Safaribanan

In early May 2020, Kolmården drew attention again because it could move further towards reopening than many other European parks at that moment. Looopings reported that up to 3000 guests per day were allowed onto the 150-hectare site. Attractions including Wildfire and Safaribanan could operate, but only under additional rules: each attraction was limited to 50 guests, and restaurant access was controlled. For Safaribanan, that is a concrete piece of operating history. The gondola lift was part of the offer that allowed visitors to move through the park again, but within strict health boundaries. Its role was therefore about more than transport or views. Safaribanan showed how a spacious park tried to manage guest flows during the coronavirus period. For fans and visitors, the interesting point was that Kolmården did not settle for a purely symbolic reopening with basic facilities only. The gondola remained part of the experience alongside the major coaster and the zoo, placing Safaribanan within the broader restart of European theme parks.

Kolmården did not return as a fully open park on 10 April 2020. Instead, the Swedish zoo and amusement park chose a limited reopening at a time when many parks across Europe remained shut because of coronavirus restrictions. Looopings reported that only a small part of the offer was available. The wooden coaster Wildfire was running, and so was the gondola lift Safaribanan, while most of the park, the zoo areas and many attractions stayed closed for the time being. That made Safaribanan more than a background facility for guests. It became one of the few ways to experience the large site from above during a cautious restart. The cabins offered a calm overview in an operating phase shaped by limited capacity and a deliberately reduced programme. In the attraction's history, this was an unusual moment: Safaribanan was mentioned alongside Kolmården's signature thrill ride and became a visible part of the park's first steps back towards welcoming visitors.