It’s amusement park season again. Have you been to your favorite one yet? Let’s see how technology will play a critical part in the future of the American amusement park.
It already is. In the 1880s, an amusement ride called Switchback Railway was brought to Coney Island. Today, thanks to 21st century technology, roller coasters can now top 75 ft. high and reach speeds of 149 mph in less than 5 seconds. But technology could be used to combat long lines. Disney World is considering setting up video games centers to make the line process better. Disney has the Operational Command Center. Using technology, Disney employees know and monitor your line. If the line gets too crazy or long, they will intervene. But this is just the beginning. Some say that by 2020, you’ll be able to book an amusement park ride on your smartphone like you do an airplane. Then, they’ll be no lines at all. Thanks to technology, expect rides to be bigger, scarier and darker. Entertainment developers are collaborating with engineers to create dark rides to captivate the rider’s imagination. Expect game engines and on-demand mass media to create a more thrilling experience and repeat ridership. Also, expect technology to help amusement parks move from passive rides and shows to full audience participation.One designer believes lines will be no more and attractions will just flow.
The days of your old amusement parks are about over. Wooden roller coasters are being torn down at parks nationwide (that’s a shame because those are my favorites). I can remember when the stand-up roller coaster was so revolutionary. Now, with better technology and better equipped engineers, we can make rides scarier and more challenging than ever before. And that can be good. But remember two things: Safety and audience. Let’s not make the ride so intense that people are falling off or hanging in mid-ride getting killed or injured. Let’s not make it so bad people are having heart attacks over these intense experiences. That does nobody any good. Please remember that young children are too small for such intense rides and people who are either physically or just too squeamish for such experiences. How can amusement parks use technology to cater to these needs?