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Coronavirus: Impact on Theme Parks

JammyH

Hyper Poster
My personal opinion if you didn’t feel safe maybe don’t risk it stay in the country.

Hmm I appreciate this. Unfortunately for me that would mean I would do no parks this season as I have no interest in the merlin parks and blackpool is too far for me to go.
 

jj23w

Hyper Poster
I completely understand. You could always see what the local independent parks are like with their policies. And if you live close enough you could always try funfairs if they are your thing they look completely safe and do need arguably more guests than Merlin right about now. It’s just you can never be to one careful abroad right now.
 

Nitefly

Hyper Poster
Hmm I appreciate this. Unfortunately for me that would mean I would do no parks this season as I have no interest in the merlin parks and blackpool is too far for me to go.
If you’re too uncomfortable to go this season, it’ll make next season even sweeter for you.
 

Nitefly

Hyper Poster
Meanwhile, any ideas what queues are like at Energylandia / Phantasialand, generally? I dislike queuing and will typically always opt for the fast pass, so not sure if I’ll tolerate super slow ops / hour long queues.

I don’t think either of those run a fast pass, which is fair enough in the current climate.
 

SilverArrow

Certified Ride Geek
Ok so I’ve been really patient so far and I still haven’t been to a major park yet, with Clarence pier being the largest park I’ve been too...

I won’t lie I still feel on edge about the whole covid situation but I’m desperate for a theme park holiday. Either a theme park holiday combined with city sightseeing or a resort holiday stay in a park that has bars/pools etc.

But I have some worries.

I want to go to a park which makes me feel safe. I went to Funland Hayling island and Clarence pier with the mindset of if I don’t like the measures I will turn around and come home. I left Funland after 5 minutes, but I felt safe at Clarence pier so I stayed. If I go abroad it’s harder just to turn around and come home if I don’t like the measures in place.

I’m a bit nervous to use public transport. I’m just worried about rule breakers and people not wearing their masks and as a result feeling uncomfortable on a plane or a train or bus on the other side. I’m unlikely to feel relaxed unless everyone is doing what they are supposed to properly.

So I was just wondering to anyone who’s been anywhere so far, what’s flying and foreign public transport like in the current circumstances? Is it nerve racking? And where are the best parks to go to, in terms of covid-safety? I really want to feel safe and be able to enjoy my trip. I know @Nicky Borrill went to energylandia and walibi and they were chaos, so they are already a no-go(and energylandia is for other reasons but not related to covid).

I haven't been to a UK park yet (been to a couple of zoos, but no theme parks) but I have done 3 parks on the continent via eurotunnel and felt pretty safe there as they've been doing it a lot longer (most parks opened earlier than ours), have lower levels of covid now and the majority of people seemed to be respecting the rules. I deliberately avoided big regional parks though, maybe something else to consider.

I have no idea where you want to go, or where you're located but the eurotunnel was actually nearer than going to Alton/Blackpool for me and you you can't get out of the car in the train on the way (you can before obviously but just not on the train anymore at the moment) so it's pretty much the same as going somewhere in the UK really in terms of faff.
 

Nicky Borrill

Strata Poster
Meanwhile, any ideas what queues are like at Energylandia / Phantasialand, generally? I dislike queuing and will typically always opt for the fast pass, so not sure if I’ll tolerate super slow ops / hour long queues.

I don’t think either of those run a fast pass, which is fair enough in the current climate.
Walk on for us at Energylandia, despite being the busiest I’ve seen the park!!! Which is odd, because there were quieter days last year where queues were longer ??‍♂️?? Makes no sense!

Walk on at EL still means a 5 / 10 min wait though, due to their batching system and one train ops.

They DO have a fast track if you stop at Western Camp and buy tickets from there... But honestly no point, you rejoin main queue before the actual queue, with it being walk on! Think Nemesis fast track on a quiet day, pointless...

I REALLY enjoyed my trip to Energylandia this year, proper sense of some normality!

I’m fairly confident visiting parks though, I’m almost certain they’re not a ‘hot spot of infection.’ The very nature of parks doesn’t lend itself to transmission, outdoors, ventilation, sunlight, some natural distancing... Any measures on top of this are just an added reduction in the likelihood of something, that is already unlikely, happening :)

I’ve now visited parks in 5 countries since unlocking, with various levels of infection control... Enjoyed every one...

Although, given the choice, I would drive on the continent rather than fly... Unless something’s changed in the last week I wouldn’t want to fly again... Purely because the Airport experience was hell... Nothing open, nowehere to get a drink without queueing 3 hours for M&S, water fountains closed off, vending machines broken... It was horrible at Luton Airport... Krakow airport was great, everything open :)
 

Professor

Previously AndrewRollercoaster
Luton Airport is crap at the best of times. Probably worst airport I've been to. But I find T5 pretty crap too. Mostly only high end jewellery and drink shops. I fail to see the point for the average commuter. Birmingham has mostly been ok for me. But all this nonsense of ending up in a shop as you walk to the gate or out. Sigh...

I don't know when flying will get back to normal, IF it will even get back to normal. Especially since it is really what caused the virus to spread in the first place.
 
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JammyH

Hyper Poster
I haven't been to a UK park yet (been to a couple of zoos, but no theme parks) but I have done 3 parks on the continent via eurotunnel and felt pretty safe there as they've been doing it a lot longer (most parks opened earlier than ours), have lower levels of covid now and the majority of people seemed to be respecting the rules. I deliberately avoided big regional parks though, maybe something else to consider.

I have no idea where you want to go, or where you're located but the eurotunnel was actually nearer than going to Alton/Blackpool for me and you you can't get out of the car in the train on the way (you can before obviously but just not on the train anymore at the moment) so it's pretty much the same as going somewhere in the UK really in terms of faff.

May I ask where you visited out in Europe? I've been looking at this as a possibility too. A lot of European parks are a lot stricter on rules and actually enforce the rules, compared to the UK parks where there's some fumbly rules in place which no one seems to stick to, from what I've seen (aside from Blackpool but its a trek) The likes of Portaventura, Toverland, Efteling, Disneyland Paris, Tripsdrill, movie park Europa Park and Phantasialand look really well managed from what ive seen. I just don't know how fun I'd find the whole public transport experience to get to them, probably more stressful than being in the parks themselves. So I'll have to see if driving is a feasible option for me.

In terms of where im located, Thorpe Park is my local park, and then Chessington, but I have no interest in either of them as from what ive seen it's long queues, no social distancing and they haven't had any new rides in years. I don't really have many local independent parks near me which I can support, i'm going to try and get to Drayton Manor to support them but apart from that its only Wicksteed park and unfortunately they've gone into administration :( I can't think of any other easy parks to get to off the top of my head. A drive to the Efteling for me is just as quick as driving to Blackpool to put it into perspective, so I completely agree with what you've said there! I just will have to see how comfortable I am driving abroad, could be more stressful than getting public transport out to Europe!
 

SilverArrow

Certified Ride Geek
May I ask where you visited out in Europe? I've been looking at this as a possibility too. A lot of European parks are a lot stricter on rules and actually enforce the rules, compared to the UK parks where there's some fumbly rules in place which no one seems to stick to, from what I've seen (aside from Blackpool but its a trek) The likes of Portaventura, Toverland, Efteling, Disneyland Paris, Tripsdrill, movie park Europa Park and Phantasialand look really well managed from what ive seen. I just don't know how fun I'd find the whole public transport experience to get to them, probably more stressful than being in the parks themselves. So I'll have to see if driving is a feasible option for me.

In terms of where im located, Thorpe Park is my local park, and then Chessington, but I have no interest in either of them as from what ive seen it's long queues, no social distancing and they haven't had any new rides in years. I don't really have many local independent parks near me which I can support, i'm going to try and get to Drayton Manor to support them but apart from that its only Wicksteed park and unfortunately they've gone into administration :( I can't think of any other easy parks to get to off the top of my head. A drive to the Efteling for me is just as quick as driving to Blackpool to put it into perspective, so I completely agree with what you've said there! I just will have to see how comfortable I am driving abroad, could be more stressful than getting public transport out to Europe!
Bagatelle, Dennlys Parc and Bellewaerde. Pretty much the closest parks to the tunnel bar Plopsa. Probably quite a few others you could do further away though.
 

Nicky Borrill

Strata Poster
Luton Airport is crap at the best of times. Probably worst airport I've been to. But I find T5 pretty crap too. Mostly only high end jewellery and drink shops. I fail to see the point for the average commuter. Birmingham has mostly been ok for me. But all this nonsense of ending up in a shop as you walk to the gate or out. Sigh...

I don't know when flying will get back to normal, IF it will even get back to normal. Especially since it is really what caused the virus to spread in the first place.
It’s not the best airport, I actually like my locals best, East Mids and Birmingham... But it (Luton) wasn‘t too bad other times I’ve flown from there... But honestly last week it was nothing more than a big overcrowded tin box with a few seats... What a difference it makes when all shops and restaurants are closed :( And not being able to get a drink, even water, on a hot day is shameful!
 

Nitefly

Hyper Poster
Walk on for us at Energylandia, despite being the busiest I’ve seen the park!!! Which is odd, because there were quieter days last year where queues were longer ??‍♂️?? Makes no sense!

Walk on at EL still means a 5 / 10 min wait though, due to their batching system and one train ops.

They DO have a fast track if you stop at Western Camp and buy tickets from there... But honestly no point, you rejoin main queue before the actual queue, with it being walk on! Think Nemesis fast track on a quiet day, pointless...

I REALLY enjoyed my trip to Energylandia this year, proper sense of some normality!

I’m fairly confident visiting parks though, I’m almost certain they’re not a ‘hot spot of infection.’ The very nature of parks doesn’t lend itself to transmission, outdoors, ventilation, sunlight, some natural distancing... Any measures on top of this are just an added reduction in the likelihood of something, that is already unlikely, happening :)

I’ve now visited parks in 5 countries since unlocking, with various levels of infection control... Enjoyed every one...

Although, given the choice, I would drive on the continent rather than fly... Unless something’s changed in the last week I wouldn’t want to fly again... Purely because the Airport experience was hell... Nothing open, nowehere to get a drink without queueing 3 hours for M&S, water fountains closed off, vending machines broken... It was horrible at Luton Airport... Krakow airport was great, everything open :)
Cheers for the reply. A follow-up... what in your view would be better all things considered...

Phantasialand and Holiday Park
Energylandia and Legendia

?
 

JammyH

Hyper Poster
+726 cases today

Cases lower than yesterday but higher than this time last week.

Total cases for this week: 4347

Total cases last week: 4198

An increase in cases by 3.42%
 

Nicky Borrill

Strata Poster
+726 cases today

Cases lower than yesterday but higher than this time last week.

Total cases for this week: 4347

Total cases last week: 4198

An increase in cases by 3.42%
The 7 day rolling average has risen from 600 to 610... So not too bad at all considering we’re ‘more or less’ back to normal... Mask will help too :)
 

JammyH

Hyper Poster
The 7 day rolling average has risen from 600 to 610... So not too bad at all considering we’re ‘more or less’ back to normal... Mask will help too :)

Definitely masks will help, was just updating the numbers for those interested. So far easing lockdown hasn’t had too much of a dramatic effect!
 

Professor

Previously AndrewRollercoaster
Can salvage my Finland days next weekend to do a 4 day trip to Energylandia or Portaventura.
Costs about the same but Poland/Energylandia with a rental car.

Amidst the corona cases increase in Catalonia I'm thinking maybe Poland is the better/safer option?
Not been to either, ever.

Maybe I should scrap idea of international travel altogether and just head back to Blackpool.

Decisions...decisions....
 
Can salvage my Finland days next weekend to do a 4 day trip to Energylandia or Portaventura.
Costs about the same but Poland/Energylandia with a rental car.

Amidst the corona cases increase in Catalonia I'm thinking maybe Poland is the better/safer option?
Not been to either, ever.

Maybe I should scrap idea of international travel altogether and just head back to Blackpool.

Decisions...decisions....

I've just priced up Poland and could do it if I just went with my eldest and left the 3 year old and my wife at home. Grounds for divorce....
 
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