teacherkim

Yeah, Washington University, a top tier school has announced that they are actually starting the semester early with in person classes. Starting in mid August will allow them to finish the semester by Thanksgiving so students aren't all traveling home and then coming back for just 2 -3 weeks. Apparently this is a model that several universities are adopting. A little birdie told me that July 10 will likely be the wp opening date. The ride ops were given little clear fanny packs with two cloth masks, gloves for when they clean the trains and protective eyewear that I believe is optional. I'm guessing crowds will be low today with the combo of first day, passholders only, and storms predicted all afternoon. I'll report back on how it went from the ride op perspective.

I have been there in mid November and it was mostly weather depending. The water rides will be closed of course, but the weekend I was there all the coasters were a go. It will depend on the temps, variable time of year. You probably have equal chances of 50 and sunny or 40 and raining or 30 and snowing; or having one of those at the start of the day and another by the end. Unfortunately there is no way to really predict that time of year. Sorry. The earlier in the month you go the better your chances will be though.

So.....not the Dippin Dots lady BUT I talked to a guy at the Wildwood Farmers Market this morning whose son works as a lifeguard in the water park and he said they were told mid-July, which would give them less than two months but apparently that is the plan. I think extending hours after Labor Day is a problem because so much of the wp staff are college students and they lose a lot of them which is a shame because the first couple weeks are still usually pretty hot. Guess we will see how it plays out.

I also noticed that on the web site calendar with the operating hours it no longer lists the water park as closed, it has been taken off completely. Thinking that there will be no water park this year.

Will be interesting to see how strict they are and I can tell you after tomorrow what the SFSTL employees are told about mask enforcement. On Wednesday the ride ops at SDC were enforcing masks but not so much walking around the park.

That fits in with what I was told, no Catwoman until next year per corporate; not the park. The ride op that lives in my house is training tomorrow 10-6, will see what if any info he comes home with and pass it along.

So we made the trip down Tuesday afternoon and went to the park on Wed. Stopped and ate at Lamberts on the way down and I got to eat my first restaurant meal with real utensils and plates since March. We also rode the Branson Coaster and played putt putt; both places no masks required but social distancing in place and they were cleaning the carts and clubs after each use. Looked like most of the theaters will be starting up again as of July 1 and I have to say it is the first time ever I drove down 76 without the ridiculous amount of traffic that has become the norm there. Our hotel had maybe 6 other cars there and it was weird with so few people in the hotel. Kept expecting to see the two creepy twins in their blue dresses at the end of the hallway. Wednesday was SDC day, Chiselphane did such a great review, I will try to point out any differences I noticed. The entry/exit was as expected. The temp check, health screening etc, etc. We arrived about 8:50 for a 9:30 open. We were given no specific time on our tickets and no one said anything at all. We were through and standing in front of TT by 9:05. The crowd level was very low pretty much all day but particularly first and last hours of the day. The employees told us they thought it was the lowest crowd since they opened and one of them thought it was probably because WW opened that day and drew some people away. Or it may have just been a lucky mid week attendance low. Most of the day there was never more that a station wait to maybe 20 min for the coasters. The exception being PK which we waited about 30 min for and got up to about 45 min or so by the afternoon. And at one point TT had about a 40 min wait but that didn't last all day. Oddly, OR was a walk on all day. My son did ride TT one last time on our way out, about 6:30 (7 pm park close) and said it was a walk on at that point. Everything would have been a walk on all day if they had been able to run two trains. Every coaster except Fire in the Hole was running only one train, then add in the every other row thing and hourly cleaning and the waits built up a little bit. A couple of the ride ops told us that the one train was do entirely to low staffing. So, if they can get some staff hired and trained hopefully that will be better in a couple weeks. If the park had been more crowded the waits would have been a lot longer. All the food we tried was pretty good quality and most place were open but certainly not all. Everything regarding food and shopping the same as the earlier trip report. Like Chisephane said most things open, including outdoor shows. Indoor shows obviously still closed. We also got the hand sanitizer treatment from every single ride op. They tended to get you when you were trapped in the station waiting to board. However all the employees we encountered were friendly and doing their best. They were working on MRF with a crane , mostly on the elevator lift. It was filled with water, could here it but not see much due to the work walls. And toward the end of the day they were having the crane pull boats up and put them where the lift should leave them. So it does seem that is the final obstacle to opening. I think it will be very soon. As far as people following the rules. Most did observe the social distancing markers in the line. As pointed out before adherence to the mask rule deteriorated as the day progressed. Ride ops were enforcing the rule but employees outside the ride lines not so much. I mean there were lots of areas that are walkways where there really isn't anyone to do the enforcing. I did see what was obviously a supervisor pass a group of 5-6 twenty somethings without their masks on and she said nothing to them. I'm kind of guessing as long as most people have their masks on they were choosing to not start a scene with the small number that did not have them on outside the ride lines. My personal experience with the mask all day was that it was uncomfortably hot (and heat usually does not bother me); in other words annoying but doable. The only ride I had a problem with was PK, the mask kept slipping down on that one. Every ride op we ran into did require the masks stay on during the ride, so I am not sure on which of the "certain thrill rides" you didn't have to wear one. I did see several people wearing masks incorrectly, either below their nose or resting on their chin and not really covering the whole mouth. I cannot say if those people were doing it intentionally to buck the mask rule or just ignorant of the proper way to wear them. Maybe a little of both. Now I did NOT put this in to start a whole debate on masks, just reporting what I observed happening the day we were there. It is really my belief that every business has the right to make the rules they feel comfortable with and the customers will have to decide if they are willing to comply or not and if not then don't patronize the business. I was absolutely stunned at the vitriol displayed on FB toward the mask rule, although I don't know why I was stunned, typical I guess. Overall I agree the park was doing a pretty good job of trying to make this all work. I'm sure all the parks will go through a short learning curve as they reopen. And on a personal note, it was just so nice to get out and DO something! If there are any specific questions that I didn't answer for anyone, feel free to ask away.

Got it! Thanks. I'll let everyone know how Wednesday operations go.

Chiselphane, thank you so much for the trip report! We are driving down from STL Tuesday evening and spending Wed at the park. Were they selling the fast pass? Thinking with just one day I will most likely get them unless they are suspended right now? And I saw an offhand comment on FB about a reservation time but could find nothing in our tickets or the website about having to show up at a reserved time, just the particular day. Do you (or anyone else) know anything about that?

I get the concern, my son works as a ride ops at SFSTL and will be going back to resume training next week. However, I really don't think it will be any more dangerous than school in August. No matter what recommendations they make, schools cannot social distance the way the cdc wants, most teens won't do it anyway, and we cannot keep them locked up forever. We are discussing a HW,KI, CP run in July which would only be a week or two into KI and CP opening but we are prepared for whatever we get as far as operations. We MAY wait on CP and go for Halloweekends (at the moment they are still advertising it) Also trying to reschedule our cancelled spring break Texas trip. Our biggest obstacle at this point is just running out of time before school starts and since SFSTL is having a shortened season there are only so many days my son can ask off for.

Yeah that's right, I had forgotten about that store, and it's in a highly visible spot if I recall, not tucked away. As far as how many reservations; when I bought tickets for 6/17 a week ago it actually had a number of how many spots were left (I believe 4412 at the time of my purchase) but of course I have no context on how many total they are allowing in.

So the local news just did a quick announcement regarding the opening date of SFSTL and they showed video of Mako and Kumba from SWO which they lifted off of a well known vlogger. Seriously. They didn't have any file footage of our park? Lol.

Oh and they do not have an opening date for the water park yet. It just says opening will be announced at a later date. Of course that is usually only open through Labor Day anyway so not if it will be worth opening for a couple months or not.

Just received an email regarding park opening. June 22 to members and passholders, June 26 to everyone.....all of the restrictions we have come to know and love in place. You also must pre-purchase parking on line. They are also doing a tiered system for reservations. Copied from the email: Thursday, June​ 11 at 9am: Diamond and Diamond Elite Members who are not on pause start making reservations Thursday, June​ 11 at 12pm: All Members who are not on pause may start making reservations Friday, June​ 12 at 9am: Season Pass Holders may start making reservations Monday, June​ 15 at 9am: All other ticket types can make reservations

Ride ops are being called in to restart training on June 17th!

Of course they "should" but they don't. Unfortunately for those unaware that region of Missouri has always had an extremely militant, extremely right wing, the government should stay the hell away and I will take care of myself with my gun element to it. And they tend to cloak it in Christianity. Several years ago that a huge Neo-Nazi encampment was raided in the area. Now that is not to say by any means that most of the population of SW MO is like that, of course they are not! But there is no denying there is a higher concentration of that type of thinking in the Branson/Springfield area; always has been. Hence the ridiculous backlash against the park on FB over a mask requirement which everyone knows is temporary. Most likely it is just a loudmouth minority spouting off, but it is still disturbing when you see people publicly hoping for financial ruin for any business. Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face. That same element isn't always thrilled about outsiders coming in, however that is exactly what happens when your area depends on tourism, go figure. And if anyone thinks I might be exaggerating, my Dad used to travel down there for business a few times a year and has a very Jewish last name. He actually had a few customers that would politely warn him not to stay at certain hotels or patronize certain restaurants because he was obviously Jewish. Crazy.

As I posted in another thread I fully expect my son to report back to work very soon and that's all I'm saying. He is 17 and will obviously have to wear a mask all day while running rides. I posed it the same way.....it doesn't matter if you agree or disagree, this is what your employer is requiring at the moment. If you want to work there then you follow the rules. Each family will have to decide based on their individual kids if dealing with the masks is worth a park visit or not. Doesn't do much good to argue the merits at this point.

I agree that parks are pretty low risk at this point, particularly with all that the CDC is saying about surfaces not being that dangerous. On the other hand I have never been a germaphobe and your personal predilections will probably have a lot more to do with your comfort level than anything anyone else or any government agency is saying. Without getting into an opinion on the masks, I THINK it will be relatively short lived as long as no big upward trends start to happen. We are now two weeks out from the infamous Ozarks pool party here and nothing bad has happened so...... Not too say that anyone has the right to harass another person if they choose to wear a mask once it becomes optional, they aren't hurting you; and equally annoying is berating the park for requiring them as they open back up. I'm sure most of the parks had to do that to get permission to open, if it's an issue just wait to go until they aren't required anymore. We do hope to get to CP later in the summer, not sure if we will, not because of anything other than we are running out of time before school starts, in whatever form that might be. We are going to SDC on 6/17 and my son will be reporting back to work at SFSTL very soon (yes I am sure of that, no I'm not telling you how I know) I will report in those respective threads how operations, masks, crowds etc etc are for each which will hopefully give everyone a little insight as to how this goes. Yes, I know each park is different but still any info will hopefully help people decide what they individually want to do.

Awesome to hear, maybe there is some hope for a second try at a Texas trip later this summer, probably August, to replace our cancelled Spring Break trip! Still nothing from SFSTL but expecting an announcement any day now.

We are going on Wed 6/17, so I will let everyone know how the experience goes. Figure it will be a good test for my son before he goes back to work at SFSTL and has to wear a mask while working. At least for awhile. I did see the pushback on FB and totally understand if some don'e want to go but I'm not sure everyone commenting there realizes they probably had to put that requirement in to get state/county approval to open

Zach, hold on just a bit longer, I REALLY think there will be a happy announcement soon. That's all I can say! And if you want I will meet you guys at the park and take a turn watching the baby so you can ride with your wife. Although there is probably something in the good parents manuel about not letting the strange lady you met online babysit......But I never read that book anyway On another note we are going to spend a day at SDC on Wed 6/17, so I will let you all know how the experience goes and how waterdowned it is. They are getting a ton of flak on their facebook page about the mask requirement. But I'm not sure what people expected, it was obviously something they had to do to get approval to open.

If the announcement is coming tomorrow, and the hotel is open 12th - 28th for "beach getaways" then I am guessing the open date will be the 29th, at least in time for the fourth of July. Guess we will know soon.

Hmmmm.......I don't see why if the aquarium and zoo can open June 8 and June 13, but I could be wrong.

Different counties different restrictions. Six Flags has to wait for the blessing from St. Louis County. I get that, which is why I said a similar date, I realize it might be a bit later. But I think it is clear that is the beginning of the end and I still think it means the other MO parks won't be far behind. Besides even though the Covid cases were much lower in Taney County they are quite aware that opening up Branson will bring a lot of people down from KC and STL so.....

In case you didn't hear, SDC has announced a June 15 open (13 and 14 for passholders) All the expected restrictions in place. But I would assume (which could be dangerous) that they received permission from the state so I don't see any reason why SFSTL and WOF couldn't have a similar date.