InPark Magazine Issue #48 (August 2013) by InPark Magazine

#48 â&#x20AC;˘ volume 9, issue 3 w w w. i n p a rk m a g a z i n e. co m

22ANTARCTICA SeaWorld unleashes game-changing trackless technology. How does it work?

13 did smartphones kill the turnstile? | 18 TASC: red-hot technology

et set for the new arrival experience. Everything about the way we enter parks, rides, resorts, retail venues, character meet-n-greets and other ticketing/entry interactions is shifting because of technology.

#48• volume 9, issue 3

State-of-the-art ticketing technologies are facilitating changes in guest behavior in ways that foretell, as Cedar Fair CEO Matt Ouimet puts it, “the beginning of the death of the turnstile.” It’s also the beginning of a new, intriguing dialog between technology, architecture and master planning.

once upon a shuttle

PGAV Destinations helps tell the NASA shuttle story for Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex • by Ben Cober

beyond the gate

connecting with guests through social media technology • by Daniel Burzlaff

tickets to ride

the technology behind the ticketing and admissions process is having a dramatic effect on park architecture and planning • by Martin Palicki

park dashboard

networking controls expand possibilities inside parks and attractions • by Jeremy Scheinberg

Ron Griffin & Attraction Services

all fired up about creating great visitor experiences • interview by Judith Rubin

cool moves

SeaWorld’s new Antarctica attraction unleashes the versatility of trackless vehicle technology • by Martin Palicki

In talking with both Matt Ouimet and Rob Decker from Cedar Fair for this issue’s feature on ticketing, it was clear that for years they had the vision to see a new, breakthrough kind of entrance experience. It was waiting to be created, but a huge departure from tradition. Tying the funding into a major roller coaster attraction cleared the way – Gatekeeper was born and Cedar Point’s front gate was transformed. The story of Gatekeeper is much more than the story of a great new coaster – it’s the story of a major evolution in park design and guest interaction. The technology supporting the ticketing and admissions process has advanced - and consumer behavior has changed with it - to the point that the design process is, in its turn shifting. This opens up all kinds of new vistas for designers and architects, and will have a ripple effect as time goes on. More and more areas of the park will be affected, and guest behavior and buying patterns will continue to adapt. I’m not complaining. There’s amazing potential here for how guests will be able to enjoy their time in parks, and new creative options for designers. If Disney is any indication, considering the millions of dollars it has invested in its new RFID-based Magic Band system, the next-generation systems also stand to to capture more revenue for the parks. This issue of InPark Magazine is your guide to the technological breakthroughs that are visibly shaping the future of our industry – if you know where to look. It’s impossible to foresee all the ways that they will impact the entire guest experience in future – but they will. Special thanks to my co-editor Judith Rubin for her expertise and insight. -Martin Palicki

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versatility in motion

advances allow for more realism in animatronics • by Bill Butler

slide sensitivity

using technology to keep waterpark guests safe • by Sam Baker

Attraction Services

Diamond Ticketing

Electrosonic

Garner Holt

Goddard Group

2-3

IAAPA Attractions Expo

IAAPA European Attraction Show

staff & contributors EDITOR Martin Palicki CO-EDITOR Judith Rubin CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Joe Kleiman Mitch Rily Kim Rily DESIGN mcp, llc

CONTRIBUTORS Sam Baker Daniel Burzlaff Bill Butler Ben Cober Jeremy Scheinberg SALES Martin Palicki

The Nassal Company

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InPark Magazine (ISSN 1553-1767) is published five times a year by Martin Chronicles Publishing, LLC. 2349 E Ohio Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53207. Shipping address: 2349 E Ohio Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53207. Phone: 262-412-7107. Fax: 414-377-0769. Printing by Crescent Printing in Onalaska, Wisconsin

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Contents © 2013 InPark Magazine. All rights reserved. Nothing in the magazine may be reproduced or used in any manner without the prior written permission of the magazine. InPark Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations. Such material must be accompanied by a self-adressed and stamped envelope to be returned.

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Postmaster: Send address changes to InPark Magazine 2349 E Ohio Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53207. Subscriptions are available annually for $30 per year ($40 international). Opinions expressed in editorial matter are not necessarily those of InPark Magazine or its publishers, Martin Chronicles Publishing, LLC.

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PGAV Destinations

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WhiteWater West

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cover Cover photo courtesy SeaWorld Orlando Editor’s Photo credit: David Lauersdorf

Shuttle Atlantis on display at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Photo by Delaware North Companies/ Joe Casico

once upon a shuttle PGAV Destinations helps tell the NASA shuttle story for Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex by Ben Cober, director of business development and research for PGAV Destinations

oug Nickrent of PGAV Destinations is the chief exhibit designer for the new Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction, opened at the Kennedy Space Center this June. Nickrent is spinning stories throughout the entire new 90,000 square foot exhibit space in an attempt to capture just a glimpse of the millions of inspiring stories that weave together to tell NASA’s tale. “In our opinion, the role of a science center is to inspire, motivate, and interest its guests and generate lifelong curiosity in the subjects it teaches,” says Nickrent. “Museums have been adopting ways to tell their stories in personal, exciting ways that keep guests connected.” He explains that it shouldn’t be that a child just walks away knowing how a shuttle lands, but that the child should be amazed at how a shuttle lands and wants to learn more. For any of us who’ve tried to recount an adventure to family over dinner or tell the truth about the size of the fish we caught, we know that telling

a good story isn’t simple. There are no sure-fire formulas, no outlines – because each story is unique. “It’s about finding the drama, not just the facts – what are the essence and emotions of the story?” says Nickrent. Emily Howard, project manager of the new orbiter home exhibits, explains that just as there are many vehicles to get astronauts around space, there are many vehicles to tell stories in the Atlantis attraction. NASA’s stories are told through movies, theatrical presentations, fun interactives (like the orbiter simulator), docents who help explain concepts, and traditional graphics and text. “Different ages, genders, and cultures have different ways of learning,” says Howard, “and by presenting these stories in a variety of ways, the lessons become more inclusive for everyone.” Every good story has a theme (this story’s theme is ‘storytelling’), so what themes are found

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throughout the new Atlantis attraction? First and foremost is that the orbiter Atlantis is a hero – a revolutionary vehicle that overcame millions of challenges to exist and work (it’s a rocket, a space craft, a glider - even a temporary home and a laboratory). Another is that the entire program is made up of people - very driven, passionate, Doug Nickrent

brilliant, and real people – what are their stories? The new exhibit also tells a lot of stories about training for missions; because when you boil it down, astronauts spend a much greater portion of their time in training simulators rather than in space. Lastly, the new exhibit tells a lot of stories about speed – as the shuttle and astronauts sail around Earth at more than 17,000 m.p.h., the notion of “floating through space” just simply doesn’t exist. Telling stories is not a revolutionary idea for NASA – just ask the rover Curiosity that has been Tweeting from Mars since it landed last fall. “The challenge with NASA’s stories is that they’re incredibly high level, extremely technical and deep,” says Howard. “So our job was to transform these complicated stories in a fun and compelling way that both a child and your grandmother, who know little to nothing about space, can understand and enjoy them.” At the same time, exhibits need to be accessible to the space and science lovers, and provide indepth enough material that they can stay highly engaged and fascinated. “It’s a really challenging balance,” says Nickrent, “but not impossible.”

Emily Howard

Hundreds of stories are told throughout the exhibit, “there’s more drama in NASA’s history than people realize,”says Nickrent. The restoration and maintenance of the Hubble Telescope was incredibly dangerous and challenging, full of tragedy and victory. What looks like the simple act of landing a shuttle back on Earth is a hairraising, nail-biting experience for everyone involved. There are 50,000 individual pieces just

Recreation of the Hubble Telescope. Photo by Delaware North Companies/Joe Casico

Bringing it all together Nassal creates immersive features and exhibits for new attraction From converting standard-sized images into awe-inspiring supersized wall coverings to the coordination and creation of a full-scale reproduction of the Hubble Space Telescope, The Nassal Company played a key role in creating virtually every visual and interactive experience visitors will enjoy at Space Shuttle AtlantisSM ,the world’s most comprehensive and interactive attraction devoted to NASA’s 30-year Space Shuttle Program. Nassal’s involvement in the project spanned 18 months, with the company collaborating with industry leaders to create authentic elements, displays and immersive features and exhibits for more than 60 interactive experiences. “This was an interesting project because the space shuttle program is historic, so we had to represent every facet as both authentic and interactive.” said Marc Kish, Nassal’s project manager on Space Shuttle Atlantis. “We worked with the best and brightest to ensure that the design intent of the project was realized.” Among the highlights of Nassal’s contributions to the attraction: Billboard-size enlargements of Atlantis photos Visitors to Space Shuttle Atlantis will quickly find themselves immersed in the Atlantis story when they view the supersized photographs of the spacecraft on Earth and in space. Nassal took standard-sized images of Atlantis and digitally stretched them, with one image in particular measuring over 1,400 square feet. The painstaking process required each image to be digitally manipulated in sections so every detail could be enhanced for enlargement and rebuilt into digital file sizes as large as 15 gigabytes.

Full-sized replica of Hubble Space Telescope Nassal collaborated with Guard-Lee, a manufacturer of aerospace replicas, on re-creating the Hubble Telescope as it would appear in space. Measuring 43 feet long and 14 feet in diameter, the replica is the star attraction of the Hubble Space Telescope Theater. Replica “Astrovan” The search for authenticity took Nassal to Chattanooga, Tenn., to find an Airstream trailer that could become a convincing reproduction of the “Astrovan” that carried astronauts to the launch pads. The transformation of the Airstream included a reconfiguration of doors and windows as well as being cut in half. Visitors will find the replica Astrovan while shopping in the Shuttle Express gift shop. Relocating a 8,000-pound shuttle engine Progress could be measured in inches as Nassal’s project team safely hoisted over two days a shuttle engine weighing nearly 4 tons up three levels of pedestrian ramps to its new home in Space Shuttle Atlantis. The engine, which flew in the maiden voyage of the Challenger, had been on display at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex since 1997. “We’re so proud to have been able to contribute to Space Shuttle Atlantis,” said Bill Nassal, Partner of The Nassal Company. “Creating a true partnership with Delaware North and PGAV Destinations, we are very honored and excited to be a part of the team to help bring the story of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program to life.” • • •

for the heat shield on the underside of the shuttle to protect it from burning up on re-entry – and each of the millions of pieces of the shuttle has a story and people behind those stories.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis is housed in a new building along with other exhibits and artifacts. Photo courtesy Kennedy Space Center.

Nickrent and Howard came away from the project with their own life-changing stories. “When I was a kid, I watched every launch - Gemini, Apollo, Skylab - and I missed the first shuttle launch and regret it to this day,” says Nickrent. “So when I was with a video crew for the Atlantis rollout for STS 135, the final Space Shuttle mission, I had to pinch myself. As we went into the night, the officials just kept letting us do more and more – walk with the crawler, stand on the launch pad, film from the launch gantry – I had to keep saying, ‘really, we can do that?!’” Howard had the chance to get even closer to Atlantis – inside it in fact – as NASA allowed her to sit inside its cockpit before its final flight in 2011. “They let us sit in the pilots’ seats and wear the bunny suits,” says Howard. “It just fills me with pride – the new home for Atlantis almost feels like your child – you’ve worked so hard, watched it develop and grow, and you just know it’s going to impact generations for years to come.” • • •

Space Shuttle AtlantisSM at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Nassal is proud to contribute to telling the story of the Space Shuttle program through the creation of authentic elements, displays and immersive features and exhibits for the more than 60 interactive experiences throughout the new $100 million, 90,000 square-foot attraction.

Welcome home Space Shuttle Atlantis

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beyond the gate connecting with the guest through social media technology by Daniel Burzlaff, Owner & Chief Creative Officer, Utopia Entertainment, Inc.

heme parks are often on the cutting edge of applying new forms of technology, whether through creative show systems or operational achievements such as RFID wristbands. On the heels of these achievements (and perhaps quickly passing them by) is the development of social media technology as a major platform in the development of a new show or attraction, offering the opportunity to forever link the guest to the park or product. Facebook, Twitter, and blogs are all accessible social media outlets that provide opportunities for themed attractions to tap into the world of direct consumer communication, enabling guests to share comments, photos, and messages with their friends and families while providing parks a way to extend the overall guest experience far beyond the borders of the main gate. Having the guests reflect upon their favorite and memorable moments while at home, on the go, or with friends and families is a simple way to generate buzz and interest within the social world. From a marketing perspective, it’s an amazing win-win situation. Utopia is currently designing a large multi-media production for one of Asia’s largest retail malls, with the intent to create an experience that lives on beyond the nightly show. The multi-show attraction will feature video content, concertlike lighting, lasers, and popular music that is choreographed and programmed to provide the client with countless shows. The key connector to these shows is the social media piece, which will allow visitors to select themes, songs and video images through an Internet interface, enabling them to direct the live show content. Photo uploads and individual messages will be incorporated into the playlist offering visitors the opportunity to play VeeJay on a major scale. When opened, the attraction will be the world’s largest permanent indoor light show, presenting an unparalleled opportunity for the millions of shoppers to connect to the popular mall from their smart phone, tablet or computer. As an example: a young man may go online to select a certain romantic playlist, add a photo of his sweetheart and finally a short message. He then requests to have this show played at a specific time, and invites his family and friends to the mall. When “his” show is played, he turns to his sweetheart, gets upon a single knee and to the music of “their special song” presents a ring

– just as his personal message scrolls across the video screens:“Will you marry me?” What follows next is a flurry of social media messaging, tweets and of course Facebook postings. The mall indirectly receives hundreds of thousands of interested ‘hits.’

Generate word of mouth interest – the unique social media component of this experience will effectively feed online content and social chatter. Create a sense of urgency – specialty and seasonal show experiences will entice visitations through their ‘limited time’ offerings. Increase sponsorship value – the social media component provides an accessible bridge that enables sponsors to connect their product directly to expanded points of contact, and allows engaging and nonintrusive communication messaging to a vast network of potential patrons. Raise per caps of food vendors & restaurants – increased foot traffic and extended stays translates to a longer shopping experience, and a potential for patrons to add snacks or a full meal to their visit.

Artist concept of the light & sound show There are also potential sponsorship opportunities for commercial messages and product endorsements inserted between shows to a captured audience waiting to see what the next guest VeeJay has created. The potential outreach and connection opportunity is considerable, and in this world of instant communication through shared networks, the excitement generated by such an experience is likely to spark a viral explosion. For the client, the success of this particular show attraction is formidable, as it will serve to act as an engine for business growth. At Utopia we like to think of this process as “hitting on all eight cylinders.” Here’s an example of how we envision the show will help to drive business success: Increase foot traffic – the light show will become a “must-see” entertainment destination for the region. Extend length of stay – visitors will extend their shopping and dining experience into the evening hours in order to enjoy the show experience. Increase repeat/return visits – the promise of encountering a unique or different show experience with each visit encourages patrons to return again and again.

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Increase retailers’ bottom line – increased mall traffic, social media interest and marketing/sponsorship drives advertisement campaigns presented upon the show system. These translate to higher footfall, and engaged and connected shoppers. Additionally, the data capture of the hundreds of thousands of visitors who will participate in the online conversations, sharing and reposting of their favorite shows and moments will be invaluable. For the retail owner this generated public relations and marketing outlet is priceless. As social media technology continues to intersect our life, it becomes clear that our industry – that of affecting people through memorable entertainment experiences – will continue to search for ways to reconnect these experiences to guests. Our show production taps into the ever-growing equation of humanmeets-technology to provide a genuinely unique and memorable attraction experience. This experience also offers an emotional and perpetual connection to the audience and a method to engage people the world over, long after the doors close and the lights fade out. • • • Daniel Burzlaff focuses on the creative development of all projects for Utopia Entertainment, Inc. and leads the design team in the creation of live shows, attractions, experiential exhibits and special events for clients around the globe.

Cedar Point’s new roller coaster, GateKeeper, soars over the park’s new spacious and barrierfree entrance. Photo by Martin Palicki

tickets to ride the technology supporting the ticketing and admissions process is having a dramatic impact on park architecture and planning by Martin Palicki

pproaching the entrance to Cedar Point, guests’ eyes are drawn to the new $25 million dollar coaster flying over the front gate every few minutes. They might not even notice the brand new entry plaza, or the sleek ticketing building tucked off to the side. Interestingly named The GateKeeper, the ride actually gave the park the opportunity to open up the front gate area, allowing guests more freedom and mobility. The very architecture of the park’s entrance has changed, thanks in large part to advancing ticketing technology and evolving guest trends.

It’s not just Cedar Point. Other players like Six Flags and Disney are re-designing their entrances, and often with the help of leaders in the ticketing industry.

of industries like concerts, skiing or sporting. But Dave Hutton, Vice President of Marketing for Diamond Ticketing, has what seems the most credible theory:

“Ultimately, what’s happening is customers are still presenting a ticket; that concept hasn’t changed a whole lot,” says David Goldman, President at Ideal Software Systems. “But it’s a much more efficient process now.”

“Ticketing probably was developed in the early days of rail and boat passage, where there were large groups of people that were traveling at the same time. Those that were running the services needed a way to have access control. That’s where we started keeping track of people and wanting to know numbers. It advanced significantly in performance theater, with Broadway developing new ways to track and identify ticketholders. That’s what informs our ticketing procedures today.”

Matt Ouimet

“Every year the amount of people buying tickets at home jumps a large amount,” says Matt Ouimet, President and CEO of Cedar Fair. “We want to make it easy for our guests to come here, and let them have fun.”

Up until the 2000’s nearly every guest to an amusement park or theme park purchased their ticket at the park’s entrance. Then, print-at-home tickets arrived on the scene and guests gained the option to show up with their printed ticket and have it either exchanged for a new ticket at the gate, or scanned for entry. Even that process is starting to become a bit passé, with the increasing use of mobile devices to allow entry.

Purchasing a ticket is usually the first interaction a guest has with a park, and it’s something that leaders like Ouimet don’t take for granted: “The first thing guests see at most regional parks around the world are ticket booths that are well beyond their years and certainly a design feature and utility that are no longer necessary. “If you bought a hotel room in Hawaii on the internet, and you got to the lobby you either said, ‘I made a great purchase’ or ‘What did I do?’ – The front gate is our hotel lobby.”

The First Tickets Depending on whom you talk to, the field of modern ticketing had its origins in any number

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The core function is that of presenting a scannable code, and that hasn’t changed in a while, although it has become more complex. “Scanning systems have evolved from regular barcodes to 2D barcodes (for use on mobile

devices) to QR codes, which have the capacity to store more information than just a serial number,” explains Melinda Arvin, Director of Sales and Marketing for OmniTicket Network.

Making phones smarter Clearly the trend is to use the mobile technology already in guests’ hands to enhance the ticketing and entry process. But relying on smartphones has a few drawbacks. “For starters, not everyone has a smartphone,” says Siriusware’s President and CEO Mark Danemann. Additionally, the variety of operating systems ensures there is no one-sizefits-all solution. “Nonetheless, this is a bridge moment. As phones start to be used as a form of payment, then they will start to transform the ticketing procedure.” Steve Brown, Accesso’s Chief Operating Officer, North America, agrees. “Right now what mobile devices provide is a readable image, but as devices continue to develop we expect them to include near field communication.” Near field communication technology is based on RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification)

chips that emit an identifiable frequency that readers are able to read and track. Although not necessarily new technology, it is being utilized in new ways and currently being rolled out at all of the Walt Disney World Resort’s parks as part of their new MyMagic+ program. Only a few devices have that technology now, but that is expected to expand. How quickly it rolls out will largely depend on phone service providers as well as banks and merchants partnering together to provide all the pieces. Perhaps not surprisingly, Asia is first, Europe second and the US is third for mobile technology adoption. In Asia and in London people are already paying for taxis using near field communication on their mobile devices. Near field is still in testing at Walt Disney World; the goal is to replace paper tickets with RFID wristbands that function as hotel room key, park ticket, ride reservation system, and more. Disney also touts the system’s ability to create customized experiences for guests, with ride control systems able to read data from the wristbands and display a Happy Birthday message to a birthday child during a ride, for example. Initial results from Disney indicate that the wristbands have increased per cap spending.

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OmniTicket Network developed the system in Florida, and while Melinda Arvin is quick to point out all the benefits the system provides, she also cautions parks from jumping too quickly onto the RFID trend. “The concept of making experiences more interactive – and creating more guest engagement throughout the experience – is certainly a big selling point of the technology, but RFID is not an option for most smaller venues,” says Arvin. “The cost for RFID is still high, and most of what is being done with RFID can be replicated using less expensive

technology. As expected, Disney is at the leading edge, and now others will start to adapt and follow their lead.” Actually, waterparks have been a prime playground for developing ticketing technology. With wallets and waterslides not mixing well, waterparks have sought out ways to pre-load money onto wristbands that guests can use as cash throughout the park. While that can be accomplished with barcoded wristbands and networked scanners, some parks like Waterworld in Colorado have started selling RFID wristbands for that purpose, with the price of the wristband helping offset the cost of the technology. At Dorney Park, Cedar Fair is running its own experiment of offering the RFID wristbands not only at the waterpark but for the adjoining theme park as well.

The New Architecture As an effect of the changes in technology, a number of park operators have taken the opportunity to re-think and re-design the front gate experience, as Cedar Point has. Budgeting for these projects can be challenging, however. “We tried for years to come up with a rationale for investing in the front gate,” says Matt Ouimet. “Every time we wanted to, we decided to spend those dollars on a ride instead.” Rob Decker, VP of Planning and Design for Cedar Fair, said he was looking at ways to redo the front gate since he started at the company in 1999. “When the wing coaster came along I realized that was the opportunity,” says Decker. “I met with Walter Bolliger [of Bolliger & Mabillard] and said, ‘I’ve always wanted to fly over the front gate,’ and within five minutes the idea was born.” From a design and architectural standpoint, the redevelopment of the front gate had as much to do with the park’s identity as it did with the coaster. “For us, not having theme-heavy IP, we have to create our own identity. If we are going to be known as the roller coaster capital of the world, then we put a roller coaster at the front gate,” says Decker. “Furthermore, it should be about giving the space back to guests. We tend to shoehorn things into limited space, but now we are thinking more about the placemaking the sense of place - and making the day better

Cedar Point’s main entrance, shown here just prior to opening, features a barrier-free entry and attendant-monitored ticket scanners.

for the guest with less hassle. So we think about those things from an architectural and planning standpoint to make sure we deliver not just the thrills but have it be a pleasant place to enjoy the day.” It’s the advances in technology that are allowing those conversations and design shifts to take place. Guests at Cedar Point find an open plaza at the front gate. Tickets are still sold in a low profile building to the side of the entrance, and directly below GateKeeper, the row of old fashioned turnstiles has been replaced with barrier-free access points. Employees scan tickets, while newly installed cameras count guests as they come in and out of the park. Although Cedar Point has hard wired scanners, mobile ticket readers could also be used, allowing virtually anywhere to become an access point quickly and easily. Matt Ouimet calls it “the beginning of the death of the turnstile.” Diamond Ticketing’s Dave Hutton thinks “most major parks will be turnstile-free in about 15 years as technology becomes more affordable.” But Steve Bell, Business Solutions Architect for Gateway Ticketing Systems, does not see turnstiles approaching their end of life. “The attraction space can experience significant loss without the utility of rigid control,” says Bell. “With key customer locations handling 40,000 ticketed guests per hour, even a 10% loss for our customers can translate to unimaginable and unacceptable revenue sacrifice.” OmniTicket Network’s Melinda Arvin says it’s the start of “transforming access control.” Where feasible, she indicates, facilities are moving towards barrier free access. But at the same time, Omniticket has sold more turnstiles this year than in years past.

The Future How can one tell where this technology is headed for parks? One way to find out is to look at corollary industries. Siriusware’s Mark Danemann looks to his company’s work in the ski industry and a practice they call “direct to lift.” Skiers receive a card, either RFID or barcoded, that they can load a lift ticket onto online or at the resort at a discount and go straight to the lift. It’s sort of a middle ground

between a single admission and a season pass. It increases the park’s yield, but also depends on the price point. It starts to make more sense when ticket prices approach the $100 mark. “Getting that card into the customer’s hands is key,” says Danemann. “Then you can start tracking and analyzing their spending habits, while building loyalty.” Danemann also sees dynamic pricing as a hot topic that has yet to solidly establish itself in the attractions industry. With the majority of tickets being purchased electronically, the actual price of admission could change based on how busy an attraction is. “Does it play out in the real world?” wonders Danemann. “ I’m not sure whether a $1-5 change in ticket price will drive people from one attraction to another.” Dave Hutton sees an all-in-one ticket coming soon. “Patrons can purchase their whole experience from home. It will be similar to how vacations are bundled together, or a cruise ship, with everything on one card.” John Collins, Strategic Sales Executive with Active Network also sees further integration of biometrics with other technology on the market. “Using devices like Microsoft Kinect could allow us to establish identification metrics based on height or

other identifiable features of guests,” says Collins. “Right now, the ROI doesn’t make sense, but the future is there.” In the meantime, parks will continue to watch how the front gate experience is changing at parks like Walt Disney World and Cedar Point and adapt their own architecture to meet the changing technology. “The technology and GateKeeper allowed us to do great placemaking with our entry gate,” says Ouimet. “The [open] entry plaza allows for the drama of the ride to take center stage.” • • •

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park dashboard networking controls expand possibilities inside parks and attractions by Jeremy Scheinberg, Alcorn McBride

he crowds are starting to gather outside the front gate. Everyone is running around trying to get the attractions up and running. There’s a lot of radio chatter because one of the projectors is not turning on. But it will have to wait until later since that technician is scrambling to the opposite side of the park to troubleshoot a problem at the roller coaster.

report attraction status can also serve as the controllers that actually operate the attraction. For example, take that new roller coaster about to be installed. It has some interesting queue line videos, including some very cool interactive functionality that lets guests use their mobile phones to drive the queue line content. The controller being used has two Ethernet ports.

The demands of operating large-scale parks and attractions continue to spread resources and human capital thin. But smart operators are turning to technology to help ease the burden of limited time and talent. Through the widespread adoption of networking technology and distributed control, it’s now possible to have a park-wide dashboard for centralized monitoring and control interface for parks of any size. Prior to the advent of networking, each attraction was fully stand-alone. Whether a ride or a show, every attraction needed its own controller to monitor the critical aspects of operation and a panel with indicators (or a PC monitor or touch screen). In order to get any information from that attraction, someone would have to be dispatched to read the screen. In many parks, the first networking application was audio. Audio was sourced from a central location and distributed across the network via a technology like CobraNet to play background music (BGM) in different areas of the park. Audio networking also permitted rapid content changes and zoned paging. There may have been some hiccups in the early days, but distributed audio networks are now the rule rather than the exception. In addition, Point of Sale (POS) systems use networks to report data and credit card transactions. Now that more systems are using networking, it is time for operations and maintenance to join the party. By setting up control networks – separate from audio and POS networks – new worlds of functionality can make life easier for operators and maintenance personnel. The best part is that the components that monitor and

A sample display, viewable on a tablet device, can provide real-time data anywhere within the park. Courtesy of Alcorn McBride. One can control the video players as well as the monitors and projectors that need to be powered up each morning. With that level of control, the controller can also get feedback from those devices about their status (on or off ), projector lamp life and even its current operating temperature. That would be very useful information, but where would that information go? That’s what the second Ethernet port is for: it can be connected to the park-wide control network. Once all of the attractions are connected to a common network, operators can decide what to do with the information, allowing a new level of control. Information can be monitored with a touch screen at headquarters or in a maintenance bay to show the status of certain parameters. This can include which attractions are operating normally or keeping a log of any items that may require attention. A monitoring page can show the status of all of the park’s video projectors and their current lamp hours to prepare for ordering new lamps. The status of BGM can also be tracked.

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When combined with the networked audio system, it can be verified that audio is going through the speakers by checking the status of the amplifiers. Also, by connecting turnstiles or photocells to the controller, attendance for individual attractions can be tracked. All of this information can be presented on a clean and beautiful display on a tablet device or smartphone and accessed from anywhere in the park, or – with proper security – from anywhere in the world. Once access to the attraction’s controller over the network is established, it opens up a variety of options for control. Start up and shut down can be handled remotely and throughput can be changed on the attraction by varying the load and unload times through preshow scheduling. A shorter duration main show can even be chosen to move more people through the attraction. While all of these features are very exciting, it’s important to consider network architecture. It is very tempting to lump everything onto one network without partitioning the traffic. But this can cause a number of problems. It makes it difficult to troubleshoot issues with one particular device or – if everything is on the audio/video network – there can be so much traffic that it overruns all of the control and monitoring devices. By using managed switches and VLANs, networks can be partitioned so the traffic is used for the appropriate purpose. The dream of monitoring and controlling a theme park from one location is now a reality. Through the use of distributed control and networking, key elements can be monitored and staff can concentrate on what really needs attention – such as why that projector still won’t turn on. • • • Jeremy Scheinberg is the COO of Alcorn McBride, Inc. He is an experienced Systems Engineer with over 15 years in the audio/video industry. Jeremy has managed, designed, and installed projects for the largest Theme Parks and Museums in the world. He is responsible for overseeing Alcorn McBride’s team of Engineers and all new product development.

All fired up about creating great visitor experiences interview by Judith Rubin

pecial effects and technical integration pioneer Ron Griffin of The Attraction Services Company (TASC) is a fireball of the industry. The company is probably best known for its many projects for Universal Studios parks, starting with Twister and all the major flame effects for UIOA, USJ and USS, and other projects dating back to 1995. The company still does work for Universal – a recent standout project was King Kong 360 3D, for which TASC provided custom pneumatic motion bases to make the tram cars rock and roll as Kong battles the dinosaurs. TASC is also active in the museum sector, dating back to Tess the 50-foot woman, created for the California Science Center in 1996.

auto racing, with the same energy, fervor and perfectionism he applies to his work. Nothing seems to slow him down, neither a punishing production schedule nor a seemingly impossible technical challenge nor the passage of years. He holds himself to the same exacting standards he expects from his staff, and will work as long and hard as any of them, if not more so.

As Melissa Townsend, his spouse and business partner says, Griffin “never sits still.” He tackles his leisure pursuits, which include painting and

In light of the long professional history of Attraction Services, what do you most want people to know about the company today?

Time Machines at the Colorado History Museum Photo by TASC

The company is now in the process of expanding to a new, larger facility in Santa Clarita. In past years Griffin and Townsend have overseen as many as 150 employees, but in its present incarnation, Attraction Services has stabilized at around 20 core staff.

Projects like Jaws and Twister helped establish us as the go-to people for flame effects, and rightly so. But clients have also always been able to depend on us for water effects, animatronics, show action equipment, specialty vehicles and anything unusual or difficult. Our primary offering, really, is problem solving. I enjoy taking on a challenge and resolving it in a possibly unusual or unexpected way that fulfills all the creative, client, budget and other project requirements. Looking at your recent “Time Machines” project for the Colorado History Museum, what technologies were selected and why? We partnered with our longtime colleagues at Lexington Design and Production to create part

Ron Griffin and Melissa Townsend at their Valencia offices. Photo by Martin Palicki

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We were approached by Gary Goddard’s entertainment and design company, The Goddard Group, for Insomniac Events to build a 35-foot-tall, 80-foot-wingspan, animated owl for the event, which would see an attendance of over 300,000 over three days.

Ron used a remote control backstage to animate the giant owl for Electric Daisy Carnival, and in the process became “a lot more familiar with rave music.”

of the Great Map and Time Machines exhibit that opened at the museum in 2011. We built a pair of 7-foot-tall, steam punk-style Time Machines that visitors guide around a large map of Colorado. When the machine hits a specific location or hot spot, video screens come to life with virtual clocks winding back to stories related to the history of that place.

You were on the team that built the gigantic, animatronic owl for the Electric Daisy Carnival, a 3-day music festival held recently in Las Vegas. This was a high-profile success and images of the owl have been all over the media. Tell us about it.

The creativity of the owl concept and the plan for its use as a key element in the festival were fantastic. The bad news: We would have only six weeks to design (mechanically and electrically), build, test, ship, and install him. We were cautious at first about taking this job - but it was the kind of big challenge that we love to solve. Working with Goddard and Insomniac, we were able to form a plan that we felt would succeed even in the short timeframe allowed. Six weeks! Our approach had to be simple, yet provide the desired look and animation. It had to use components that we could get quickly and that we knew would work. Experimenting was not an option, mockups were not an option, and testing would be limited. A mere four hours of full testing is all we ended up with.

Lexington provides stellar scenic components and we fill in the technical needs. In this case, our knowledge of vehicles and military technology came in handy. We combined top-line AV display equipment and the latest battery technology with autonomous positioning devices, automatic braking systems and wheel governors. The heart of the machine was a custom microcomputer built and programmed by TASC. Often today’s sophisticated high tech solutions aren’t using new technology per se, but are putting together existing technologies in novel ways. The end result and its control systems are essentially new creations, but the individual components are proven. Something Lexington and TASC are especially good at is identifying any issues or concerns that may not have come up in the course of concept design – for instance, ways that an interactive could be misused and compromise performance or safety. As the Time Machines are large objects and are propelled around the map by the guests, we saw a potential for their collision, whether caused deliberately or by accident. So we developed a radio connection between the two machines to transmit their positions back and forth. If either machine is being propelled in the direction of the other, the automatic braking system will apply.

TASC and Adlabs Imagica: Chris Brown of Contour Entertainment “I met Ron Griffin in the mid ‘90s, and we have worked together from then to now on a variety of projects for a variety of clients. When things get busy at Contour and we need backup, he’s one of the people we call.” As the design/build contractor for the Wrath of the Gods attraction at the new Adlabs Imagica theme park in India developed by Adlabs Entertainment, Contour subcontracted TASC to create fire effects. “Ron is a tech specialist whom designers and producers know they can trust. We know that we can give Ron generic technical direction and that he will come up with simple, elegant solutions that satisfy the show requirements. Because he understands how tech supports the story, he’s on the same side as the creatives, fighting to realize the vision while working in the pragmatic world of materials, design and installation. There’s an atmosphere of mutual respect and the end goal is clear. He’s also a good guy to have a beer with.”

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TASC and Templo del Fuego: Craig Hanna Thinkwell Group CCO Craig Hanna vividly recollected working with Ron Griffin and Attraction Services during the development of Templo del Fuego for Port Aventura in Spain, when Hanna was with Universal Creative. “Attraction Services provided all the flame effects and a host of other effects and show action equipment such as pop-up mummies, sinking stone, a dropping audience platform, treasure reveals, a show action door, many water cannons, smoke, fog, boiling water, and even rats in the preshow. When we started, I sat down with Ron and asked him to tell me all the flame things he’d always wanted to do but hadn’t yet. He gave me such a cool list that I tried to get all of them into the project. That was a red-hot collaboration. Ron is the kind of guy who wants to facilitate the creative vision of the team, with stuff he knows how to do best, while being very pragmatic at the same time. He is never adversarial – if something can’t be done, he will explain to you exactly why, and he will make suggestions that give you new options you’d never have considered before but make the thing you thought was already perfect even better. That kind of collaborative nature is what I love about our industry. If you’re open to suggestions, the most amazing things can get even more amazing.”

Ron stands inside the massive owl that moved to the music and encased deejays with its enormous wings. Photo by TASC

A huge engineering issue was wind load, as the event takes place outdoors in Las Vegas, which is a windy desert environment. The individual wings were 24 feet tall and 33 feet wide, with two pivot points each. They had to work in winds up to 40 mph, and withstand any damage at winds approaching 65 mph. The loads could be immense. Pneumatic or electric actuation

could not provide the power required under high wind loads. Hydraulics was the only option we had with the timeframe. Were there special challenges with configuring hydraulic power for a giant puppet that needed a subtle repertoire of moves? Yes. Hydraulics can move large things, but with simple digital valves they can look clunky. Complex valves make for better movement, but the costs can be staggering and the complexity and control issues can take weeks to test and adjust. Neither option looked good. We had to find something in the middle. Again, I turned to the vehicle industry, where we found the right combination of valves and controllers. The desired intention was to be able to puppeteer the owl with either human-powered devices or human-operated interfaces. His wings would wrap around the DJ booth that sat in front of him, then open back up to reveal the booth. His head would rotate, tilt and roll. His eyebrows and beak would move and his eyes would be electronic displays. We determined quickly that the massive sizes would not allow for human-powered motion over long periods of time. His head alone

Photo © Universal

weighed around 5,000 pounds. So we looked at each motion individually and determined the best option for realizing it. We ended up with two sets of small joysticks that allowed two people to operate the Owl completely, including full control of the electronic eye motions. This gave the owl a total feeling of being alive and reacting to the crowd and show. One of the ways I ensured that things would stay on schedule and that the project would operate reliably was through my own personal involvement at every level. I was working seven days a week right along with my outstanding crew during the production process. I was there throughout the entire install, and did most of the control system programming myself. And I worked all three nights of the actual show as one of the operators. While Rick Bentley [TASC senior tech, on staff since 1997] and I controlled the wings from behind stage, Bill Grayson and John Dunn [respectively, project manager and technical director for Goddard Group] controlled the head, eyes and beak from the lighting stand in the crowd area. In our own way, I think we had as much fun as any of the festival patrons. And I’m now a lot more familiar with rave music. To ensure smooth, elegant motion of the massive wings, we had looked at the normal Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) technology and decided on some unique modifications to the system. Additional mechanical animations used pneumatics. The system came together beautifully and TASC was able to bring to life the creative vision for Insomniac Events and the Electric Daisy Carnival.

From Billboard, June 24: “The festival’s best year yet was all about the owl, not the talent. The blue owl’s head bobs, gently but unmistakably - which taking into account its massive size is already a bit of a wonder. Up and down, side to side it goes, its plasma retinas brightening or narrowing in reaction to the music; part mood ring, part intensity meter. When one DJ finishes playing, its giant wings close and envelop the booth below it, allowing for discreet changeover between artists and the anticipation/release of a big reveal for every set.” On another project requiring motion control, King Kong 360 3D for Universal Studios, you specified a pneumatic system, rather than hydraulic. Tell us why that was the better choice for that particular job.

Sometimes massive loads can be moved most effectively using something other than hydraulics. TASC was brought into the project to design and build four large motion bases that would move the Universal Trams around in concert with the action on the surrounding 3D films in the tram tunnel. A single section of the tram can weigh up to about 44,000 pounds with guests. Combined with the structure, you may be moving as much as 60,000 pounds around. Hydraulics is the solution most would likely turn to, but at TASC we had another idea: Air. We have done a lot of animation and show action equipment over the years using pneumatics, and I was convinced we could do these motion bases with a customization of that same simple technology. Working with Universal we built a mockup, and that demonstration showed that a pneumatic motion base could work beautifully, delivering motions that were lifelike and real. It’s another example of taking a robust existing technology, applying it in a new way, and getting a novel result that is also the right result - a dependable and simple to maintain system that fulfills the creative vision. I prefer to stay away from hydraulics if at all possible. They are expensive to build initially, and they are costly to maintain, and sooner or later you will have leaks. I have a saying, “I prefer not to use something I have to mop up.” Don’t get me wrong, there are cases where hydraulics are the best choice - but I have seen plenty of cases where other technology could have been used. ••• For more information, contact Melissa at mtownsend@attractionservices.com

TASC and Eli Roth’s Goretorium: William Grayson Production Services Bill Grayson, an industry veteran with a background in scenic production, was construction and technical manager for Eli Roth’s Goretorium, a 15,000-square-foot, year-round haunted house on the Las Vegas Strip. “Ron thrives on a fast paced, on-the-fly kind of situation. The guy’s brilliant and knows every part of his business backwards and forwards. In other words, he was a perfect fit to deliver the effects we wanted for Goretorium. We had a list of desired effects and we had three months. Ron accepted the challenge and within those three months, he had it all built, shipped and installed. He programmed everything, and it all worked exactly as designed. We opened on time with all effects running as expected. The client was thrilled, and has continued to call on TASC to augment things further. Ron is a true problem solver, interested in finding the real, best solution and always ready to embrace a better idea, whether it is his or someone else’s. He doesn’t waste time on power struggles, and he is honest about limitations. As a producer, I know I can push him: He’ll give me whatever he can, and if he says something can’t be done within the parameters of the project, I can trust him.”

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cool moves

Vehicles glide into the unload area at Antarctica. Photo by Martin Palicki

SeaWorld’s new Antarctica attraction unleashes the versatility of trackless vehicle technology by Martin Palicki

ehind the scenes, watching the trackless vehicles silently gliding across the floor to dock at the loading platform at Antarctica seems like a well-choreographed ballet. The cars, each capable of carrying 8 passengers, are round and larger than one might think. But there’s a lot going on “under the hood” of each vehicle. “And,” says Bill Bunting, half-joking, “we have to have a place to store all the batteries.” Bunting is the Manager of Business Development for Oceaneering Entertainment Systems, the design, engineering, and manufacturing firm responsible for the revolutionary ride system behind SeaWorld’s new Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin attraction, recently opened in Orlando. Determining how to power the vehicles proved to be one of the main challenges in creating the attraction. “The typical battery storage solution,” says Bunting, “is to build a vehicle with a giant battery pack that runs all day and charges all night, similar to a golf cart.” But there are limitations, and that type of system requires huge batteries that create other restrictions. In order to solve the problem, Oceaneering combined solutions developed in other industries in a new way. It makes sense, given the company’s background. Oceaneering’s

main business, as its name implies, is as a deep water submersible provider. Remember the Gulf oil spill a few years back? It was Oceaneering’s remote operating vehicles that helped stem the flow of oil into the water. The company also has a division focused on advanced technology for NASA, the U.S. Navy, and other government units. They got their start in the entertainment market after Universal Studios Orlando was opened. The initial Jaws attraction (now gutted to make way for a Harry Potter expansion) wasn’t performing reliably, so Universal asked Oceaneering (which knew two things really well: robots and water) to step in and fix the mechanical sharks. That led to more work for Universal, including several projects at Islands of Adventure, and from there, the company found itself entrenched in the entertainment market. But it was the other arms of Oceaneering that played a big role in Antarctica. The space technology wing had plenty of data and research on battery options and helped develop the solution: essentially a battery charging point at the load and unload stations that “top off” the battery every time a vehicle is stationary. But the batteries only scratch the surface of this first of its kind attraction.

Sure, there have been other trackless rides before, but most all of those still rely on a buried guide wire to follow. Antarctica’s ride paths can be changed in about fifteen minutes. It’s just one of the things that makes this technology different. “I forbade all the old rules of theme park design from entering my creative studio,” asserts Brian Morrow, Senior Director Attraction Development and Design at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. “I told my staff: If you walk through this threshold to participate on this project as a team member, you have to leave everything you believe to be true behind. Because we are going to reinvent everything and by doing so - removing those handcuffs of old design philosophy - we were able to really release preconceived notions of what was possible and create the incredible.” The attraction begins with several preshow scenes, each room designed to be slightly colder than the previous, to help acclimate guests from the Florida sunshine to the 30-degree Penguin habitat they will be in shortly. Guests enter a small chamber with their group of riders to watch a short final video preparing them for the story ahead, and reminding them that the adorable penguin, Puck, will be meeting

Multiple vehicles in each scene allow for different ride paths and experiences for each vehicle. Photo courtesy SeaWorld

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them on the ride shortly. A wall vanishes and before riders sits an empty ride vehicle, its door open to usher riders in like a mama penguin’s wing shielding her young. Somewhat secluded, riders may not realize there are four loading docks at Antarctica, and Bunting says the system can be designed to handle more docks. One benefit of the trackless system is that vehicles can be dispatched in any order, as soon as they are ready. If one vehicle is taking longer to load, it doesn’t hold up the other vehicles. Once a spot is open, a new vehicle glides in and parks to help keep throughput high. Incidentally, the units have a 4mm parking precision. The margin of error during the rest of the ride varies based on speed and location, although vehicles are able to come with a foot of each other. Guests then embark on the mild or wild experience they selected earlier in the queue (the system defaults to mild unless the operator chooses wild). Wild or mild has a direct impact on how much of the vehicle’s movement capability is actually used. Each car offers pitch and roll, 360-degree continuous yaw (spinning), and the base unit can rotate independently of the top. That means guests’ direction can be

targeted to one specific point while the vehicle is moving in a different direction (that’s important for viewing 3D, even though that’s not a part of Antarctica). Morrow didn’t think that much control over guests’ line of vision was important. In fact, he wanted the complete opposite. He wanted guests to look where they please, and even interact with other guests, much like a real penguin would. One of Morrow’s favorite moments is when one vehicle turns around and sees another vehicle and does a penguin bow. The other vehicle mimics it and they start moving together. “The guests are face to face and start to interact with one another,” says Morrow. It’s clear that this experience is something different. “This is not a dark ride,” says Morrow. “I think that is a hideous word to use for this ride. This is a new genre that I’m waiting to have identified. We do not restrict your views. We do not have show forward motion. We have 360 experiences like the real world. There’s freedom here. We remove those old barriers of 3D glasses and big walls on ride vehicles. I don’t want to ride around

in a coffin, I want to ride in an open vehicle and see the world and look at what I choose to look at and not be told what to do by a ride. The ride is not in control anymore, the guests are now in control of their experience.” Of course, there are various systems that ensure everything runs smoothly. Vehicles are highly intelligent and recognize each other as individual units, knowing where other units are, where they are going and what to do. Oceaneering developed a sophisticated control system to ensure redundant safety and reliability. Each vehicle is equipped with an on-board guidance system. It reads passive markers laid in the floor, buried in the concrete just below the surface. Each marker, about the size of a quarter, helps create a grid pattern that the guidance system recognizes. Each vehicle’s position is uploaded to a central system that monitors all the vehicles and a third system oversees both of those subsystems to make sure everything is okay. Any one of the three control systems can shut the ride down. For added safety, trip tape is affixed to the edge of all cars that immediately shuts down all movement when activated should a vehicle encounter any unexpected objects in the ride path.

Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin™ at SeaWorld® Orlando With the creation of the icy landscape of SeaWorld Orlando’s Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin™, The Nassal Company helps tell the story of the penguins and the environment in which they live in ways that are meaningful, enjoyable and most important — memorable.

Congratulations SeaWorld!

www.nassal.com

But why trackless? “Why not trackless?” responds Mike Denninger, Corporate Senior Director of Rides and Maintenance for SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. “With all the flybys and all the interactions [with the other vehicles] the trackless system with the motion base on top of the transport was a perfect complement to what we were trying to offer for the overall guest experience.” In other words, going trackless was the best way to allow guests to feel like they are a penguin slipping and sliding along the ice. And, in reality, the team pretty much achieved that. The vehicles silently glide around on the industrial grade flat cement floor as if they were on ice (at speeds up to 6ft/second), and the 4ton motion simulator replicates the penguin waddle to guests’ amusement. The ride is quick, with open-space scenes that the vehicles traverse, each one choosing one of several programmed routes, nearly guaranteeing a different ride experience each time. The ride ends with a dramatic reveal of the live penguin environment before the vehicles spin around a corner and drop guests off in the middle of the snowy habitat, where they can get almost close enough to touch the birds. Guests are likely to be so transfixed by the penguins in front of

them they might not even notice their vehicle slowly gliding away to pick up the next group of riders.

Antarctica Rocks: Behind the scenes with Nassal

“The technology is clean and it’s invisible,” says Morrow. That was important to the park in creating an attraction designed for the entire family. And what’s next for this technology? Morrow thinks it may be possible for riders to actually control the movement of their vehicles in future iterations. Bunting thinks the sky is the limit.

1) What are some fun facts about SeaWorld’s Antarctica? • We had 352,922 feet of rebar for the project (almost 67 miles!) • Approx. 1800 cubic yards of concrete • Approx. 200 tons of rebar cage· • Approx. 1300 gallons of paint • Approx. 300 cubic yards of stucco • For the Ice – close to 1500 gallons of acrylic

“There is nothing prototypical about this technology,” says Bunting. “We simply brought together proven technologies from other industries and combined them in a new way.” The vehicle tracking system, for instance, came directly from automotive assembly factories and the battery systems originated in space exploration equipment.

2) How did you become skilled in recreating rockwork? Rockwork is a skill and artistry. Nassal is fortunate to have some of the most talented rockwork carvers, artists, and painters in the industry on our team. Real-world experience, training, and a natural skill for creating realistic rock that mimics the icy landscape of Antarctica or the savannas of Africa (to name just a couple), makes Nassal artists and carvers hands-on and talented.

“Once the creatives in our industry understand how this system works and sees it firsthand at SeaWorld, then we will start to understand exactly what this system is capable of and how it can grow,” says Bunting. “Until then, we’ve only scratched the surface of trackless vehicle technology.” • • •

3) What exciting projects are you working on now? We are working on some major projects in Orlando and around the world that we will be able to talk about soon.

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versatility in motion advances allow for more realism in animatronics by Bill Butler, Creative Design Director, Garner Holt Productions, Inc.

n June, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room at The Disneyland Resort in California turned 50—half a century of singing birds, crooning flowers, and drumming, winking, chanting tikis. The attraction was the world’s first to feature real, full-fledged animatronic figures controlled by early reel-to-reel tape (the “audio” in “AudioAnimatronic”) animation systems and powered by linear pneumatic cylinders. The Tiki Room proved that dimensional animation was both feasible and popular with guests. For Walt Disney, visionary behind what the figures would mean for his Disneyland audience, animatronics were never tiring, flexible, and appealing mechanical actors. For themed attraction designers, an entirely new form of storytelling technology was born. Fast forward half a century to today, and animatronics are ubiquitous in theme parks, themed shopping and dining, museums, casinos, and many other places. They are a versatile medium capable of a wide range of guises and performances drawn from an infinite array of character and story sources. Today, almost all major show-centered rides open with use of animatronic technology in one form or another—from Disney’s Radiator Springs Racers

and Mystic Manor, to Universal’s Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, plus countless smallerbudget attractions at parks around the world. Guests have come to expect figures in themed experiences both inside and out of theme park gates, leading designers to look to animatronics as a unique method of engaging visitors. Garner Holt Productions, Inc. (GHP) has built more animatronic figures than any other organization in the world, some 4,000 individual figures over 36 years of business experience. In just the past year, the company’s creations were put to use in just about every type of themed venue imaginable. Last summer, a dozen of the company’s animatronics debuted as the stars of Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure. The attraction is purportedly the most expensive ever created. At the same time, on an entirely different budget model, GHP built an animated jazz band—each member is 30 inches tall and heavily caricatured—for ROSHEN Confectionary in the Ukraine, and an exceptionally lifelike Morgan horse for the Fort Sill Museum in Lawton, Oklahoma. This year, GHP re-imagined the classic Timber Mountain Log Ride (1969) at Knott’s Berry

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Farm by designing all-new show scenes and populating them with nearly 60 animatronic people and animals. In May, Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland opened with more than a dozen GHP animatronic figures and animated props, and the company just completed work on an interactive dark ride for a park in Seoul, South Korea, design for animatronic elements for a major grocery store chain in the eastern US, and is in the midst of creating a new interactive animatronic exhibit for the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. Moving figures are nothing new in the entertainment, educational, and retail world. In the mid-nineteenth century, many clockmakers also created automata (clockwork moving figures representing people and animals) for magicians, theaters, and wealthy collectors. At the dawn of the twentieth century, a number of companies in the United States and Europe specialized in motorized figures for store windows. Their customers ranged from tobacconists and grocers to toy shops, barbers, and department stores. The same manufacturers were enlisted to create figures for the nascent themed entertainment industry: simple motorized characters for early dark rides and “scenic

lot of savvy companies are starting to do that sort of thing in stores.”

The stylized animatronics at the ROSHEN Confectionary. Photo by Garner Holt Productions railroads.” Later, the producers of world’s fair pavilions turned to these companies to make dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures come back to life in dramatic displays. As dimensional animation became more available, its popularity and application increased. Companies like GHP carry the mantle of those early animation manufacturers. But where early companies began primarily as fabricators for the stage and retail environments, only later making their way into theme parks, today’s animatronics companies usually have the opposite experience. Much of this is owed to Disney’s pioneering efforts in modern animation, replacing reciprocating electric motors with linear, computer-controlled actuation capable of more varied, smooth, and realistic performances. Even Disneyland’s first animated figures were of the old-fashioned motorized variety. With the increase in sophistication of animation technology, the old ways seemed hokey and amateurish. As a result, audience expectation for realism increased, eventually putting those early animation manufacturers out of business and giving rise to a cottage industry of animatronics companies born from Disney’s efforts (and in many cases founded by its former employees).

The past two decades have seen the rise of animatronics in new locations outside park gates, like the globally successful Rainforest Cafes, Chuck E. Cheese FECs, and even in places like Ripley’s Believe it or Not museums. Traditionally non-theme-oriented companies like ROSHEN Confectionary are beginning to embrace animatronics for their stores. The Eastern-European candy giant approached GHP to design a funky, funny animatronic “jazz” band for a new flagship location in Kiev last year. The characters were modeled to resemble classic musician troupes, from a pouty rock guitarist to a soulful blues bassist and free-spirited reggae drummer, fronted by a sultry singer straight out of a 1930’s dance club. “The figures and their performance are designed purely for the delight of ROSHEN’s customers,” Holt said. “They reinforce an image of fun, high-quality products and are really a form of subtle advertising. A

The versatility of animatronics as a technology— for selling a story or a product, performing history or underscoring fun—has ensured its longevity, half a century on. And because animatronics are the ultimate actors, they can continue to define roles in all sorts of venues. “A lot of people ask us if animatronics are getting replaced by other things, like video effects,” said Holt. “But I really don’t think that will happen. It’s an old technology, but it still fascinates people. You can’t do the same things without dimensional characters. Audiences just love animatronics.” •••

Knott’s Berry Farm’s Timber Mountain Log Ride received a massive animatronic upgrade. Photo courtesy Garner Holt Productions

Today, organizations like GHP and others service mainly the themed entertainment industry, but a significant portion of business comes from outside theme park gates. “For about fifteen years, I actually did more non-theme park work than I did rides and shows,” said Garner Holt, GHP’s founder and president. “Chuck E. Cheese restaurants were my biggest customer and I did a lot of work for shopping malls, like Caesars’ Forum Shops. We did a large number of projects for FAO Schwarz and others. Now, retail projects probably account for about 20% of our output.”

Less subtle, but equally entertaining, were GHP’s efforts for the Timber Mountain Log Ride. The original 1969 cast of mostly static figures was replaced this year with state-of-the-art animatronics. The availability of true animatronics to anyone but Disney at the time the attraction was originally opened led designer and builder Wendell “Bud” Hurlbut to use largely motionless characters and taxidermy animals, punctuated in a few places by simple motorized figures. “I think Bud would have used animatronics had they been readily available and affordable,” said Holt. “But, at the time, only Disney had the wherewithal to make and use them. Now we’ve gone in and put some ‘new wine in an old bottle’ in the Log Ride.” Although a successful attraction for nearly half a century, animatronics allowed the Timber Mountain Log Ride to become an immersive themed experience on par with any of the world’s greatest attractions.

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slide sensitivity using technology to keep waterpark guests safe interview with Sam Baker, SR Scales, by SR Instruments, Inc.

he World Health Organization reports that world wide obesity has more than doubled since 1980. Of the estimated 1.46 billion overweight adults in the world, 502 million are classified as “obese.” Waterpark operators must meet the needs of larger visitors, while acknowledging safety limitations and being sensitive to guest needs. We spoke with Sam Baker of SR Scales, by SR Instruments, Inc. on how park operators can provide the best options for all their guests while maintaining a safe and efficient environment. What concerns do waterparks have with accommodating larger guests on attractions? Chiefly, parks want to ensure their guests are comfortable and enjoy their time. Operators also want to put as many people through an attraction as safely possible, in order to keep lines short and guests happy. Many manufacturers designate rides with the easily understood “PPM” People Per Minute designator. This gives ride operators clear expectations as to potentials for activity on the ride as well as the very important revenue factor. One way to keep PPM numbers high is by ensuring guests meet the rider requirements before they wait in line and are turned away at the loading point. What sort of accommodations can operators be making? Accommodation may take many forms: wider seats, longer catch pools, small, medium, and large inner tubes, operational changes and possibly even design changes for certain rides. Multi-person rides continue to be popular and manufacturers are creating more and more spectacular rides. Those rides, by the very characteristics of their design, have specific weight limits. Obviously, manufacturers, insurers, and operators are concerned about the safety of attractions. Operators clearly benefit from adhering to manufacturers recommended weight limits. The elimination of guesswork on weight restricted rides, by the use of scales, can go a long way to ensure safety for everyone, while eliminating subjectivity for attendants.

How should park operators deal with height and weight requirements? Many are doing a good job stating requirements for specific rides on their websites. This gives a heads-up to visitors who take the time to check. Also, signs are almost always posted at ride entrances indicating height and weight limits. Not everyone reads signs, however. In many cases, parks measure height as a way to manage safety. Height is a fairly easy thing to measure, and often does not carry the same stigma associated with weight. It is very important to note that height is NOT necessarily a good or accurate indicator of weight. Consequently height measurement can and should be used for safety purposes on rides that actually have height requirements. For determining weight it represents no more than a guess. For rides that have weight requirements, the simplest and most obvious method of determining the weight of one or multiple riders is to use a scale. Perhaps most importantly, training attendants and lifeguards to deal with weight requirements in a careful, sensitive, and customer-friendly way is critical to creating a safe, fun, and nonthreatening environment for park guests. What factors are important when considering the use of a scale? There are five tips I recommend to any operator when choosing a scale: 1) Select a scale “Purpose Built” for use in a water environment. 316 Stainless Steel and moisture sealed components provide for a properly functioning and long lasting unit in the harsh heat and humid environment of outdoor water parks. Indoor facilities present even more challenges having more corrosive environments containing chloramines. 2) It should be clearly obvious that a system showing actual weight is a prescription for trouble, delays, and potential embarrassment. A user-friendly red light/ green light system with or

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without an audible alarm, makes work easy and expedient for attendants. Avoiding disagreements and potential embarrassment is a key issue for keeping lines moving, and customers happy. 3) Positioning the scale early on in the rider queue helps to move riders along with minimal delay and avoids potential disgruntled customers at the end of a long wait and after climbing the steps of a tower. Many towers are the launch point for more than one ride, in some cases, rides with two different weight requirements launch from the same tower. In that case, a single scale at the beginning of the queue can meet that need, and individual scales at the launch point could provide a “double check.” 4) As a visitor accommodation and good“PR” strategy , attendants should be prepared, if at all possible, with complimentary passes to a variety of other venues that would be accommodating for visitors who do not qualify for certain attractions. A pleasant and cheerful attitude for attendants will go a long way to encourage the “fun” factor in what could be a difficult situation. 5) A good purpose-built scale should operate well for many years with minimal maintenance. For long term use, the lowest price may not be the most cost effective, as with any product containing electronics it is always beneficial to have competent customer and technical service readily available. A warranty past 90 days should provide a clue to the manufacturer’s confidence in the scale. • • • Sam Baker has been the Director - Global Development with SR Instruments for the last 5 years. SR is a US manufacturer of scale systems, used in medical applications , as stand alone scales, for Hospitals, veterinarians, Zoos, aquariums, fitness centers, and waterparks. Mr. Baker’s career has been in sales, marketing, and new business development.