Site-based team activities

Image: osseous, Flickr (license)

A more cynical company would look at the current wave of escape rooms popping up around the country and say to themselves, “we should build one of those for ourself.” And, perhaps, Disney might eventually do that. 

But the principle behind escape rooms is far more important to its success than the model itself: cooperative teamwork in highly themed, gamified environments.

In a way, Disney has long been an innovator in this world. Attractions like Mission: Space or the old Pirates of the Caribbean experience at DisneyQuest illustrate the success Disney has had with giving teams of guests an assignment to complete. And, rumors certainly suggest Disney will attempt something similar with the new Millennium Falcon attraction at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.

But Disney hasn’t quite explored an at-scale version of the problem-solving dimension on display in escape rooms. Mission: Space gives you a game to play, but it doesn’t ask you to work together to figure out a solution to a problem. 

Imagine the forthcoming Star Wars hotel including an experience where you have to figure out how to fix the Falcon’s hyperdrive. Or Disneyland’s Marvel Land including a game where you have to locate Loki’s scepter in a defunct Hydra base. 

Team problem solving is a growing space, and Disney would be wise to explore its potential.  

Alternative transportation

Image: paulwasneski, Flickr (license)

The buses and the monorail are great, but as major cities across the U.S. are learning, transportation requires a lot more than just bus and rail. 

Disney has explored this more with the adoption of Minnie Vans to enter the world of ride-hailing apps, but they still have a long way to go. Many cities have created bike-sharing programs that allow residents and commuters to ride a bike one-way from a dock near their home to a dock near their office. Others have offered similar services with electric bikes and scooters.

This is an area where Disney could use some inventiveness. The roads within the Walt Disney World complex specifically are confusing and at times dangerous, and getting personal drivers off the road would be a benefit. 

Bike lanes with point-to-point bike rentals would be helpful and fun, but Disney could and should go even further in an attempt to get cars off the road. Adopting an Uber Pool-type rideshare model could help alleviate the strain on some bus lines within the resort and also provide cheaper resort to resort options than Minnie Vans.

And, Disney could even try dreaming bigger — building either a normal gauge railway or even a hyperloop-style high-speed route between Orlando International Airport and the Walt Disney World resort, getting more cars off the road while also encouraging guests to stay on property. 

Ultimately, Disney has the chance to dream big and use its profile to again demonstrate the kind of transit infrastructure the country could look to as an inspiration — relying less on cars and more on communal transit. They should, as they have long done, showcased how technology can be used to make our future better and brighter, and more equitable and safe.