Theme park companies are taking extra measures to promote social distancing once their parks reopen. Six Flags (SIX -0.50%) announced on Wednesday that all its guests will need to check in through a reservation system that limits park entries by date and time. The move is aimed at minimizing the chance of viral outbreaks in a system built to entertain large numbers of guests. Peers like Cedar Fair (FUN -1.14%) have announced similar adjustments to the ticketing and park experiences.

"We are excited about reopening our parks and getting back to the business of fun," CEO Mike Spanos said in a press release. "However," he continued, "we want to do so in the safest possible manner."

A pink and red roller coaster surrounded by tropical vegetation

Image source: Getty Images.

Six Flags said guests can join a waitlist if the time slot they preferred is already booked. Priority will be awarded to members of its various loyalty programs like Diamond and Diamond Elite.

The sign-up process will take between 5 and 7 minutes and includes a video that describes new social-distancing and sanitization procedures in the parks. But Six Flags is hoping that the inconvenience will be a small trade-off for operations that meet the latest safety guidelines from the CDC.