The new normal; a phrase we’ve become accustomed to almost everywhere in our daily life. It’s in the news, it’s on our video calls, it’s even a hit TV show. It’s right up there with 2020’s top three phrases, including “in these unprecedented times” and “given the current climate”.
It’s a term we’re all familiar with, yet it still feels unfamiliar, and here we are living in a world of so many New Normals. One particular part of the world where the new normal seems abnormal is in our Theme Parks.
We all remember what ‘normal’ used to feel like at theme parks, right? You know, the immensely long queues for your favourite rides, arguing over which restaurant to go to for lunch, and never being able to find your car, bus, or taxi when you leave. It was wild. It was great. it was enjoyable chaos.
The reason being, is because Theme Parks are literally designed for people. More specifically, they’re designed for gigantically enormous crowds of people. So how are some of the UK’s best Theme Parks coping with the enhanced safety measures that come with the New Normal?
The good news is, that most major UK theme parks have now reopened, including Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Legoland Windsor! So, we decided to write a blog on ‘Theme Park Safety and New Measures’ where we discussed how some of the UK’s top attractions are reopening in line with government guidelines.
New Rules
While each theme park is slightly different, they share a few key rules which we hope shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise:
- 6-foot social distancing
- One way systems
- Mandatory face masks
- Round the clock disinfecting
- Temperature checks on entry
- Operating at a 30% capacity
We know what you’re thinking. With all these guidelines in place, what does the future look like for our beloved attractions?
Well, we’ve been speaking with the Theme Park experts (Yes, they exist. Yes, we want their jobs too), and having heard about all the exciting innovations that have come as a result of these safety measures, we think the new normal might even be better than everything we’ve ever known about theme parks ….. Yep …. Mic drop moment indeed.
E-Tickets
Firstly, Theme Park parks are going digital! All major UK & London attraction tickets are now required to be booked in advance of your visit. Not only does this take away those frightening moments where you think for a split second that you left the tickets on the kitchen table, but it removes the need for physical interaction between people and adheres to social distance rulings. The plus side to this is shorter queues and quicker entry to your favourite parks!
Cashless
Another digital innovation includes cashless orders and payment options. We know, contactless payments aren’t exactly groundbreaking news, but the fact you can pre-order food, drinks, snacks, and pay for them all before they’ve even arrived is a game changer! How many times have you wanted to eat at your favorite restaurant, but to your horror you find out that McDonald’s is also everyone else’s favorite restaurant! Gasp. You’ve got exactly 2 hours 23 minutes left, to squeeze in 3 more rides plus the 40 minute wait time for your food order. You know you’re going to have to make the sacrifice and admit to yourself that it’s going to be another lunchless trip to a theme park. Well, in the new normal this will all be a thing of the past. You get that lunch, you get it good!
Digital Queue Reservations
Now, fast food is one thing, but fast queues are where things really get interesting. Disney has been trialing magic bands plus their own app that allows you to bypass physical queues. Here’s how it works; you download the app, select the ride you want to go on, place your virtual reservation, you’ll get a notification when it’s your turn, and using your magic band you can simply walk straight through and onto the ride.
Yep. We truly are living in the future.
Eventually, our beloved theme parks will be increasing their capacities to allow more people to enjoy them at any given time. With all the new technology and safety measures integrated into the day to day operations we can expect our favourite UK attractions to run just as smoothly as the rollercoasters themselves.
From the booking process all the way to queuing, everything will be digitised, contactless, and app-based. So it’s probably about time to start planning which apps are going to be part of your theme park essentials …. Luckily, we know a pretty good place to start! 😉
