Disney Quest #2

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

This game was not running on the two days that we were there. Disney provided background on the game.

During the time of our visit Disney stopped the game running for 3 days due to a show quality issue. The concept of the game is that you as the player become a human pinball in a life sized pinball game. Players take a position on a "joystick" on the floor in front of a screen of the play that extends for two floors. The "joystick" the players stand on controls the ball on the screen. As the guest leans left the ball goes left and vice versa. The joystick has haptic feedback and the player feels force feedback when the ball hits a bumper, a target or another ball. Given that the joystick is so large, i.e., you the player, the feedback is "bigtime." The ride lasts 3 minutes. The winner gets to go to the next round.

A key premise of any out-of-home entertainment venue is to promote a social experience and the Treasure of the Incas did this better than any we had seen in a long time. The purpose of the game is to drive a miniature jeep type vehicle through a tight maze. Unfortunately the drivers cannot see the actual maze, they just see the view from the driver position in the jeep, which is displayed on a screen from a video camera inside the jeep. On a wall next to the maze are the driver positions where one stands up and uses a steering wheel to pilot the jeep based on the display view out of the windshield. The maze is actually located in the floor behind the drivers. Friends can stand on a walkway above the maze and see the jeeps in the maze below. The social interaction comes when individuals shout to their friends trying to direct the jeeps. It was normal to walk by the maze and hear RIGHT RIGHT and see the jeeps bump into a wall as the disoriented drivers failed to get it. Multiply this up to 8 times and it became a shouting match as teams tried to get through the maze as quickly as possible.

The significant point here is that the concept is really quite simple but the impact significant. Disney gets real credit for this one. We also understand that there were significant technical obstacles to overcome getting all the video cameras to work.

It appeared that all the games in the Create Zone are PC based. We noted that this section was always filled with children and adults alike. The section was had many ways to make fun mementos. For the children it appeared to have a physical item to take home after the experience was quite important.

The purpose of the Animation Academy is to teach the basics of Disney animation. There are two classes: 101 and 201. In 101 the guests learn how to draw one of the classic Disney characters and get to take home a copy of their work along with the instructions. In 201 the basics of motion are taught on motion animation. Here the key frames are used to create a squash and stretch test. At the end the guests gets to see the animation and take hope a flip book with the animation. According to Disney this has proven popular with both children and adults. Our observation was also that the guests liked the Animation Academy.

We noted 6 of the 18 consoles had failed. We understand the stylist's are not robust enough and are prone to frequent failure and loss. Disney stated this is an ongoing issue and they are implementing a new design.

This activity allowed a child to create their own toy using different parts (supplied by the computer). They could choose actions and sounds to play with the toy as well.

The concept behind this game is that the guest can go into the room of Sid from Toy Story or his sister Hannah and use a computer graphics robotic arm to assemble a toy from parts. Boys usually like unusual shapes while girls assemble beautiful toys. The combinations are virtually limitless. Once the toy is complete they can get the actual toy for $10, along with a photo and instructions on assembly. This happens right in the Create Zone. According to Disney this has proven much more popular that their original estimates.

Guests use a touch screen PC and can select from a dozen different pallets with many virtual brushes. Each brush paints on the screen something different, from birds to butterflys. The characters are animated on the screen as they are painted. Further there is morphing done. Bats can morph into vampires for example. Guests can take home a print from the scene they have created. The intent is to allow the guests to also have an section of the animation.

This kiosk allowed the user to be able to morph sections of their face on colorful backgrounds (like creating a personal monster). The image was then transferred to a photograph.

Disney describes this as a "morph gag gone amok." The play is hosted by Genie from Aladdin which allows a guest to take a high quality photo of themselves. More that one person can participate which brings a social component to this game. The guests can stretch and twist the image while adding facial components such as eyes, noses and hair. In addition they can make themselves look like a Disney character with Donald's bill and Mickey's ears. This sequence can be shown as an animation process from which the final image results. The players have liked the final photo which is available.

Users could place their face in different backgrounds, such as on the Beast's body (from Beauty and the Beast) or in Mickey Mouse's ears. The machine took these images and printed a dozen stickers.

These booths are similar to the sticker photo machines seen in many locations. However, the addition of Disney artwork has made them very popular. According to Disney they can barely keep the machines loaded with paper. We are not surprised based on our observations.

In classic Disney fashion one exits the facility at the DisneyQuest Emporium, the last fitting opportunity to relieve one's pockets of cash for souvenirs and mementos.

The WAVE Report was fortunate to get a special tour of the insides of the operations of DisneyQuest by Joe DiNunzio, one of the principal architects of DisneyQuest at Walt Disney Imagineering. The significance of the facility was made evident all the more from the insight provided by seeing the back rooms which made it work.

There are 11 (ERs), equipment rooms, which house the equipment, power, air handling and networking. DisneyQuest has a total of 22 SGI Onyx computers. We were given tours of 3 of the ERs. If there is any one impression which stands out from the tour is "first class." When it comes to quality of execution few can top Disney. The ERs were actually nothing fancy in terms of looks but the equipment, the layout and installation was of the best industrial practice. Many of the rooms included extensive audio equipment for the sound delivery. Just as important were the lighting panels. As Joe stated during the tour - lighting is a big deal in a facility such as this. The significant element was that one took the lighting for granted throughout the facility. Lighting added much to the environment that was created but it was unobtrusive.

It should be noted that in Chicago all the ERs will be consolidated into one location.

UPS is present in the facility but not for sustained operations, in the event of power outage, but for life and safety.

The facility design was done as packages that centered on the various rides and building structure. This began with not only the layout of the facility but the power and networking. From this the various elements of the facility were designed including the ride placement. Walt Disney Imagineering created each individual design and build to package. These included all the components within an ER and the ride(s) they serviced. Part of this task was eased by the use of standard parts, such as lighting and audio equipment, which Disney has had experience with.

Once the facility was complete it took approximately 2 months to bring all the equipment up. Some rides came up rapidly, in a day or so, and others took longer to debug.

One of the most interesting sections of the building was the Stored Value System ER. This was only accessed with permission of DisneyQuest Security as it was the operational heart of the facility. This is based on 2 Compaq computers that can serve as mutual backups. The front end computer is for the network and stored value card reader interface. The back end is an Oracle data base. The software was developed using the Forte language. The servers have a RAID 5 mirrored disk setup. Each server has 2 processors.

All networking in the building is done with Cisco 100BaseT switches. The backbone is 100BaseT fiber links. The connections to the rides and the card readers is via 10BaseT.

DisneyQuest is uniquely Disney. The combination of a first class facility that is a work in progress and continually evolving is a mark of Disney. It is easy to pick out rides and operational elements that are not working. But we have every confidence that with another trip in 6 months much will have changed.

One common failure in LBE is that in spite of the fact that one facility might be successful it was not possible to afford the continual updating process and expense of many facilities. The economic model might make sense with a single installation but the overhead and R&D expenses for 10 or 20 or 30 facilities fell apart. The major differentiator at Disney is that they do not have short term commitments to projects. Equally as important Disney is a major corporation with extensive experience in pleasing the public.

We are drawn also by the contrast with the experiences of Sega with GameWorks and Dave and Busters. In spite of the brand name that Sega has it does not compare with Disney. Further, Sega is just beginning to realize that unfocused spending of money on technology is wasted money. In spite of the fact that DisneyQuest has arcade games and redemption the facility concept goes well beyond anything that Sega has done. The reason is simple - Disney is focused on one's experience in the facility and the optimization of that - GameWorks has not - at least until recently.

Dave and Busters is a much more complex comparison. In terms of food and beverage we have to give Dave & Busters a leading position. We found the food facilities at DisneyQuest second class and not integrated into the environment. The only exception being the Internet screens at some of the dining areas. Our observation was that the seats were parking areas for those in the family that did not want to play or were too tired. Yet, at Dave & Busters food and beverage is integrated throughout the facility. They have made a seamless blend between drinking, eating and play. We also recognize that Disney has a different view on alcohol in a facility that encourages children. Yet, we found the food and beverage rather remote from the rest of the guest experience and not a part of it.

Yet, Disney has stated that their intent is for the food area to not be so integrated into the play environment. In the context of that intent Disney has accomplished their objectives.

On the entertainment side it appears that Dave & Busters is moving closer to DisneyQuest with the use of more unique games and even movie experiences. Thus, Dave & Busters is in a position, both from the number of facilities and income streams, to expose and buy new games which are unique to themselves. However, Dave & Busters remains more focused on the eating and drinking experience than the development of play technology. This is likely to remain a differentiator between both Disney and Dave & Busters.

1. Pre show preparation needs either to be added or improvement in a number of rides. Although this is primarily focused on first time players it is frustrating to pay the money for these games and not be able to do your best. Disney is sensitive to this issue and at the same time has not found it easy to get guests to pay attention to the pre shows, irrespective of the value.

2. Ticketing, although it follows the pattern of Disney in its bundles for ticket and admission pricing, more attention needs to paid on how to make the purchasing options more evident and less frustrating. This should go so far as to provide more purchase options and to hand out a sheet explaining all of them while waiting in line. Disney also comments that ticket pricing and price-value is a continual process.

3. It is unlikely that DisneyQuest will lower the cost per ride but we still feel that value pricing is important. However, if Disney is gate limited in the number of guests per hour it can accommodate there will be no action on pricing.

4. We find a striking contrast between the four components of what an individual can do within DisneyQuest: Disney rides, arcade equipment, Disney for children and Food. When one compares the innovation present in Create Zone and the Disney rides the arcade games look stale. It would appear that the arcade games are relief from Disney game sticker shock. We would like to see a better blend between these desperate components. That is, how could they reflect a better integration in the facility both physically and economically on a price to play basis.

5. DisneyQuest is really a platform for developing and delivering interactive out-of-home entertainment experiences. Yet, the constraints of the physical facility limit how much change they can make - especially rapidly. It is far easier to move a video game out than it is to create a new flying ride based on the canvas bag motion platform. We see the rise of relatively short lifetime rides and games and the DisneyQuest platform is an excellent venue in which to accomplish this. In many respects Dave & Busters is moving to this model. We see DisneyQuest as a platform for the delivery of entertainment and it is really creating a different business model about the development and delivery of entertainment experiences.

There is always a bottom line - can Disney make money with DisneyQuest. In Orlando we doubt it. In other cities the prospect improves considerably. However, Disney must continue to drive the costs of implementation and facilities down to make the economic model work. Just as DisneyQuest is a work in progress so is our ability to assess its long term potential.

The WAVE Report would like to thank Joe DiNunzio for the extensive comments he made on this article.

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