Theme Parks in the age of COVID-19

One cannot deny the level of disruption that has been caused by novel coronavirus, COVID-19. First surfacing in November of 2019 in Wuhan, China, this virus has spread worldwide and wreaked havoc on every industry, especially travel and tourism. As the world emerges one nation at a time from this pandemic, many wonder what the new normal will be. As someone who works in Attractions & Entertainment, and has roughly 7 years of experience spread across 3 unique locations (Hersheypark, Hershey's Chocolate World, and Cedar Point) I am painfully aware of the unique challenges that face amusement parks face as we come out on the other side of the pandemic. With that being said, this new normal is starting to surface, and there are some things you should know before you plan your next Disney Vacation, or visit your local amusement park. 

Thunderhead at Dollywood
Smoky Mountain Christmas 2019

The biggest challenge that amusement parks face is the nature of such entertainment venues. Especially during the summer months, amusement parks draw in large crowds, where people are crammed into queue lines, and are in close proximity to thousands upon thousands of people. We will see this again, but it will take time to get back to that 'normal.' Every park will go at its own pace based on federal, state, and local guidelines. With Shanghai Disneyland set to reopen Monday, May 11, we will be able to get an idea of some of the measures we may see implemented here in the United States. Some amusement companies, such as Six Flags have already made announcements on some new procedures. Here are some of the measures we can expect to see for the foreseeable future. I will point out that most of these will likely be short term, and will disappear once we have a proven treatment and vaccine against the virus.

1. Limited Capacities- This concept has been floated by many, and has been confirmed by several different companies. Shanghai Disneyland will be operating at 30% of the park's maximum capacity. In order to prevent guests being turned away, Shanghai Disney Resort is selling dated tickets, and a limited number of tickets for each specific date. Sales for dated tickets will begin on May 8. Six Flags has announced that all park-goers will be required to make a reservation to visit any Six Flags property. As with Disney, this prevents parks from having to turn guests away. We can expect to see amusement and theme parks across the United States implement limited capacity to satisfy state and local guidelines. I should note that parks such as Six Flags St. Louis, Worlds of Fun and Silver Dollar City may not have to implement these policies as Missouri has lifted its statewide ban on large gatherings. 
2. Phased Reopenings- This mainly applies to larger resorts such as Walt Disney World, where it may not be possible to open everything at once. As has been seen with Shanghai Disney Resort, and Hong Kong Disneyland, we could see a phased reopening at large scale parks such as Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Universal etc, beginning with shopping areas, such as Disney Springs or Universal CityWalk. According to insider sources, employees working at Universal Orlando's CityWalk will return to work on May 11. Time will tell however whether this points to CityWalk opening sooner than the advertised date of at least June 1. 
3. Increased Sanitation of Ride Vehicles- This is something that we started to see before parks began to shut down. Some parks, including Six Flags have announced that ride vehicles will be cleaned throughout the day. This will likely only be short-term as doing this will reduce capacities, and will only be viable during those limited capacity periods. Ride Vehicles are always cleaned during daily inspections before the parks open, this has been an industry best practice for years, but for the foreseeable future, you will likely see ride attendants delaying dispatches to spray and wipe down seats and other high touch surfaces such as restraints. 
4. Increased Sanitation Stations- Hand sanitizer is something that has become a true commodity in the COVID-19 world. Some parks, such as Hersheypark have had hand sanitizer dispensers at nearly every attraction for a long time, but this is something that is likely to become commonplace at parks everywhere. This is one of the only changes that you should expect to become permanent. You will likely see these at strategic locations such as ride exits, park entrances and near dining locations. 
5. Masks- Some parks have announced that all employees will wear masks for the time being. It

   

   Skyrush at Hersheypark
   Hersheypark in the Dark 2019

   is not known how this policy will impact guests, and due to concerns with wearing masks on high-speed attractions, I would be surprised if parks made wearing them mandatory for guests. Many have speculated that parks will require guests to wear masks, but this is something that should be taken with a grain of salt, and not taken as reality until it is truly confirmed, and even then every park will handle this as they see fit. 
6. Virtual Queues- Social distancing in queues is especially challenging, and in an effort to try to control the density of guests in a specific area of the park, it is likely we will see virtual queues become more common. A virtual queue means that you are given a specific time slot to ride (think of Disney's FastPass program). This is certainly not a new concept for theme parks, as many have seen this concept as a source of revenue. For example, Six Flags utilizes THE FLASH pass, in which guests who purchase the pass are given a specific time to ride each ride. The same is true with most park Alternate Access programs. This is something we should expect to become permanent, mainly because guests will probably fall in love with the idea of being able to do other things in the park while they wait to ride their favorite attractions. 
7. Temperature Checks- This is another possible change we should take in stride, as this has been more speculative in nature, and will likely be implemented as needed on a park-by-park basis. This is not the most practical procedure to put in place as many parks don't have enough medical staff to have individuals stationed at the park entrance as well as first aid locations. It is also important to note that this type of procedure would be more theatrical than effective, as many people who contract the virus have been asymptomatic. Appearing to be doing something will be vital to ensure guests feel safe to return. 
8. Cashless Payments- This isn't to say that parks won't accept cash, but some parks have the capability of mobile ordering. Parks that have this capability will likely encourage guests to order food and beverage items through mobile ordering, to reduce person to person contact. While it is unlikely for any amusement park to become fully cashless anytime soon (especially considering budget conscious park-goers), we can expect to see an increase of cashless payments through mobile ordering and online payments. Post COVID-19 this will prove to be especially convenient for guests on busier days. 
9. Social Distancing- While some states have begun to relax social distancing guidelines, in areas in which these guidelines remain stringent, we can expect to see social distancing markers on the ground at parks. Social Distancing at amusement parks is not a forever thing as it is not feasible in the long term, and as parks are allowed to increase their capacities, the practicality of social distancing becomes less and less.