La Ronde Announces July 25 Opening Date - Extensive New Safety Measures in Place

MONTREAL, July 13, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - La Ronde, Quebec's leading destination for thrills and family entertainment, today announced that it will open with limited capacity beginning July 25, 2020. In accordance with Québec public health allowing businesses to reopen, the park will begin operating at reduced attendance levels and will operate in a preview mode July 25, 26 and 31, as well as August 1-2 for Members and Season Pass Holders only. The park will open to the general public beginning August 3. After a short initial reopening phase, the park will gradually increase attendance levels throughout the month. The park is implementing extensive new safety measures and hygiene protocols, including new advanced technology to protect guests and employees.

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"La Ronde is a much-beloved summer tradition for many Quebecers, and we look forward to welcoming them back to the park as we introduce new safety procedures for everyone's protection. The health and safety of our guests and team members remains our number one priority," said Park President Janine Durette.

"La Ronde, like all Six Flags parks, is an outdoor attraction that poses a significantly lower risk of exposure than indoor venues. Our guests are not confined to one space for lengthy periods. Guests move constantly throughout their experience; some are riding rides, some are eating in restaurants, while others are shopping in our souvenir stores, or playing games. Because our parks cover dozens or even hundreds of acres, we can easily manage guest throughput to achieve proper social distancing," said Six Flags President and CEO Mike Spanos. "We have developed a comprehensive opening safety plan that includes best practices from theme park industry experts, along with top destination parks from around the world, which will allow guests to experience our parks in the safest possible way. This 'new normal' will be very different, but we believe these additional measures are appropriate in the current environment."

All Six Flags parks will employ a sophisticated online reservation system to manage attendance, schedule guests for entry by day, and stagger arrival times to minimize proximity exposure. Other new technology include state-of-the-art thermal imaging for temperature checks.

The park opening plan, which the company developed with its epidemiologist consultants, meets or exceeds provincial guidelines. It sets standards for executing at the highest levels of hygiene and social distancing protocols.

Health Screenings for Guests and Team Members

• Contact-less IR thermal imaging will be used to screen temperatures of guests and employees prior to entry; and individuals will be asked if they are healthy and will be required to acknowledge the company's health policies;
• Individuals will be required to acknowledge and abide by the company's health policies, which prohibit park entry if guests have recently been exposed to or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19;
• Following Québec public health guidelines, all guests over the age of two and all team members will be required to wear face masks covering the nose and mouth throughout their visit/work day; and
• Any guest without a mask will be able to purchase one at the front gate.

Strictly Enforced Social Distancing

• Easy to identify distance markers will be added in all park entry, ride, restroom, retail locations, and dining queue lines;
• Dining areas will be adjusted to allow ample space between seated parties;
• Guests will be separated by empty rows and/or seats on all rides;

Extensive Sanitization and Disinfecting Protocols

• Trained and dedicated cleaning teams have been put in place;
• Increased sanitization and disinfecting of high touch points including all public seating, tabletops, counters, doors, and trash cans will occur frequently;
• Rides, restraints, and handrails will be cleaned throughout the day;
• The cleaning teams will disinfect each stall and sink area on a frequent basis;
• Multiple hand-washing and alcohol-based hand-sanitizer stations will be located throughout the park; and
• All employees work areas will be regularly sanitized and disinfected.

Sanitized Food Preparation and Service

• Condiments, self-serve cutlery, and napkins will be provided to guests with their meals as required; and
• Beverages will be served by attendants, and guests will receive any drink bottle refills in a single-use cup each time they refill.

Commercial-Grade Cleaning Equipment and Supplies

• All employees will be issued Team Member Action Packs which will include: a safety face mask, safety glasses, and disposable gloves;
• Sprayers will be utilized for disinfecting large areas;

Multi-Layered Guest and Team Member Communication

• Frontline team members will go through extensive COVID-19 training;
• Safety messaging and reminders on La Ronde's website, newsletters and in-park announcements will occur frequently;
• Distance markers and physical distance indicators will be in place; and
• Informational safety signage is posted throughout the park.

Park Reservations System to Manage Attendance

La Ronde will be operating under provincial and municipal 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 Members, Season Pass holders and all guests with a single-day or group ticket will need to make a reservation at laronde.com. Guests who need single day tickets will be able to reserve during the purchase process. The process will take 5-7 minutes, and guests will complete the following steps:

• Enter their online order number, ticket number or Membership/Season Pass number;
• Select the day and the time they want to visit;
• Acknowledge their understanding of the company's health policy; and
• Order pre-paid parking, if they do not already have a parking pass; and
• Watch a brief video describing new social distancing and sanitization procedures.

Guests may begin making reservations as follows:

• All Members & Season Pass Holders | Monday, July 20 at noon
• For ALL visitors | Wednesday, July 22 at noon

The Six Flags brand is synonymous with family fun and thrills for all ages. These significant new changes are designed to improve the overall park experience while keeping guests and employees safe.

About Six Flags Entertainment Corporation
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is the world's largest regional theme park company and the largest operator of waterparks in North America, with 26 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada. For 58 years, Six Flags has entertained millions of families with world-class coasters, themed rides, thrilling waterparks and unique attractions. For more information, visit www.sixflags.com.

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About La Ronde
La Ronde is the largest theme park in Eastern Canada. Inaugurated during Expo 67, La Ronde offers over 40 rides and attractions including Goliath  ̶  one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in North America. La Ronde also offers a colorful family section, Pays de Ribambelle. For more information, visit www.laronde.com.

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SOURCE La Ronde