Disney’s Magic Band.
Attractions and Technology Cheryl Tay highlights how technology is enhancing the delivery of seamless visitor experiences
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echnology and attractions go hand in hand these days, with a good number of features at theme parks, amusement parks, museums and even zoos relying on augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and IoT (Internet of things) tools. A growing number of attractions operators in Asia are taking advantage of such technological advances to enhance their visitor experience, and it seems to be working. The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) has surveyed that attendance at the top amusement and theme parks across Asia rose by an average of 5.5% in 2017, with South east Asia a significant contributor to this growth. TEA also estimates that as of 2020, Asia will become the world’s largest theme park market, thanks in part to top global brands like Walt Disney, Marvel, Universal Studios, Legoland and Cartoon Network having established their presence across the region. These major brands recognise that the use of technology in attractions is not limited to in-park features - increasingly, they are using it to provide visitors with a seamless experience throughout, from pre-visit engagement to post-visit follow-ups. Before the fun begins In addition to engaging with past, present and potential customers on their social media platforms, most companies in the attractions and entertainment space have apps to make the entire visitor experience more convenient. Such apps can allow customers to avoid long queues by pre-booking rides and monitor wait times. For instance, Disney launched a smartphone-compatible version of its ride reservation system, named MaxPass, which allows users to make FASTPASS selections from their mobile devices via the 30 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 136 2019
Shanghai Disney FASTPASS.
Disneyland app. All customers have to do is link their MaxPass tickets to their Disney accounts and make their FASTPASS selections, which they can easily change or cancel if necessary. Such apps can also be used to view schedules and access maps, allowing customers to better plan their visit in advance. More recently, Alibaba became a strategic partner in Universal Beijing Resort’s bid to “create a seamless experience throughout every stage of the guests’ journey with smart technology”, at the resort, which is due to open in 2021. Under this partnership, Universal Beijing will make use of the
