COVID-19 & Theme Park Closures

[Guest 239]

10 hours ago, Jordan M. said:

VRTP have already shared the following... so essentially your pass starts “ticking” a week after MW reopens.

If you have the VRTP app this is already reflected on your passes page.

Cheers for the heads up Jordan, appears as though I don't even have as much insight into the situation as I thought! This is legitimately good news. 

I do wonder how they will address the multi-day passes. 

[themagician]

On 03/06/2020 at 3:59 PM, themagician said:

 

I just saw the ad on tv and they have added text when Clark is first seen, stating his name and title 

[Jay Jay The Jet Plane]

This will come as a surprise to no-one, all shows at Movie World now besides HSD and Roxy have been suspended for the time being when the parks reopen

Tunes Dance Party 

Marilyn 

Joker on Main Street 

Gatsby 

Rock N Roll 

West 

Tweety and Sylvester 

 

As SeaWorld is reopening this week, it will give us an offering of what their alternative entertainment options will be for time being 

Edited June 21, 2020 by Jay Jay The Jet Plane

[Flynn_Smith]

18 minutes ago, Jay Jay The Jet Plane said:

This will come as a surprise to no-one, all shows at Movie World now besides HSD and Roxy have been suspended for the time being when the parks reopen

Tunes Dance Party 

Marilyn 

Joker on Main Street 

Gatsby 

Rock N Roll 

West 

Tweety and Sylvester 

So, very little rides, no decent shows, no parade, no meet and greets..

What’s the point in going?

 

 

[Brad2912]

1 hour ago, Flynn_Smith said:

So, very little rides, no decent shows, no parade, no meet and greets..

What’s the point in going?

 

 

Churros? 

[Park Addict 93]

SW have updated their website show schedule (but not the app), all shows returning.

4 Dolphin and Seal Shows, 3 Thunder Lake, Turtles and Paw Patrol presumably due to decreased stadium capacity.

Edited June 22, 2020 by Jordan M.

[Pyro]

https://www.covid19.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/131007/industry-covid-safe-plan-attractions-industry.pdf

 

For anyone that is interested

[Brad2912]

Probably the most relevant. A lot of mentioning of masks.. 

[Jay Jay The Jet Plane]

For those who may not have a  smart phone or cannot download the VRTP app for any circumstance 
https://themeparks.com.au/download-app?_ga=2.91159642.1532097079.1592607282-2096904680.1592299807

[Brendo88]

Any ideas if ricks will re open with the park does? 
 

I assume they won’t be able to offer their usual buffet? 

[Jay Jay The Jet Plane]

26 minutes ago, Brendo88 said:

Any ideas if ricks will re open with the park does? 
 

I assume they won’t be able to offer their usual buffet? 

 I cannot see Ricks not reopen for the foreseeable future I am afraid. Unless the park has found someway during the closure, to try to implement the outlet to become full table service  (la carte) or they serve takeaway, it’s not going to happen. 

Buffets are unable to display food in open food bar’s according to Sizzler’s COVID-19 page online http://www.sizzler.com.au/re-open-dine

Edited June 22, 2020 by Jay Jay The Jet Plane

[themagician]

Do we know how ride queues will work? They’ve said to download the app and you can use the virtual queuing system. Most major rides have VQ available, except for Batwing, Constrictor and River Rapids, so will all the other rides only allow for VQ, and then there will be a smaller physical queue for those waiting to board? If you can only VQ, won’t that make the park feel a lot busier because there will be people floating around, instead of being inside buildings/queue areas?

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

....and if they are only virtual queueing on the app, how will that work for the luddites that don't have, or refuse to use a smartphone?

[themagician]

They’ve said that if you don’t have a smart phone, you just need to see a team member so they can take your details. But been it comes to queuing, no idea

Maybe you just go to the start of a queue, ask for a return time, they give you a piece of paper, then you return to the rides entrance show them it and then let you in

Edited June 22, 2020 by themagician

[Park Addict 93]

I don't think they have actually 100% stated Virtual Que's are the only way to que?

I still think we will have a traditional que with social distancing markers.

Edited June 22, 2020 by Jordan M.

[Gazza]

Wouldn't it be mostly a virtual queue, and then a well spaced physical queue for the last few minutes once your return timeslot opens?

[Thrill Seeker]

Don’t forget the VRTP app was always coming, just delayed because of COVID. It is much like Disney. The normal ques will be open for everyone (physical distancing in place). However everyone will be able to reserve a spot in a virtual que as well. The virtual que is free just like Disney. Once you have ridden the attraction or a time limit you can then reserve your next virtual que. Virtual Que guest will go down the fast track lines and have their QR code scanned by the station attendant before admission on an attraction.

[StingRay]

On 19/06/2020 at 11:21 PM, rappa said:

It’s almost like the theme park’s are owned by publicly traded companies that have responsibilities to shareholders...  

Call me late to the party. But I have used the current app for virtual queuing several times this year. Only at MW cause, it was the only park to actually use it. Virtual queue through the app works well. Its a case of booking the ride make sure you ride then make another booking. If you decide to change rides it asked for confirmation on deleting the first reservation.

for families, it can all be linked to the one account also.

[Park Addict 93]

Virtual Que was active at SW too in late February, but not during the holidays/initially.

The app itself has been around since December.

[Brad2912]

Bad news for the parks...

 

QUEENSLAND’S ailing theme parks have been dealt another massive blow after the sudden collapse of a deal that would have delivered millions of dollars in funding support from the Federal Government.

Just days ahead of Sea World’s planned reopening following a three-month coronavirus shutdown, the Bulletin can reveal that eight-figure loans earmarked for Village Roadshow and Ardent Leisure’s Dreamworld have been taken off the table.

The blow comes with theme parks bleeding millions of dollars a month during the forced closures.

Theme park bosses yesterday expressed their shock and disappointment at the decision, which Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones described as a “kick in the guts”.

However, Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham rejected suggestions the Morrison Government had turned its back on Gold Coast theme parks, pointing to the millions of dollars in JobKeeper payments to help employees during the enforced closures.

He also took a swipe at the Queensland Government’s ongoing border blockades.

Theme park officials had been in talks for several months with Export Finance Australia about securing loans to help battle through the coronavirus crisis and as recently as last week were under the impression the money would be forthcoming.

However, those talks have now collapsed, leaving theme parks, among the Queensland tourism industry’s biggest ­employers, without access to millions of dollars.

Village Roadshow CEO Clark Kirby said the decision had blindsided the park.

“For months we’ve been negotiating with Export Finance Australia to contribute funding to Village’s reopening plans (and) without warning, we were told last week that those negotiations were over,” he said. “It’s disappointing to say the least.

“But the State Government has been great.

“We continue to make positive progress with the State Government regarding their funding support to help us get back to business.”

His comments were echoed by Dreamworld CEO John Osborne.

“We were extremely disappointed,” he said.

“We had been working with them for three months and had every indication it was going to be successful.”

He would not be drawn on the impact of the decision on Dreamworld’s future but would continue to seek other forms of assistance throughout the most difficult period in the park’s 38-year history.

“We’re grateful that our staff are receiving JobKeeper and we’re still working with the Queensland Government on various funding options,” he said.

Ms Jones said the decision made a mockery of the months-long negotiations, but Mr Birmingham defended the Federal Government’s support of the theme park industry.

“The Federal Government is providing these two ­companies with more than $80 million in support via JobKeeper and other programs,” he said.

“With these attractions starting to reopen, the best way to support them would be to see some interstate visitors flowing through their gates.”

He also said the Federal Government’s $1 billion recovery fund to help industries “disproportionably affected” by the coronavirus pandemic had directly helped Queensland tourism businesses.

Sea World and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary will reopen to the public on Friday, with Movie World and Wet’n’Wild to follow next month.

Dreamworld is expected to announce a return date in the coming weeks.

https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast-theme-parks-rocked-by-collapse-of-federal-government-loan-deal/news-story/d9dba37cb703e9291f171813bca0e76a

[Jdude95]

17 hours ago, Brad2912 said:

Dreamworld is expected to announce a return date in the coming weeks.

"say the line, Dreamworld"

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Woozle Wuzzle?

[Smol bean]

Nuzzle muzzle?

[StingRay]

I know this ain't QLD based but still. Good to see a park explain this process via a video. Will be interesting to see how some things are implemented. Obviously most of the access gates (LPS has no gate fee normally) will be closed to ensure social distancing.
 

 

[Jay Jay The Jet Plane]

Fright Nights 2020 has been officially cancelled - https://frightnights.com.au/experience?attraction-type=mazes

“Following advice and consultation with Queensland Health and the current COVID-19 restrictions, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Fright Nights in 2020. Fright Nights is a very different style of event in comparison to the day to day operation of Movie World with physical distancing impossible to achieve, and requiring months of pre-planning work along with significant financial investment to deliver. Based on the current COVID-19 Government restrictions and uncertainty of how these may change over the coming months, we cannot run the event in a commercially viable manner.

At this time it is still very much our intention to run White Christmas and Carnivale as we are hopeful of further relaxations from Queensland Health.

While the Team are disappointed with this outcome, we can guarantee that in 2021, Fright Nights will return as the biggest and best experience ever delivered by Village Roadshow Theme Parks and Warner Bros. Movie World.”