The Saratogian (Saratoga, NY)

READY TO RE-OPEN

Great Escape & Hurricane Harbor outlines operation plan for 2021

- Staff report newsroom@troyrecord.com newsroom@saratogian.com

After a full year closed to the public, The Great Escape & Hurricane Harbor is set to reopen this spring for its 2021 season.

The Lake George theme park, which was not given government approval to open in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is scheduled to return this year, promising safe, thrilling, outdoor fun in 2021.

On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced outdoor amusement parks can open — with a third of their normal capacity — by April 9.

“We are pleased with the governor’s announceme­nt this week, and we are ready to welcome our guests back to The Great Escape,” Six Flags Great Escape Resort park president Rebecca Wood said in a press release. “The health and safety of our guests, team members, and community remains our top priority and we are implementi­ng extensive sanitizati­on and safety measures to deliver a safe and entertaini­ng experience for our guests.”

The Great Escape will be open weekends and select dates starting May 1, with daily operation beginning June 24.

Opening weekend will mark the debut of a new high-flying ride called Adirondack Outlaw, which was originally scheduled to open last year.

Additional­ly, the Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark will be back to full operation beginning March 26.

Once open, The Great Escape will be operating under state and local guidelines for crowd capacity limits.

The park has establishe­d attendance caps that will be well below the park’s theoretica­l capacity in order to allow for proper social distancing. All guests will need to make a reservatio­n at www.sixflags.com/ reserve. Members and season pass holders will receive booking priority over single-day and group ticket buyers.

Guests who need singleday tickets will be able to reserve during the purchase process, which will include acknowledg­ing their understand­ing of the company’s health policy and watching a brief video describing new social distancing and sanitizati­on procedures.

Guests will be contacted electronic­ally (either by email, text or both) the day before their scheduled visit to confirm their intent to visit and their continued healthy status. Guests may cancel their reservatio­n without penalty any time before 8 a.m. on the day of their scheduled visit.

Six Flags Great Escape Resort said safety of park guests and employees is always the company’s top priority, and it will continue to meet or exceed the New York state safety guidelines through the implementa­tion of safety measures and protocols such as required mask wearing and health screenings for guests and employees, strictly enforced social distancing, extensive sanitizing and disinfecti­ng, modified food service processes and mobile ordering, extensive COVID-19 training for all frontline team members and informatio­nal safety signage posted throughout the park.

In preparatio­n for the upcoming season, Six Flags Great Escape Resort - one of the largest seasonal employers in the area - is currently hiring team members to fill 1,500 positions. Both the Theme Park and Lodge are hiring for all positions, including admissions, food and beverage services, ride operations, housekeepi­ng, games, lifeguards, park services, security, marketing and retail.

Applicants may now apply for jobs in a completely virtual and contact-free environmen­t. Applicatio­ns can be completed online and interviews and training will all be done virtually; onboarding is contactfre­e. Interested applicants must apply online at sixflagsjo­bs.com and select “Lake George, Great Escape.”

The first virtual hiring event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 13. Anyone needing assistance with the applicatio­n process should contact Human Resources at (518) 792-3500, ext. 3369.

 ?? PHOTO PROVIDED ?? Extensive sanitizing and disinfecti­ng are part of the safety measures and protocols implemente­d at Six Flags parks, including The Great Escape & Hurricane Harbor, which is set to reopen in May for its 2021 season.
PHOTO PROVIDED Extensive sanitizing and disinfecti­ng are part of the safety measures and protocols implemente­d at Six Flags parks, including The Great Escape & Hurricane Harbor, which is set to reopen in May for its 2021 season.
 ?? PHOTO PROVIDED ?? The Great Escape & Hurricane Harbor will reopen this spring for the 2021 season.
PHOTO PROVIDED The Great Escape & Hurricane Harbor will reopen this spring for the 2021 season.
 ?? PHOTO PROVIDED ?? A Six Flags employees sanitizes a park bathroom.
PHOTO PROVIDED A Six Flags employees sanitizes a park bathroom.
 ?? PHOTO PROVIDED ?? The Great Escape & Hurricane Harbor will reopen in 2021, after a full year closed to the public in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
PHOTO PROVIDED The Great Escape & Hurricane Harbor will reopen in 2021, after a full year closed to the public in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 ?? PHOTO PROVIDED ?? Extensive sanitizing and disinfecti­ng takes place at all Six Flags parks.
PHOTO PROVIDED Extensive sanitizing and disinfecti­ng takes place at all Six Flags parks.

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