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2020: General Discussion

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I see the green sludge on the Nemesis track is returning for 2020.

Be reasonable, a small regional theme park can't be expected to keep their rides clean on the limited budget they have. They're not Disney!

How's Rita's tunnel looking nowadays?
 
I wonder if this Coronavirus outbreak will have any impact on visitor numbers to AT this year if more cases are reported.....
 
I wonder if this Coronavirus outbreak will have any impact on visitor numbers to AT this year if more cases are reported.....

I think there are too many unknowns at the moment to determine this, although I am sure it is a risk that Merlin have considered across all of their properties.

If numbers stay low and manageable then I do not think there will be any impact.

Having said that, I would not be against Towers installing hand sanitiser dispenses around the park. A few parks in the US have these (with a lovely watermelon scent, SDC and Dollywood I think it was) and I ended up using them quite a lot!
 
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It's going to hit the Merlin Asia market pretty badly but as @Rob says it's too early to tell for the UK market yet- if there is a major outbreak I could see Merlin being forced to close the parks as an infection control measure
 
I think it will hit parks hard this year.
As the season starts, mumsnet will go into overtime.
I know lots of people, including most of my customers, young and old, who are now avoiding crowds at all costs.
Lots of schools have had attendance issues already.
 
I think only those who are going to avoid all public places are going to avoid a theme park if there is an outbreak. It's only if public health england say to avoid these sort of places there would be a problem.

But ultimately you come into contact with germs every time you touch a door handle! Hand sanitizers would be a great idea to have round the park though.
 
Just imagine those smelly Smiler restraints emitting pongy Coronavirus directly into your skin. Mmmmmm, stenchy disease right in my face!

My parents have just returned early from an aborted cruise on the South China Seas. Yes, I am staying away from their house for 14 days to be safe.

They did say that the measures the cruise line put in place before the voyage was formally aborted were second to none. Mandatory hand sanitising before you could enter any restaurant. No self-service allowed at buffets - only crew wearing rubber gloves could use the tongs / spoons to put anything on your plate. Mandatory hand sanitising on leaving a restaurant.

The Smiler restraints have never been remotely hygienic - quite simply they stink. Towers have a big problem here if Coronovirus does not stop spreading.

Just stopping the chavs being allowed to ride shirtless on the rides on a hot day would be a good start. Just try taking your shirt off [if male] on a water ride in Florida. Hell, they won't even let you take your shoes off in most cases. What do we have on Nemesis / The Smiler? No shirts & shoes - the chavs are so worried about losing their precious Adidas "Prison White" trainers they insist on taking them off.

Fact is simple, if you can wave your foot around at a bit of speed & your trainer does not fall off, then it's 99% not coming off on a ride. I've had girls insisting on lacing up 16-hole boots tight in the ride stations "so they don't lose them". Of course, they can only do this when sat on the train, thus delaying the ride. I'm not joking either.
 
The Smiler restraints have never been remotely hygienic - quite simply they stink.
Bad smell does not always equal bad hygiene. The Smiler restraints are probably no worse than any others on any other ride in the park for bacteria levels, it’s just the material has a certain smell. Washing hands with soap (or using alcohol gel) before touching your mouth/nose/eyes/ears and definitely before eating should be sufficiently helpful unless someone sneezes in your face.
 
All restraints would pose a problem not just smelly Smiler's. But they really should replace that horrible padding that seems to absorb so much more old sweat than any other ride
 
Bad smell does not always equal bad hygiene.

I beg to differ. If I did not shower for 3 days, I strongly [no pun intended] suspect that I would start to smell somewhat unpleasant.

Letting [normally male] riders ride shirtless on warm days is a big mistake - none of us know what they may have applied to their skin - be it deodorants or other similar substances. Given the way things are going with allergies, this has to stop, now.
 
I beg to differ. If I did not shower for 3 days, I strongly [no pun intended] suspect that I would start to smell somewhat unpleasant.

Letting [normally male] riders ride shirtless on warm days is a big mistake - none of us know what they may have applied to their skin - be it deodorants or other similar substances. Given the way things are going with allergies, this has to stop, now.

but that applies to all restraints on all rides. No surface in any public place should be assumed to be clean.

It is against the terms of entry to the park to not be wearing appropriate dress
“Guests must wear appropriate clothing (including a top and shoes) at all times whilst at the Attraction”. Yes low level staff may not take action but if you see something inappropriate then complain! If you see someone without appropriate attire then tell staff and if they won’t act then ask for a manager.

also you won’t catch coronavirus from sweat. It’s vapour in sneezes and breath and what that lands upon.
 
I think restraints would be a minor problem. If its true the virus is airborne then just sitting in a monorail carriage where someone has sat earlier with the virus will put you at risk. Apparently it also lives on surfaces for 9 days so touching anything (toilet seats, doors etc) will put you at risk. I believe they are pinning their hopes on warmer weather in April killing this thing off but i'm not so sure. Places like theme parks where a mass crowd of people from all areas gather is going to be a concern.
 
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