Opinion
www.parkworld-online.com
How the UK Theme Park Industry can update and join the ranks alongside Asia and US
By Laurent Guinci, founder of bespoke costume and uniform design house, Lolo Creative
T Laurent Guinci
Creating fully immersive experiences Walking through Universal’s City Walk or Disney’s Main Street immediately builds a sense of excitement and anticipation, setting the scene for the unforgettable experience to come. The different lands within the resort are created with such details from thematic landscaping and buildings to the staff uniforms, all combining to immerse you into a whole new world.
44 Utilising popular IP
Pushing the international parks in their quest for immersive experiences also has to deal with specific and well-known IP’s being used as the base for their attractions. We only need to look at the latest Star Wars experiences at Disney, or the aforementioned Harry Potter Worlds to see that these were a huge driver towards the level of exceptionalism that has been produced, and rightly so.
SUMMER PART 2 2021
he UK boasts plenty of quality theme parks that have kept domestic thrill-seekers satisfied throughout the years – for such a small country, we are blessed with so many options that guarantee a fun day out. Notwithstanding 2020, theme parks and resorts have always had a strong appeal for holidaymakers with millions of visitors flocking to them each year. Abroad, the likes of Disney World and Universal Studios rank high as the destinations of choice for many UK theme park lovers and are adored for their ability to consistently deliver on the wow factor. For those of us lucky enough to have visited such parks, we cannot help but notice a palpable difference – a focus around a totally immersive experience – that sets them apart from some of our local offerings.
This winning formula was given a stratospheric injection with the opening and subsequent expansions of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal where you aren’t just shown the environment, you are fully integrated into it. This has been reflected in all major destinations around the world, from Florida to Beijing and Japan and the forthcoming Qiddiya Project in KSA, to name but a few.
From this perspective, the major UK destinations are yet to stake their claim on creating fully immersive experiences. It could be a matter of time and the wheels may already be in motion, but with 2020 being such a damaging year for all hospitality and leisure, there is the eternal spectre of investment versus return, especially in the precarious times we’re in.
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