Disney Quest #1

Disney Quest - A Fresh Implementation of Out-of-Home Entertainment
By John Latta and Amanda Rogos

DisneyQuest is an important development in out-of-home entertainment for a number of reasons. These include:

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 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.

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.

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 - $14.95

Disney 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:

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.

This 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.

Up 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.

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.

This 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.

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 Ride

This 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.

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.

This 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.

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.

There 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.

This 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.

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.

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