Travel Tuesday: Is the theme park experience forever changed?

As everyone waits for theme parks to reopen, is the theme park experience forever changed? From the occasional visitor to the annual passholder, how will guests react?

With the current global health crisis impacting all aspects life, the theme park experience has been forever changed. The somber images of empty parks make many people yearn for happier times. Although some are making magical moments at home, the future impact of these closures has people wondering if things will ever go back to what people remember.

To still feel connected to their favorite theme park rides, shows, and even characters, many people have taken to both watching and recreating those experiences at home. While these point-of-view videos help give people their theme park fix, they do take away a little bit of mystery.

Even though the annual passholder might ride over and over again, the occasional visitor has a different experience. That point-of-view video might bring back a memory, but it also takes away from an experience.

Think about it for a moment: Riding It’s a Small World as a child is definitely not the same as riding it as an adult. That feeling can be even be more pronounced when it comes to a thrill ride. Sure, that front row video can make you feel the ups, downs and turns, that experience is different every time. It is more than just a thrill, it is how that experience impacts the rider.

Wanting to bring back those memories is both entertaining and comforting. Still, when the turnstiles open again, will that theme park experience be the same?

Although the majority of theme parks do not have a specific reopening date, there has been a lot of speculation on what the first visit back might look like. While some people have suggested a week for first responders or allowing annual passholders special admission, no one really knows what will happen. Still, one aspect might be forever changed about the theme park experience.

As everyone has adopted social distancing, the question becomes, how do you social distance at a theme park? Queues are long, winding lines. In many cases, the space is tight and confined. If everyone was required to space six feet apart, how long would those lines actually be? How would it be manageable?

Building on that distancing idea, would everyone be required to wear a facial covering? While some theme parks in Asia have started to adopt that idea, it might be hard to enforce here. Have you ever seen a child have a meltdown at a theme park? Try asking that child to wear a mask in 100-degree heat.

The bigger issue could be reducing the number of guests allowed in the park. Rarely do theme parks close due to capacity. While Disney Parks might close on holidays, the other times are infrequent. If theme parks limit the total capacity per day, what kind of impact would that have?

Think about the possibility for a family on vacation. Who wants to disappoint a child when she can’t see Mickey on her birthday because the family didn’t get to the parks by 7 a.m.? Could that classic Vacation movie scene become a reality? No one wants a family vacation ruined due to a closed sign.

As everyone eagerly awaits the re-opening day and the official rope drop, that theme park experience might forever be altered. Whether it’s limited crowds, changes to queues, or something else, there will be changes. Still, the magical memories that will be created within those theme parks will remain. Even if that family photo does come with a face mask.

Do you think that the theme park experience will be altered? When do you think theme parks will reopen?