FLOW MANAGEMENT: VISITOR DISTRIBTUION SYSTEMS OF AMUSMENT PARKS

By: James Hare and Eric StratmanFreshman Conference Spring 2015

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The Three Components of a Visitor Distribution SystemData Collection

Modeling the Data

Utilization of Models

Visitor Distribution Systems

Impact and Sustainability

Visitor Distribution Systems (VDS) in theme parks are systems that continually analyze, predict, and react to the flow of guest traffic. Monitoring guest flow allows theme parks to create an optimal experience for all visitors, maximize profits, and practice greater control over the park as a whole.

One could imagine the VDS as the pipes which make up the plumbing of an amusement park and the guests as the fluid. Just as plumbing uses pipes to direct the net flow of liquids, VDSs use park paths, queue lines, and other techniques to control the flow of visitors and ultimately the logistics of the park.

Visitor distribution systems have three main steps: data collection, modeling the data, and the utilization of these models. These three components are interrelated and vital to creating an effective VDS.

Impact on guests: An effective VDS is the difference between a poor theme park experience, beset by long lines and overcrowding, and an excellent one, in which crowds and wait times are minimized.

Impact on Park Companies: The VDS is ultimately designed to increase park profits. VDSs enable theme parks to bring in more guests due to elevated park capacity, increasing profits made on ticket sales. Additionally, the control attained through applying VDSs allow parks to increase park operation profits by strategically leading guests to merchandise and food stands during their visit.

Sustainability: The VDS is a sustainable technology, in that it will continue to provide returns on investment. This is especially true in strong economics times when theme park attendance is high, but VDSs also are funded during tougher economic times as it is a technology that must be invested in for theme park to stay competitive.

The first step in creating an effective and applicable visitor distribution system is to collect data necessary to understand the current park dynamics. The two types of data necessary for a visitor distribution system to function are data concerning the park guests and data concerning conditions of the park.

Park Data: Park logistics must also be understood to model the theme park. This information includes park layout, ride capacity, and queue times.

Guest Data: To understand the guest dynamics of theme parks, relevant information such as the age distribution and ride and attraction preferences of guests.

Information can be gathered using: Ticket Sales Guest and Employee Surveys Data obtained through RFID Technology

RFID wristband used to give park operators data on guest and park dynamics

Industrial engineers then create a model of the theme park and attempt to turn the seemingly disorganized nature of park goers into a numeric system. This is done by analyzing the data collected and relating various factors of the park.

Result: The completed model is essentially a large-scale optimization problem with many variables. Operators can then manipulate some factors to observe how they affect other components of the model. Once it is optimized, the changes the company needs to make to the park itself are evident.

Right: An example of an optimization problem formulated by a model, where s represents service rate, p is probability, x and n are numbers of visitors (n waiting and x moving), d is a cascade, i and j are attractions, and t is time:

Name Characteristics

AdvanceBooking

Reservation Customer

Token

Attractions

Disney FastPass

Advance booking system. Allows limited number of customers to reserve for 1 attraction at a time. Tickets are issued. Separate entry required.

No Yes Ticket 1

Alton Towers Advance booking system. Tickets are issued

Yes Ticket

Lo-Q Electronic device lets customers make a reservation. System warns when customers may enter attraction. Separate entry required.

Yes Yes Electronic device

Multiple

Sea World An individualized map is offered with timetables.

No No Map & Timetable

Multiple

Multi Motions Booking via Internet or computer. Integrated with Customer Information System.

Yes, Internet

Yes Smart Card, Tickets

Waiting Snake

Implementation of the VDS: There are several benchmark techniques used throughout the theme park industry to alter the dynamics of the park and manage visitor flow:

• Queue-jumping passes• Queue time broadcasting• Food vendor location• Merchandise vendor placement• Park event scheduling• Recent development: smartphone apps

Right: A table of examples of techniques used to implement the VDS. Most fall under the category of queue-jumping passes, but some represent newer generations of that technology.