HFT 4755 Theme Park and Attraction Management

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HFT 4755 Theme Park and Attraction Management

• The Theme Park and Attraction Product

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Today

• What is THE PRODUCT
• The role of
• Rides, roller coasters and thrill rides
• Mascots and characters
• Animatronics
• Dark rides
• Entertainment

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Product What is it?

• Anything which can be offered to a market for
  attention, acquisition, use or consumption that
  might satisfy a need or want (Kotler et. al.
  1998, 208).
• 3 distinct levels
• Core product (the desired outcome)
• Actual product (the item or experience purchased)
• Augmented product (assistance in helping the
  client to consume)
• Branded experiences

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Product Planning and the 5 Rights

• The right product
• The right time to put that product on the market
• The right price
• The right quantity
• The right place

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The Intangible Product Difference

• Participation levels are a measure of success
• Cannot be sampled, tasted or pre-tested
• Augmentations make each experience unique
• Delivered by people
• Tangible yet intangible
• Cannot be stored
• Produced and consumed at the same time
• Seasonal by nature

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How do the elements contribute to the attraction
experience

• Rides, roller coasters and thrill rides
• Mascots and characters
• Animatronics
• Dark rides
• Entertainment

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Lets talk about thrill rides

• Why so popular?
• Excitement?
• Daring?
• Thrill and adrenaline?
• Blend of sights sounds speed and FEAR produces
  the thrill

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Video The Science of Fun Thrill Ride

• TASK Based on your readings for roller coasters,
  your viewing of video and your experience of
  thrill rides indicate what are
• A. The core product
• B. The actual product, and
• C. Augmented product.
• Indicate whether you think that these have
  changed as thrill rides have evolved from
  coasters to more computer generated experiences.
  Is there a difference and if so why?
• Report your findings.

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Ride safety

• MYTH 
• Measured in fatalities per 100 million passenger
  miles, coasters have a higher fatality rate than
  planes, trains, and buses.
• REALITY
• Efforts have been made to recast our outstanding
  safety record in various ways on occasion, but
  the simple fact remains that whats at issue here
  is an annual average of two fatalities related to
  fixed rides in the entire country.
• In marked contrast, federal data shows that the
  number of deaths on Americas roadways was
  roughly 42,636 in 2004, according to the National
  Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  Thus, it
  would seem to make no sense to waste federal
  dollars on an activity that is already being
  well-regulated under the current system.

(Source IAAPA (2006) http//www.iaapa.org/modules
/MediaNews/)
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In conclusion

• The theme park and attraction through the
  amalgam of experiences creates the desired
  product/outcome, EXCITEMENT, ENTERTAINMENT,
  EDUCATION!

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Next class

• Animatronics
• Elliott, Frank (2003). Move it or Loose it.
  Funworld. 19(4) 36-41.
• OBrien, Tim (2005). Mastering the Craft Sally
  Corporation. Funworld. 21(8) 44-48.
• Dark Rides
• Bederka, Mike (2003). To the Extreme. Funworld.
  19(6) 45-49.
• Elliott, Frank (2003) When the Lights Go Out.
  Funworld. 19(10) 42-57.
• Entertainment
• Wolf, Paige (2003). Tough Act to Follow.
  Funworld. 19(4) 56-60.
• Mascots and Characters
• Gerson, Vicki (1996). From Frogs to Futuristic
  Aliens Mascots. Funworld. 12(4) 42-48.