At Merlin Magic Making, we believe the most successful attractions are the ones where guests feel totally immersed and have stepped into a world far from their everyday life. We are storytellers, obsessed with transporting people to the centre of the stories we tell. We are constantly trialling new ways to do this, and have discovered that by increasing interaction and personalistion we can often enhance the experience. However, it can also detract, so it’s a fine art to get it right.
Advances in technology are providing us with further tools to customise guests’ experiences. We find mixing traditional techniques with new ones is the most effective way to create something special.
For instance, our recent attraction at Thorpe Park, Derren Brown’s Ghost Train, uses grand illusion, theming, live action and VR. This has enabled us to create different experiences each time people ride and gives us the ability to add new endings and story lines.
Our Ghostbusters attraction at Madame Tussaud’s New York also uses a mix of realistic theming and new technology, creating a personalised experience. The proposition is “Join the Ghostbusters and save NYC”. Guests get trained on types of ghosts, make Skype calls with psychic experts, test out equipment. Finally they catch Slimer in the Mercado Hotel. An upsell VR experience allows four friends to go even further into the story.
The imaginative power of young minds has helped us to create some very personalised attractions at our LEGOLAND locations. In Ninjago City Quest and Union Play Train Station, we give children story starters and equipment for them to create their own stories and endings.
Our live action attractions, like The Dungeons and Shrek’s Adventure, already provide numerous opportunities for in-depth storytelling and guest involvement. We are about to launch new shows which will incorporate more guest choices and different endings based on the choices they make.
I foresee continued growth in personalisation and interaction, where visitors will be able to choose almost every element of some experiences. However, it’s the power of story which transfixes consumers and story-telling will remain at the heart of everything we do at Merlin.