Media-based Attractions


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Flexible fun


BoldMove Nation explains how media-based attractions are growing in their adaptability and appeal


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edia-based attractions create a strong connection between visitors and a park (or a specific IP) in a fun way. They’ve become increasingly affordable and they play a key role in


improving the loyalty of the visitors, generating a lot of repeat business on a longer term basis. Media-based attractions also tap into the live gaming trend, and in the case of location-based entertainment experiences, these can be experienced on-site in a more immersive way and together with friends or family. We have observed a trend which has been quite stable over the past


years and which concerns media-based attractions as part of the ‘cocktail’ proposed by regional parks that want to offer something unique and future-proof to their visitors. Standalone attractions are a bit more difficult to position as, being a black box, media-based attractions do not tend to attract a lot of visitors but contribute to a higher ticket. They also allow for a more elaborate form of storytelling with multiple layers of gameplay, so it becomes more challenging to different player levels and ages. We have a range of ride concepts and IPs that can be adapted, but every media ride we design and install is unique to the park and its visitors. We have seen the rise and decline of 3D and 4D rides. They were


probably a bit too far removed from what the average visitor wants to see in a park: an immersive experience with, if present, technology as invisible as possible. We see a continuous interest in what we would call ‘old school’ attractions, where media and classic 3D-theming are contributing to the overall experience. It has worked perfectly in Le PAL’s recently installed Champi’Folies dark ride where the gameplay and media were completely aligned with the richly themed environment, delivering a fuller immersion guests cannot experience at home.


38 As for any attraction, it is difficult to anticipate the final result before


the first visitors are experiencing it in its final shape. It is the same for movies or songs; there is always a little risk involved. However, the very big improvement within the last few years is that, thanks to the use of video game-based content, it is easier to finetune the experience based on the visitor’s feedback. This is a new development which is perhaps one of the most reassuring; the creation of media-based dark rides is now a dynamic process where the feedback of the visitor plays a crucial role, turning it into a risk-free attraction for the park. While it is now getting much easier to finetune experiences off the back


of visitor feedback, visitor expectations in themselves have remained largely consistent. Where differences arise these are usually more country/location or culture-based. Each park has its own type of visitors and they can behave in many different ways: some will listen carefully to the instructions in the queue line, some will just discover it when boarding the vehicle. Adapting content to a specific audience requires a lot of listening and


observation . However, the flexibility of new tools such as Unreal or Unity make it very easy to adapt and even use this learning as an element of the ride production. For instance, for our Smash & Reload interactive dark ride installed at Le PAL in France last April, we have been ‘crafting’ the reload scene based on the feedback of the actual players. Within weeks we could test and finetune a couple of different options and


select the one that was optimal for the audience, even after opening. This is probably the most significant development for this type of ride. They are no longer static and set in stone, but are instead becoming a dynamic tool which can be adjusted easily and even communicate park messages and seasonal elements.


JULY 2023


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