Theme parks are an interesting study in business. Children’s preferences impact their entire business model.
The ideal revenue maximizing situation for a theme park is – maximize visitors but minimize queues. This requires optimally distributing guests across rides. Read on for a creative way to solve this.
It is a complex queuing theory problem. But human nature can solve problems with an elegance that mathematics cannot always match.
For a given park capacity, the marginal cost of an additional visitor approaches zero. So the revenue maximizing situation is also a profit maximizing situation. Solving it elegantly becomes even more important.
A theme park like Disney can offer a small Disney toy for choosing a not so popular ride. It would shift traffic from the most crowded rides and enhance user experience – reduced queues and the joy of toys. Layer this and create an entire set of toys available only at certain rides. Offer an extra toy when someone completes all these rides. This also drives their toy business!
Theme parks have another challenge. Season pass holders can visit the park as often as they like.
The park would want them to stay away during the crowded periods when it wants to maximize revenue from out of town visitors. But during lean periods, it would want the season pass holders to visit and buy meals, use paid services.
How can it do this without alienating these most loyal customers? By offering special limited edition toy gifts only during the lean periods!
They can have an entire toy collection and promote a line of toys with this concept.
Children change everything.
