JACKSON, N.J.– Six Flags Great Adventure, the World’s Ultimate Thrill Park, today announced plans to open for the 2020 season. In accordance with Governor Phil Murphy’s opening guidelines for amusement parks, Six Flags Great Adventure will operate with reduced attendance levels and in preview mode beginning July 3. During this preview phase, the park will open to Members and Season Pass Holders exclusively July 3, and to the general public beginning July 4. The park will then gradually increase attendance levels throughout the month. The park is implementing extensive new safety measures and hygiene protocols, including several new advanced technology systems to protect guests and employees. These procedures will be adjusted on an as-needed basis to ensure compliance with state recommendations. A preview date for Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is forthcoming.
“Six Flags Great Adventure and Hurricane Harbor are beloved outdoor destinations for so many in the Northeast, and we look forward to welcoming families back to our parks. The safety of our guests and team members remains our number one priority, and the new safety guidelines we have put in place are designed to create a safe environment for everyone,” said Six Flags Great Adventure and Hurricane Harbor Park President John Winkler. “We greatly appreciate the support of Jackson Township Mayor Michael Reina, Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, Deputy Chief of Staff Mike DeLamater, Senate President Steve Sweeney, the New Jersey Amusement Association, and Governor Phil Murphy throughout this reopening process.”
The parks will employ an online reservation system to manage attendance, schedule guests for entry by day, and to stagger arrival times to minimize proximity exposure. Other new technologies include:
- State-of-the-art thermal imaging for temperature checks;
- Advanced security screening technology for touchless bag checks; and
- Mobile food ordering.
The parks’ reopening plan, which the company developed in consultation with epidemiologists, meets or exceeds federal, state, and local guidelines for sanitization, hygiene, and social distancing protocols.
“We have developed a comprehensive reopening safety plan that includes protocols designed by theme park and waterpark industry experts, along with best practices from top destination parks from around the world, which will allow guests to experience our parks in the safest way possible. This ’new normal’ will be different in some ways, but we believe these additional measures are appropriate in the current environment,” said Six Flags President and CEO Mike Spanos. Reopening procedures include:
Health Screenings for Guests and Team Members
- Contactless IR thermal imaging will be used to screen temperatures of guests and employees prior to entry;
- Individuals will be required to acknowledge and abide by the company’s health policies, which prohibit park entry if guests have recently been exposed to or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19;
- Following CDC guidelines, all guests over the age of two and all team members will be required to wear face masks covering the nose and mouth throughout their visit/work day.
- Masks will be available for sale at the front gate for any guest without one; and
- Masks will not be required on waterslides, water attractions, or in pools.
Strictly Enforced Social Distancing
- Easy to identify distance markers will be added in all park entry, ride, restroom, retail locations, and dining queue lines;
- Dining areas will be adjusted to allow ample space between seated parties;
- Guests will be separated by empty rows and/or seats on all roller coasters, rides, and attractions;
- Six-foot viewing areas will be marked for guests to observe game play while adhering to social distancing requirements;
- Advanced security screenings will enable touchless bag checks;
- Guests viewing outdoor entertainment will be separated by at least six feet;
- Capacity at indoor venues and on some attractions, including the Wave Pool and Lazy River, will be reduced to meet social distancing requirements;
- Guests will be allowed to ride on a tube with family/group members, but will not be allowed to share a tube with those not in their immediate party; and
- A limited number of complimentary lifejackets will be available upon request; however, families are encouraged to provide their own coast-guard approved lifejackets for children under 42 inches, or those who are not strong swimmers. All Hurricane Harbor lifejackets will be sanitized after every guest use.
Extensive Sanitization and Disinfecting Protocols
- Trained and dedicated cleaning teams have been put in place;
- Rides, restraints, and handrails will be cleaned throughout the day;
- Team members will frequently sanitize and disinfect high-touch points, including the following:
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- Public Seating
- Tabletops
- Counters
- Doors
- Trash cans
- Deck Chairs
- Life Jackets
- Tubes and Rafts
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- Restroom staff will be stationed to disinfect each stall, sink, and shower area on a frequent basis;
- Multiple hand-washing and alcohol-based hand-sanitizer stations will be located throughout the parks; and
- All team member work areas will be regularly sanitized and disinfected.
Sanitized Food Preparation and Service
- Modified menus and implementation of mobile food ordering will help facilitate touchless transactions;
- Self-service buffets and salad bars will be reconfigured to eliminate guest contact with food;
- Condiments, self-serve cutlery, and napkins will be provided to guests with their meals as required; and
- Beverages will be served by attendants; any drink bottle refills will be served in a paper cup each time guests refill.
Commercial-Grade Cleaning Equipment and Supplies
- All employees will be issued Team Member Action Packs which will include the following items: a safety face mask, safety glasses, and disposable gloves;
- Low pressure backpack sprayers will be utilized for disinfecting large areas;
- Abundant supplies of sanitizers and disinfectants will be available;
- Microfiber cloths will be used to sanitize surfaces; and
- Queue line supplies, fencing, and tents will be in place to promote safe social distancing.
Multi-Layered Guest and Team Member Communication
- Frontline team members will go through extensive COVID-19 training;
- Safety messaging and reminders will be displayed on Six Flags’ website, and in newsletters;
- Distance markers and physical distance indicators will be in place; and
- Informational safety signage will be posted throughout the park.
Park Reservations System to Manage Attendance
Six Flags will establish attendance caps that will be well below the park’s theoretical capacity in order to allow for proper social distancing. All Members, Season Pass Holders and all guests with a single-day or group ticket will need to make a reservation at www.sixflags.com/reserve. Guests who need single day tickets will be able to reserve during the purchase process. The process will take 5-7 minutes, and guests will complete the following steps:
- Enter their online order number, ticket number or Membership/Season Pass number;
- Select the day and the approximate time they want to visit;
- Acknowledge their understanding of the company’s health policy;
- Order pre-paid parking, if they do not already have a parking pass; and
- Watch a brief video describing new social distancing and sanitization procedures.
The park’s website and social media channels will announce the reservation system’s launch date. Guests will be contacted electronically (either by email, text or both) the day before their scheduled visit to confirm their intent to visit. All Members and Season Pass Holders will receive booking priority over single-day and group ticket buyers.
The Six Flags brand is synonymous with family fun and thrills for all ages. These significant new changes are designed to improve the overall park experience while keeping guests and employees safe. The park will also offer “mask break zones” in select locations to provide socially-distanced areas for guests who wish to temporarily remove their masks.
Some rides, retail and food locations may not be available upon opening. The park team will open additional attractions as they become available.
Six Flags’ Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure was reintroduced May 30, 2020 following a seven-year hiatus. Utilizing the new reservation system and contact-free protocol, thousands of cars have taken the five-mile journey each day to get up-close to 1,200 exotic animals from around the globe. Due to its popularity and the ability for guests to social distance in their own vehicles, the Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure will remain operational until further notice. The theme park aims to reintroduce its Safari Off Road Adventure guided truck tours soon.
Six Flags Season Passes and Memberships are currently on sale. Members can enjoy priority park entry and tremendous discounts of up to 50% on nearly all food and merchandise all season long. Gold Plus, Platinum, Diamond, and Diamond Elite levels are available featuring all the perks of a Season Pass plus other benefits including admission to all Six Flags branded theme and waterparks, preferred parking, and points that can be redeemed for free food, merchandise, and special experiences. Visit the Membership Sales Center or go online to sixflags.com for more information and to sign up today.
About Six Flags Entertainment Corporation
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is the world’s largest regional theme park company and the largest operator of waterparks in North America, with 26 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada. For 58 years, Six Flags has entertained millions of families with world-class coasters, themed rides, thrilling waterparks and unique attractions. For more information, visit www.sixflags.com.
About Six Flags Great Adventure, Wild Safari and Hurricane Harbor
Six Flags Great Adventure is the World’s Largest Thrill Park with world-class, award-winning rides like Kingda Ka, El Toro, Nitro, and Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom. The park offers two areas just for the littlest guests and great family rides for the whole family, plus entertainment, shopping, and a wide variety of dining options. Its Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure is the largest self-guided, drive-through safari outside of Africa and gets guests up-close to more than 1,200 animals from around the globe in the privacy of their own vehicles. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is one of the Northeast’s largest waterparks with more than 25 refreshing attractions for the whole family.