California’s Great America amusement park in Santa Clara is now enforcing a new chaperone policy. The rule went into effect last month and prohibits anyone 15 years old or younger from entering the park after 4 pm unless accompanied by an adult who is at least 21 years of age.
Teens and children who enter the park before the 4pm cutoff will be required to have a chaperone in order to remain on-site. Chaperones can bring up to 10 guests per visit and must present a valid, government-issued photo ID at the time of entry. Once inside the park, chaperones are required to remain inside the grounds for the duration of their child’s visit and be available via phone.
Officials at California’s Great America cite that, “over the past two years, there have been increasing incidents of unruly and inappropriate behavior across our industry and at other major entertainment venues,” leading the park to implement the new policy.
A Facebook post sharing the announcement showed some parents applauding the decision in the comments, while others criticized the park for implementing the policy after visitors already purchased season passes.
The new policy is one of many changes California’s Great America has undergone as of late. Last summer Cedar Fair announced the sale of the Santa Clara park to Prologis, Inc. for $310 million, just three years after it purchased the site from the City of Santa Clara. Cedar Fair had previously held the lease on the property for more than 40 years.
The land sale to Prologis included a purchase agreement requiring the site be leased back to Cedar Fair for 11 years, allowing them to continue to operate the park through their lease term. However, flexibility within the agreement is expected to reduce this timeline. The exact closure date is unknown at this time.