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What changes to operations should we expect post Covid-19?

Ah thanks Rob, I must have thought there was still a back row VR experience. Curse my terrible memory :confused: I'll stand by the other point that VR in parks across the globe will take a heavy hit post Coronavirus (even if it is slighty off-topic :D)
 
I'm not sure whether this comes under operations or a separate topic, but how do we think that the pandemic will impact future investment prospects at the park?

I'm not really sure at the moment, personally. The approaches taken (or announced) by various different companies across the world currently are very different; some (e.g. Cedar Fair, Universal) are seemingly just pressing ahead with everything they had planned previously, whereas others (e.g. Six Flags, Disney) have begun cancelling & delaying some of their future projects.

I think it depends what approach Merlin takes; on the one hand, I don't think KIRKBI and Blackstone would want to see their recent £6bn investment go without the investment needed, and investment will drive up attendance. On the other hand, they may want to sit tight and see whether there is any money left for them to invest, or whether guest numbers are good enough to warrant investing. Regardless of what happens, I don't think investment will stall completely, but I think there's a good chance it could slow down.
 
Matt N said:
I'm not sure whether this comes under operations or a separate topic, but how do we think that the pandemic will impact future investment prospects at the park?

I'm not really sure at the moment, personally. The approaches taken (or announced) by various different companies across the world currently are very different; some (e.g. Cedar Fair, Universal) are seemingly just pressing ahead with everything they had planned previously, whereas others (e.g. Six Flags, Disney) have begun cancelling & delaying some of their future projects.

I think it depends what approach Merlin takes; on the one hand, I don't think KIRKBI and Blackstone would want to see their recent £6bn investment go without the investment needed, and investment will drive up attendance. On the other hand, they may want to sit tight and see whether there is any money left for them to invest, or whether guest numbers are good enough to warrant investing. Regardless of what happens, I don't think investment will stall completely, but I think there's a good chance it could slow down.
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If I had to guess, anything that already has been budgeted/planned will go ahead if not slightly delayed. The money to these companies is on paper, and it’s just a number. If that number has already allocated, then I’ll imagine they’ll still spend it.

That said, I suspect if anything does go ahead I wouldn’t expect it until next year. I’d guess there going to see how much footfall they get if/when they reopen (although now with an extended closed season is the perfect time for it frankly) and to ride in on the insurance money.


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There is likely to be belt tightening from both consumers and companies for a while. I think we'll see low investment in the parks for a couple of years, so they can attempt to refill their reserves.

The situation could potentially drag on for several years, if no vaccines or treatments work out - or if significant variants emerge. That seems a less likely outcome, with the amount of effort focused on this, but it would make any predictions invalid as even governments couldn't prop up their economies indefinately.
 
Do you think we will see longer opening hours to help squash the amount of people in the park? Could we see summer having am and pm tickets? 10 - 3 4 - 9
 
SuperMuscleMan said:
Do you think we will see longer opening hours to help squash the amount of people in the park? Could we see summer having am and pm tickets? 10 - 3 4 - 9
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I did see a park, I think one of the smaller European/Scandinavian ones, say that were going to have to do this to re-open. They're cutting park capacity right down to around 8,000 people, and having morning and afternoon sessions so everybody can still go.
 
The Director of the Plopsa parks has said they are planning with limited capacity to have morning and afternoon sessions.

A visit to Plopsaland is likely to look very different in the future. Behind the scenes, a major plan is underway to make the Plopsa parks completely corona-proof.

Plopsa director Steve Van den Kerkhof confirms this to Looopings. For example, a large container is expected to be placed at the entrance, which visitors are obliged to pass through to have their body temperature measured. Anyone who turns out to have a fever is sent away. Groups there are also obliged to wash their hands thoroughly.

The parks will run at one third of the capacity. At Plopsaland De Panne that amounts to about four thousand people. In order to let in as many people as possible, Van den Kerkhof wants to work with two periods: from 9 am to 3 pm and from 4 pm to 10 pm. "Everyone has plenty of time to do all the attractions, because we allow fewer people at the same time." Shows In queues for attractions and at souvenir shops and catering establishments, boxes are painted on the floor, so that people can stand 1.5 meters apart. Safety bars are continuously disinfected by employees. Meet-and-greets and shows are out of the question for the time being.

When we can experience the Plopsa parks in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland in this way, we have to wait and see. "When everything is on paper, we test the plan with medical experts," says the director. Then the Plopsa Group takes it to the authorities. The parks will remain closed for the time being. "Health comes first." Social abstinence Van den Kerkhof hopes that governments want to distinguish between well-attended music festivals and amusement parks. "In our parks we have the space to respect social abstinence." He says he takes the investments required to make the parks corona-friendly. "I keep in mind that we will not be running at full capacity this summer."
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https://www.looopings.nl/weblog/141...ekers--aparte-tijdsloten-en-koortsmeters.html
 
From the parks’ point of view, cutting back on capital spending is the sensible thing to do. For all the suppliers to the industry, such as ride manufacturers and theming companies, I don’t know how they’ll survive. It is true that quite a few manufacturers are part of larger companies with fingers in other pies, for example Mack own Europa Park and Zamperla run Lunar Park at Coney Island. I recently heard an interview with Premier Rides and they do a lot of maintenance and refurbishment work as well as building new rides. I also realise that a lot of manufacturing and design companies use outsourcing and free lancers to keep their overheads down. Nonetheless, it’s not just going to be the parks finding the next couple of years difficult. How many suppliers will survive?

In terms of doing shifts like Plopsa are apparently planning, I think it will be tough. British people aren’t the most compliant. Getting the guests out after a full day can be difficult enough. Clearing a park like Alton Towers half way through the day won’t be easy.

If the park is open 10-6 and you do two sessions with an hour’s break, then each session will only be 3.5 hours. They no doubt would make the days longer, but there’s a limit to how many hours the staff can do. Particularly as people are more likely to make mistakes if they’re working long hours and the UK parks are more stringent on safety than many other countries. If you look at parks in other countries with significantly longer opening hours than the UK parks, they tend to either have shifts (Disney and Universals) or give staff more days off a week (Europa Park). At the UK parks it’s not unusual for staff to be on six days a week for the summer. If you give them 12 hour shifts six days a week, then that's 72 hours a week. Some parks might do that for Halloween, but it’ll be tough to keep that up all summer.

You’ve also got the fact that the UK parks are already working to tight profit margins. If there are shorter shifts how many guests will bother with food (although that might give opportunities to train some F&B staff as ride staff)? Presumably the idea of keeping queues short would negate Fast Track, which might also free up staff if they did want to give people more days off to compensate for longer hours, but that’s another revenue stream gone. If the parks are open for significantly longer hours, then that isn’t something that Merlin’s business model is built on.

Clearly parks will have to play their hands as best they can. There will be solutions to problems and ways to overcome challenges. The industry is in this together and ideas will be shared around. Although we like to mock Merlin, there are some talented managers in there who will be planning ahead and looks for ways around the problems they might encounter.

In some ways when the parks re-open could be when the real challenge begins.
 
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I can see a potential for a screening on re entry in the early days to detect temperature. I know Disney are seriously looking into doing this and workplaces here in the UK have done it.
 
I think they will reluctantly half the amount people on the park. All queues will have the 2 meter standing sticker, it will just add to long frustrating day but they may have no choice.
 
DistortAMG said:
I can see a potential for a screening on re entry in the early days to detect temperature. I know Disney are seriously looking into doing this and workplaces here in the UK have done it.
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Temperature testing don't work as people can have a non covid-19 related temperature as well as covid-19 carriers don't always show any symptoms at all.
 
RoyJess said:
Temperature testing don't work as people can have a non covid-19 related temperature as well as covid-19 carriers don't always show any symptoms at all.
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While this is true it is the best they have at the moment. If the large parks like Disney are seriously considering this due to public demand. I can see a high possibility it will filter down to other parks also. As a temporary and initial measure, if nothing else is available. Also, with some businesses today in Italy being told they will not be allowed to open until a vaccine is found. I can really see this being applied to theme parks. As they represent one of the the ultimate in large non essential gatherings.
 
Make sure you have a couple of ice cubes in your pocket. Quick wipe over your forehead before being checked.
Beat the covid check
 
Mr Pearse said:
I think they will reluctantly half the amount people on the park. All queues will have the 2 meter standing sticker, it will just add to long frustrating day but they may have no choice.
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Well if they are going to try and enforce social distancing in the queuelines... by definition they should only be loading rides to 50% capacity to keep guests apart. It's pointless saying "keep 2m apart in the queue, but we'll then harness you into a seat under 1m from the next rider when on the ride".

Capacity would be slashed to the bone. 2 riders per row on Nemmy, Air & Smiler. 4 per row on Oblivion. 1 per row on Wicker Man, Rita & Thirteen. As things currently stand, "touch points" such as harness grab handles etc would probably need sanitising regularly - ideally between each ride. We all saw what VR did to Air's throughput with the sanitisation of the headsets... now combine that with rides having to run at 50% guest capacity - hardly worth opening.

I admit I have no idea how this is all going to pan-out on a country-wide scale. As things currently stand, it would not surprise me if some parks just decide to can the 2020 season altogether.
 
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