Park openings in state ‘a big deal’
Visitors, employees will still be faced with restrictions because of pandemic
Amusement parks are the latest entertainment venues to get the green light to reopen from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.
The announcement came late last week, and was welcomed in Lake George and Albany, where amusement parks from Six Flags’ Great Escape to Huck Finn’s Playland were scrambling to be ready to open by May.
The Great Escape, just south of Lake George in Queensbury, has begun recruiting to fill more than 1,500 jobs at the park and at the Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Water Park next door. The Lodge has had limited operations, but will fully reopen March 26, when indoor family entertainment centers will once again be permitted.
“Six Flags is a big deal for us,” said Gina Mintzer who heads the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce. “Their business impacts so many other businesses in the area — hotels, markets, the pizza place down the road, even suppliers — the Syscos and U.S. Foods of the world.”
Resort communities like Lake George were hard hit last summer as numerous events that drew thousands of vacationers to the area were canceled, from the Americade motorcycle rally to the Adirondack Balloon Festival. Six Flags Great Escape never opened, nor did Saratoga
Race Course.
Unemployment surged among food service and hotel workers, cutting spending and tax revenues.
Still, many vacationers arrived and pursued more solitary and socially distanced activities, from boating and water skiing to
mountain biking and hiking.
While amusement parks and entertainment centers will make this summer feel a bit more
normal, visitors and employees alike will still face restrictions, from how many people can visit
at one time (33 percent of capacity at Great Escape and Huck Finn’s Playland, to 25 percent at indoor entertainment centers), to temperature checks, social distancing and requirements that face masks covering both the nose and mouth be worn at all times.
“We were very excited to see some guidance” on reopening, said Steve Vanderwarker, general manager at Huck Finn’s Warehouse in Albany, which include the Playland. “We had put in a pretty robust COVID protocol for last season,” with health checks, social distancing, frequent cleaning and hand-washing stations. But with no vaccines and the continuing spread of the coronavirus, the go-ahead to open never came.
This year, visitors to Huck Finn’s Playland will be required to make online reservations first, when names and contact information will be collected in case of possible exposure. The reservation system also will allow Huck Finn’s to cap attendance. Each day will be divided into three, two and a half hour play periods, each separated by an hour when staff will clean and disinfect the Playland.
In addition to purchasing tickets to individual rides, visitors can opt instead for wristbands that serve as passes to the park’s rides while eliminating the handling of tickets. Prices haven’t yet been established.
Six Flags Great Escape is seeking to accommodate visitors who didn’t get to use last year’s passes, by extending them through this season. Visitors
also will have to make reservations online before arriving at the park. Details can be found at sixflags.com.
Vanderwarker, the Huck Finns’ general manager, said that normally, between 50 and 60 percent of his staff return from year to year. But after the venue didn’t open last year, “I don’t know what I’ll have” in terms of returnees, he said. “We’ll be looking to hire around 75 employees.”
While outdoor venues can open as early as April 9, both Vanderwarker and officials at Great Escape don’t expect to open until May. In Six Flags’ case, it will be on weekends only with some extra days from May 1 until Memorial Day, when it will be
open daily. Huck Finn’s plans full operation beginning Memorial Day, with the possibility of operating on earlier weekends if opening preparations are completed.
Arcades are another venue that can open March 26. Mintzer expects that will benefit numerous venues in Lake George. Crossgates Mall has at least two indoor entertainment centers, Apex, and Dave and Buster’s. Neither could be reached for comment by deadline.
Horse racing plans
The New York Racing Association is planning a full season of races at its three tracks, including Saratoga Race Course, but it’s not clear whether spectators will be permitted.
Races at Saratoga were run last summer in front of empty stands.
NYRA’S senior director of communications, Pat Mckenna, had this to say:
“Earlier this month, (Governor Cuomo) announced that live sports and entertainment venues with a minimum reserved seating capacity of 10,000 will be permitted to reopen to a limited number of spectators beginning on Feb. 23 with approval from the New York state Department of Health. All attendees must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event and adhere to health and safety requirements, including mandatory facial coverings and social distancing.
“NYRA will continue to closely monitor New York state-issued regulations to determine how they impact Saratoga Race Course. Additional details on fan attendance and tickets for the 2021 summer meet will be provided as information becomes available.”
““We were very excited to see some guidance.”
Steve Vanderwarker, general manager at Huck Finn’s Warehouse in Albany