

How Disney Uses Technology To Control Crowds In Their Theme Parks - replicatorblog
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/business/media/28disney.html?src=tptw

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ja27
Somewhat related, the Touring Plans guys do an awful lot of analysis of Disney
crowds and ride wait times to build itineraries for different types of park
visitors.

<http://touringplans.com>

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dkimerlng
Yeah, they have been doing a bunch of great data mining

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anateus
From Disney's _fake_ future job postings:

    
    
       Experience Required:
       Roller Coaster Tycoon 5+ years
    

It's interesting to me that although there's someautomation in here they're
also obviously using mostly human dispatchers. So it's more like air traffic
control than road traffic management (which afaik is mostly automated these
days).

I'd love to know if that's because humans are a better layer to the
entertainers and other employees or because they require comprehensive
oversight for machine decisions. Or maybe it's just cheaper to throw some
Junior Imagineers at LCD screens and walkie-talkies than write the algorithms?

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nhangen
They've also done a great job with the Fast Pass system, which has saved me
from an empty visit on more than one occasion.

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fletchowns
_If Pirates of the Caribbean, the ride that sends people on a spirited voyage
through the Spanish Main, suddenly blinks from green to yellow, the center
might respond by alerting managers to launch more boats._

Why not just have all the boats going at all times (assuming there is a line)?

 _average Magic Kingdom visitor has had time for only nine rides - out of more
than 40 ... In the last few months, however, the operations center has managed
to make enough nips and tucks to lift that average to 10._

Maybe it's just me but raising that average by only 1 ride doesn't seem like a
very significant improvement for all that effort.

If they just allowed a fewer number of people into the park on any given day,
would the customers be more likely to return again? I wonder if more people
would spend money while inside the park if it was less crowded?

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yrral
_Why not just have all the boats going at all times (assuming there is a
line)?_

If there are too many boats, then the people on the ride will have to wait
longer after finishing the ride to get off.

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ghurlman
Parent is correct - it's a matter of staffing - you need extra people to load
& unload all of those boats.

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MPSimmons
This is outstanding.

Just In Time Entertainment

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topherjaynes
Man I love Disney world but is this crowd control or manipulation?

“Control is Disney’s middle name, so they have always been on the cutting edge
of this kind of thing"

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petercooper
Smart crowd control and deft manipulation. While the overarching goal is to
make more money, the route to that is by giving visitors what they want from
the park: faster fun and preoccupation.

"Control" is only a bad thing when there are nefarious motives, negative
consequences or a lack of options for those being controlled. People willingly
submitting to the Disney bear pit lap it up (as I have in the past).

