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Paultons Park: General Discussion

2021 season might not even be a thing yet anyway so they won't have missed anything more than any other park. Can't see social distancing measures being lifted until towards Halloween personally maybe even longer.
 
Benjsh said:
2021 season might not even be a thing yet anyway so they won't have missed anything more than any other park. Can't see social distancing measures being lifted until towards Halloween personally maybe even longer.
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When you say social distancing measures, do you mean lockdown? Or do you mean the 2m apart rule and the mass gatherings ban?
 
Matt N said:
When you say social distancing measures, do you mean lockdown? Or do you mean the 2m apart rule and the mass gatherings ban?
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Even when the lockdown is lifted, the 2m rule and mass gatherings ban will probably remain in place, possibly til there's a vaccine.
 
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skyscraper said:
Even when the lockdown is lifted, the 2m rule and mass gatherings ban will probably remain in place, possible til there's a vaccine.
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There might well be a vaccine or effective treatment by September if new estimates from those doing tests and trials are anything to go by; I'd personally guess 2021 at the latest for when we will see social distancing lifted.

Besides, there are ways that the parks could pull off social distancing effectively; some theme parks in China have managed it, and the Merlin parks were still planning to open with it not long before lockdown was applied!
 
And we need to remember that there's like 50 different strains, so vaccines will probably only protect against one.
 
Matt N said:
There might well be a vaccine or effective treatment by September if new estimates from those doing tests and trials are anything to go by;
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Plus if a vaccine is found by September, this won't be widely available for another year due to being able to scale it up. The government are having trouble scaling up testing, let alone a vaccine :rolleyes: Key front line workers will be first to receive the vaccine. The vulnerable will be next.
 
RoyJess said:
Plus if a vaccine is found by September, this won't be widely available for another year due to being able to scale it up. The government are having trouble scaling up testing, let alone a vaccine :rolleyes: Key front line workers will be first to receive the vaccine. The vulnerable will be next.
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They think that they could start manufacture once human trials begin to prove positive, which could be at the end of May, giving 1 million doses by September and 100 million by the end of 2020! It's a bold move, but I think they could do it!
 
I think your timeline of optimism doesn't factor in real life factors.

Even as a priority I cannot imagine a BRAND NEW vaccine being distributed by end of the year. What happens if the initial trials develop deadly side effects after 2/3 months from application?
 
Benzin said:
I think your timeline of optimism doesn't factor in real life factors.

Even as a priority I cannot imagine a BRAND NEW vaccine being distributed by end of the year. What happens if the initial trials develop deadly side effects after 2/3 months from application?
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The timeline I'm referencing is one that I heard said by the Oxford professor behind the leading vaccine candidate that the government is putting extra money into, and she said that she's "80% confident" that it will work, so I'd say there's a definite chance we could have one beginning to be used by the end of this year, definitely by some point next year.

The thing we're all forgetting is that an effective treatment using existing drugs could also be used; if an effective one is found when trials end in 3 months' time or so, that would be a huge way to resume normality, as existing drugs would already be widely available within hospitals!
 
I guess it makes sense, as the area looks almost finished but there must be plenty more to do. Also in the video they said the coaster hasn’t tested yet, so when they are allowed back on site they’ve got to do all of that.
 
djtruefitt said:
I guess it makes sense, as the area looks almost finished but there must be plenty more to do. Also in the video they said the coaster hasn’t tested yet, so when they are allowed back on site they’ve got to do all of that.
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What video is this?
 
If they were to open it up for maybe only the final 2 months of the season then they'd lose a lot of hype and the initial excitement. Chances are schools will be back open then too so they won't be having enough busy days to warrant opening it.

Putting it back to May 2021 is a sound decision given the tough circumstances.

Towers is in a similar position with David Walliams. I doubt that's going to get many riders this year either.
 
Interview for Blooloop with MD of Paultons Park on why they decided to delay the opening of the new area.

Tornado Springs at Paultons Park

Richard Mancey

Paultons Managing Director and present BALPPA Chairman Richard Mancey tells us about the British park’s new 1950s Americana-themed area, Tornado Springs. It is being built at a cost of £12-13 million (approx $15m). The launch of this attraction has now been delayed until Easter 2021, due to coronavirus, as Mancey explains:

“Tornado Springs is a continuation of our commitment to remodel existing areas and give guests an even better reason to come to Paultons. It has some rides that are aimed at an older child than would be interested in Peppa Pig World, but overall still has very much a family theme.

“It is set on Route 83. This is both a play on Route 66 and a nod to the year that Paultons opened. The area is almost 4.5 acres, which makes it about one-and-a-half times the size of Peppa Pig World, which it sits alongside.

“Leisure Expert Group, who have done some masterplanning for us before, did all the design work. Manufacture and install is by MK Themed Attractions from Denmark.”

Key attractions delayed due to coronavirus
“The signature attraction is a Mack Ridesspinning coaster, Storm Chaser. We were probably only four days away from letting the first train go round when the guys from Mack left. The track is complete, the station is complete. The second train is at their works in Germany ready to deliver as and when.

“Another major attraction is the Cyclonator pendulum ride by Soriani, who build a lot of the big kit for Zamperla. We’ve also got some twin family drop towers by Zierer called Windmill Towers and Al’s Auto Academy, a driving school from Formula K.”



“In addition to this, there are two existing attractions that have been rethemed. These are the Trekking Tractors by Metallbau Emmeln and Buffalo Falls, a rubber dinghy slide also from Metallbau. We’ve got two playgrounds by Eibe, who put in all the play at Peppa Pig World. Our Rio Grande train also goes through the area.

“We have got a large American diner going in as well. And we have got a shop in there, which will be selling driving licences for Al’s Auto Academy.”

Put back to 2021
“We were provisionally due to open Tornado Springs on May 16. The park had already been open since the half-term holidays in February. It was around March 15/16 that things starting grinding to a halt.

“Our Danish contractors left quite early because Denmark when into lockdown probably two or three weeks before we did. Other contractors were struggling to get supplies. A few have started trickling back, but it’s very difficult getting any kind of direction right now. MK still have some of their stuff in the Philippines, where they have a big fibreglass manufacturing plant.”



“We’ve probably got six to seven weeks’ work left, without interruptions. Realistically, we don’t expect to see our European contractors back before June or more likely July at the earliest. And, frankly, if we don’t get it open by August there’s very little point.

“That’s why we decided to delay the opening of our new attraction, Tornado Springs, to Easter next year after the coronavirus pandemic. I don’t think we are alone in making decisions such as this. This is a £12-13 million project, and we want to make the most of it.”

Reopening the park
“We’ve done a lot of social media to keep in touch with guests. There have been several videos, including one with James [Richard and wife Sara’s eldest son, the park’s Operations Director], explaining that construction has stopped.

“A large part of our 140-acre site is gardens. We’ve still got people attending to that and the animals. We have brought forward our May ride maintenance programme. In some ways, it’s easier to do that work than when the park is open.


“We want to reopen the park, our guests want us to reopen, and we have loyal staff that I know are chomping at the bit to come back.

“It’s been the most unbelievable period. Pushing ahead towards one of the busiest times of the year, then suddenly switching it off like a tap. It’s not been a great experience, nor one I wish to happen again. We closed at 5 o’clock on Friday the 20th of March, and we’ve had very few wet days since. The fantastic weather only increases the frustration.

“It’s now just a matter of sitting it out. The latest forecast for hospitality reopening is now July. We are watching with interest the European parks, which will reopen before us, are intending to do. We will follow government guidance and can always limit numbers by ticketing if we have to.”

Regaining guest confidence
“This situation is not going away so we are investing in making guests feel safe. Probably the busiest areas of the park are the queue lines on rides. We are already putting in place social distancing measures, altering some queue lines.”



“That’s easier to do with linear rather than snake-like queues. We will probably do a video to show people what we’ve done. It will take a bit of time for people to regain confidence and change their behaviour.

“One good thing to come out of all this is that suddenly the government is taking hospitality seriously. At BALPPA we are working with UK Hospitality. This is a sector than employs 2.9 million people. People soon realise how much they miss attractions, restaurants, pubs, cinemas etc. when they are gone
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