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| Enchanted Kingdom in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna, the country's premiere theme park, is now officially reopened to the masses but with limited capacity and strict health guidelines to follow due to the continuing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Image Source: GMA News Online) |
After more than seven months of closure as mandated by the community quarantine imposed and implemented in different parts of the country since March and with the slow reopening of various tourist destinations such as Tagaytay, Boracay and Baguio City among others, Enchanted Kingdom has officially reopened its doors to the public on October 17, 2020. However, due to the continuing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the reopening of the country's premiere world-class theme park comes with a few rules in compliance with government standards for the safety and well-being of its visitors.
For starters, no kids will be allowed inside the theme park for now since it can only accept visitors aged 21 to 59 years old. The theme park will sport a 50 percent capacity during the gradual reopening which means that about 8,500 people are permitted inside at any given time such as per hour and if the number of visitors exceed the said limit, then they will wait outside the park for a number of people to leave, give and take. Those who want to visit EK and enjoy the rides there should book online first on the Enchanted Kingdom's official website or its authorized travel partners such as Klook, KKday, SM Tickets, Ticketworld, Traveloka, TicketNet and KTX.ph among others to ensure that the number of visitors entering the theme park is managed.
In a promotional video shown during the virtual media launch of its reopening, the management of Enchanted Kingdom has noted several measures to ensure the safety of its visitors inside amidst the pandemic. These include the following:
- Visitors are required to wear face masks and full face shields.
- Visitors entering the theme park may need to have their temperature checked before entering the parking area and fill up Health Check Forms for contact tracing. Those found to have body temperatures above 37.5°C will be given a five to ten-minute wait until the next temperature check. Otherwise, they will no longer be allowed inside along with their companions.
- Physical distancing of up to one meter shall be observed inside the park and on all rides.
- Rides are disinfected every cycle.
Unfortunately, not all rides and attractions will be reopened until further notice. The theaters will remain closed pending medical grade filtration systems which may come on November. Restaurants and gift shops are also reopened for business but with limited capacities and cashless transactions via debit/credit card and Gcash in place. Furthermore, handwashing stations will be available throughout the area and there will be fireworks display taking place due to the pandemic but there will be discounts that are yet to be announced in the coming weeks.
Enchanted Kingdom in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna, which is placed under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) until the end of October, only opens on weekends from 10 am to 6 pm. From December 14, 2020 to January 3, 2021, the theme park will be open daily but schedules are subject to change. The reopening came ahead of the theme park's 25th year anniversary on October 25, 2020 and these measures imposed are necessary, according to Enchanted Kingdom Inc. chief operating officer Cynthia Mamon, to preserve the park's beauty and well-being for the benefit of the community and the country.
