When Bob Iger was reinstated as CEO of Disney in November 2022, one of his first moves was to send an email to his teams promising to “put more decision-making back in the hands of our creatives” and place storytelling back at the heart of the business.
This was seen as an acknowledgement that Disney had begun to put business metrics ahead of the storytelling and creativity that made the company so successful in the first place.
We know good storytelling is key to creating great attractions and experiences, but what does that actually mean? How can we measure the commercial value of the stories we tell in our attractions? Is there an objective way of measuring how they affect audiences and what’s the future of storytelling, given how fast it’s evolving in this digital age?
For this edition of Attractions Management, we asked industry experts to drill down into some of these key areas to explore the power of story, trends in storytelling, the business case for it and the science behind it.
One of our contributors, Paul Zak, is a neuroscientist and neuroeconomist who has spent decades measuring how stories shape us. Over the past 20 years, he has studied more than 50,000 brains, identifying a neurological state he calls immersion – a measure of how much attention we pay to something and how our brain ‘values’ it.
It’s fascinating science that can be used to create and tailor experiences and then measure exactly how effective they are.
When it comes to the commercial value of good storytelling, Zak’s research shows that creating stories that visitors connect with can change their behaviour by altering their brain chemistry. In his words: “The neurochemicals that form the basis for immersion create a desire to repeat peak immersion experiences.”
It’s not just the experience of the attraction itself; Zak argues that the narrative should be built into every phase of the journey, from buying the ticket to leaving the attraction and post-experience add-ons.
For this issue, Zak and his team headed to Disneyland to scientifically measure the impact of different rides on visitors’ levels of immersion. You can read the surprising and enlightening results in terms of which ride ‘won’ in our report on page 40.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2023 issue 1
Editor's letter: The power of stories
We think we understand the value of storytelling, but do we really? It’s important to be clear on what it contributes to our industry, says Magali Robathan
People: Simon Daniels
The director of the Handel & Hendrix in London attraction on the £3m revamp aiming to bring visitors closer to the musicians
People: Jacqueline Stewart
The president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on honouring the stars of Black cinema
Interview: Tom Lochtefeld
The ‘father of artificial surf parks’ changed the industry with his pioneering sheet waves. Now he’s back to shake things up again with new deep water wave technology
Talking point: Storytime
How can we use the power of story to connect to guests and create better attractions? We ask the experts
Interview: Brian Zimmerman
The world’s fifth biggest zoo closed its doors in September 2022. We go behind the scenes of the Bristol Zoological Society to find out what happens next
Sponsored: No matter the venue aquatic play delivers
Aquatic play helps keep kids happy,
resulting in higher spend from families.
WhiteWater’s Cassidy Newman shares some
of the attractions using aquatic play to
bring in more visitors and increase spend
Science centre: Eureka!
How the new science centre consulted with young people and industry to bring a quirky sense of fun to STEAM
Museums: New museums
From a Bangalore photography and art museum to the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, we review some exciting openings for 2023
Marketing: Screaming for screening
With its edgy brand and young visitor base, Merlin’s London Dungeon was a natural choice for an innovative marketing campaign aiming to take the stigma out of STI testing
Research: On the right track
After a rollercoaster ride, US theme parks are bouncing back, with opportunities for growth driven by gaming IPs, says Mintel
Visitor centre: Fish tale
A floating visitor attraction in Norway has been designed to promote fish farming, as Magali Robathan discovered
When Bob Iger was reinstated as CEO of Disney in November 2022, one of his first moves was to send an email to his teams promising to “put more decision-making back in the hands of our creatives” and place storytelling back at the heart of the business.
This was seen as an acknowledgement that Disney had begun to put business metrics ahead of the storytelling and creativity that made the company so successful in the first place.
We know good storytelling is key to creating great attractions and experiences, but what does that actually mean? How can we measure the commercial value of the stories we tell in our attractions? Is there an objective way of measuring how they affect audiences and what’s the future of storytelling, given how fast it’s evolving in this digital age?
For this edition of Attractions Management, we asked industry experts to drill down into some of these key areas to explore the power of story, trends in storytelling, the business case for it and the science behind it.
One of our contributors, Paul Zak, is a neuroscientist and neuroeconomist who has spent decades measuring how stories shape us. Over the past 20 years, he has studied more than 50,000 brains, identifying a neurological state he calls immersion – a measure of how much attention we pay to something and how our brain ‘values’ it.
It’s fascinating science that can be used to create and tailor experiences and then measure exactly how effective they are.
When it comes to the commercial value of good storytelling, Zak’s research shows that creating stories that visitors connect with can change their behaviour by altering their brain chemistry. In his words: “The neurochemicals that form the basis for immersion create a desire to repeat peak immersion experiences.”
It’s not just the experience of the attraction itself; Zak argues that the narrative should be built into every phase of the journey, from buying the ticket to leaving the attraction and post-experience add-ons.
For this issue, Zak and his team headed to Disneyland to scientifically measure the impact of different rides on visitors’ levels of immersion. You can read the surprising and enlightening results in terms of which ride ‘won’ in our report on page 40.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2023 issue 1
Editor's letter: The power of stories
We think we understand the value of storytelling, but do we really? It’s important to be clear on what it contributes to our industry, says Magali Robathan
People: Simon Daniels
The director of the Handel & Hendrix in London attraction on the £3m revamp aiming to bring visitors closer to the musicians
People: Jacqueline Stewart
The president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on honouring the stars of Black cinema
Interview: Tom Lochtefeld
The ‘father of artificial surf parks’ changed the industry with his pioneering sheet waves. Now he’s back to shake things up again with new deep water wave technology
Talking point: Storytime
How can we use the power of story to connect to guests and create better attractions? We ask the experts
Interview: Brian Zimmerman
The world’s fifth biggest zoo closed its doors in September 2022. We go behind the scenes of the Bristol Zoological Society to find out what happens next
Sponsored: No matter the venue aquatic play delivers
Aquatic play helps keep kids happy,
resulting in higher spend from families.
WhiteWater’s Cassidy Newman shares some
of the attractions using aquatic play to
bring in more visitors and increase spend
Science centre: Eureka!
How the new science centre consulted with young people and industry to bring a quirky sense of fun to STEAM
Museums: New museums
From a Bangalore photography and art museum to the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, we review some exciting openings for 2023
Marketing: Screaming for screening
With its edgy brand and young visitor base, Merlin’s London Dungeon was a natural choice for an innovative marketing campaign aiming to take the stigma out of STI testing
Research: On the right track
After a rollercoaster ride, US theme parks are bouncing back, with opportunities for growth driven by gaming IPs, says Mintel
Visitor centre: Fish tale
A floating visitor attraction in Norway has been designed to promote fish farming, as Magali Robathan discovered
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
+ More news
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