Adventure City

Theme park opens after virus shutdown

LOS ANGELES — It was an all-handson-deck family affair when Adventure City finally reopened in California after being shut for 403 days because of the pandemic.

Allan Ansdell Jr., owner of the small amusement park just a few miles from megavenues Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm in Orange County, looked on as his parents, also owners, swept the parking lot, pulled weeds and offered warm hugs to rehired employees.

Trina, Ansdell Jr.’s wife, who oversees human resources, wiped dust from colorful balloons and disinfected rails and shields around the rides. In a box surrounded by protective shields at the entrance of the park, oldest daughter, Brielle, 30, acknowledged every visitor as they came and went.

Nearby, grandnephews and a grandniece waved pom poms to celebrate the long-awaited reopening and welcome visitors. Ansdell Jr. previously painted nearly 150 yellow social distancing dots on the streets of the park that last opened its gates March 8, 2020.

The April 16 opening was a success. Though it was only at 25 percent capacity because of covid-19 precautionary measures, tickets for the first three days sold out. Ticket sales at Disneyland went live a day earlier.

Ansdell Jr., who built the park 28 years ago, wasn’t entirely joyful about the big day.

“It’s mixed emotions,” he said, recalling when he had to let most of his 150 employees go, including his wife.

“Parks are seasonal,” he said. “Sometimes you have a rainy month. We always have enough in our reserve for three or four months of who knows what. But nobody has a reserve for a year.”

The closing was hard for everyone, he said.

“I’m glad that we are getting through it,” he said. “I’m glad we are reaching the end … But it’s been tough.”

Sandy Martinez, 32, the park’s barista, is among the former employees who came back for the opening.

“I didn’t look for any other job because I love working here,” said Martinez, who began her career at the park when she was 18. “They are like family to me.”

Maintenance manager Kevin Kinne, 63, who got coronavirus and recovered, also returned.

Installing bubble machines on the eve of opening, Kinne said he missed watching the kids and the happiness.

He said he has held jobs at bigger parks but would rather work at Adventure City any day.

“Oh God, I wanted to come back to work so bad,” he said. “We are a small park so we all know each other. We are all friends.”

(AP/Jae C. Hong) Zayla LeClair, 3, waits to ride a train at Adventure City on opening day in Anaheim, Calif.

Kevin Kinne (right), a 63-year-old maintenance manager, pauses for a moment while helping Lester Green install bubble machines before opening at the park. “Oh God, I wanted to come back to work so bad,” Kinne said. “We are a small park so we all know each other. We are all friends.”

Abigail Ansdell, 11-year-old daughter of Ansdell Jr., interacts with goats in the park’s petting farm while helping her father prepare for opening the park.

Abigail and food manager Clay Stark prepare balloons for decoration ahead of the park opening.

Employees disinfect a train at Adventure City.

Sandy Martinez, 32, prepares a popcorn machine before opening at Adventure City. The family-run amusement park had been closed since March 2020 because of the pandemic. Martinez is among the former employees who came back to work. “I didn’t look for any other job because I love working here,” said Martinez, who began her career at the park when she was 18. “They are like family to me.”

Eric Alcocer puts a mask on daughter, Amari, 3, while waiting in line to enter Adventure City.

Trina Ansdell, wife of Allan Ansdell Jr., owner and president of Adventure City, sorts artificial flowers for decoration before opening day. “It has been an emotional roller coaster, especially watching my husband and the family,” she said. “It was hard to get excited at the beginning that we finally had the green light or that it was soon in the distance because we’ve been on hold for so long.”

Allan Ansdell Sr. and wife Yvonne, parents of Allan Ansdell Jr, owner and president of Adventure City, use their smartphones to record their great-grandchildren riding a roller coaster at the amusement park.

Ansdell Jr. carries a sign displaying covid-19 safety measures while getting ready to open the park. “I’m glad that we are getting through it. I’m glad we are reaching the end.”