Six Flags Great Escape (2021)
The Six-Flags Great Escape Resort in Queensbury is hiring people to fill 1,500 positions in time for a May 1 reopening. The decision was made possible by Wednesday’s announcement from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office that arcades and amusement parks could open, with COVID restrictions.
In a statement this morning, the resort says the amusement park will open on weekends starting May 1 with a daily operation beginning June 24. The Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark will be back to full operation beginning March 26.
All guests will register and buy tickets beforehand, the number limited by the weather and park capacity. State COVID guidelines allow amusement parks to open at 50% of capacity.
“I wouldn’t even begin to give you a guess” as to how many reservations will be made per day, said Jason Lee, a spokesperson for the resort.
Entry into the park will be “contactless from the moment you get out of your car and walk through our main gate,” Lee said.
Many of the safety changes and the equipment to allow contactless entry were made to the park last year but were never used, as Six Flags had hoped to reopen midsummer, Lee said.
To keep it touch free, entrants will move through a small tunnel and a thermal scanner will take temperatures. Another scanner will look for metals which could be a sign of a weapon.
“Without question,” Lee said people will notice the high standards of sanitization and health safety.
According to the press release, this includes a dedicated cleaning staff, more rest room attendants, backpack-style disinfectant sprayers for staff to use in large areas, and individual “action packs” of safety items for team members to use daily. The full list runs dozens of lines long and contains changes to rides, dining halls and arcades.
Masks, social distancing, and other standard safety precautions will be strictly enforced, the press release says.
Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michael Bittel says the opening of the parks and arcades will be good for people’s mental health, another way for people to come outside and let off steam.
And of course, it’s good for the economy, too.
“The residual halo effect that Six Flags has on hotels and motels and on our local shopping is so robust,” Bittel said. “This is going to open up a whole other part of the economy.”
He cited the people coming from elsewhere to eat, stay overnight and shop as the economic driver. Although revenue at many hotels, marinas and resorts was better than expected last summer, some of the smaller hotels and motels took a hit, Bittel said. He predicted the opening of amusement parks and arcades would help some of these smaller businesses.
At some point this year, the Adirondack Outlaw, a 165 foot tall, “giant arm” ride, will open. The work can move forward in part because the Town of Queensbury Planning Board in December granted an extension of the time to get the work done. [See more here.]
“We are full steam ahead” on the installation, Lee said but had no exact date for completion.
In the meantime, the park is working quickly to fill 1,500 empty positions, and they have online job fairs starting in March.
“May first is right around the corner,” Lee said.