October 10, 2020: Today my son and I went to Funderland Amusement Park located at William Land Park in Sacramento, California. I smiled as we approached the front gate and heard music emanating from the carousel. I LOVE amusement parks; so much so that I worked at one as a teenager. The thrill of going upside down on a roller coaster, the smell of a fresh churro or funnel cake, and the collective energy from fellow attendees screams fun!  Funderland has rides like the Flying Dragon, Squirrelly Whirl, the Carousel, Crazy Cups, Red Baron, Wild Stagecoach, Backroads Buggies, Oscar the Fisher, and my son’s favorite, the Funderland Train.

This was our first time visiting the amusement park together. Masks on and a mini backpack loaded with hand sanitizer and wipes, we made our way towards the entrance. Multiple signs were prominently displayed near the guest service counter explaining that masks were required upon entry. Before we could enter, we checked-in at the gate where an employee pulled up our prepaid admission tickets on their computer. During these wacky times, admission now includes entry into the park and unlimited rides on the date of purchase. Buying our tickets in advance allowed the park to monitor their capacity in order to comply with State of California regulations.  The process allowed guests and employees to remain contactless. However just as we were about to cross the railroad tracks to make our way further into the park, an employee handed us a ticket that we could redeem for a complimentary pumpkin on our way out. The employees’ joyful and welcoming attitudes set the tone for our visit.

To avoid crowds I purposely scheduled our reservation shortly after the gates opened. Pumpkins of different sizes and shapes were sprinkled throughout the park along with various inflatable Halloween lawn ornaments. After a quick survey of the layout my son locked eyes on the Funderland Train and raced towards it. As we approached the attraction I noticed laminated signs were strategically placed encouraging social distancing while waiting in line as well as while on the ride. On the train, guests were directed to sit in every other car. Employees were also disinfecting in between each new group of riders. Over the course of a couple hours, I only witnessed one employee who was inconsistent with disinfecting in between new riders. Guests were patient and respectful of the longer wait times to ensure everyone could remain safe and healthy. While my son and I walked to the next attraction, I noticed another worker was designated with wiping down all common areas at least once an hour.  Most patrons respected the mask policy. There was one small group of three who chose not to comply. All of the employees followed the mask mandate. Limited park capacity also allowed us to get on rides faster. My son and I rode the train at least four times during our two hour visit lol. I can’t imagine this place during normal times on any given weekend prior to 2020. At no point did I feel unsafe at this outdoor amusement park.

When more people started arriving I decided it was time for us to choose our complimentary pumpkin and head home for lunch followed by a nap. Overall, I’d say our visit was a good idea and a bad idea. It was good because my son got to further explore his love of trains in real life as opposed to just watching YouTube videos. However watching and riding the train seemed to be the only thing we accomplished that morning. He had no desire to explore much else. Our visit to Funderland was also a great introduction as to what my son might be ready for if Disneyland ever re-opens. I’m more than likely going to wait until he is a few years older before we make that jump to a larger amusement park.