrying about something we have little control over.

I am planning my summer assuming everything will be fine, and will deal with any issues in the future when they happen.

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12 minutes ago, ThrillKingsFitzy said:

Kings Island is closed right now. A serum for treatment is almost done. I'm just guessing here, but I think coronavirus might be weakened or even maybe dead by the time most theme parks open.

It takes months for a vaccine to be ready for mass production, not to mention viruses tend to mutate.  

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I've been suffering from bronchitis and a terrible sinus infection.  So I finally broke down and went to Urgent Care yesterday.  I asked about Coronavirus prep (not because I was concerned I had it) and they said Urgent Care facilities do not even have testing supplies yet.  

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In terms of parks outside of China, Tokyo Disney just announced that they will be closed for an extended period of time due to the Coronavirus, same with Universal Studios Japan, I think this is going to be a problem for this season, but I don't think it necessarily means closure, I think we will see a lot more focus on cleanliness this season in terms of the industry as a whole, El Toro Ryan said it best, we touch the same handrails, and the same restraints. If it gets bad over here, and that's a pretty big if, then I can see parks closing for an extended period to stop the spread of the virus.

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19 hours ago, ThrillKingsFitzy said:

The coronavirus isn’t going to have much of an impact. It may be killing people in other countries but we have healthcare that could easily get rid of it.

There is currently no known vaccine for it. It also is viral so antibodies can't be used to treat it. You basically have to let it run its course. When and if a vaccine is found it will take almost a year to get it to market. 

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41 minutes ago, Benjamin22 said:

It takes months for a vaccine to be ready for mass production, not to mention viruses tend to mutate.  

I don’t know where he is getting his information from, but I listen to scientists not politicians. The CDC is emphatic that the vaccine will take at least 12-18 months before it is ready for distribution. Clinical trials and manufacturing take time, a lot of time.
 

Also something to keep in mind, there is absolutely no scientific evidence the flu shot is effective against the flu.  Double blind studies have never been done because doing so would be unethical to the participants.  We still should all get one every year because there little downside.

Source:  This The Atlantic piece from 2009 is a good read on issues of efficacy of vaccines.  It is NOT an anti-vax piece but does a good job explaining that there is still a lot we do not know about the effectiveness of certain vaccines and who they actually help.

37 minutes ago, Shaggy said:

I've been suffering from bronchitis and a terrible sinus infection.  So I finally broke down and went to Urgent Care yesterday.  I asked about Coronavirus prep (not because I was concerned I had it) and they said Urgent Care facilities do not even have testing supplies yet.  

Even the tests we do have are not very reliable. I was just at the ENT for a follow up with my youngest and given all his sinus infections and colds she recommends daily Flonase to help keep inflammation down. Also it takes 2 weeks before it is really effective so one susceptible to sinus issues need to take it 365.  Costco has a generic that is a lot cheaper than the brand name.  
 

13 minutes ago, flightoffear1996 said:

There is currently no known vaccine for it. It also is viral so antibodies can't be used to treat it. You basically have to let it run its course. When and if a vaccine is found it will take almost a year to get it to market. 

Um, yes there is.  The CDC directly said so after the President’s incoherent speech/briefing Tuesday.  (Also correcting some of his misstatements).  Whether that vaccine candidate is effective is unknown.  
 

Also antibodies are absolutely essential to combatting any virus. Without them the entire immune system collapses. Vaccines work by triggering our immune systems to produce antibodies.  If what you really meant to say is antibiotics can’t be used to treat the virus directly, well you are correct there.   But few people are actually killed directly from the flu viruses, most die from complications of secondary infection brought on by the effects of the virus.   Antibiotics are used extensively to treat those secondary infections that are bacterial in nature.  

 

 

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22 hours ago, King Ding Dong said:

I don’t know where he is getting his information from, but I listen to scientists not politicians. The CDC is emphatic that the vaccine will take at least 12-18 months before it is ready for distribution. Clinical trials and manufacturing take time, a lot of time.
 

Also something to keep in mind, there is absolutely no scientific evidence the flu shot is effective against the flu.  Double blind studies have never been done because doing so would be unethical to the participants.  We still should all get one every year because there little downside.

Source:  This The Atlantic piece from 2009 is a good read on issues of efficacy of vaccines.  It is NOT an anti-vax piece but does a good job explaining that there is still a lot we do not know about the effectiveness of certain vaccines and who they actually help.

Even the tests we do have are not very reliable. I was just at the ENT for a follow up with my youngest and given all his sinus infections and colds she recommends daily Flonase to help keep inflammation down. Also it takes 2 weeks before it is really effective so one susceptible to sinus issues need to take it 365.  Costco has a generic that is a lot cheaper than the brand name.  
 

Um, yes there is.  The CDC directly said so after the President’s incoherent speech/briefing Tuesday.  (Also correcting some of his misstatements).  Whether that vaccine candidate is effective is unknown.  
 

Also antibodies are absolutely essential to combatting any virus. Without them the entire immune system collapses. Vaccines work by triggering our immune systems to produce antibodies.  If what you really meant to say is antibiotics can’t be used to treat the virus directly, well you are correct there.   But few people are actually killed directly from the flu viruses, most die from complications of secondary infection brought on by the effects of the virus.   Antibiotics are used extensively to treat those secondary infections that are bacterial in nature.  

 

 

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This is what I have been saying the whole time, I guess I just haven’t been using the right words. (The last paragraph)

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Israeli scientists are reportedly only a few weeks away from having developed the first vaccine to combat the coronavirus, which originated in China, and could have the vaccine available 90 days after that.

https://www.dailywire.com/news/bds-this-israel-makes-exciting-breakthrough-in-race-for-coronavirus-vaccine

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On 2/27/2020 at 5:30 PM, ThrillKingsFitzy said:

The coronavirus isn’t going to have much of an impact. It may be killing people in other countries but we have healthcare that could easily get rid of it.

 

2 hours ago, ThrillKingsFitzy said:

This is what I have been saying the whole time, I guess I just haven’t been using the right words. (The last paragraph)

Yeah, that first statement is just from the beyond on its face.  Not sure what you meant, but I don’t see how it is in congruence with my statements.   Those secondary infections would not have occurred if the primary did not exist.  So to say “Coronavirus isn’t going to have much of an impact” is like saying the 5 mile wide asteroid is not going to have much of an impact on the planet, just the secondary effects.   
 

 

2 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said:

I am having a difficult time getting a reputable second source on this.   Ben Shapiro does not do journalism, he does propaganda.  

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37 minutes ago, King Ding Dong said:

Yeah, that first statement is just from the beyond on its face.  Not sure what you meant, but I don’t see how it is in congruence with my statements.   Those secondary infections would not have occurred if the primary did not exist.  So to say “Coronavirus isn’t going to have much of an impact” is like saying the 5 mile wide asteroid is not going to have much of an impact on the planet, just the secondary effects.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that the United States alone doesn’t need to worry much about it. Everybody is freaking out over it and overreacting way too much. Most of the fatalities are coming from China, and I can see why. Along with the very dirty and unhealthy air at China that already exists, it makes the effects of the virus worse than it’s supposed to be. I know it will have a big effect on the world for some time, but a lot of people are freaking out too hard. 
Long story short: I’m not really worried at all. I am not taking advantage of anyone. I’m just giving my opinion.

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^^ China had the misfortune of being the first country with the new virus, and early misinformation within China likely hastened its spread. Some theories have pointed to the relatively high smoking rate and population density as contributing factors there. It's too early to say what the effects in the US or other countries it has spread to will be, but being concerned about the virus is a very good thing to the extent that its spread is slowed.

Being relatively young and without pre-existing conditions, my main concern is that I could spread it to others who might be at higher risk. Hopefully everyone is staying home (or at least wearing a mask) if they feel sick, washing their hands before touching their face, and following other best practices.

1 hour ago, King Ding Dong said:

I am having a difficult time getting a reputable second source on this.   Ben Shapiro does not do journalism, he does propaganda.  

Newsweek mentions that Israeli company; other pharmaceutical companies are also developing candidate vaccines.

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31 minutes ago, Fishely said:

I Googled as well.   I said reputable news sources.   Not sure what Newsweek is now but it is not the same Newsweek from years past, mostly just clickbait crap these days.  NYPost?  You have got to be kidding me.  It’s a freaking tabloid.  I24news?  What the hell is that?  You can’t even scroll to the bottom of a web page on that site to check out the business credentials because it keeps throwing clickbait in a never ending stream.   

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I Googled as well.   I said reputable news sources.   Not sure what Newsweek is now but it is not the same Newsweek from years past, mostly just clickbait crap these days.  NYPost?  You have got to be kidding me.  It’s a freaking tabloid.  I24news?  What the hell is that?  You can’t even scroll to the bottom of a web page on that site to check out the business credentials because it keeps throwing clickbait in a never ending stream.   

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mediabiasfactcheck.com/new-york-post/%3famp

 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mediabiasfactcheck.com/i24-news/%3famp

Website literally says for i24 “These sources have minimal bias and use very few loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes). The reporting is factual and usually sourced. These are the most credible media sources.”

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mediabiasfactcheck.com/newsweek/%3famp

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27 minutes ago, Fishely said:

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mediabiasfactcheck.com/new-york-post/%3famp

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mediabiasfactcheck.com/i24-news/%3famp

Website literally says for i24 “These sources have minimal bias and use very few loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes). The reporting is factual and usually sourced. These are the most credible media sources.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mediabiasfactcheck.com/newsweek/%3famp

So according to that group i24 is the only one with an unbiased factual reporting reputation.   Still an Israeli outfit and not a US one.   Still it appears no reputable US based media sources are picking up on this 2 days after the fact, even the Newscorp’s WSJ.  Why?

On 2/27/2020 at 5:30 PM, ThrillKingsFitzy said:

The coronavirus isn’t going to have much of an impact. It may be killing people in other countries but we have healthcare that could easily get rid of it.

Fox: First US Death Confirmed

Care to circle that square?

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If the vaccine comes out of Israel I think those in congress with Antisemitic views, those who fraternize with those Antisemites, and those who voted for those people should not have access to it. Simply put, if you do not support Israel or have any support of Hamas should not reap the benefits of the people they turn a blind eye to. 

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So according to that group i24 is the only one with an unbiased factual reporting reputation.   Still an Israeli outfit and not a US one.   Still it appears no reputable US based media sources are picking up on this 2 days after the fact, even the Newscorp’s WSJ.  Why?  

I’m just trying to be optimistic here. If you want to be a doomer and have no optimism you do you. Israel says they are some weeks away from a vaccine let’s hope it’s true. Israel is a very advanced country and I can see them doing it. We also have plenty of other companies working on a cure right now too.

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38 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said:

If the vaccine comes out of Israel I think those in congress with Antisemitic views, those who fraternize with those Antisemites, and those who voted for those people should not have access to it. Simply put, if you do not support Israel or have any support of Hamas should not reap the benefits of the people they turn a blind eye to. 

Not sure what you mean by “supporting Israel”.  Does this mean you must agree with every governmental policy, every action taken or every one of their elected leaders?   By their most 3 recent elections (all in the past year) not even a majority of Israeli citizens do that.  
 

edit: For clarity while I do not support Israeli settlements in the West Bank, I also do not support a Palestinian state or even minimal control of the area until all major players commit to and enforce non-violence.  I also personally would have leveled Gaza a long time ago.  

36 minutes ago, Fishely said:

I’m just trying to be optimistic here. If you want to be a doomer and have no optimism you do you. Israel says they are some weeks away from a vaccine let’s hope it’s true. Israel is a very advanced country and I can see them doing it. We also have plenty of other companies working on a cure right now too.

Demanding verifiable and reputable reporting and not chasing after every rumor on the Internet is being a doomer and having no optimism?  That is rich, really rich.  

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All I can say is it certainly will be interesting how this all plays out. Will it affect the theme park business? It seem to already be a reality for parks in Asia. Here in America, it really depends. It will depend on how bad the virus affects the people and what steps parks can take to step up hygiene for visitors.

When I said "steps parks can take to step up hygiene for visitors", what I specifically meant was will parks provide resources for hygiene like hand sanitizing stations or just something to people who visit the park so people have that option to reduce the risk of infection and/or spreading the virus.

All we can really do now besides speculate is watch the progress of this new virus and put faith in scientists developing a vaccine.

And of course, practice good hygiene whenever possible!

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On 2/29/2020 at 11:53 AM, BoddaH1994 said:

Um a couple weeks ago a scientist in California developed a vaccine within 3 hours after getting the live virus in his lab....

https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/california-lab-coronavirus-vaccine-3-hours

But being developed and brought to the market is a different timetable - maybe 18 months...I don't see parks opening this year...

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As far as I know, Disney Hong Kong and Shanghai resorts closed late January, Tokyo Disney and Universal Japan closed this past week. The company I work for works closely with Disney & Universal and we are REALLY starting to feel the impact of the virus within the company. Not only are we not receiving orders from the closed parks, but our factories and offices in China have been closed since late January. If things don't get better soon, I'm not sure how long my company will be able to operate normally. Thankfully most Cedar Fair parks have ordered their spring products from us lol. 

Hopefully the US can keep it under control. We've already heard talk of Universal/Disney in California considering closing, and I couldn't imagine the impact if the Florida parks closed. I could see Cedar Fair closing Knott's since that park attracts international visitors. 

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2 hours ago, coaster sally said:

Parks in CA won't close unless there is a outbreak there like it is in Asia.  Too much money to lose.

Right, but with the way it's going CA is seeing more cases every day and Seattle had the first US death from the virus yesterday I believe.  

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"Right, but with the way it's going CA is seeing more cases every day and Seattle had the first US death from the virus yesterday I believe."

Yup, things aren't looking good for the theme parks scene in CA, to say the least.

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