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DisneyQuest - A Fresh Implementation of
Out-of-Home Entertainment - Part I (WAVE#865)
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Buying the Ticket
DisneyQuest Entrance and Exploration
Food Services
Arcade Games
Classic Arcade Games
Redemption
Disney Games
Cave of Wonders Slide - Between Floor 3 and 2
Virtual Jungle Cruise - Explore Zone
Hercules in the Underworld - Explore Zone
CyberSpace Mountain - Create Zone
Ride the Comix - Score Zone
Invasion! An Extraterrestrial Alien Encounter - Score Zone
Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride - Explore Zone --------------------------------------
***DisneyQuest - A Fresh Implementation of Out-of-Home
Entertainment
by John Latta and Amanda RogosDisneyQuest is an important development in out-of-home
entertainment for a number of reasons. These include:It is the first fresh approach in out-of-home entertainment
for at least 5 years;It is focused exclusively on entertainment, with some food,
but in contradistinction to much of what is being called
entertainment today, which is really classed up retail.
DisneyQuest is not based on retail sales but having fun;This is a Disney project with the full weight of its name;
andIt is a work in progress.
This later point should also place this report in context. Our
observations are from a point in time and as such have
limitations due to the early state of DisneyQuest. However, at
the WAVE Report we describe what we observe and record. As such
we saw a number of limitations at the facility, or products,
such as the ticketing and even the rides which could well change
significantly in the next several months.With this report we are seeking to do as complete a description
as possible of the facility. Even in the span of two evenings of
observation and riding we know this is only a sample. Further,
in the interest of accuracy and getting the full picture we
supplied an earlier version of this article to Joe DiNunzio of
Disney Imagineering. He made extensive comments and provided
valuable input. In some areas we might disagree but as much as
possible we have tired to reflect the Disney view also.DisneyQuest has been 4 years in the making. Two individuals are
the master minds behind the concept from the beginning - Joe
DiNunzio and Mike Lang. This was a major effort and Disney has
built up a staff not only on the engineering side but also those
who execute it. Credit should also go to Mel Bibo the General
Manager of DisneyQuest and to Kent Mitchell the General Manager
at the Orlando facility. It is easy to observe technology,
especially that in a well contained box, and not be aware of the
substantial contribution of individuals who made it happen and
keep in running. As it will become obvious from our observations
of the Equipment Rooms (ERs), DisneyQuest required the talents
of many to make it work.Sitting in Downtown Disney within the DisneyWorld complex is a
100,000 sq. ft. aqua blue cube containing of some of the
freshest ideas in out-of-home entertainment to come in years.
Disney calls this an interactive theme park. A key objective is
that the guests create their own experience. For Disney, and the
whole industry, this is a first and they described it as a
"Grand Experiment." We agree. Although it is easy to find fault
with games that do not work and other rough edges of the
experience Disney openly states that a process is underway to
continually learn and improve DisneyQuest.Disney expects to open 20 - 30 worldwide such installations. The
second is already under construction in Chicago at the corner of
Ohio and Rush Streets, scheduled to be opened in Summer 1999. A
third is rumored in Philadelphia and another possibly in San
Francisco. Announcements on these facilities should be made in
the next 2 months.The WAVE Report visited the site twice during SIGGRAPH and came
away impressed. It opened on June 19th and is still in the shake
out phase. At the WAVE Report we estimate that this first
facility cost at least $85 million. Virtually no other company
in the entertainment business could afford both the investment
required and the level of development shown by Disney.The hours are 10:30am - Midnight Sunday to Thursday and they
stay open to 1am on Friday and Saturday. The busy period is on
Friday and Saturday nights.Attendance during the day, even after a month of being open, has
described as light on some days. Disney also states that on
other days the attendance actually peaks before 5pm when
tourists come to the facility in an off day when not going to a
theme park. During the week attendance picks up after 6pm. A
factor in the attendance has been frequent visitations by tour
groups.One's experience begins by purchasing a stored value card that
also includes the admission. When we visited there are four
purchasing options available. The first is a $15 package that
gives one player 60 units (Quest 60) and a one day admission.
The $20 package includes 90 units and one day admission (Quest
90). The third option, called the Ultimate Quest, is $45. It is
a one person package that gives the player three day admission
(available over a 10 day period). This package includes 100
units/day. The last option is called the Family pack. This gives
a four person family or group 200 shared units for $55 (one day
admission). Within these options is a $2 gate fee per person per
admission day. The $2.00 expires at the end of the day while the
value of the play units is good for a year. Additional units can
be added, once inside, at a recharge kiosk for $1, for 4 units,
and $5, for 20 units.Given that American Express is responsible for the stored value
card system the sign at the window showed only American Express
but they accept both Visa and Mastercard.One of the more frustrating parts of coming to DisneyQuest was
the wait to purchase the cards. We noted long purchase periods
by families trying to decide what cards to buy. Subsequently we
put together a spreadsheet to analyze the options and it is not
hard to understand the confusion. If one assumes a fixed cost
per person per admission a buyer's objective is to purchase just
the right number of units. For the first time buyer this is very
hard to gauge given that they do not know the rides, the ride
cost and what the experience is like. Equally as important the
cost per unit varies considerably. For example, at the recharge
station a unit costs $.25 while it varies from $.13 to $.24 on
the outside when purchased with a admission, for example, it
costs 81% more to buy a unit in the Family Pack than the
UltimateQuest. In our pricing for each ride and game we will use
$.22 per unit the approximate average between the options.Only once when we got in did we realized how bad a deal the
Family Pack was. There seemed to be a general misconception, on
the part of the buyers, that when you bought 200 units it was
200 units for each player. What the deal really involved was 200
units for the team. We saw a number of times were family members
would be standing in line for 30 minutes for a ride and then get
to the front only to find they did not have any units left and
not know why. The Disney representatives would eventually figure
out that the players had group tickets, so that, while they were
in line, their other group members were playing other games and
had used up all the units. Now they had to get out of line and
go add more units. This added tension to DisneyQuest experience.Disney responded to our observations above that they are
continually experimenting with pricing. When we were in the
facility a test was being run. When they run a test, as a
follow-up, surveys are taken including focus groups. Disney
stated that they did not see that our observations were borne
out in the feedback from the QuestPack.DisneyQuest now includes one's name on each guest pass and this
has proved very popular.The Disney concept of a guest experience begins outside while
waiting to purchase the card. There is a continuous video
running of play inside and a greeter asking you to fill out a
form for the stored value card.***DisneyQuest Entrance and Exploration
After purchasing a card, one moves directly to the entrance to
the facility. It is here that one is led to an elevator by a
greeter and the ride to the 3rd floor. During the ride a sequence
is played on a silvered mirror. We did not get much out of this.
When one walks out of the elevator upon arriving on the 3rd floor
you are at the center of an atrium which extends 2 floors up
called the Armillary Sphere. At the center, as one looks up, is
what looks like a laser from a science fiction adventure. Disney
calls this an Armillary gun. All of this is part of the
Astrolabe that is to suggest exploration and adventure. It is to
recall the ancient notion that the earth is at the center or the
universe. In DisneyQuest the implication is that the guest is at
the center of the universe. When walking about the 4th and 5th
floors one can look down into the Armillary Sphere below,
however, there is not a vantagepoint where one can see the whole
facility.In fact, the facility is something of a labyrinth that a number
of visitors complained about. By the end of the second visit we
had it down. But an important point is that this was part of the
adventure for the children. We saw many running up and down the
stairs as part of the challenge of discovering DisneyQuest.The total staffing by Disney, not including to food contractor,
is 200 with approximately 70 in place at any one time. We found
the staffing balanced.Based on the concept of a zone with similar types of play and
activity DisneyQuest has a Score Zone, a Replay Zone, a Create
Zone and the Explore Zone.Disney made an important point in commenting on our story:
There is "a subtle but important point - at Disney Quest the
guest controls the outcome of all of the shows. This is a
departure from anything we have ever done before and as
designers this is both exhilarating and scary as all get out. We
are used to linear storytelling, but as you know interactivity
defies that. This is why DisneyQuest has been as much of an
adventure for the Imagineers as it is for our guests."On the 4th floor is the Wonderland Café serving the specialties
of the Cheese Cake Factory, the food vendor at DisneyQuest. One
floor up, is a wider variety of food in the Food Quest, with
burgers, wraps and sandwiches. There are chairs around each
floor and a dinning room on the 5th floor. The prices seem high.
We noted these:Large Drink - $2.50
Tossed Green Salad - $3.75
Cheese Pizza Slice - $2.95
Complete Cheese Pizza - $14.95Disney countered our observation by stating that their surveys
have shown a positive price/value ratio for the food. The
pricing at the Cheese Cake Factory Express is the same at that
at other Express/Café restaurants.Disney made a number of comments on our observations on the food
services. Given our personal emphasis on low fat foods we did
not sample the cheese cakes and hamburgers. Thus, we cannot
comment on the foods themselves. However, Disney states that the
local press has given the food "very good reviews." Their
objective for the food service is a place where guests,
especially parents, can "calm down, get their bearing and re-
energize." We would agree that those in this section of the
building were in this mode. On the 5th floor one can eat and
casually browse the web and talk. While the FoodQuest area has a
view into the Armillary Sphere and the Armillary gun.Within the facility we counted 82 video games types but
according to Disney there are 102 cabinets.We collected the cost to play of most of the video games and put
the data in 4th Wave's data base of play cost. The video games
were competitively priced with many of the other facilities such
as New York New York and GameWorks. Here is some comparative
data:Disney Quest Gameworks New York New York
Atari San Francisco Rush
$.87 $1.50 $1.00
Namco Air Combat 22
$.87 $1.25 $1.00
Sega Top Skater
$1.30 $2.00 $1.00
We would not expect that the prices for games would be similar
to Dave & Busters or even Gameworks given the gate fee at
DisneyQuest. Although the arcade games had many players the real
action was at the DisneyQuest unique games. Certainly these came
closer to the DisneyQuest intent of an interactive theme park.
In comparison the arcade games seemed out-of-date because they
did not allow the guest to shape the experience.DisneyQuest was similar to Gameworks in the presence of the
older games. These included Atari Lunar Lander, Centipede, Space
Invaders, and Midway Pac Man. These were in a back area of the
video games and cost only 2 units or less than $.50. We did not
see many players, typically 1 or 2 people and usually it was one
person watching the other play.Disney stated that they did an extensive search for the classic
games in their original cabinets and then fully restored them to
mint condition. The purpose was to have the feel of the games as
they appeared in the 1970's and 1980's.Although we observed the redemption area on the 4th and 5th floors
this did not strike us as unusual. Disney provided considerable
additional detail about its content and success.The theme is described as "space crazy." Redemption is in the
"giant tri-fin Rocket redemption area." Games include Skee Ball
and Pop-a-Shot and new games created just for DisneyQuest. They
worked with Mark Sprenger of Sting International to create Whack
A' Alien, The Rocket Claw (both based on Toy Story), Dumbo's
rescue, Sorcerer's apprentice and Lunar Rally (to be installed).According to Disney this has proven very popular with children
10 and under. There are approximately 100 games in this area.The demographic spread throughout DisneyQuest was complete from
small children to seniors. We did not see any particular age
group bias, however, individual games, would have more of one
age group than another. For example, the Create Zone had mostly
children from 6 - 12 with their parents.The real excitement of DisneyQuest is contained in the games
that are unique. We will review each of these individually based
on both our tour of the technical facilities and riding the
games.***Cave of Wonders Slide - Between Floor 3 and 2
FreeThis is located directly off the atrium on the third floor. It
is a tube slide that runs from the 3rd to 2nd floor. This has the
distinct attribute of being the only free ride in DisneyQuest.
Yet, in our two visits it was not open. We learned that there is
a sharp turn at the bottom and some have been injured going down
it. Disney stated that it was temporarily closed during our
visits while lighting is being added.***Virtual Jungle Cruise - Explore Zone
18 units = $3.90Up to four riders set in a canvas raft to pilot a fast running
river. At the beginning the riders can select a route. A key to
the experience is the motion base for the raft that was
developed by Walt Disney Imagineering. Using an unusual
approach, the motion base is actually air operated where there
are air logs under the raft that rapidly expand and contract to
simulate rocking motion. We found the motion experience very
well done. The movement of the raft is determined by the actions
of those riding the raft. The paddles are tracked through a tape
switch sensor in the top sheet. The switches are aligned so that
both the direction and speed of the paddles can be tracked.
Thus, movement of the paddles is central to the experience.Three walls surrounded the riders and the back side of the ride
was open. An observer could stand behind on a platform from the
floor above and see all the rafts.We noted that the line was quick line due to the fact that 4
people are on a raft.We found that the experience and movement was realistic. The
raft tips from side to side as it moves down the rapids and it
actually feels like it is going to tip when it hits a waterfall.
The paddle actually comes in contact with an air filled mattress
that gives a feeling of water and its resistance. When waves
splash on the screen participants are covered with a mist of
water from above which provides another component of realism to
the ride.This is also has a strong social component in that team work is
important in doing well on the ride. Riders need to work
together to steer, stop, speed up, and choose a direction.Although at first glance the ride looks elementary it turned out
to be one of DisneyQuest's best based on our experience.***SGI Equipment and Technical Background
2 Onyx computers with 3 channels each. Display resolution is 800
X 600 with a constant 30Hz update rate. One display channel per
raft with a total of 6 rafts. Angel Studios using SGI Performer
did the programming for the ride and visual content. The maximum
depth complexity is 4.***Hercules in the Underworld - Explore Zone
16 units = $3.47This was a cave-experience where 4 individuals play together.
The game which had a 30 minute wait is 4 ½ minutes long. The
participants look onto five large screens, which is similar to a
surround theater experience. The front 3 screens are in stereo.
The players wear shuttered glasses, supplied by IMAX to Disney.
Each person stood in front of a console and controlled the
movement of one character, which they chose before entering the
cave, by moving the control console.The objective was to pick up lighting bolts that were found
during the journey and then used to battle an evil character
near the end of the trip. We found this game just annoying. For
some reason we could not get the stereo image to converge and
the display was very hard to interact with. We may well have had
a pair of defective glasses because the image through the
glasses looked the same as on the screen without them. In
addition, there was no pre-show, or at least we did not get much
out of the show that was given, so one had to learn the game
while playing it. This was frustrating because it was not clear
which character you were controlling until well into the game.
The social experience reminded us of Virtual Adventures from
IWERKS and E&S. An experience best forgotten.Disney was the most detailed in their response to our
experience. There is a pre-show that uses artwork, moving lights
and a narrative (which we did not get much from). Then the
operator is to ask you what character you wish to be from the
film. The good characters being Hercules, Meg, Phil and Pegasus.
The objective of the game is to reclaim the lighting bolts that
have been stolen from Zeus and used to fight Hades at the end of
the game. Disney states that this game has gotten among the
highest ratings because of the social and cooperative
components. Children particularly like getting characters from
Hercules. Further Disney comments that this game has proved
popular with girls and their mothers. A Disney hypothesis is
that the mothers and daughters can work together and talk during
the game to collect the lighting bolts and throw them at the
end.Disney has had more complex game environments but found that the
environment and the stereo displays overwhelm the guests. A more
sophisticated play was not effective. However, Disney is working
on more involved games.***SGI Equipment and Technical Background
There are 8 channels per Onyx computer of which 3 channels are
in stereo. The update rate is 30Hz. This game had extensive
textures and there is considerable texture paging. The color is
10bits each in RGB and Alpha. 1 pipe has 8 channels with 2
raster managers. There are 4 caves.***CyberSpace Mountain - Create Zone
2 units = $.43 to Design the Ride
18 units = $3.90 to RideThis cyber roller coaster had 8 pods (2 were broken when we rode
it) which gave a 90 second ride. The wait was typically 30-45
minutes minimum.Disney responded that our 30 - 45 minute wait was unusual and
that their goal is 15 minutes. The problem is that this
attraction has proved to be the most popular at DisneyQuest.Riders can spend 18 units and ride one of the DisneyQuest
coaster designs where the choices are between 5 levels of
speed/curves with 5 being the fastest. Available are also
choices within each level such as ice, fire and space. The
players have another option to pay 20 units and design the ride
themselves. The designs have options of up to 3 worlds and 3
speed tracks.The beginning of the guest experience, that is, the line, was
very confusing. Participants have to make the coaster first, and
then get in the first line. At the front of this line the
DisneyQuest representative would let the user into another line
where they had to wait again. Most people, confused by the set-
up, stood in the first line to make the coaster. This resulted
in much aggravation because when they got to the front they were
told there actually was no line to design the coaster and were
forced to go design and get back in the back of the first line.
A clear negative guest experience.Once in the coaster, the whole pod moves upside down and
sideways, there is blowing wind so that you feel the movement
like it is outside. Your stomach reacts as if the coaster was
real and the feeling of movement is definitely achieved. The
visuals were ok. They were just simple cartoons which we
described as average for the experience. We felt the images were
not as good as those in the other games. This may be mitigate
somewhat given the fast ride. Overall it was a must feel
experience.***SGI Equipment and Technical Background
There are 2 Onyx computers that service 4 capsules. The update
rate is 30Hz. The roller coast design center is done using SGI
O2 computers. The files for the design of the ride are then
transferred to the Onyx computers for the experience.The capsules were built to Disney specifications by
Environmental Tectonics located in Pennsylvania. Disney has
found that motion sickness has not been a problem - the key
being keeping the motion and image movement in synchronism.***Ride the Comix - Score Zone
18 units = $3.90This game is actually located in what appear to be space ships
that project out into nowhere. There are two sets of ships that
are stacked above each other on floors 4 and 5. The fronts of
the cockpits are suspended in air and extending near the pinball
game. Each ship has 6 guest stations. At least 3 guest stations
were not working on the second visit. There were minimal lines
both nights.The game was based on a fighting concept against 6 villains
using a light sword that we found easy to understand. The user
puts a seatbelt on and then leans forward in the seat that gives
the feeling of being suspended. Because individuals are strapped
in they cannot directly roam the area. One feels like you are
speeding through corridors toward an adventure that is similar
to the other virtual reality games. There is some force feedback
during the game. For example, when a competitor hits you there
is a vibrating jolt in the seat. To injure opponents one swings
a joystick sword that vibrates like a light saber.Social interaction is also a part of the game. At one point you
can fight with a partner, against an especially terrible
opponent.At the end of the game one is rated against the four other
people in the common area. You can see other players in your
screen if you turn way right/left but they are normally not in
view.Disney states that the software is post beta but a number of
refinements are required before reaching the final version.***SGI Equipment and Background
4 Onyx computers servicing 24 players and no stereo. The
displays are all 600 X 800. On each Onyx there are 2 raster
managers with 1 per pipe. Katrix was responsible for the
content. The HMDs are same as those in the Magic Carper ride.***Invasion! An Extraterrestrial Alien Encounter - Score Zone
16 units = $3.47There are 5 pods which use infinity optics which create the
illusion of a 360 degree horizon. Participants enter into a
large pod that emulates a spaceship that supports 1 pilot and up
to 3 gunners. The players are sitting back-to-back and the
screen looks like they are looking out of the spaceship's
window. The pilot steers and the gunners shoot and also serve as
lookouts. These lookouts also let the pilot know when to stop
for a patriot that is to be rescued. The teamwork element makes
the game more challenging.There is force feedback in the joystick so that you can feel
when the ship is hit or is in the molten lava that covers the
world around you. We found the total game experience as ok, not
very complicated, and also not exciting.Disney states that this game has been strong with teens and
young adults.***SGI Equipment and Background
There is 1 SGI Onyx computer per pod which has 6 channels at 600
X 800.***Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride - Explore Zone
16 units = $3.47This is a 5 minute trip and has a 30 minute wait, at least.
There are 12 machines, but 3 were not in service the two nights
we were there.The objective of the game is to navigate around a middle eastern
town on a magic carpet which flies. The user experiences very
real movement and a little dizziness as they zoom down
streets/corridors, however, the plastic seats take away from the
feeling of a magic carpet. We did find the action can be
confusing. Participants know they are supposed to go forward but
you are left wondering - what is the goal exactly? Who are the
creatures you meet and how are you supposed to react to them?One area where we found DisneyQuest lacking is in the pre-show.
In this ride the pre-show was about instructions on putting on
the HMD but no instruction on how to play the game.The game is worth playing again just because of the sensation of
being in a virtual reality environment and we found that others
agreed. The concept and feeling provided by the Magic Carpet
made up for one's lack of understanding of the ride and how to
maximize the experience.Disney commented that the goal of the game is to find the Genie
by collecting gems which you as the player exchange for pieces
of the Scarab. They view the strength of this game is that there
are 4 individuals in a virtual environment together who are able
to communicate via microphone. Disney also stated that the
technology to make this happen was not trivial.***SGI Equipment and Background
3 Onyx computers servicing 12 stations. No stereo. The HMDs are
made by Nvision based on the Disney design. 4 Channels in a
single pipe drive 4 HMDs at 60Hz. 4 stations share the same
experience. 30% to 40% of the experience is the same as the
original Magic Carpet and the rest new.--------------------------------------
Copyright 1998 4th WAVE, Inc.
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or any of the individuals below:
John N. Latta: jnl@fourthwave.com
Kamela Hutchins khutchins@fourthwave.com
Amanda Rogos Arogos@fourthwave.comThe WAVE Report may be redistributed in full for individual
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Buying the Ticket