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
London Museum will open four new food and drink destinations when it launches its new home
at Smithfield on 28 November, making hospitality a central part of the visitor experience at one
of the capital's biggest cultural openings of the year.
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger
cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance,
hospitality and public programming.
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
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.
