It’s very easy, when considering investing in new theme park technology, to only focus on the obvious benefits - ie, what it’ll do for you, and how much it costs. But what about the benefits of a theme park app for its daily users? How can an app actually improve your guest’s day?
Waiting around
Life is too short to stand around queueing all day, right? With a theme park app, removing the frustration and uncertainty of queuing for guests is simple, and can be done in a number of different ways. Firstly, you could introduce virtual queueing, where guests are replaced in the physical queue by computer programming and receive an alert when it’s nearing their time to board the ride. Or, you could follow in the footsteps of Disney and Universal and offer priority passes to guests who are happy to pay an additional fee to skip the lines. The simplest and cheapest option, however, is to add in a minor real-time application feature where users can see how busy certain areas are, and how long the estimated waiting times are for rides. Not only does this help to avoid congestion around popular areas, but it also has the added benefit of enabling visitors to stay socially distanced when visiting.
Getting lost / being unable to find things
As attractions become larger, navigation is becoming increasingly difficult for visitors. Placing physical maps around can help, but most people now are used to smartphones providing instant information. Physical maps can cause more frustration than guidance. Investing in wayfinding technology, parks can provide their guests with instant access to maps, trails, nearby shows and events, and other items of interest that it may not be possible to advertise on a physical map.
Missing out
When your guests are only visiting for a day, they’ll be wanting to experience everything your attraction has to offer, including rides, special events, treats, photo opportunities and discounts. As we’ve already mentioned, theme park apps can help ease the frustration of ride queues and navigation issues, but they can do a lot more. By utilising smartphone software such as push notifications and GPS, parks can provide personalised discounts and offers to app users before, during and after their visit, as well as information about what there is to do on the day nearby. Providing guests with personalised, individualised content will not only make your guests feel valued, but will also help to ensure that they can make the most of their day, and leave feeling satisfied.
If you’d like to hear about how our tech can determine and solve the pain points at your attraction, get in touch!
