Magic Mountain sets April 1 reopening date

Park officials say extensive safety measures in place

After a yearlong closure, Six Flags Magic Mountain has announced plans to reopen on April 1, with extensive new COVID-19 safety measures in place.

The park is first set to reopen to members and passholders on April 1 and 2 before opening to the general public on April 3.

In accordance with state reopening guidelines for theme parks, the park is expected to operate at reduced attendance levels, utilizing a new reservation system, with reservations required for all guests, including passholders, to visit, according to a Thursday news release.

The park is also implementing extensive safety measures, including several new advanced technology systems to protect guests and employees.

“We have tons of safety procedures that have been implemented at all the other Six Flags parks across the country as they’ve opened that were developed in line with the (U.S. Centers for Disease Control protocols) and (in consultation with) epidemiologists that we hired,” Jerry Certonio, the park’s manager of marketing and communications, said in an interview with The Signal.

“They’ve been successful — there haven’t been any outbreaks of COVID in any of our other parks — so we are implementing the same standards and practices at our (Valencia) park for both our team members and our guests. So everybody has a safe experience because safety is obviously Six Flags’ No. 1 priority,” Certonio said.

Some of these safety measures include:

▪ Protocols for the safe operation of rides.

▪ Health screenings for guests and team members.

▪ Strictly enforced social distancing.

▪ Extensive sanitization and disinfecting protocols.

▪ Sanitized food preparation and service.

▪ Commercial-grade cleaning equipment and supplies.

All employees are expected to go through extensive COVID-19 training, with safety reminders expected to be communicated to guests via Six Flags’ website, newsletters and in-park announcements.

“Six Flags Magic Mountain is the undisputed ‘thrill capital of the world,’ and we are excited to get our park open and our world-class collection of coasters running again,” park President Don McCoy said in the prepared statement. “Our team is eager to return to work and entertain our guests in a safe environment, providing the much-needed fun and escape we have all missed this past year.”

Los Angeles County is expected to continue to operate its COVID-19 vaccination site in the park’s parking lot.