June 14, 2020
Courtesy of/Hersheypark
Strict health and safety guidelines will have to be followed by guests at Hersheypark once the amusement park reopens next month.
If you’re looking for plans over the July 4th weekend now that COVID-19 restrictions have been eased, Hersheypark is set to reopen on July 3.
The Dauphin County amusement park announced that it will resume operations ahead of the holiday weekend—with several health and safety guidelines in place to further mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
The 121-acre park has increased cleaning and sanitization of high-touch areas across the complex, and guests will be required to make reservations using an online system before coming to the park in order to ensure capacity limits are met. Those who do not make reservations ahead of time will not be guaranteed admission.
Guests are also strongly encouraged to purchase tickets in advance before arriving at Hersheypark in order to reduce face-to-face interactions. Visitors should also bring as few personal items as possible.
Six feet of social distancing will be enforced via signage, ground markings, and other announcements, but social distancing and sanitization requirements will vary by ride depending upon need. Some rides may close or operate with limited capacity to enforce social distancing.
Plexiglas and other barriers have been implemented at food and beverage stations to minimize contact between employees and guests.
All guests over the age of 2 will be required to wear a face covering unless when dining and on certain rides, and every guest will undergo a temperature screening upon entering the park. If someone has a temperature above 100.4 degrees, he or she will be asked to leave.
Guests are strongly encouraged to frequently wash hands and practice good hygiene while at the park, and those who feel sick, experience COVID-19 symptoms, or have been exposed to someone with the virus should not come to Hersheypark.
Safety guidance at the park may change as state health officials and the CDC continue to update COVID-19 health guidelines, the park said.
“Throughout your visit, we want you and your family to enjoy all that Hersheypark has to offer knowing that the health and safety of our guests, team members, and community members have been and will always be our top priority,” the park said.
“We appreciate our guests partnering with us on the following efforts to maintain a safe environment for all.”
In order to reimburse guests who already have purchased 2020 season passes, Hersheypark will provide one additional day for every public operating day that the park is closed during the season.
Amusement parks are cleared to resume business in Pennsylvania once the counties they reside in move into the green phase of the state’s reopening plan amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Dauphin County is set to enter the green phase next Friday.
Hersheypark had previously indicated that it would likely reopen in July after originally planning to resume operations in June.
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