The return of riding the Cyclone, playing Whac-a-Mole, and scarfing down fried dough are just around the corner after a long shutdown. At a press briefing on Wednesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that amusement parks can reopen statewide this spring. The news of reopening comes a full year after Coney Island was forced to stay closed because of the pandemic.
Cuomo said that outdoor amusement parks would be able to reopen starting April 9th at 33% capacity, with guests mandated to socially distance, wear face coverings, get a temperature check, and purchase tickets ahead of their visit. Indoor amusement park facilities will be allowed to reopen on March 26th at 25% capacity and under the same guidelines. Venues are expected to be regularly cleaned.
Dennis Vourderis, co-owner of the Deno's Wonder Wheel on Surf Avenue, was given the heads up that a reopening announcement would come this week. This came months after the Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions, of which Vourderis is a member, had advocated for reopening under adopted guidelines by the CDC.
"We've been ready to open since last April," Vourderis said.
Coney Island won't be completely back to its old self. Events such as the Mermaid Parade are still on hold.
"I think there's going to be questions [...] with this first phase of reopening," said Alexandra Silversmith, executive director of the Alliance for Coney Island, a group devoted to local merchants. "I'm personally just taking it one day at a time. We just want to be able to open to show that they have the capacity and are able to do it safely."
The amusement strip has been closed since October 2019, when Coney Island entered their seasonal shutdown. By the time their traditional reopening in April 2020 arrived, Cuomo had ordered all non-essential businesses to remain closed, keeping the area from powering up its rides. Along with the Wonder Wheel, nearby Luna Park, MCU Park, and the Ford Amphitheater also remained closed.
Vourderis, along with Alessandro Zamperla, owner of nearby Luna Park, believed the season would be salvaged after COVID-19 positivity rates kept declining last summer, but it was not to be. The shutdown also impacted celebrations planned for their respective amusement districts—last year was the 100th anniversary of the Wonder Wheel and the decade anniversary of the opening of Luna Park.
With the pandemic raging and amusements closed, foot traffic had significantly dropped last summer, impacting the neighborhood's revenue. Zamperla had previously told Gothamist that Luna Park had not "generated $1 in revenue since October 2019."
The closures also impeded plans to expand Luna Park, and they are now asking the city Economic Development Corporation, which owns the land, to reconsider the lease terms.
Vourderis is now looking to begin hiring dozens of workers with help from the Alliance for Coney Island, and is thrilled with the reopening news, even if he'd prefer it had come earlier.
"We are happy to have an opening date because now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel," Vourderis said.
