Somewhat related, the Touring Plans guys do an awful lot of analysis of Disney crowds and ride wait times to build itineraries for different types of park visitors.
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Roller Coaster Tycoon 5+ years
It's interesting to me that although there's someautomation in here they're also obviously using mostly human dispatchers. So it's more like air traffic control than road traffic management (which afaik is mostly automated these days).
I'd love to know if that's because humans are a better layer to the entertainers and other employees or because they require comprehensive oversight for machine decisions. Or maybe it's just cheaper to throw some Junior Imagineers at LCD screens and walkie-talkies than write the algorithms?
If Pirates of the Caribbean, the ride that sends people on a spirited voyage through the Spanish Main, suddenly blinks from green to yellow, the center might respond by alerting managers to launch more boats.
Why not just have all the boats going at all times (assuming there is a line)?
average Magic Kingdom visitor has had time for only nine rides - out of more than 40 ... In the last few months, however, the operations center has managed to make enough nips and tucks to lift that average to 10.
Maybe it's just me but raising that average by only 1 ride doesn't seem like a very significant improvement for all that effort.
If they just allowed a fewer number of people into the park on any given day, would the customers be more likely to return again? I wonder if more people would spend money while inside the park if it was less crowded?
Why not just have all the boats going at all times (assuming there is a line)?
I presume each boat has an overhead... extra handler(s) required, wear and tear on the boat itself, boats that are out on the water aren't able to be repaired...
Maybe it's just me but raising that average by only 1 ride doesn't seem like a very significant improvement for all that effort.
Micro-optimizations on a large scale lead to a macro-optimization, no?
Why not just have all the boats going at all times (assuming there is a line)?
Maybe to balance the wait time. If everyone is constantly satisfied, then maybe they don't get the same gratification. Hype and wait builds tension that helps gratification.
Smart crowd control and deft manipulation. While the overarching goal is to make more money, the route to that is by giving visitors what they want from the park: faster fun and preoccupation.
"Control" is only a bad thing when there are nefarious motives, negative consequences or a lack of options for those being controlled. People willingly submitting to the Disney bear pit lap it up (as I have in the past).
It's both, and believe me, they need manipulation. The herd mentality really takes over, no matter who you are. I worked the attractions in Adventureland & Liberty Square for 4 years - you wouldn't believe how much work it is to convince people that yes, both queues are open.
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