SANTA CLAUS, Ind. (WDRB) -- A virtual opening day wasn't the way anyone who works or visits Holiday World & Splashin' Safari wanted to start the season, but at least it gave thrill seekers a way to celebrate.
The real thing is about a month away. The Santa Claus amusement park is slated to open on June 14. It's Bluegrass counterpart, Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay, will have to stay closed until at least June.
Holiday World is already working around the clock.
"We're doing our very best to make sure we have a safety plan that makes people feel comfortable," Director of Communications Leah Koch said.
The park outlined that plan to the state. Employees are being screened and are getting face masks right now.
"A lot of people are going to slowly reach that level of comfort to come out and see us," Koch said.
When visitors start to trickle back in, temperatures could be taken. The park is also considering collecting contact tracing information from infected employees and guests to share with local health officials.
Rides won't be sanitized every time a group of thrill-seekers gets off, but it will be happening on a regular basis.
"We may even have to stop a ride from time to time to make sure those sanitizing products are being used properly," Koch said.
Those free soft drinks and free sunscreen stations we hear about all the time may be a no-go.
"We may have to make a change," Koch said. "We're still kind of consulting with our peers in the restaurant industry."
Free, unlimited hand sanitizer will be added, though, and some dine-in restaurants will have to change how they operate.
"The plans have already changed about 20 times, and they'll probably change a couple of more times before it's all said and done," Koch said.
Considerations are still up in the air, but that tends to be where Holiday World shines.
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