Every park and facility has hundreds of elements they can focus on to increase the value they provide to their guests. Ask any visitor, however, what most impacts their visit to an amusement facility and their answer is likely to boil down to efficiency. When systems and operations don’t work as well as they should, guests are inconvenienced and breakdowns (mechanical or otherwise) occur.
InPark visited with three companies that are taking advantage of advances in technology to make parks more efficient both for their employees and their guests. The result is value-added service at a minimal cost.
Lo-Q
While there seem to be almost as many line-reduction systems in place as there are parks, Lo-Q has succeeded in adding technology and marketing value to a specialized solution. Already in place at several Six Flags parks throughout the country as well as in a variety of European locations, the Lo-Q system relies on small waterproof pagers guests rent and scan at various ride entry points to secure their place in line. A sophisticated algorithm computes the approximate actual wait time and notifies the guests when it is time to come back to the ride and experience it.
The lightweight Q-bot, as it is called, comes with a carabineer that easily attaches to a belt loop. Rental rates vary from a $10-$15 flat fee plus an additional $10-$15 per person in the group. Some parks also offer a less egalitarian level of service that essentially allows the users to cut past 3/4 of the line and makes their wait time only a quarter of the actual line time. This “Gold” level service is significantly more expensive.
InPark tried out the system at Six Flags St. Louis over the busy July 4th holiday weekend. Admittedly, the device was kind of fun and easy to use. The park offered one centralized location where several rides could be scheduled in a row, but using the scanning device at the entrance of the included rides was just as simple in a park of this size.
While the crowds were not overwhelming, the Q-bot was handy to have at the always popular Scooby Doo! Ghostblasters dark ride, the water rides, and Mr. Freeze. After scanning the Q-bot, we were told when our ride time would be, and we were free to take in a show, eat lunch, or peruse the shops. We could also scan our next ride or rides, though we wouldn’t be added to the virtual queue until we had ridden the previous ride. A few minutes before our scheduled ride time, the Q-bot would beep and shake and we reported to the ride, re-scanned the little fella, and took the special entrance to our waiting seats.
Unfortunately, the one place we really could have used the Lo-Q system it was unavailable: Hurricane Harbor. Actually, that would make a lot of sense, too. After all, who could argue with scanning the Q-bot for the family raft slide and then leisurely lounging in the lazy river until the scheduled slide ride?
Perhaps the best value parks can derive from the system is what the Lo-Q people call Proximity Marketing. When passing through various parts of the park, our Q-bot reminded us of special food prices or merchandise sales. The best part is it actually worked! When deciding what to enjoy for dinner, we opted for Villian’s fajitas, as recommended by our Q-bot earlier in the day. Of additional value to park operators and guests alike is the ability to schedule seating for shows using Lo-Q, notification to scheduled riders of unexpected downtimes, and locating lost parents through the Lo-Q tracking system.
Though the cost of renting a Q-bot can be prohibitive for some people, hopefully over time prices will lower as the parks realize the value of having more people on the Lo-Q system and the various opportunities the technology presents to them.
More information on Lo-Q can be found on the web at www.Lo-Q.com.
Control Chief
While Lo-Q has a direct impact on guests that they can identify, not all investments a park may make are as easily identifiable by the average park visitor. But by making their visit more enjoyable and less problematic, companies can affect value just as easily behind the scenes.
Control Chief, a Bradford, Pennsylvania company, has specialized in providing remote control systems for various industries, including material handling, railroads, and factory automation. Recently, they were contacted by an amusement park also in Pennsylvania. Their drop tower ride was having a recurring mechanical problem.
In order for the cars to release at the top of the ride, a pin, locking the cars in place, would have to disengage, allowing the ride to be completed. Occasionally, the pin would not disengage and the ride was forced to go down. Maintenance would be called to climb up the tower, manually release the pin, and reset the ride. All the while, people were stopped on the ride, and throughput dropped to zero.
The simple solution was to install a servo motor on the end of the pin, providing a backup, and saving maintenance the time of having to ascend the tower. Initially, the park planned on hard wiring the motor, but found more value in Control Chief’s wireless option. The system they installed cost under $1,000 and is virtually maintenance-free. Installation was completed in about three hours. Now the ride operator is able to control the motor with a remote control from the safest, most reliable location.
The value provided to the park was in more than just the wiring. The wire and conduit would have cost around $700 to install, but wires corrode and conduit needs to be maintained. Ongoing maintenance of wired systems far exceeds that of wireless. Additionally, park guests received the benefit of reduced down time. Individuals on the ride are rarely aware that something different has happened, and more people going on the ride means riders are happy and more ride tickets are sold.
According to Kelly Case, Director of Marketing for Control Chief, “Guests may not particularly care how a ride operates, but they are extremely cognizant of problems or inefficiencies. Our products work to minimize the negatives and maximize efficient, safe operation.”
Most carousels, for example, typically have to run a heavy gauge wire between the ticket or control booth and the center column of the ride. Not only can this be a safety hazard for people entering and exiting the ride, but most parks have to replace that wire every 24 months. A standard wireless receiver from Control Chief comes pre-wired, so maintenance can simply attach it to the motor, and the remote controller can be placed anywhere, eliminating both safety and replacement concerns. The value for guests and parks increases.
New applications for the technology are brought to light every day. While at the IAAPA 2004 trade show in Orlando, Control Chief was approached by Jeff Wilson, the president of Extreme Engineering. The company was looking for a solution for their Monkey Motion bungee jumping system. The standard wired controller used to raise and lower the jumper allowed for only a 15 foot range. The Summit Series SC1400 Wireless Controller provided by Control Chief now gives the operator a 300 foot range allowing them to more easily assist jumpers without being tied to one spot.
According to Jeff, the value provided was inherent in the design of the product. “The wireless controller is a very good, robust system that was very easy to install. We have not had one system failure.” Jeff ’s reliability test included running over the transmitter with his pickup truck and throwing it across the concrete shop floor. Though his jumpers may not realize the wires holding them in place are being controlled wirelessly, they certainly appreciate the reliability and efficiency the attraction offers. “Even beyond the efficiency and maintenance benefits,” explains Kelly Case, “Control Chief designs its products to provide reliable and effective systems parks can use to create a better experience for their guests.”
More information about Control Chief can be found on the web at www.controlchief.com or by calling 800-233-3016. Information on Extreme Engineering is available online at www.extremeengineering.com.
Dynamic Card
Even smaller facilities that do not feature giant thrill rides can benefit from advances in technology. According to Ryan Lederman of Dynamic Card, the cross-promotional and marketing benefits game cards offer have come a long way.
Game and gift cards have been around for quite some time, but their popularity has surged as the world continues to digitize. Even Walt Disney World recently announced a Shopping & Dining Gift Card available at various merchandise and food locations throughout the resort.
Dynamic Card noticed this trend three years ago and began producing the various types of plastic cards popular as hotel keys, gift cards, and arcade game cards. They also saw an opportunity to really partner with their customer and go the extra mile for customer service. “We continually monitor our customer’s inventory and make sure they do not run out of cards, even over-printing quantities just in case they run out,” explains Lederman.
Though the value they provide to their customers is evident, what about the value the cards provide to guests?
Compared to tokens, the typical game card acts as a traveling billboard, residing in wallets and purses, proudly proclaiming the name of the gaming establishment, and reminding the patron they must go back for another visit. On a larger scale, fully integrated systems can take even better advantage of game cards. A school on a trip to the local theme park could collect money from parents ahead of time and put that balance on game or debit cards that could be used for food, games, or merchandise. Parents would then be assured their money was not being funneled by their children into the local comic book store or candy shop.
Clearly, the trend is towards multi-functionality. “Dynamic Card just developed a new game card that has an integrated key tag that also acts as the reward card,” explains Lederman. Even better, that seems to only be the beginning. In the near future, companies partnering on marketing programs could offer a reward card that benefited both businesses. For example, customers could gain points on their card by purchasing tickets at the local movie theater that would be redeemable towards food purchases or video games inside the nearby theme park. The possibilities are endless and only limited by corporate creativity.
For more information on Dynamic Card, visit them on the web at www.dynamiccard.com or by calling 877-786-9569.
The value of merchandising
Just because you don’t work in Operations doesn’t mean you can’t affect a guest’s value. Retail shops that are appealing and orderly are just as valuable as the merchandise. InPark spoke with Smart Furniture CEO Stephen Culp about the ways Smart Furniture can help park retailers showcase their valuables.
inpark: Why did you enter the theme park market?
Actually, we were invited. Terry Eise with Paramount’s Kings Dominion came to our booth at StoreXpo in 2003 and placed their first order a few months later. I think he was drawn to Smart Furniture’s flexibility — which makes Smart Furniture an ideal fixturing option for theme parks. Operations Managers and Visual Merchandisers can change the look and feel of the park gift shops as often as weekly or as little as seasonally. Smart Furniture accommodates a variety of products with its simple, intuitive, component-based design, and our product’s “flat-packability” allows for convenient storage of unused components for later use. The design possibilities are infinite; therefore, when a new layout is needed, the components can come out of storage and be ready to go immediately.
inpark: When does your relationship with the customer end?
Our relationship with the customer never ends, since our customers’ needs change over time, and our relationship with that customer is as important to us as the sale. Not only do we provide a wonderful product which adapts to those changing needs, but we provide unparalleled, award-winning customer service, pre-purchase design assistance, and on-site in-store layout and unit design services. We also listen to our customers and incorporate their feedback into our products and services.
inpark: Parks have been upgrading and modernizing giftshops. How does Smart Furniture fit within this overall upgrade?
Not only is Smart Furniture designed specifically with upgrading in mind, but it accommodates the recent emphasis by companies on trying to do more with less. Smart Furniture gives parks the freedom to design their own fixturing and assemble it on-site, without tools, in a matter of hours. Similarly, the high-end visual merchandiser can develop intricate store layouts and themes with minimal effort. Our tool-free, multi- patented line of display shelving puts the power in the hands of the customer, to address their needs in they way they prefer. Moreover, Smart Furniture obviates the need for expensive skilled labor, eliminates the need for months-ahead planning, and typically allows multiple full-store layouts to be deliverable in about 10 business days.
