The year 2022 promises to be full of celebrations for amusements parks, with Disneyland Paris turning 30, Puy du Fou reaching 45 and Efteling celebrating 70 years. A sector that is reaching a certain maturity in different parts of the world, but which nevertheless continues to evolve and reinvent itself to continue to amaze young and old alike. New attractions, new equipment, new shows and new hotels are all major items of expenditure for the parks. In the meantime, the health crisis has hit the sector hard, forcing these major amusement destinations to close their doors for many months. How is the sector faring after two up-and-down years? Which parks have proved to be the most resilient and have continued despite everything to develop? What changes have been made to cope with increased competition and to meet the new expectations of visitors?
Find here the first part of this analysis as well as the second part.
Parks in the age of new technologies
Amusement parks must constantly innovate and renew themselves in order to meet the new expectations of their visitors. And nowadays, roller coasters are no longer enough. Some parks have decided to take the plunge and use new immersive technologies to make themselves stand out. Virtual reality, augmented reality, metaverse... so many words that have enriched our vocabulary over the last few years and that are now enriching the offer of amusement parks. While 3D and 4D cinemas have been popular in parks up until now, they have decided to push the envelope even further by employing virtual reality and augmented reality.
Disneyland has announced that it is developing a new technology that would "work by following visitors using their mobile phones, generating and projecting personalised 3D effects on physical spaces, walls and objects in the park’s vicinity". A mix between the real and virtual worlds that the group says would work without headphones. The future of The Walt Disney Company is thus to be found in emerging technologies, as its CEO, Bob Chapek, reminded us by reaffirming the group's desire to "connect the physical and digital worlds even more closely, allowing us to tell stories without limits in our own Disney metaverse".
Europa Park is not to be outdone and is already using virtual reality to immerse its visitors in unique worlds. The park has opened an entertainment centre dedicated to virtual reality. Called Yullbe, this new space promises "an innovative virtual reality experience in which the whole family breaks through the barriers of their usual reality and where the incredible becomes possible". Participants are equipped with VR headsets as well as hand and foot sensors for the...
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