TAMPA, Fla. — Three months after closing because of the coronavirus pandemic, Busch Gardens is back open.
The Tampa theme park reopened June 11 along with its sister water park Adventure Island. Some of the biggest changes for guests when it comes to health and safety during the pandemic include mandatory face masks and temperature checks before entering the parks.
All employees will be wearing masks, too, and many rides will have fewer seats available and will be spaced out to keep people separated.
Here's what you can expect at the parks:
- Employees will be required to wear face coverings
- Guests age two and up will be required to wear face coverings. They're encouraged to bring their own.
- Social distancing will be promoted throughout the parks with markings on the ground and signage
- Contactless payments will be encouraged via Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay
- Plexi-glass will be installed in high-traffic and close-contact areas
- Cleaning and sanitization will be increased significantly, especially in high-contact areas
- The number of hand sanitizing stations will be increased
- CDC guidance will be followed on temperature checks
- All guests and employees must undergo and pass temperature screenings before entering the parks
- There will be a single-direction flow of guests walking in some areas
- There will be no more single-rider lines
- Queue lines for all rides will promote physical distancing
- Some rides will get modified seating to create distancing
- Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrances and exits to rides
- Rides will be sanitized more frequently
- Open play areas will be closed unless they meet distancing protocols
- New protocols will be implemented on water rides
- Some components of parades and meet-and-greets will be limited or removed
- Character interactions and photo opportunities will be modified to allow for physical distancing
- Spacing will be increased for touchless turnstiles at entrances
- Seating layouts in restaurants will be changed to create more distancing
- Tables and chairs will be sanitized more frequently
- In restaurants, condiment stations will be closed, utensils will be pre-packaged and more single-use products will be used
- Paper menus will replace traditional menus
- Buffet-style services will be altered or closed
- More grab-and-go and pre-packaged food items will be added
- Lines and shops will have markings to encourage physical distancing
- Shops will have signs pointing guests to defined entry and exit points
- All open animal viewing spots will have markings to promote physical distancing
- Some tours and interactions will be limited to one-party at a time
- Only tours that allow for social distancing can operate
- Some animal interactions will be modified
- Employees with flu-like symptoms cannot come to work
- Employees are required to follow CDC guidelines for self-isolation and symptom-free periods before returning to work
- Employees will get coronavirus-specific training
Busch Gardens and Adventure Island have also launched web pages for guests to get the latest information on new procedures and tickets.
Busch Gardens and Adventure Island are the latest theme parks to officially reopen to the public during the pandemic. Sister parks SeaWorld, Aquatica and Discovery Cove in Orlando also reopened June 11.
Last week, Universal Orlando Resort reopened and LEGOLAND Florida reopened June 1.
Walt Disney World is set to reopen Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on July 11 and EPCOT and Hollywood Studios on July 15.
Both Universal CityWalk and Disney Springs complexes reopened with restrictions last month.
RELATED: LEGOLAND Florida reopens June 1
Busch Gardens reopens
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