How far should we take immersive entertainment?
Image: DisneyDisney recently dipped their corporate toe into the field of immersive entertainment. They added new features to It’s a Small World and The Haunted Mansion. Using Magic Band technology, Disney said good-bye to guests in their own languages as they departed the former ride. The Hitchhiking Ghosts of the latter ride also offer special messages involving birthdays, anniversaries, and trips back home.
These were baby steps into a field with much broader potential. And I’m going to use an anecdote to demonstrate this. My love of Sci-Fi Dine-In is fairly well documented by this point. It’s basically my favorite restaurant on the planet. Cast members at this establishment apparently know about my zealous support. They’ve left me notes during each of my last two visits. If I’m honest, these thank you cards probably had nothing to do with my writing but rather the fact that I schedule two meals there every time I visit Walt Disney World. And each one made me feel special.
Let’s extend that thought process to its logical conclusion. Disney’s using Magic Bands and other technology to track user behavior. They should know how many times you’ve ridden something. They also have the ability to send you immediate message via My Disney Experience or even a smartphone text. Why don’t they do that?
Wouldn’t you love to know when it’s your 100th time riding Space Mountain? Or your first time riding Avatar Flight of Passage? Or the first time you enter Galaxy’s Edge? These are digital mementos you may want to keep. Disney could even monetize them by offering corresponding memorabilia. I want this kind of immersion where I feel like a part of the theme parks. It connects me on a deeper level to know that Sci-Fi Dine-In appreciates my business. I’d love to have that sort of connection to attractions as well.
How about a rewards program?
Image: DisneyA Disney rewards program (and I don’t mean the Visa card thing) is the idea that I’ve kicked around that comes with the most challenges. Disney can’t very well offer a free hotel night after you’ve stayed ten nights. That defeats the purpose of the park congestion issue previously discussed.
Still, Disney already does rewards programs. As an example, movie lovers can earn free stuff via the Disney Movie Rewards program. You get 100-150 points for each DVD/Blu-Ray/digital movie purchase. At 1,500 points, you can claim some pretty cool merchandise. Why don’t they have this for the parks?
Disney’s in the business of upsells. Many of their latest offerings attempt to convince guests to spend more money on a visit. The cost of these items is often significant, as opposed to the $20 for a movie purchase. I’m convinced that Disney would sell more items to their most loyal customers if they offered a rewards program.
Image: DisneyHow would the system work? Let’s say that you eat at 10 Table Service restaurants during your stay. With the markup on these places, Disney’s making a lot of money off of you. They WANT you to eat the expensive meals onsite. Why don’t they offer a rewards card that tracks your meal purchases and gives you a discount or free meal after a set number of purchases?
In extreme instances, Disney could even offer a Disney Dining Plan (DDP) discount or a free DDP on your next visit. It’s no different than the current DDP offers they have. Plus, it honors guests who spend a lot of money on Disney food (read: Florida residents).
Perhaps the best usage of a rewards program would be for merchandise. How many times have you been on the fence about a purchase? Wouldn’t the idea of membership points have pushed you to buy? With enough points, you’d presumably get something special like a huge discount coupon or maybe even a free purchase.
I believe that Disney should explore any idea that rewards loyal fans. They already have iterations of a rewards program in place. They should extend the premise into the theme parks.
Comments
Until reading this I have never met anyone other than our family that has called the return trip the Tragical Express. Every time I have referred to it like that whomever I've said it to has said "Yeah! That's exactly how I feel!"