CoasterBuzz Podcast #213 posted

Sucks.

Heck yes! Will it upload to the feed on my podcatcher (Do people still call them that?) or do I need to manually download it?

Ooh, you guys are swearing now. I almost didn't notice because I listened to Bill Burr's podcast a couple hours before.

Andy: Pocket Casts on my phone managed to find it, so I think the feeds still work.

Podcast Addict on my Android phone picked it up just fine, so the feeds seem to work. (Which is amusing, because the last time CB had a new episode was well before I was using Podcast Addict -- guess the feed imports worked after all!)

Same with the iOS Podcast app. I’d never used it before yesterday and this podcast automatically popped up there.

That's crazy. For reference, I had to manually update the database and upload the MP3 to storage, because the app I wrote 15 years ago doesn't work in the cloud infrastructure I now use.

Ah. My iOS Podcasts found it. I just had to refresh or something.

I can't imagine how amusement parks are going to reopen anytime soon. They're obviously going to be among the last things to reopen when you think about their essentialness vs. the risk. And even if they have a 15 second test, will people be willing to submit themselves to that? I mean, people were already complaining about the fingerprinting. As we continue to ride the same exponential curve, the psychological scar that will be left on the country looks more and more profound. I think things like sports, concerts, and amusement parks are going to bear that scar for a long time (not unlike the post 9/11 travel reduction...except a much more real threat).

And re: anti-science
I'm almost tempted to start a rumor that corona virus tests give you corona virus. Because look at how many people who got tested ended up being positive! Nobody who didn't get tested is positive! What's sad is, given how many people think this is a conspiracy from one corner or another, I think it might actually get traction.

There are a number of hurdles that the amusement industry is going to have to clear.

Social Distancing:

• Upon entering a park you are going to be in a swarm of people, not to mention if you have to go through a security checkpoint.
• The design of most queues involve switchbacks. It would be near impossible to be 6 feet away from others in line unless only certain parts of the queue are opened.
• Shows will have to dramatically reduce capacity and assign seating to maintain distance.
• Parades? I don't see how these are held during the time of Covid-19.
• Restaurants will have to cut capacity significantly.
• Ride vehicles do not maintain social distancing. Even if you seated people in every other row it still doesn't reduce the possibility that someone with a cough or sneeze could infect the whole train once the ride is in motion.
• Once you are off the ride many queues dump you into the gift shop and another crowd of people.

Surfaces

• Many parks require a biometric scan of your finger print if you have a season pass or multi-day pass.
• Queue line rails are going to have to be cleaned constantly.
• Unless they are cleaned constantly interactive queues are not going to be feasible.
• Restraints and seat belts are touched by every single person who rides. Are these going to be cleaned after each ride?

Even if parks do open this year I don't know that I am entirely comfortable going. We had scheduled a trip to Universal Orlando in June. Luckily nothing is paid for and can be canceled. We told the kids we were going next year so it isn't the end of the world if we don't go. I know for a fact I will not be wearing a mask in Florida in June.

All of those assumptions though are based on having an untreatable disease though. The parks don't realistically open until it's treatable.

I thought there was a bug on my Podcast app when I saw this appear, what a wonderful treat for a Sunday - takes me back!

Cheers guys. Stay safe.

Jeff said:

All of those assumptions though are based on having an untreatable disease though. The parks don't realistically open until it's treatable.

Yes, this.

No idea why a post-coronavirus park wouldn't look exactly like a pre-coronavirus park.

Because fear. It wouldn’t be the first time things changed permanently due to fear. Time will tell.

An enjoyable listen. And more based fact than the daily press conferences from the President of the United States.

Here's to hoping for a partial 2020 coaster season!

Oh, we're 100% fake news.

Carrie J. said:

Because fear. It wouldn’t be the first time things changed permanently due to fear. Time will tell.

Yeah. I tend to believe people are irrational in general and especially so with this in particular. Interestingly, this just came across my feed:

What Will Everything Look Like After The Coronavirus

Sadly, that's probably decently accurate. I'd like to believe it's not, but you're all a bunch of goofballs.

Also, Gonch - your Facebook is annoyingly secure, I couldn't stalk your house photos as you suggested!

I literally post everything open to the public. There's not a single thing private on there. No idea why you wouldn't be able to access any of it.

Jeff said:

All of those assumptions though are based on having an untreatable disease though. The parks don't realistically open until it's treatable.

Which is why I think seasonal parks opening this year are very much in doubt. I don't expect theme parks to change the way they operate.

Treatment is a real crap shoot though. Several clinical trials are underway but the earliest we would have data would likely be sometime in May. If a treatment is considered effective I would strongly suspect that the results would need to be verified via another clinical trial before being approved by the FDA. Now we are talking July.

It is funny how opinions have changed in the last month from "Regional parks won't delay their openings" to "They won't open until this is treatable". It just shows the nature of how fast things are changing with the virus.