Six Flags Is Making Its Parks More Accessible for Visitors With Disabilities — Here's How

Alison Fox
·2 min read
Visitors walk past the West Coast Racers roller coaster at the theme park Six Flags Magic Mountain on the day of the park's re-opening, April 1, 2021, in Valencia, California.
Visitors walk past the West Coast Racers roller coaster at the theme park Six Flags Magic Mountain on the day of the park's re-opening, April 1, 2021, in Valencia, California.

VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images

Six Flags is making it easier to visit for park goers with disabilities, introducing a new, specialized restraint harness on rides and earning accreditation as Certified Autism Centers at every park in the portfolio.

The company, which has 27 parks across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will manufacture and offer a custom restraint harness that can accommodate riders with physical disabilities like a missing limb or appendage, according to the company. The harness will be available in multiple sizes for guests who are at least 54 inches tall.

"Six Flags is proud to be the industry leader on these innovative programs that allows our guests to enjoy the more thrilling rides that our parks have to offer," Selim Bassoul, Six Flags' president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. "This offering… shows our unwavering commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion… We all benefit from a more diverse, inclusive society, that is understanding, accommodating and honors one another's differences while pulling together for the common good."

In addition to the new harness, the company said all of its properties are now accredited Certified Autism Centers and feature specialty guides "designed to highlight the various sensory impacts of each ride or attraction to help with planning a day at a Six Flags park." Each park will also offer low sensory areas to allow guests to "relax in a less stimulating environment," trained front-line team members, and more.

"Six Flags is synonymous with thrills, but safety and inclusivity is the cornerstone of everything we do," Jason Freeman, the company's vice president, public safety and risk management, said in the statement. "We are proud to implement these key, new safety programs that bring thrills within reach for all guests."

Six Flags is known for its over-the-top thrill rides, and is opening new ones at parks across the country. This weekend, Wonder Woman Flight of Courage is set to open at California's Six Flags Magic Mountain as the world's tallest and longest single-rail coaster. And last year, New Jersey's Six Flags Great Adventure opened its Jersey Devil Coaster, another record-breaking single-rail coaster that clocked in at 3,000 feet long.

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.