After a year in the dark, indoor family entertainment centers and amusement parks have been given the green light to reopen.
NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Feb. 17 that indoor family entertainment centers and places of amusement can open with a 25% capacity limit beginning Friday, March 26. On April 9 outdoor amusement parks may open at 33% capacity.
Amusement parks have been one of the industries that have been hit the hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. Disney lost around 2.6 billion dollars in revenue. Coney Island lost $100 million dollars in revenue. Adventureland Amusement Park in Farmingdale and Urban Air Trampoline and Adventurepark in Lake Grove are anxiously awaiting to reopen.
Both entertainment facilities have rules of social distancing, wearing masks, frequent sanitization, food regulations required by state law, ventilation and tickets being purchased beforehand to avoid crowds.
Jeanine Gentile, who is a part of the managing staff at Adventureland said she is excited to welcome families back for the 2021 season.
“We have been fighting for this with our lobbyists since last season when we were unable to open,” said Gentile.
Dozens of entertainment facilities have criticized their shutdowns as irrational and abusive. These facilities across the island filed various lawsuits to New York State over not being able to reopen.
“It was a challenging year for everyone, that’s no doubt,” said Gentile.
Long Island natives and managing partners of Urban Air Trampoline, Keith Handler and David Wolmetz, have been childhood friends since they were five years old. Wolmetz said they are more than excited about the re-opening.
Being closed for a year also means these entertainment facilities have had time to prepare for their reopening. Wolmetz said they have a 48 page reopen plan that will be in effect to keep guests safe.
“We have state regulations but we are exceeding those,” said Wolmetz. “We have MERV 13 filtering to increase air quality and we have 48,000 square feet, so it feels like you are really outside although we are indoors.”
Both facilities commonly are anticipating human interaction with great atmospheres.
“We can’t wait to see our guests smiling and enjoying the park once again with their family and friends,” said Gentile.
With time to plan and reopen, entertainment facilities have been planning new attractions.
“The new Sports Tower ride is going to be a great addition to the park and with some new games and food items” said Gentile. “There is just so much to look forward to.”
