www.parkworld-online.com


Park Hoppin’ In association with Park Hoppin’with Susan Storey W


ith all the experiences


that theme and amusement parks  millions of people visit them each year. According to the 2023 TEA Global Experience Index, the top 25


 visitors - a 23% increase from the previous year. That number only reflects attendance at the largest  regional and local parks that entertain. Visiting a nearby amusement is a popular annual tradition for millions of guests and families. Parks are synonymous  inevitably, standing in queues. Waiting in line for popular attractions has become


as much a part of the theme park experience as the  leave guests feeling like they did not get good value   park lottery. Queue lines also help build anticipation and camaraderie among guests as they eagerly    been an accepted as part of the park experience and unfortunately, unavoidable. When Disney introduced the innovative FastPass system in 1999, it quickly became an industry game-changer. The first-of-its-  to reserve time to come back to ride their favorite attraction. It essentially saved their space in line and  rides, dining, and shopping around the park. They


   inspired similar programs and solutions around the industry. Similar reservation systems, such as Quick Queue, Universal Express Pass, Flash Pass,    


  fill all available seats on rides, thereby maximizing throughput. It also helps guests get on a ride faster    to maximize ride time. As my son has gotten older, he has embraced the independence the single rider   guests experience attractions the rest of their party may prefer to skip. They get to ride and avoid the  to determine the time everyone can meet back up again. This summer, the single rider lane concept got


     traction and interest. Currently, the app is in Beta   park Cupid, but because it highlights passion for theme parks as a potential foundation for building a relationship. 


     day, at any park, tourists and first-time visitors are experiencing the park alongside loyal guests, and annual and season passholders. Niche clubs like the American Coaster Enthusiasts and special events like Coaster Con help connect the most ardent fans, but they are only a fraction of the population.  the single rider lane, and using an app to make  sounds a bit hokey, but at its core, the idea reflects     their lifelong friendships came from their shared park    isolated from others due to technology, social media, and smartphones. Perhaps theme and amusement parks can help


    casual, friendly meetups and potentially even first  good conversation starters, too. The Ministry of Magic queue at Epic Universe is so detailed and enchanting that it easily sparks conversations. Even   Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts queue also inspires conversation as guests meander past    that help spark imagination and conversation. No  is connected by their shared passion for parks and  


SUMMER PART TWO 2025


5


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52