Worst #1 - Carowinds, King’s Dominion, California’s Great America, and Valleyfair 

What makes for the worst reopening? Well…no reopening. (Is that cheating?)

Though Cedar Fair has opened many of their parks in different regions of the country (one of which is still to come on this list), the park chain announced on August 4th that these four parks would not open for the 2020 season.

There’s not much continuity or similarity to be deduced between these four parks, all in vastly different areas of the country and varying in park size and attendance. King’s Dominion and California’s Great America even have competitors in their state reopening, as mentioned above, so it’s hard to imagine states are requiring the closures of these parks. 

Carowinds is absolutely the most surprising addition to this list, as the Carolina park is one of Cedar Fair’s golden children (trailing only behind Cedar Point and maybe King’s Island). The spacious park on the border of North and South Carolina receives some of the most pristine new rides and consistent upgrades of the chain. With that said, the park’s 2020 closure will certainly be a major blow to Cedar Fair.

What’s the most likely reason for these season-long closures? It’s just not worth it. It’s already August, and even if these parks can squeeze in a mini-season before the cold weather rolls in, this would mean investing a great sum of money into employee training, PPE, new informational signs and placards, and general park operations. Operating a theme park takes thousands of dollars a day, and Cedar Fair executives likely realized the juice just wasn't worth the squeeze.

Best #1 - King’s Island 

I know what you’re thinking: really? Not Universal, or Disney, or even Cedar Point, but King’s Island?

Yes...King’s Island.

Excitement hung in the summer air when the Ohio park opened on July 2. Nostalgic locals and eager tourists awaited  their 11AM entry time and peered for the new steel landmark on the horizon. They wouldn't be disappointed.

Some background reading: King’s Island has been awaiting a Gigacoaster (or, a coaster between the heights of 300-399 feet) since 2000 when sister park Cedar Point unveiled Millennium Force. When Orion was finally announced in 2019 after years of speculation, lovers of the park went wild. This was what they were waiting for, what they were begging for, and they finally had one coming. 

Then, the closures hit. For a while it seemed unlikely that King’s Island would even open for the season, let alone with Orion complete, but in the midst of Coronavirus, Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and King’s Island were still hard at work making sure this attraction would be completed by opening day.

Orion, the world’s seventh Gigacoaster, has opened to fantastic reviews. Filling a crucial gap at the park, King’s Island’s lineup is better than ever, and one of the strongest in the country. 

Amusement parks are consistently adapting and finding their footing in this new and strange era of parkgoing. Park management teams across the country have been faced with impossible decision after impossible decision, attempting to do what’s best for the guests and what’s best for the parks. It’s a tricky balance, one that will have a major effect on the future of parks as we know them. So here’s to messy reopenings—to socially distanced roller coasters and face mask rest stations. Here's to late starts and troubleshooting, to ride ops and clean-up crews.

And most of all…here’s to hoping the 2021 season is back to business as usual.