全球大型主題公園運營商并沒有專注于突破娛樂設施建造的速度、高度和刺激程度，而是希望通過加大對科技的投資力度，源源不斷地吸引賓客前來游玩。

在不久的將來，各大運營商將專注于沉浸式體驗、面部識別和虛擬現(xiàn)實來實現(xiàn)這個數(shù)十億美元行業(yè)的增長。同時，運營商們也不得不對自家公園進行創(chuàng)新和大刀闊斧的改造，以緊跟父母、青少年和孩子們不斷變化的興趣，并為那些不大愿意在公園待一整天的游客提供更加靈活的游玩方案。

以下是該行業(yè)主流運營商們正在計劃或考慮的內容：

關鍵在于沉浸式體驗

今年，華特迪士尼在推出《星戰(zhàn)：銀河之翼》主題公園之后，業(yè)績似乎不怎么理想。但作為2018年最大的主題公園運營商（國際娛樂公園和名勝協(xié)會稱，其運營利潤達到了45億美元），這家以米老鼠發(fā)家的企業(yè)將重點放在了公園內外的沉浸式、個性化體驗方面。

Halcyon是一家以《星戰(zhàn)》為主題的 “星際巡航艦”式酒店，它將通過兩晚沉浸式的酒店體驗，把賓客從奧蘭多帶到想象中的遙遠異世界。

與搭乘郵輪一樣，賓客將一起抵達和離開酒店，并有機會利用大部分的時間參與眾多可看可玩的活動。迪士尼正在努力讓游客在進入戰(zhàn)艦的那一刻起便融入星戰(zhàn)宇宙。在走進一個模擬的太空艙（裝有眾多屏幕的入口電梯）之后，賓客將被傳送至其星際巡航艦。

登艦之后的活動有光劍格斗、飛行員培訓、主題餐飲，以及與主要角色互動等等。而且每一個客艙都擁有不斷變化的太空景觀。

想要加入光明還是黑暗力量？這一點取決于游客。

華特迪士尼想象工程的執(zhí)行制作人兼創(chuàng)意總監(jiān)安·莫洛·約翰遜在8月的D23聲明中說：“一定要記住你加入的是哪一方。你的選擇將影響旅程的經(jīng)歷，并最終決定個人星戰(zhàn)故事的發(fā)展方向。”

這一切都將在游客的入住期間上演，甚至會出現(xiàn)在巴圖星球（也就是迪士尼好萊塢影城的銀河之翼）一日游的旅程當中。

迪士尼還宣布在艾伯卡特中心的Mission: Space館中設立太空主題餐廳，它將于今年冬天面世，名為Space 220。這個幾乎已經(jīng)脫離了這個世界的餐廳將把躊躇滿志的宇航員送入距離地球表面220英里的太空站。

這個餐廳使用了與星際巡航艦太空艙入口和房間類似的科技，它將為賓客展現(xiàn)太空站的全景圖，以及地球的白晝和夜晚景觀，賓客仿佛置身于星空之中。

靈活的門票和面部識別

在城市的另一邊，奧蘭多環(huán)球影城正在努力打造其第三處景觀：環(huán)球史詩宇宙，這是該地區(qū)20多年來的首個全新主題公園（迪士尼的動物王國于1998年開業(yè)）。

該主題公園占地750英畝，預計將在2023年營業(yè)，并使環(huán)球的印記擴大近兩倍。該公園也將專注于采用沉浸式體驗。

在美銀美林銀行于今年9月召開的會議上，環(huán)球公園與度假村的董事長兼首席執(zhí)行官湯姆·威廉姆斯表示，新公園將成為“公司有史以來打造的最具沉浸性和最為創(chuàng)新的主題公園?！?

盡管環(huán)球在最初做出這一宣布之后便沒有透露更多的消息，但在其發(fā)布的效果圖中，我們明顯可以看到這個巨大的公園有著四個獨立的園區(qū)。

Instead of rides that push the limits of speed, heights, and thrills, the world’s largest theme park operators are hoping a big investment in technology will keep luring guests through their gates.

Immersive experiences, facial recognition, and virtual reality are being leaned on heavily in the near future to grow the multibillion-dollar industry, with operators forced to innovate and reinvent themselves to keep up with the ever-evolving interests of parents, teens, and tykes—and offer more flexible options for those who don’t necessarily want to spend an entire day at a park.

Here’s what the big players in the space have planned or are considering:

It’s all about immersion

Walt Disney might have seen some woes with the launch of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge this year. But as the No. 1 theme park operator in 2018 (with $4.5 billion in operational profits, per the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions), the Mouse House is emphasizing immersive, personalized adventures both inside and outside its parks.

The Star Wars–themed Galactic Starcruiser hotel, named the Halcyon, will transport guests from Orlando to an immersive two-night hotel experience that feels far, far away.

Much like being on a cruise ship, guests will arrive together and depart together and have the option to have much of their time programmed with a multitude of things to see and do. Disney is working to make guests feel like part of the Star Wars universe from the moment they arrive. Stepping into a simulated space pod (a heavily screened entrance elevator), guests will be whisked away to their Starcruiser.

Upon arrival, activities “onboard” will include lightsaber battles, pilot training, themed dinners, major character interactions, and more. Each guest cabin will feature ever-evolving “views” into space.

Light or Dark side of the Force? That will be up to visitors.

“Be wary of who you make allegiances with,” Ann Morrow Johnson, executive producer and creative director of Walt Disney Imagineering, said at its D23 announcement in August. “The choices you make affect the course of your journey and ultimately determines how your Star Wars story unfolds.”

This will play out during visitors’ stays and even in day-trip excursions to the planet of Batuu, a.k.a. Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Galaxy’s Edge.

Disney has also announced a space-themed restaurant inside Epcot’s Mission: Space pavilion coming this winter called Space 220. This almost literally out-of-this-world eatery will launch aspiring astronauts to a space station 220 miles above Earth.

Using technology similar to the Starcruiser’s space pod entrance and rooms, this restaurant will provide panoramic views of the space station along with day and night views of Earth for patrons to feel as though they’re amongst the stars.

Flexible tickets and facial recognition

Across town, Universal Studios Orlando is hard at work on its third gate, Universal’s Epic Universe—the first brand-new theme park in the area in over 20 years (Disney’s Animal Kingdom launched in 1998).

Expected to open in 2023, this 750-acre development will nearly double Universal’s presence and will also focus on the immersive approach.

At a Bank of America Merrill Lynch conference in September, Tom Williams, chairman and CEO for Universal Parks & Resorts, said the new area will be “the most immersive and innovative theme park we have ever created.”

While Universal itself has been fairly quiet since its initial announcement, a giant park with four distinct lands is evident in its released renderings.

該公園還將設有一個主入口區(qū)域，類似于環(huán)球影城的城市步行街。該區(qū)域將擁有餐飲、購物和一家新酒店（這是首家與環(huán)球影城主題公園“相連”的酒店）。該地區(qū)將扮演樞紐站的角色，從而將賓客分別輸送至四個新的園區(qū)。

盡管銷售包含四個區(qū)域的通票似乎已成定局，但公園專家建議環(huán)球還應該單獨銷售每個園區(qū)的“子門票”。這樣便可以為游客提供一種定制感，同時也能夠為只希望在某個園區(qū)短暫游玩，并體驗餐飲和其他娛樂設施的當?shù)厝颂峁└嗟臋C會。此舉可以讓賓客像用餐和看電影那樣游玩主題公園，而不是必須在里面待一整天的時間。

與此同時，環(huán)球在中國的30億美元項目——北京環(huán)球影城——將于2021年開業(yè)。公司在10月下旬宣布：該影城將采用面部識別技術。該技術的所有者是電商巨頭阿里巴巴，它將通過掃描客戶的面部來確認客戶是否已經(jīng)支付入園門票。中國已經(jīng)在地鐵和機場安裝了面部識別設備。

盡管美國機場在很久之前已經(jīng)開始使用類似的技術來協(xié)助安全檢查，但當Ticketmaster和Live Nation試圖在音樂會中使用類似技術時，音樂迷們對此頗有微詞。

我們并不清楚這項技術是否會在全美主題公園推廣。環(huán)球拒絕對這一愿景置評，而只是簡單地回答道：“我們將及時發(fā)布有關環(huán)球史詩宇宙的更多信息?！?

盡管Super Nintendo World（以任天堂游戲為背景的園區(qū)——譯者注）進駐奧蘭多的史詩宇宙似乎已成定局，但日本環(huán)球影城的任天堂主題園區(qū)將在2020年搶先運營（在最為重要的夏季奧運會開幕之前），并將提供主題公園較為少見的競技元素。

主題園區(qū)第一期將建造桃子公主城堡和兩個游樂設施：超級馬里奧賽車和耀西的冒險。

威廉姆斯在9月的會議上解釋道：“整個園區(qū)都是互動的。游客將獲得一個手帶，上面印有大大的紅色馬里奧標志，是全磁的，即便拿手拍都不會掉。賓客可以不斷成長，保留得分，并參加各類游戲，而參加游戲的時候也可以啟動積分保留功能，如果你在娛樂實施中做出這個選擇，那么它實際上會與你的游戲主機進行互動。”

此舉能夠讓熱衷于游戲的賓客不斷地回園游玩，并有可能通過其任天堂 Switch設備或任天堂未來發(fā)布的主機積累分數(shù)和成就。

虛擬現(xiàn)實已死

2016年，日本環(huán)球影城和英格蘭Alton Towers啟動了虛擬現(xiàn)實狂熱過山車項目，并期待其將成為公園今后一大熱門娛樂設施。

Six Flags、Sea World以及全球十幾家主題公園運營商在2017年和2018年紛紛效仿，并將其作為一種改造老舊過山車的低成本方式，從而給人一種耳目一新的感覺。

但效果并不理想。

這類過山車要求乘客必須佩戴VR眼鏡，因此也引發(fā)了一系列問題，例如更長的等待時間、技術市場的不斷變化、耗時的消毒流程，以及游客會產生重復感。

2019年，僅有少數(shù)主題公園還在使用這一技術，最著名的便是樂高樂園的Great Lego Race 虛擬現(xiàn)實過山車和日本環(huán)球影城的“夢幻太空之旅”這一季節(jié)性的室內過山車體驗，其中的內容包括魯邦三世和最終幻想。

有鑒于此，VR的未來到底在何方？

迪士尼已經(jīng)決定將虛擬現(xiàn)實技術放在主題公園之外的迪士尼綜合區(qū)和迪士尼之泉購物區(qū)。

借助與混合現(xiàn)實公司The Void合作，賓客可戴上VR頭戴設備，手持爆破槍，進入《Wreck-It》、《星戰(zhàn)》，以及剛剛宣布的漫威《復仇者》主題體驗的虛擬世界。

借助The Void的設置，讓賓客可通過探訪不同的房間與環(huán)境互動，并加入團隊挑戰(zhàn)，從而真正融入故事。樂高樂園將把靜止版的Great Lego Race虛擬現(xiàn)實過山車搬到商場中，從而讓賓客感受一下主題公園能夠給他們帶來的體驗。

在這兩家看來，VR這種手段不僅能夠提升其現(xiàn)有公園的樂趣，而且還可以通過不同的新方式來吸引粉絲群。

盡管虛擬現(xiàn)實可能會迅速淡出主題公園的世界，但專家們預計增強現(xiàn)實，例如《星戰(zhàn)：銀河之翼》不斷改進的DataPad應用程序所提供的內容，將很快成為整個體驗的重要組成部分，而且它也為全球各大主題公園的提升提供了一個簡便、低成本的方式。（財富中文網(wǎng)）

譯者：馮豐

審校：夏林

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The park will also feature one main entrance area—similar to Universal’s City Walk—showcasing dining, shopping, and a new hotel (the first hotel to be “attached” to a park for Universal Studios). This area will act as a hub that will funnel guests to the four new areas separately.

While a master ticket for the four lands seems inevitable, park experts have proposed Universal will offer a “micro ticket” to each of the separate lands. This could give a customized feel for visitors while also enabling locals more of a chance to spend just a few hours inside the park accompanied by dining or other entertainment. It could allow guests to treat the themed lands similar to dinner and a movie, as opposed to an all-day adventure.

Meanwhile, China’s $3-billion-plus development—Universal Studios Beijing—set to open in 2021, announced at the end of October: Universal’s foray into facial-recognition technology. The technology is owned by Chinese online giant Alibaba and will scan guests’ faces to determine if they’ve paid for entry or not. China already has facial-recognition devices in place for its subways and airports.

Though U.S. airports have been using similar technology for a while now to help with security, when Ticketmaster and Live Nation tried to implement something similar for concerts it did not go over well with music fans.

It’s not clear if the technology will come to theme parks stateside just yet. Universal declined to comment about the prospect, stating simply, “We will have more to announce on Universal’s Epic Universe in due time.”

While it seems inevitable Super Nintendo World will anchor Orlando’s Epic Universe, Universal Studios Japan will get the debut first in 2020 (prior to the all-important Summer Olympics) with some elements of gaming relatively new to parks.

The first phase will have Princess Peach’s Castle and two rides: Super Mario Kart and Yoshi’s Adventures.

“The whole land [will be] interactive. You are going to have a wristband that’s got the big red Mario symbol on it. It’s all magnetic. You slap it at your wrist, and it won’t come off,” Williams elaborated during September’s conference. “You will be able to go up and keep score and play with various games. That also translates to score-keeping capability, if you choose to do so within the rides, and it actually interfaces back with your game console.”

This will allow gamer-minded guests to come back again and again, building on their scores and achievements presumably via their Nintendo Switch or future consoles from Nintendo.

VR is dead

In 2016, Universal Studios Japan and England’s Alton Towers kicked off the virtual reality roller coaster craze to what was expected to be the next hot ticket for theme parks.

Six Flags, Sea World, and dozens of other park operators across the world followed suit in 2017 and 2018 mainly as a low-cost way to reinvent older coasters and make it feel new.

It didn’t take off.

Mandatory VR headsets for these roller coasters often came with a set of issues like much longer wait times paired with an ever-evolving tech market, time consuming sanitation woes, and feelings of repetition for guests.

In 2019 only a handful remain, most notably Legoland’s the Great Lego Race VR Coaster and Universal Japan’s seasonal offerings of its Space Fantasy indoor coaster featuring properties likes Lupin the 3rd and Final Fantasy.

So, where does this leave the future of VR?

Disney has decided to leave VR right outside the parks in its Downtown Disney and Disney Springs locations.

Partnering with mixed-reality company The Void, guests can don VR headsets and grab blasters to enter the virtual worlds of Wreck-It Ralph, Star Wars, and the just-announced Marvel’s Avengers–themed experiences.

The Void setup allows guests to truly be part of the story by allowing them to walk around and explore different rooms, interact with environments, and take on team challenges. Legoland is taking a stationary version of its Great Lego Race VR coaster to malls for guests to get a taste of what they can experience at their parks.

Both seem to see VR as a way to drum up excitement for their already existing properties and engage their fan bases in new ways.

And while virtual reality might be quickly fading from the theme parks scene, experts expect augmented reality, like what Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’s ever-evolving DataPad app has introduced, to soon become a bigger part of the overall experience as an easy, low cost, (and optional) enhancement for parks around the globe.