Six Flags and the Coronavirus

[Daved Thomson]

On 6/9/2020 at 10:38 AM, Tbone112499 said:

Today the NJ stay-at-home orders have been lifted and outdoor gatherings of up to 100 people are allowed. This is a great step  

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/06/nj-coronavirus-stay-at-home-order-lifted-by-murphy-as-state-reopening-moves-forward.html%3foutputType=amp

I find the timing of this just a little bit suspect.  Seems like it was planned just in time that the extra $600 a week in unemployment benefits (Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation) ends, motivating many people to return to work and lower the amount the State will be doling out in unemployment benefits.

[29yrswithaGApass]

9 hours ago, Daved Thomson said:

I find the timing of this just a little bit suspect.  

This happened in early June.  

[Daved Thomson]

16 hours ago, 29yrswithaGApass said:

This happened in early June.  

Thank you Harry...  I looked at the NJ.com posting and didn't realize that "today" wasn't "today."

[Medusa42]

Great America will reopen with Holiday in the Park Lights experience.

https://wgntv.com/podcasts/coastin-the-country/six-flags-great-america-to-reopen-with-holiday-in-the-park-lights-this-november/

Quote

Six Flags Great America to reopen with Holiday in the Park Lights this November

 

by: Marcus Leshock

Posted: Oct 15, 2020 / 04:40 AM CDT / Updated: Oct 15, 2020 / 06:02 AM CDT

 

It’s been a summer of silence at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee. Seven months after their normal opening date, the theme park has been granted approval to open to guests. 

 

Great America will reopen on November 27th with their third season of Holiday in the Park. They are calling this year’s festivities “Holiday in the Park Lights” – and it will be a bit different this season.

 

“Due to Illinois safety guidelines, rides won’t be operating at Holiday in the Park Lights,” Caitlin Kepple, Six Flags Great America’s Communications Manager, says. “It’s strictly a holiday lights experience.”

 

What can you expect as part of that experience? The park says they are going all out with decorations and lights across their nearly 300 acres. The maintenance team is hard at work setting up two and a half million holiday lights on the trees and buildings. The traditional holiday food items and hot chocolate will be available, as well. 

 

We also spoke with David Major, Six Flags Great America’s entertainment manager, about adjusting the event to bring some of Holiday in the Park’s indoor elements outside. 

 

“We are going to bring our characters and our stage shows outside,” Major told us. “It will be socially distanced for our performers and for our guests. Everything is coming outside, onto the midways and onto the streets.”

Great America says they are following reopening guidelines put forward by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s office. In addition to having no rides operating, the park will operate at reduced capacity levels. Guests will have to make a reservation on the Six Flags website, a system that will be familiar to anybody who visited the Hurricane Harbor waterpark when it was able to reopen this summer. 

 

Guests will have their temperatures checked with a contactless thermal imaging system, social distancing will be strictly enforced throughout the property, and masks will be required for everybody over two years old. Dedicated cleaning teams will be put in place to sanitize touch points throughout the grounds. Mobile food ordering will also be available – guests can order items on the Six Flags app and have them ready for pickup, allowing for touchless transactions. The park will be hiring around 800 seasonal employees to make the event happen.

 

Reservations are scheduled to open today, October 15, on Six Flags Great America’s website. Members and Season Pass holders will receive priority over single-day ticket buyers. Those single day tickets will be sold for $19.99 this season with free parking included. 

 

The staff at Great America says they are excited to open the gates and offer another way to get outside and enjoy the holiday season. Their new opening day is just 43 days away. Major tells me they are definitely under some pressure to get everything ready in time, but they’re up to the challenge. 

 

“We rallied the team together to make this happen. We want to bring it to our guests and celebrate the holiday season at Six Flags Great America.”

 

[29yrswithaGApass]

I am surprised to see that the entire event is only 14 operating days (70 hours).  

[The Master]

It was on the news last night that the rate of infection is rising rapidly again. They fear it might be thd start of a second wave. France and a few other countries are starting to relock stuff down. Hopefully things won't get so bad here that a second lockdown happens. 

[Medusa42]

Magic Mountain is adding the Holiday in the Park Drive-Thru Experience

https://www.dailynews.com/2020/11/13/drive-through-six-flags-magic-mountain-past-millions-of-holiday-lights-but-stay-off-the-coasters/

 

[29yrswithaGApass]

I think I said it before but I like how Six Flags has used some creative solutions to make the most of the season in this COVID world.

[Eugene Krabs]

I think Great Adventure is the biggest cash maker for six flags in 2020

[The Master]

Philly and NJ are starting to increase restrictions again due to rising infection rates. Its possible GADV may close down early again if there is a second lockdown. 

Edited November 17, 2020 by The Master

[Medusa42]

Holiday in the Park Lights event begins Nov. 27th at Six Flags New England.
https://www.westernmassnews.com/news/six-flags-new-england-announces-new-holiday-in-the-park-lights-event/article_da9364d8-28c1-11eb-95ed-d782bf384829.html

[29yrswithaGApass]

7 hours ago, Medusa42 said:

Holiday in the Park Lights event begins Nov. 27th at Six Flags New England.
https://www.westernmassnews.com/news/six-flags-new-england-announces-new-holiday-in-the-park-lights-event/article_da9364d8-28c1-11eb-95ed-d782bf384829.html

it is kind of ironic- wasn’t it rumored that HITP was suppose to be cancelled for SFNE this season?

[Medusa42]

Yes, they must have received a late approval from the Governor's office.

[The Master]

All the Philly museums have shut down and will remain closed for the next 6 weeks. 

[Eugene Krabs]

250,000 deaths here in the US this looks very bad pretty much depressing

[EasternThrills]

Hopefully this will change but it seems as if Six Flags Over Texas’ new ride will be opening in 2022. 
 

https://www.sixflags.com/overtexas/attractions/aquaman-power-wave

[Medusa42]

^At least the train is operational again.

[Yoshi]

Darien Lake and other NY parks can reopen in April with 33% capacity

 

https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/greenburgh/news/covid-19-new-york-amusement-parks-family-centers-given-green-light-to-reopen/803444/

[29yrswithaGApass]

38 minutes ago, Yoshi said:

Darien Lake and other NY parks can reopen in April with 33% capacity

 

https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/greenburgh/news/covid-19-new-york-amusement-parks-family-centers-given-green-light-to-reopen/803444/

 

That means Legoland can open too!

[Medusa42]

Six Flags is preparing to open all parks for 2021.
 

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210219005112/en/?fbclid=IwAR0Ps506OdAk4fJpwza8yESUkdz9wvIh2nc6SjdGjYDmvgvuGVDm41a9cVI
 

Quote

New Park Offerings and Opening Dates

For the 2021 season, the company is unveiling an unparalleled roster of exciting new offerings in a safe, outdoor environment.

• Six Flags Over Texas, the Thrill Capital of Texas, kicked off the park’s 60^th Anniversary season in 2021 with the introduction of the Fire & Ice Winter Festival that runs weekends through February 28. As temperatures warm up, the park will be open for Spring Break with daily operation March 12-21. New, live entertainment, a Hollywood Car Showexperience, and more than 40 rides and attractions highlight this year’s Spring Break. The park invites guests to celebrate all year long and enjoy a number of new festivals and special events to commemorate its monumental Diamond Anniversary Season.

• Six Flags Fiesta Texas, the Thrill Capital of South Texas, is open weekends and is debuting Dare Devil Dive Flying Machines, the world’s tallest ride-of-its-kind February 27. Guests will experience the thrills and sensations of weightlessness through aerial banks, loops and dives, all while seated in a retro, four-seater steampunk flying machine. The park is also hosting its biggest Mardi Gras Festival™ ever with live entertainment throughout the park, pop-up cavalcades, and new culinary offerings like the fan favorite crawfish boil. The good times continue to roll through February 28.

• Six Flags Great Adventure, the World’s Ultimate Thrill Park, will open to the public on March 27. The park will shatter three world records when it debuts a coaster of legendary proportions this summer—the tallest, fastest, and longest single-rail coaster. Jersey Devil Coaster will tower 13 stories and reach speeds up to 58-miles-per-hour as riders soar through the dark and foreboding woods along 3,000 feet of imposing track. Inspired by infamous New Jersey folklore, the fiendish coaster will feature five intense elements including three dramatic inversions.

• Six Flags Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure, the world’s largest drive-thru outside of Africa, will open March 20 and offer a contact-free, self-guided animal experience. Guests can learn about 1,200 animals from around the globe by streaming a custom audio tour along their 4.5 mile journey. Most animals are free roaming and can walk right up to the guests’ vehicles. The 350-acre wildlife preserve will debut a plethora of baby animals, including bison calves, Asian water buffalo, and kangaroo joeys. The park will expand its Academic Adventures educational series with the introduction of Cyber Safari, a new, online animal education program.

• Six Flags Over Georgia, the Thrill Capital of the South, will open March 6. In 2021, the park will unveil a new twist on the world’s first triple looping coaster with the new The Riddler Mindbender. The coaster will feature a sleek new look and new roller coaster trains through a seven-story drop, multiple upside-down loops, and reach speeds of 50-miles-per-hour. The Riddler Mindbender opens in the spring.

• Six Flags Magic Mountain, the undisputed “Thrill Capital of the World,” will open and reintroduce guests to the world’s first racing launch coaster—West Coast Racers. Unlike traditional coasters, this marvel features two side-by-side tracks with four individual high-speed launches. A highlight of the ride is an immersive real time “pit stop” designed and produced by world famous West Coast Customs. Six Flags Magic Mountain is in preparation mode and looks forward to reopening with a full complement of its world-class coasters in accordance with the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Launching February 28 through March 13 is an innovative new drive-thru event—Cruis’n the Park Car Show. This once-in-a-lifetime experience will include more than 100 of the world’s best automotive displays from muscle cars and hot rods to low riders and mini trucks. Themed music and entertainment will be integrated throughout each section and the 30-minute cruise through the park will be narrated by Ryan Friedlinghaus, CEO of West Coast Customs.

• Six Flags Great America, the Thrill Capital of the Midwest, is preparing to open to the public on April 24. Hurricane Harbor Chicago will open on May 29 and the world-record breaking water coaster, Tsunami Surge will make its debut this summer. Towering an incredible 86 feet in height, this innovative water coaster will be the tallest-of-its-kind in the world. Riders will reach a top speed of 28 miles-per-hour over 950 feet of enclosed tunnels and open-air slides with three gravity-defying blasts and five breathtaking drops. Tsunami Surge will also feature AquaLucent technology, giving riders the sensation of traveling at the speed of light as brilliant colors and dreamlike imagery heighten the ride experience.

• Six Flags Mexico, the undisputed Thrill Capital of Latin America, is making preparations to open to the public in the spring, pending government guidelines. For the 2021 season, the park will welcome guests with the exciting thrill ride—CraZanity—the world’s tallest pendulum ride featuring a record height of more than 50 meters, and reaching speeds over 120 kilometers per hour as it whips back and forth, and higher and higher, to give riders an amazing view of the world all around them. A new candy store, Coaster Candy, will delight the palates of guests of all ages.

• Six Flags Darien Lake, the Thrill Capital of New York State, is now open with the all-new Rockin’ Drive-In Laser Light Spectacular. Guests experience a high-energy soundtrack set to a full spectrum of laser lights and special effects from the comfort of their own cars. The park will reopen on May 21 with its signature collection of thrilling rides and attractions, along with extensive safety and security measures including quick and contactless security and temperature checks for guests and team members. Convenient mobile ordering will also be available at many locations. The park is converting to a cash to a card kiosk system, accepting only Mobile and Card Payments to further enhance the safety of guests and team members.

• Six Flags Great Escape Resort, New York’s Most Thrilling Resort Property is entertaining and welcoming Lodge guests with Snowed Inn, offering socially distanced live entertainment, family activities, and specialty food and drinks. The Great Escape theme park will reopen to the public on May 1 with comprehensive health and safety procedures. The park will introduce a thrilling new attraction this season, Adirondack Outlaw. This high-flying ride will have guests catching maximum airtime and experiencing 360-degree rotations of heart-pounding excitement. This rebellious ride swings 16 stories high, offering spectacular views of the Lake George region.

• La Ronde, Quebec’s leading destination for thrills and family fun, is making plans to reopen this spring, pending government recommendations. The 2021 season will feature the park’s thrilling collection of roller coasters, rides, and attractions along with special events and new culinary offerings.

• Six Flags New England, the Thrill Capital of New England, is preparing to reopen to the public this spring pending Massachusetts reopening guidance. The park is planning to introduce its latest thrill ride, the all-new Supergirl Sky Flyer. Guests will take an adrenaline-charged flight on Supergirl Sky Flyer as they soar nearly seven stories through the sky in open-air vehicles. Drawing on DC Super Hero Supergirl’s powers of stamina and strength, thrill-seekers spin and tilt at maximum speeds while suspended from the massive whirling wheel. The giant disc is raised as riders are launched into a high-speed spin, feet dangling…round and round…higher and higher. Supergirl will be located next to the park’s top-ranked coaster, Superman The Ride in the DC Universe section.

• Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, the Thrill Capital of Northern California, is currently open weekends with a walk-through event, The Marine World Experience, now featuring the return of the park’s favorite walruses, Uquq and Pakak. Renaissance Days is an all-new special event that transports guests back to the Renaissance Era through wondrous characters, colorful costumes, delicious hearty foods, period shops, and fanciful décor. In April, the park will help guests celebrate Spring Break with all-new activities and fun photo opportunities. The park is preparing to transition to full operation with its complement of thrilling roller coasters, rides, and attractions in accordance with the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

• Six Flags St. Louis, the Gateway to Thrills, is celebrating 50 years of fun and entertainment. The park will open for the 2021 season on March 20 with Spring Break, featuring a socially distanced entertainment zone with a deejay, dancing, games, specialty foods, and photo spots. The park will be all decked out for its 50^th Anniversary Celebration June 5 through July 24 to include special events, shows, and historic displays.

• Six Flags America, DC’s Thrill Capital, will open for its longest season ever on March 6. Later this spring, the park will debut its newest attraction, Harley Quinn Spinsanity. The oversized giant pendulum ride, named after DC super villain Harley Quinn, promises to deliver epic, high-flying excitement as it spins and swings to breathtaking heights. The towering, swinging, giant disc will reach speeds up to 70-miles-per-hour as it whips back and forth, going higher and higher while constantly spinning, giving guests an exhilarating riding experience.

• Frontier City, Oklahoma’s leading destination for thrills and family entertainment and the first theme park in the US to open in 2020, is making plans to reopen on March 13. All new trains will take riders on an unforgettable journey of tight turns and zero Gs as the classic wooden coaster Wildcat gets outfitted for wild, new fun. The 2021 season will also include the park’s full lineup of thrilling roller coasters, rides, and attractions along with unique, special events for the whole family to enjoy.

• Hurricane Harbor Oaxtepec, Latin America’s most thrilling waterpark, will reopen to the public on February 27. New for 2021, Cowabunga Burger featuring a wide selection of specialty burgers. The park will also debut a brand-new swim-up bar, Laguna Beach Bar, the perfect place to cool off and enjoy a refreshing beverage in this tropical paradise. The park is home to 14 thrilling water slides including the visually stunning and intense racing slide, King Cobra. The slide’s unique configuration enables two tubes to race through a circular path with dynamic twists, turns, and surprises, snaking through both enclosed and open sections of the slide. Thrill-seekers will also enjoy Hurricane Bay, the largest wave pool in Latin America and Adventure River, with more than 600 feet of winding, water fun. For younger guests, Splash Island offers hours of interactive, water park fun.

• Hurricane Harbor Rockford will open on May 29. The park will be debuting its new thrilling attraction this season—Tidal Wave. As the only tailspin waterslide in the Midwest, this uniquely designed waterslide will send riders through a limitless wave as they descend from 43 feet above the ground, reaching speeds of 15-miles-per-hour through twists and turns. The thrill slide will feature new AquaLucent technology, adding another level of excitement as the dark twists and turns light up in dazzling, full-color patterns.

• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix is opening to the public on March 13 and the thrill is calling at the Largest Waterpark in Arizona, with its largest expansion in years. The exciting, new Paradise Island will feature a 12,000 square foot activity pool, plus a new dining facility. Guests will keep cool and enjoy plenty of fun in the sun with a new water volleyball area and a unique water basketball court. The addition will also include more shade, lounge seating, restrooms, and new culinary options.

• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Arlington, the Largest Waterpark in North Texas, opens on May 1 and will debut an all-new slide complex—Bonzai Pipeline, this summer. Guests can choose their thrill on one of three body slides that will twist, drop, and splash down a four-story tower for an exciting and refreshing ride. Open May through September, Hurricane Harbor Arlington is the coolest way to beat the heat.

• Six Flags White Water Atlanta, the Southeast’s Most Thrilling Waterpark, opens May 8. Featuring more than 24 world-class attractions like Dive Bomber and Wahoo Racer, the thrill is calling guests of all ages to experience one of the nation’s top waterparks.

• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown, Houston’s Largest Waterpark, opens to the general public on May 1. Featuring over 40 slides and water attractions, including the new Wahoo Wave. This six-story slide complex takes riders 30 feet down, then sweeps them back up into the ride’s signature feature: a massive water wall. Guests will also enjoy new double-decker cabanas that offer breathtaking views of the park’s new Caribbean theme.

• White Water Bay will become Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Oklahoma City when the park opens to the public on May 22. The Largest Waterpark in Oklahoma is also debuting an exhilarating, new high-speed racing complex—Wahoo Racer—a multi-lane water complex that gives riders two uniquely different experiences. The park will also receive numerous upgrades to include bright, tropical theming throughout.

• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in New Jersey, one of the Northeast’s largest waterparks, will open for the 2021 season May 15. This tropically-themed oasis will offer cool refreshment for the entire family with more than 20 high-speed thrill slides, a half-mile lazy river, two massive pools, and two interactive kids’ areas.

• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Los Angeles, a tropically-themed waterpark, located right next door to Six Flags Magic Mountain, looks forward to reopening in accordance with the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy. The park will be ready to welcome guests with 30 exhilarating slides like the 40-miles-per-hour, six-story drop on Bonzai Pipelines. Dozens of cool adventures, including the Forgotten Sea Wave Pool, the Lazy River Cruise, and Tornado offer the best way to beat the summer heat and provide a day soaked in fun for all ages.

• Hurricane Harbor Concord is making plans to reopen in accordance with the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Along with the return of more than 22 world-class slides and attractions, Northern California’s Most Thrilling Waterpark looks forward to bringing back the ever popular Summer Night Slides event with music and special food options on select days this summer.

 

Edited February 19, 2021 by Medusa42

[Medusa42]

Six Flags will have all parks open this year by the end of May.

 

https://investors.sixflags.com/news-and-events/press-releases/2021/05-03-2021-144506021

 

Quote

Six Flags Announces Reopening of La Ronde, Montreal

 

May 03, 2021

 

Theme Park Will Open to the Public May 22 and All Parks Will Be Open by Memorial Day Weekend

 

ARLINGTON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the world’s largest regional theme park company and the largest operator of waterparks in North America, today announced that La Ronde has received provincial clearance to reopen with rides and attractions. The park, located in Montreal, Québec, will open to the general public on May 22, 2021. The park will operate at reduced attendance levels, in accordance with Québec public health’s reopening guidelines for theme parks, utilizing a reservation system and other extensive safety measures already in use at Six Flags parks throughout the system.

 

“With today’s announcement, all of our parks will be welcoming guests this season,” said Senior Vice President of Park Operations, Bonnie Weber. “The safety of our guests and team members continues to be our highest priority, and we look forward to entertaining the millions of guests who trust us to create fun and thrilling memories for all,” continued Weber.

 

La Ronde Park President Sophie Emond added, “This is a great day for our team. We are thrilled to reopen Quebec’s leading destination for thrills and family fun.”