NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Brooklyn’s iconic amusement parks at Coney Island officially reopened for the 2021 season on Friday after more than a year of closures.
Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park and Luna Park were closed last season due to the coronavirus pandemic, but officials announced this week that guests will be welcomed back with COVID-related safety precautions in place, including a reduced 33% capacity.
The Wonder Wheel, the crown jewel of the Coney Island boardwalk, is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Oddly enough, it was built just after the 1918 flu pandemic and is the perfect ride for social distancing, said Ken Hockman, marketing director for Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park.
“If you go in a gondola, it’s an open-air car with the breezes coming in off the ocean and a view of the Manhattan skyline and across the Atlantic. We will not load anyone in that car with you. It would only be the people in your pod, in your friend group,” Hockman said.
To kick off the reopening, the park hosted the decade-old tradition of the “Blessing of the Rides” ceremony and an “Egg Cream Christening” of the Coney Island Cyclone.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Brooklyn's own U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"Coney Island comes back, the rides come back and now New York City will come back," de Blasio said.
He proclaimed Friday as Deno's Wonder Wheel Day and Luna Park Day before taking a spin on the Cyclone.
After a roller coaster of a year, Schumer said the reopening of the amusements on the boardwalk is a sign of better days ahead.
"Coney Island is one of the national symbols of New York and when it opens the world knows New York is coming back," Schumer said.
First responders and their families were treated to free rides on the Wonder Wheel.
"I feel wonderful, it hasn't been easy for us," said Yvette Pagan, who works at Coney Island Hospital. She got the chance to smile as she rode the wheel with her 7-year-old niece. "We missed it last year, we couldn't come, but hopefully it's better this year and we get to enjoy it. This is our sanctuary."
Guests returning to the parks will also find six new rides at Luna Park: Circus Candy, Fire Patrol, Rainbowheel, AeroMax, Grand Prix, and Mini Mouse.
Later this summer, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park will also be debuting a new steel suspended rollercoaster called “The Phoenix.”
This year, Luna Park said it will donate 500 admission wristbands to frontline workers, including the FDNY, NYPD and Coney Island Hospital staff.
To ensure everyone is safe, both parks have created new COVID guidelines that all guests will be required to follow.
Protocols include physical distancing through reduced capacity, controlled admissions both online and at the gate and distanced eating areas and ride seating.
Park officials note there will be hand sanitizing stations located at every ride and employees will frequently clean “high-touch areas.”
Additionally, all guests over the age of two are required to wear a mask while inside the park.
The amusement attractions will be open on weekends through Memorial Day. Starting Memorial Day weekend, the amusement attractions will go into a full seven-day operation.
Reservations must be made online.