Theme parks across Japan are discouraging future visitors from screaming on roller coasters

• A Japan theme-park association released a set of guidelines for when amusement parks reopen.
• One guideline discourages guests from yelling or screaming on roller coasters.
• The association is also urging temperature checks, mask requirements, and staff in costumes to refrain from hugging and high-fiving.

Theme parks have one thing in common: guttural screams can be heard from their roller coasters.

But as lockdowns ease and theme parks begin to reopen, will those screams go mute? Some theme parks in Japan hope so.

In an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, theme parks across Japan are setting new guidelines, according to Mothership, a Singapore news outlet.

The East Japan and West Japan Theme Park Associations created a written set of guidelines for parks.

The most challenging guideline might be that guests are discouraged from screaming on rides.

"Have guests wear masks, and urge them to refrain from shouting/screaming," the document states when translated from Japanese.

Other guidelines reflect what many museums and attractions are already implementing around the world, like temperature checks, capped capacity, and face mask requirements.

Staff in costumes will no longer partake in physical interactions, like hugs and high fives. Haunted houses are requiring its "ghosts" to lurk at a healthy distance from their "victims," the document states.

"These guidelines will not bring infections to zero, but will reduce the risk of infection," theme-park operators told global news agency AFP.

These rules are supported by Oriental Land and USJ, which manage Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan, respectively. Currently, both the parks have not announced reopening dates.

Since these are only guidelines, there are no consequences if guests do not follow the rules.

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