These excerpts are from a post on LinkedIn by Denis Pascal, who is the General Manager of Motiongate Dubai | Dubai Parks and Resorts, and who has been in the theme park industry for more than 20 years. Excellent post, linked here.
(Post photo from his LI post as well, of a show at Motiongate Dubai.)
He answers the question in the title with this:
Theme Parks are a great place where families are able to unwind, relax and just enjoy their time while visiting a vast range of attractions. However, in order for the Theme Park experience to be extraordinary and enjoyable, you need a large variety of attractions, and that’s where entertainment plays a major role.
One of the advantages that Theme Parks get from adding various types of entertainment is they diversify the experience for their clients. The truth is that every theme park needs to find new, creative ways to connect with clients and provide them with the best possible experience. They also want to improve the satisfaction rate and ensure that clients always come back to see even more.
Generally, when visitors enter a theme park, they already have a high set of expectations. And while the theme park is able to provide rides, funny characters and shops, integrating entertainment in the form of shows can really push the boundaries and surpass any expectations. The truth is that if you want to surpass guest expectations in Theme Parks, you want to offer an experience that’s unexpected, and that’s exactly what you get with help from shows.
[Emphasis mine]
Shows provide an experience that can either add to the experience of visiting the park, or if not done well, take away from it.
But it's even more than that: well-done entertainment can add to the bottom line.
With help from entertainment shows, Theme Parks are able to keep visitors within the park for a long time, and that can lead to more revenue. Not only that, it’s a lot easier for Theme Parks to offer complementary services alongside shows which further enhance the overall profitability. That’s why it always pays off to offer unexpected shows and something that helps surprise people in a positive manner. It keeps them engaged, while also being very beneficial for the Theme Park.
Let's break that down, because it is important. A theme park, after all, is a business.
- Entertainment keeps visitors at the park longer. That alone can lead to more revenue.
- Offering services alongside those shows increases revenue directly.
- From the previous quote, Entertainment helps surpass visitor expectations, which in turn return visits.
So why is this post important? In light of my previous posts regarding Silverwood Theme Park's Entertainment section this season (here and update here), I want it to be clear that my review isn't just some random thoughts. Nor is it personal. But it is this: the viewpoint of a visitor (and family) now in the third year as season pass holders, who have drastically reduced the number of visits to the park this season...in large part because of the quality of the Entertainment compared to previous years. And because these reasons will be highlighted and discussed in the coming review of the Marvin & Friends show that we were finally able to catch on our last visit.
Having a discussion about this on Reddit.
