News: Cedar Fair preparing for another pandemic-focused season in 2021

Universal Orlando lacks evening hours most of the year outside of HHN. Disney cruise ships often don't have the kids pool open after dinner. Parking lots are not as full after dark. I don't see a lot of mystery going on.

For those of you who use the Giant Wheel as a barometer of what's going on at the park, I have some distressing news.

https://twitter.com/TonyClarkCP/status/1328696071149776896?s=19

Operationally it makes sense to keep day hours over evening hours. The vast majority of people who make decisions, think those in offices, keep your standard 9-5 hours. Vendors the park deals with keep similar hours, so do deliveries, etc. If the above hours that Dave mentioned at Cedar Point were the majority of this past season it makes sense as the workload for 1st and 2nd shift Maintenance is divided up (somewhat) equally. Operational costs such as lighting is kept down, easier to find lost children in the daylight, etc. So as long as the parks are going to have reduced hours and the choice between AM or PM hours, you'll likely always see AM hours winning.

I would also love to have night closures as opposed to morning openings, but I think a major issue with implementing this under the current guidelines would be enforcement of mask requirements. Once dark sets in, it is going to be much more difficult to make sure everyone is wearing a mask, since there is far less light to work with. This is especially concerning for ride lines; as RideMan pointed out, ride queue houses are among the highest risk places in the park. With limited light and a full queue house, it would be very difficult to be able to tell that someone in the middle of the line has taken off their mask, compared to the daytime.

I would think later hours at Cedar Point would have everything to do with trying to attract hotel visitors. A 7pm close leaves a lot of free time for people who are staying on property. We didn't visit this year until Fall, so I'm not sure how many hotel extras were occurring despite the earlier closing time.

It also hurt that there was no early entry this year. Being able to load every row on the rides and avoid wiping everything down every hour are the 2 big things I would like to see happen for 2021.

I just want the mask rule to go away. Even harmonized with the State requirements (indoors, mostly) would make it so I could visit again. Anything else I might grumble about, but at least I could deal with it.

—Dave Althoff, Jr.

^ It's wild how differently people view and feel about things even during a pandemic. I avoid places that don't enforce mask rules, and certainly wouldn't go anywhere near Cedar Point without it (for now.)

^ Because as an individual mask wearing probably hasn't been problematic for you. For those of us having difficulty with it how long we are expected to be masked determines whether or not an activity is worth doing. If you know you are going to be miserable during what is suppose to be a fun experience why do it at all? Being able to walk the midway without a mask and just wear it indoors and in the que lines would make Cedar Point a vastly more enjoyable experience for me. I wouldn't reach the point of having to medicate myself or leave so quickly.

^ We know. You've told us multiple times. And yes, it's not problematic for me.

The largely emotional reactions against masks are a lot like being emotional about the fact that too much sun causes skin cancer. You can hate it, but it doesn't change the outcome. Similarly, not wearing masks spreads the disease, whether you like it or not. If there's a reason you can't wear a mask, then you can't be among others in public until we reach a point at which we can all not wear masks.

My point, which I probably didn't make well, is simply that it is not wild that people view or feel differently about things because that view is going to be based on how something affects them personally. Even applied to the conversation about closing time preference. How the closing time affects you determines whether you would prefer 8pm or a later opening with close at 10pm. The differences in opinion all over the place don't surprise me pandemic or not.

^^ I don't know Jeff, according to the extensive research I've done (Twitter), wearing masks doesn't help. In fact it does more harm, and is part of a slow march towards the elimination of our freedoms.

Even worse (!), the vaccine is going to alter our DNA, or might install the "Bill Gates Chip ™", or BOTH.

Our only option is to resist and get herd immunity! Example follows.

(Btw this is not aimed at anyone here, I do recognize some people have legit problems with masks.)

Good article below, that I can confirm w/ some of my health care worker friends:

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/11/americas-best-prepared-hospital-nearly-overwhelmed/617156/?utm_source=pocket-newtab

Paisley, what are we self-medicating ourselves with and can we meet up and share next time we go?

With COVID vaccines expected to roll out over the next several months, do you think it’s possible that Cedar Point/Cedar Fair and other parks may require guests to present proof of vaccination to visit the park (once we reach the point where anyone can get the vaccine)? There has already been talk of vaccines being required to go to concerts, sporting events, etc., so I wonder if the same might apply to amusement parks. Having everyone in the park vaccinated would probably be a safer/easier way to provide a more normal park experience, though I’m not sure how much of the park’s clientele is in the “I will never get the vaccine no matter what” camp and if it would be worth cutting ties with them as a business decision.

Not a chance. What I could see happening is show proof of vaccination to be exempt from wearing a mask, and they will give you a wristband, otherwise you have to wear a mask. And this would all just be temporary until the pandemic is over and then no such restrictions would be required. And I doubt enough doses would even be available at the start of next season.

While I think that vaccination may be required for certain jobs and companies, I don't see any major theme park chain requiring them.

According to what I've read so far whether or not the vaccine will stop people from spreading the virus as opposed to just not getting sick is still up in the air so technically being vaccinated won't mean squat on that front and plenty of people have perfectly valid reasons to not want to get it at this point. I think requiring it would be a very poor business decision.

Whew it's been awhile.

I went in July and was miserable with the mask but I can't stand the heat to begin with. Also went the second to last weekend in October and had a blast. The mask is a plus when it's cold (For me). That Sunday ranks in the top 5 of days I've spent in the park. If you can believe it I forgot there was a pandemic going on and felt like a kid again with the added bonus of beer ;)

So if worst case this is the reality at CP for 2021 I figured out how to have not just a decent time but a fantastic time. For that I'm incredibly grateful!

When we get to the point where vaccination is readily available it’s not the business of the park to worry about whether you have one or not. It’s your problem to understand that you are in an environment where both vaccinated and unvaccinated people may be; where it is possible that someone may carry the virus, and where your choice to be there is yours, vaccinated or not.
Now that this virus has been around a while we are learning that an infection does seem to result in some lasting immunity. It may not be useful for recovered COVID-19 patients to receive a vaccine. Combine that with other reasons for not vaccinating some people (certain allergies have caused problems in the UK) and the only reasonable approach to take is to make customers responsible for their own safety with regard to any and all communicable pathogens.

—Dave Althoff, Jr.
(FWIW: Not anti-vaccine. I expect to get it, but you may go first.)