Vaughn M Hannon

This is the second of two recent articles I wrote for The Bezark Company to be published in Blooloop. The published version is here: https://blooloop.com/theme-park/opinion/phones-in-theme-parks/

Theme parks are built as transportive worlds that bring us together and lead us on adventures with our families and friends. As technology and devices proliferate in every aspect of our lives, it’s increasingly noticeable that groups of people, in a place where they are meant to be together, manage to spend much of that time apart. Phones are out, earbuds are in, watches are flicked and tapped as we check in on the world we’re momentarily trying to escape. As experience designers we want guests to forget about the outside world and really immerse themselves in a crafted world, whether a theme park, museum, pop up, or something in between. Not everyone buys in, of course, but the hope is that the staunchest objector to reality suspension will crack a smile here and there. The portals to reality are in the palms of our hands and it encroaches upon the designer’s well thought out intentions. 

Tech develops rapidly. In the same way that home theater systems have sufficiently mimicked the movie theater experience, increasingly complex and immersive experiences are available at home. As virtual reality emerged it required expensive, heavy hardware and complicated installation. As the tech evolved, costs came down, hardware got lighter, and setup became easier. As VR was enjoying a brief moment in theme parks it was also becoming attainable to the home user and, as it turns out, it’s a better home experience. In the never ending search for new ways to tell stories and enthrall guests, it’s tempting to enlist the latest gadget to draw them in. Our guests aren’t asking us to bolt the latest tech fad to our existing attractions. Look at what the guests are already using and meet them there.  

The present day dilemma is the tiny computer, and its accessories, that we all carry in our pockets. At the first sign of indifference the phone is unlocked and the guest is lost in an endless scroll of…whatever. Along with the phone come earbuds further sealing guests off from the rich world around them. Many attempts to incorporate these devices are being made, with varying results. In fact, it’s almost impossible to spend a day in certain parks without the phone to guide you but it can be much more than a fun management system. 

A great place to start is the queue. Whether it’s a traditional maze of chain and stanchions or a pre-show waiting zone, when the guests are asked to wait, the phones come out. (even after we spent all that money on that incredible pre-show media loop). Every queue could offer a custom experience that can be accessed via phone. While asking guests to use a specialized app adds friction, there are options for rich, interactive experiences that don’t involve building software for specific platforms. This makes updating and upgrading easier for the operations team and seamless for the guest. These added experiences must be easy to access and easy to engage with while expanding the world and adding to the story. 

Let’s give the eyeballs a rest and really immerse the guests as they move through the world. There’s at least one person in every group who has their earbuds in during their entire visit. Audio based experiences are highly compelling and underused. Build in soundscapes that can only be heard by those who choose to hear it. Tell new stories. Tell old stories. Enrich the world that’s been built. Audio is a powerful tool for delivering narratives and with location based triggers there are opportunities for some creative wayfinding.

Tie these mini experiences into the rest of the park and there’s a more compelling reason for the guest to engage. The stories don’t have to connect to each other but those that do deepen the relationship between our built worlds and the guest. Beyond the story opportunities we may entice folks to engage with virtual gifts, discounts on food and merchandise, connection to a larger game/story, opportunities to partake in exclusive events… Guests are going to use their devices no matter what so let’s give them a reason to interact with the world we’ve built instead of only using them to fill the void before the loading zone. 

Attempts are being made. Augmented reality overlays and selfie filters are fun snacks but there must be more. Disney created the DataPad to enhance the guest’s experience and help them feel more integrated into day to day life on Batuu when they opened Galaxy’s Edge. There we are able to interact with the physical surroundings and perform quests that add context and backstory to the attractions making them feel richer and more alive. It is a great example of how to use a guest’s device to further engage them and expand their experience. It lives on, buried in the Play Disney app, though virtually unchanged from opening day. Meow Wolf also attempts to engage with their own app though it’s not required to enjoy the experience, it broadens and connects the worlds. The unspoken promise of something like these companion apps is that they will evolve and grow over time, which is important not only for returning guests but to keep the world active and alive.   

This all walks a fine line. While we don’t want to encourage people to be buried in their phones all day, it is our present reality. Future consumer tech is on its way and there will be more devices to further separate guests from their experience. There’s a possibility that we’ll all be wearing some version of augmented reality glasses in 5 to 10 years. The screens will be on our faces and the temptation to dip back into the endless pit of the online world will be extreme. We need to lay the foundation now for what guests can expect alongside the twisted steel and fiberglass and there needs to be real effort behind it. Treat this weird virtual space as another show or attraction and make a commitment to support and evolve it to measure real results. Now is the time to craft stories and games that exist between the two minutes of thrill that people are seeking. Fill the liminal spaces of your park, museum, theater, with a story layer that keeps guests engaged and, yes, probably spending more money.