Amusement park operators have lately begun to rely on immersive technology to change the dynamics of how their parks operate.
Immersive technology is being used along with virtual reality experiences and facial recognition to reinvent the amusement parks. Immersive technology also seeks to make the amusement park experience more flexible for people of all age groups.
Immersive technology can help cater to a whole range of different demands from people craving different experiences.
Walt Disney, the largest amusement park operator in the world as of 2018 (with profits of $4.5 billion), is at the forefront of advocating for immersive experiences in amusement parks. Walt Disney has been trying to promote immersive experiences inside its theme parks and even outside with moderate success.
Halycon, the Galactic Starcruiser hotel, based on the popular Star Wars franchise is meant to transport guests to an immersive hotel experience for two whole nights, where they have the feeling of being in the Star Wars world.
The guests are all supposed to arrive together and leave together. Between this time, there are various activities they can choose from. Disney is making sure to create activities to make the visitors feel like part of the Star Wars universe from the very moment they arrive.
The adventure begins with the guests entering a simulated space pod. From here, they are taken away to their hotel, the Starcruiser.
Activities on board will include fan-favourites such as training to be a pilot, battles using a lightsaber, interactions with favourite characters, and even themed dinners . Moreover, each of the guest cabins will include a view into ‘space’!
According to Ann Morrow Johnson, the creative director and executive producer of Disney Imagineering, “Be wary of who you make allegiances with. The choices you make affect the course of your journey and ultimately determine how your Star Wars story unfolds.”
Furthermore, Disney has also announced a space-themed restaurant. The restaurant will be located inside Epcot’s Mission: Space pavilion and will be called Space 220. This out-of-this-world restaurant will ‘launch’ those who wish to be astronauts to a space station that will be located 220 miles away from Earth.
This restaurant uses similar immersive technology similar as the space pod in the Starcruiser. The restaurant will provide grand views of the space station at all times of day and night. It will also simultaneously provide day time and night time views of Earth so that the visitors get the feeling of floating in the stars, far above humanity.
Immersive technology is on the brink of bringing about massive change to the way amusement parks operate. Universal studios is also planning on inculcating immersive technology together with virtual reality and facial recognition as part of improving and modernizing the amusement park experience for people of all ages.
