UPDATED: Carowinds postpones opening day
A day after announcing plans to open on schedule, Carowinds now has announced plans to postpone opening day until April 3.
The theme park on the South Carolina and North Carolina line, at Fort Mill, made the decision Friday due to public health concern over, COVID-19, the coronavirus.
A tweet from the park Friday stated guests and associates are considered family and their well-being went into the decision to delay opening.
“While there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at our properties, we believe this is the right decision for our guests, associates and community,” reads the tweet.
Preview night for season passholders was originally scheduled for March 20.
The park opens daily April 3-19 when many students in various area school districts have their spring breaks. It opens four days a week for much of May, ahead of May 22 when park hours begin daily through late August.
Carolina Harbor, the large waterpark area at Carowinds, opens May 16 and runs daily beginning May 22.
Carowinds’ Camp Wilderness and on-site hotel, Springhill Suites Charlotte at Carowinds, will remain open, according to the tweet. Guests who need refunds due to the delayed opening can e-mail guestservices@carowinds.com.
Cedar Fair Entertainment Company owns Carowinds.
“All our parks and resorts have high standards of cleanliness, which assists with illness prevention,” reads a letter from Cedar Fair CEO Richard Zimmerman published Thursday.
The letter outlined “rigorous sanitation standards and robust cleaning procedures” at Cedar Fair parks, including accessible hand wash and hand sanitization stations, quick response to spills and frequent sanitation and wash down procedures.
“As always, we maintain close relationships with local, state, national and international public health authorities,” the letter reads. “We take their guidance when additional preventive measures are deemed necessary.”
Carowinds has an impact on York County well beyond thrill-seekers. A special revenue fund from a portion of ticket sales pays for significant road improvements in the area around the park. The Carowinds corridor annually generates the most hospitality tax money in the county, a charge on prepared food and drink in unincorporated areas that funds tourism-generating projects.
“Carowinds also is a very significant property taxpayer and generates state admission taxes that go to the state,” said Rob Youngblood, president of the York County Regional Chamber of Commerce. “In fact, the park was — and possibly still is — the largest admission tax generator in the state.”
Then there’s employment. In January Carowinds announced it would hire more than 4,000 workers for the 2020 season. Carowinds held a job fair in February. The park noted adults looking to supplement income and retirees were welcome to apply along with the many teens and young adults who typically fill jobs in admissions, food and beverage, security, merchandise, games, park services, aquatics and ride operations.
Carowinds uses many local vendors and suppliers, Youngblood said.
“Carowinds’ economic impact has a multiplier effect on it,” he said.
Carowinds is a 400-acre park on the South Carolina and North Carolina border, near Fort Mill. It has more than 60 rides and a 26-acre waterpark.
In some areas of the country, gatherings beyond set numbers of people aren’t allowed. There have been widespread changes or cancellation to sports and event schedules. North Carolina declared a state of emergency due to coronavirus. As of Thursday afternoon, South Carolina hasn’t.
On Thursday afternoon, Visit York County released a statement after a conference call earlier in the day with Gov. Henry McMaster and state tourism officials. Visit York County was urged to operate business as usual in regards to the coronavirus, according to the release.
“While we understand the seriousness of COVID-19, we are encouraged by state partners to be careful, but not to panic,” reads the statement. “That is the same message we are sharing with our hospitality partners in the hotel, attraction, and restaurant industries.”
The same statement noted a 5.4% hotel occupancy dip in South Carolina March 1-7 compared to the same time last year, but a 4% increase in York County. York County has been “minimally impacted” thus far with event cancellations, it read.
“As a predominantly drive-to destination, we are focusing on supporting our hospitality partners by urging extra precautions for cleanliness in our destination, but spreading the message that York County is open for business,” reads the statement. “At Visit York County’s visitor center, we are following the state’s welcome centers operation plans to rigorously clean our visitor center often, but remain open.”
Check back for more.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 3:06 PM with the headline "UPDATED: Carowinds postpones opening day."
