Disney envisions new ways to modify attractions
What if a theme park attraction just skipped the parts that would otherwise have kept you - or your child - from riding?
That might seem like a dream, but it could become reality under plans detailed by Disney in a new patent application, published today. It is one of two patent applications from Disney published this week that detail plans for modifying theme park attractions.
In "Personalized Notification of Attractions Including User Preferences or Aversions," Disney describes a new system for accommodating theme park visitors' needs. The application acknowledges that current practice of providing warning signs at a ride's entrance does not cover all potential triggers or problems for every theme park visitor.
The proposed system offers a more customized warning system that could advise visitors, perhaps through an official park mobile app, about attractions with specific triggers that they wish to avoid, such as flashing lights, high speeds or G forces, confined spaces, or the like. The system would go beyond advance warnings, however. For riders who want to go on the attraction anyway, the system could warn them just before they encounter the problematic scene. And, if possible, the system even could modify the attraction to avoid the trigger.
A ride could be programmed not to spray water on riders who would be triggered by getting wet, for a simple example. Or it could turn off a strobe light when a photosensitive rider was present.
Perhaps if Indiana Jones were to go on his eponymous attraction, the show system could kill the lights or cover the animatronics and not show Indy any snakes, though Disney's application does not cite that specific example.
In "Opportunistic Projection Onto Dynamic Light Reflective Material," Disney flips. Instead of modifying an attraction to create a variety of potential experiences, this application concerns itself with what needs to be done to ensure that a show system can provide a consistent experience regardless of changing conditions.
Consider how different scenes in World of Color and Fantasmic can be when air movement affects the water screens. This application proposes ways that Disney can project imagery on a variety of backgrounds, including ones that change, such as smoke, water mist, clouds and even fireworks residue.
Other changing media could be reflective material that is blown by fans, such as the simulated flames in Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney's proposal would have sensors and controllers that would scan and monitor projection surfaces then adapt projection to provide an optimal experience for viewers.
You can read the complete applications on the US Patent and Trademark Office's website: Personalized Notification of Attractions Including User Preferences or Aversions and Opportunistic Projection Onto Dynamic Light Reflective Material.
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Replies (4)
This sounds like the first step towards trying to make the Disney parks Certified Autism Centers.
I can understand the intent here but the practice would be far more problematic. It's one thing to reduce or alter the experience for a single rider but I'm not sure if the other 15 riders on, say, Indiana Jones, would be happy if they got the 'vanilla' option rather than the 'full fat' experience.
I'm not sure of the practicality of the Personalized Notification system patent, but the projection mapping idea is quite novel. Smoke and mist/clouds can move in very random ways, and if Disney has figured out how to project clear, crisp, focused images on a randomly moving target, that's quite an achievement. This has clear applications during nighttime shows that massively expands the canvas Disney can utilize.
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Sounds like a more intelligent example of the "thrill" and "chill"
versions of mission space.