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ParkWord May 2014
Walk along Marylebone Road in London during the daytime and there’s a good chance you’ll see a large queue of people lingering around Baker Street station. They are not there to catch a tube train, rather they are waiting to get into Madame Tussauds, the famous waxwork attraction that remains a tourist magnet after all these years.
Whether it’s waiting to see a wax replica of a celebrity or getting a seat on a rollercoaster, no one really likes queuing (despite what you might have read about the British). So Madame Tussauds visitors will welcome the free WiFi internet access now offered by Merlin Entertainments in partnership with The Cloud. That will help pass the time waiting in line, and keep data costs down for foreign tourists stung by high mobile phone roaming charges. But the real reason Merlin is rolling out free WiFi, both at Madame Tussauds and several of its resorts theme parks, is so that guests can share the experience with their friends who aren’t there.
“When people come into the attraction, one of the first things they do is
check-in on social media,” notes Madame Tussauds London general manager Ben Sweet. “Then, as soon as they see our startlingly lifelike figures, they start snapping pictures and filming video. Naturally they want to share their experience online, whether tweeting, Snapchatting or Facebooking.”
But it’s not just Merlin that’s spotted the potential. PortAventura in Spain is another European facility extending free WiFi to its guests this season. Indeed, I managed to upload a report recently of its new Angkor water ride (see page 36) using it. Other operators, large and small, are getting in on the act. Are you?
Unlike those hotels that still insist on charging their guests for internet access (thankfully fewer than there used to be), smart park operators know that free WiFi encourages free marketing. Win-win! This way guests can tell the world what a great time they’re having – rather than going home and posting a bad review onto TripAdvisor about the cost of getting online.
Owen Ralph – Editor
Editor: Owen Ralph (+44 161 438 2934)
parkworld@btopenworld.com
North American Editor: Paul Ruben (+1 585 381 1012)
parkw@rochester.rr.com
Contributor this issue:
Heather Eichennbaum, Ricki Chavez-Munoz
Sales Manager: Mark Burgess (+44 1622 699124)
parkworld@datateam.co.uk
Publication Manager: Jacqui Hunter (+44 1622 699106)
jhunter@datateam.co.uk
Publishing Director: Paul Ryder
pryder@datateam.co.uk Managing Director: Parvez Kayani
p.kayani@datateam.co.uk Publication Secretary:
Jennifer York (+44 1622 699109)
parkworld@datateam.co.uk
ISSN 1462-4796
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