{"id":35247,"date":"2022-04-18T14:36:23","date_gmt":"2022-04-18T18:36:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/?p=35247"},"modified":"2022-04-18T14:38:51","modified_gmt":"2022-04-18T18:38:51","slug":"great-escape-foresees-strong-season-opens-in-may-with-covid-protocols-discontinued","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2022\/04\/great-escape-foresees-strong-season-opens-in-may-with-covid-protocols-discontinued\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Escape Foresees Strong Season, Opens In May With COVID Protocols Discontinued"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Crews prepare for the opening of Great Escape, a key to the tourism sector that accounts for up to 40 percent of Warren County\u2019s total economic output, according to EDC Warren County.
Paul Post<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Paul Post<\/p>\n

Great Escape is gearing up for a new season of family-oriented fun as it returns to normal with COVID-19 restrictions hopefully a thing of the past.<\/p>\n

The Six Flags-owned theme park never opened in 2020 and guests last year had to comply with numerous protocols such as mandatory face coverings, temperature screenings, social distancing and making online reservations prior to visiting.<\/p>\n

All these have been eliminated, although one practice\u2014a cashless payment system\u2014has been adopted permanently. All purchases including entry tickets, concessions and souvenirs must be made with credit or debit cards, or some type of mobile phone platform.<\/p>\n

For those who don\u2019t have or forget to bring these, Great Escape has installed cash-to-card kiosks where people can turn cash into a prepaid VISA debit card. The cards can be used anywhere, just like a regular debit card, so people can spend what remains if there\u2019s money left over after visiting the park.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives people a third option if they don\u2019t have a phone, or credit or debt card,\u201d said Jason Lee, public relations and marketing supervisor.<\/p>\n

Plans call for a May 21 opening.<\/p>\n

Great Escape is one of the biggest engines in a tourism sector that accounts for up to 40 percent of Warren County\u2019s total economic output, said Jim Siplon, EDC Warren County president. \u201cThey\u2019re one of the driving forces,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

An estimated one million people visited Great Escape and its adjacent year-round Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark in 2019.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span>\u201cThat means those visitors, whether to the park and-or the Lodge also enjoyed other aspects of the region such as shopping, dining, things to do both indoors and out,\u201d said Gina Mintzer, Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce executive director. \u201cAll of these add up to significant economic impact when you put a dollar figure to each person\u2019s spending.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lake George area visitors spend about $140 per day for food and beverage, recreation, retail shopping and transportation. If that same person spends the night, the average is approximately $285, based on destinations international economic impact calculations for Warren County as well as the Tourism Economics Annual Report on the Adirondacks tourism spending, Mintzer said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis information is strictly for Great Escape\u2019s year-round visitors,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen their payroll, property tax and other aspects of the costs of doing business are factored in, their contributions to our community\u2019s economic vitality are exponential. This year, they have spent considerable amounts of time and money upgrading the Lodge as well as other aspects of their property.\u201d<\/p>\n

The theme park and Lodge & Indoor Waterpark employ up to 1,500 people at peak times. The firm recently filled hundreds of summer positions such as lifeguards, food and beverage staff, and ride operators during a pair of late-March job fairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we\u2019re always hiring, quite literally,\u201d Lee said. Walk-in applicants are welcome to visit the human resources building at 33 Round Pond Road, Queensbury, or people may apply online at www.sixflagsjobs.com.<\/p>\n

For some positions, such as security and lifeguards, Great Escape pays for required training and licensing. Employees are also given in-park discounts, free tickets and are treated to special gatherings, when they get to be a theme park guest for a day.<\/p>\n

Great Escape provides housing for international students, which comprise about 10-12 percent of the summer workforce.<\/p>\n

Two special events are planned for 2022, a July Fourth Fest (July 2-4) with rides lit up and fireworks each night, and the annual Fright Fest, held each weekend in October beginning Saturday, Oct. 1.<\/p>\n

No new rides have been added, but guests will be greeted by an entirely new front entrance that allows people to start enjoying the theme park much quicker. Old ticket booths have been removed, replaced by a building that houses metal detectors for guests to pass through.<\/p>\n

The structure will include rest rooms, a welcome addition for people who have just driven a considerable distance. The\u00a0 <\/span>redesigned entrance will have nearly 35 percent more green space and a colorful fountain.<\/p>\n

Last year, Great Escape made a major addition to its long list of thrill rides with installation of the 16-story-high Adirondack Outlaw that whips guests through the air at 55 mph, up to 165 feet high, while making 360-degree rotations similar to a giant wind turbine. It\u2019s located near the Steamin\u2019 Demon coaster, easily visible from the park\u2019s Route 9 front entrance.<\/p>\n

Great Escape is one of 27 Six Flags theme parks in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The upcoming season will\u00a0 <\/span>be crucial as Six Flags, like all theme parks, seeks to rebound from a pandemic that caused attendance numbers industry-wide to plummet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Paul Post Great Escape is gearing up for a new season of family-oriented fun as it returns to normal with COVID-19 restrictions hopefully a thing of the past. The Six Flags-owned theme park never opened in 2020 and guests last year had to comply with numerous protocols such as mandatory face coverings, temperature screenings, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":35249,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nGreat Escape Foresees Strong Season, Opens In May With COVID Protocols Discontinued - Glens Falls Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2022\/04\/great-escape-foresees-strong-season-opens-in-may-with-covid-protocols-discontinued\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Great Escape Foresees Strong Season, Opens In May With COVID Protocols Discontinued - Glens Falls Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Paul Post Great Escape is gearing up for a new season of family-oriented fun as it returns to normal with COVID-19 restrictions hopefully a thing of the past. 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