Six Flags planning to open all amusement, water parks for 2021 season

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced this week it aims to reopen all of its 26 locations for the 2021 season after it was forced to keep five closed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The company said in a statement it will reopen with capacity restrictions, according to CNN. All customers will have their temperatures taken and be required to make reservations, and masks will be mandatory for both workers and customers.

Six Flags said it developed a plan that “meets or exceeds federal, state, and local guidelines for sanitization, hygiene, and social distancing protocols” in cooperation with epidemiologists, according to the network.

Parks will also take other precautions to promote social distancing in lines, seating areas and on rides, the company said.

“Last year, we set the standard for operating our parks safely, and entertained millions of guests in adherence to government, and CDC health guidelines at 21 of our 26 parks,” Bonnie Weber, senior vice president of park operations, said in a statement. “We offered a local and outdoor entertainment venue spanning dozens to hundreds of acres where families and friends could safely spend time together.”

The company had previously reopened its Six Flags Fiesta Texas location in San Antonio and Six Flags Over Texas Dallas-Fort Worth on February weekends, but extreme winter weather in the Lone Star state forced both locations to close last weekend.

While some of the company’s parks and water parks are set to open later in spring, others will reopen their gates in the weeks ahead, according to CNN.

The pandemic saw attendance at Six Flags parks plunge, with 83 percent fewer people visiting in the first three quarters of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. The chain is set to release data on the final quarter of the last year later this week.