How is everybody doing? By "everybody," I mean "people who stumbled here by freak coincidence." You are welcome, and I value your readership... but I honestly have no idea how you got here. One year in, and I still have not attempted to promote this blog to any audience. I write for a sense of personal escapism. If you're joining me, I hope that reading about some random stranger's theme park experience can provide you the same.
2020, the Monday of years, has nearly run its course, and 2021 still teems with uncertainty. Help is on the way, but the COVID-19 pandemic will still present a danger that society will plan around in the short and medium term. While opinions on the state of the U.S. and global economy ran the spectrum at the start of the year, a recessed state seems all but inevitable. This could impact park operations, pricing, and policies, as well as cost-of-living factors for working-class parkgoers like myself. On a personal level, I have shifted my savings priorities a bit. While I have drawn up a personal budget for 2021 and am doing fine, my ability to take amusement park trips will depend entirely on the rebounding of my freelance gig schedule.
Month-by-month, here are my intentions for 2021. This is all speculative, since park news continues to be tentative going forward. This represents the most optimistic outlook, and the likeliest course will be reduced from what is shown.
January
I will not be going anywhere in January. The places maintaining year-round operations are far enough away that I could not responsibly travel, from either a health or a financial standpoint.
February
I will not be going anywhere in February. I have a four-day weekend built into my work schedule at the end of the month, but would rather spend the time and money on things closer to home.
March
I will almost certainly be staying put in March, with one exception: I will be watching closely for the
2021 Carowinds calendar, and if they manage a late March opening, I may take some vacation time to make my first trip there.
April
April doesn't look too much better than March, with again one exception: if
Kings Island achieves an April opening, and conditions are such that I could safely travel with a companion, I would chase some early-season rides at my favorite park.
May
May will be another slow month, as my work schedule will likely be its busiest. If a weekday trip to a crowd-prone park is possible, I may take a vacation day to get a visit in with sub-peak conditions. Otherwise, I will be strategically setting up a "busy" July.
June
I live within striking distance of Michigan's Adventure, and so once summer is in full swing, I will likely make impulse trips there on days when I do not have other plans. I have a Cedar Fair Platinum Pass with drink privileges, so a half-day visit is as good as free. Depending on COVID conditions and whether I have been vaccinated, I will likely also visit Indiana Beach to ride the refurbished Quimera. If the cost structure is similar to 2020, a season pass is scarcely more than a 1-day ticket, so I will buy a pass both to help the park and allow for additional visits. This all assumes a decline in COVID-19 cases, because Indiana Beach has proven that they will not err on the side of caution.
July
Right now, I have only one "official" coaster trip in my budget: I am planning a trip in July to patronize the new
Camp Cedar near Kings Island. I am hoping to make this a long weekend, with one full park day, one park evening, and at least one half-day of sightseeing in Cincinnati. Taking the most optimistic track, I would love for this to include the zoo, a Reds game (especially if they host the Pirates), and an iconic restaurant in the area.
August
If I have not added a new park to my arsenal by August, and I have some disposable income from gigs, I will go one of three routes in August:
- Western Pennsylvania: I have some Pittsburgh ties and could easily make a long weekend out of visiting some old friends, spending a day at Kennywood, and spending a half-day each at Conneaut Lake and Waldameer. (This assumes that those parks open for 2021.)
- Chicago: I have many Chicago ties, and have not been to Six Flags Great America since childhood. This is the least "efficient" financially, since Six Flags parks are generally priced to push memberships over day passes. I do not want to be on the hook for a Cedar Fair pass AND a Six Flags pass. This trip would also put Mount Olympus in play.
- Cedar Fair Wildcard: I have not decided whether I will renew my 2020 Platinum Pass, already extended for 2021, into 2022. This may be my best chance to experience any of their parks outside the Midwest. To the east, I could visit Dorney Park (with Lakemont and Knoebels on the same trip), Carowinds (with just about whatever I wanted; the likeliest pairing would be Kentucky Kingdom and/or Kings Island), Kings Dominion (could include the above plans for western Pennsylvania and/or Cedar Point). To the west, I could visit Worlds of Fun (not sure about sideboard parks) or Valleyfair (which could include the above Chicago trip).
September and October
Like many seasonal parks, I do not have plans after Labor Day. However, pandemic permitting, I would be easy to convince to make a weekend trip to Cedar Point or Kings Island, if their fall schedule is in good shape and there are coasters running.
November and December
Unless something drastic changes, I do not foresee making a large coaster trip at the end of the year.
Hopefully this year will see us all riding, screaming, and in general finding a happier place than 2020 put many of us. Stay safe, stay sensible... but stay hopeful, too.
