Saw this on Screamscape:
Park News - (7/19/11) The Magic Kingdom is preparing to launch a new interactive game called Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, similar in concept to the KimPossible game at Epcot. Sorcerers is said to eventually offer three quests, and it looks like the first one may go into Adventureland, though the Firehouse on Main Street may be repurposed as the game’s Headquarters. Read more details over at Disney At Work.
And the linked article:
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Underway
In a MousePlanet article back in April I announced that new interactive games would soon be established throughout many of the Disney parks and resorts. Similar to the concepts around the KimPossible World Showcase Adventures, participants would search around for clues that would come to life as they unscramble a mystery themed to that park land or resort.
In a few weeks work will be underway on the first of these at the Magic Kingdom. Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, a name trademarked back in 2010, will have games themed to each land. It's believed that the first land to receive this will be Adventureland, followed by Frontierland.
To make this happen, a major staging area will need to be created. Word has been out on the street that the store at the Firehouse on Main Street, U.S.A. is closing soon. That is because the Firehouse will be remodeled to be the headquarters of the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom games. The theming will stay a firehouse, it will simply be repurposed as a gaming headquarters. Thus, the donation of fire patches can still be a part of the firehouse's legacy.
Unlike the Kim Possible games at Epcot, these games apparently won't involve cell phones or electronic pads. Rather, guests will be given cards that will signal or provide QR and/or RFID codes in some way. The card codes will randomly signal a new game and will carry the code necessary for you to successfully carry the game through to completion. It is similar to the Mickey Midship Detective Agency aboard the Disney Dream, where using your badge you move around the ship showing a 2-D bar-code that would take you through the particular sequence of that game. This way guests will not have to carry or return a phone or electronic piece of equipment.
When Disney's new Alauni resort opens, interactive games are planned as part of that experience as well along the Menehune Adventure Trail. Because those playing the games will be guests of the hotels (and will have their credit cards on file), it's easier to upgrade the games so that they use an electronic pad (not an iPad) to work through the activity. Therefore, those activities will have a much greater electronic interface involved.
Returning to the Magic Kingdom, these games are not just a "nice-to-have" on the side. They are part of a major strategy to better direct the guest experience as the park has had to close off areas and in anticipation of capacity increases as the park premieres new attractions over the next couple of years. Already the park has been struggling to maintain the upkeep as it has taken down many areas. Much has been said in recent weeks on Disney Fan Boards about the condition of park attractions like Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. With the major closure of Toon Town Fair at the Magic Kingdom, as well as lesser attended areas in Fantasyland (Ariel's Grotto and Pooh's Playful Spot) for the new major Fantasyland additions, it is simply difficult for the park to close and rehab major attractions. The park has tried to compensate by creating a new meet and greet experience in Town Square and by trying additional parade and show times to the schedule. This is one additional effort in that guest management strategy.
Remember, even though Magic Kingdom's attendance in 2011 was soft with a 1.5% decline in attendance, it still reigns supreme as the number one park in attendance in the world. There has been much positive (for good reason) about how Disney California Adventure has managed the crowds with a major expansion going on throughout, but keep in mind that there are more than 10 million people going through the Magic Kingdom's gates each year (16.97) compared with DCA (6.29). Meanwhile, Disneyland, who is second in attendance (15.98), can take down attractions (as it did for several months with Splash Mountain) because its core audience is return guests and annual pass holders who ride those attractions all the time, as opposed to those attending the Magic Kingdom, whose opportunity to visit and ride an attraction like Splash is either a first time event, or a once every several year event.
Therefore, the demand on the Magic Kingdom is much greater. Sorcerers in the Magic Kingdom and other efforts right now are the most strategic way to soften the blow of taking down attractions for refurbishment. And when Fantasyland Forest opens, it will be an important key to occupy the huge (and perhaps all time record) attendance boost that park will soon be receiving.
http://disneyatwork.blogspot.com/2011/07/sorcerers-of-magic-kingdom-underway.html
Park News - (7/19/11) The Magic Kingdom is preparing to launch a new interactive game called Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, similar in concept to the KimPossible game at Epcot. Sorcerers is said to eventually offer three quests, and it looks like the first one may go into Adventureland, though the Firehouse on Main Street may be repurposed as the game’s Headquarters. Read more details over at Disney At Work.
And the linked article:
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Underway
In a MousePlanet article back in April I announced that new interactive games would soon be established throughout many of the Disney parks and resorts. Similar to the concepts around the KimPossible World Showcase Adventures, participants would search around for clues that would come to life as they unscramble a mystery themed to that park land or resort.
In a few weeks work will be underway on the first of these at the Magic Kingdom. Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, a name trademarked back in 2010, will have games themed to each land. It's believed that the first land to receive this will be Adventureland, followed by Frontierland.
To make this happen, a major staging area will need to be created. Word has been out on the street that the store at the Firehouse on Main Street, U.S.A. is closing soon. That is because the Firehouse will be remodeled to be the headquarters of the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom games. The theming will stay a firehouse, it will simply be repurposed as a gaming headquarters. Thus, the donation of fire patches can still be a part of the firehouse's legacy.
Unlike the Kim Possible games at Epcot, these games apparently won't involve cell phones or electronic pads. Rather, guests will be given cards that will signal or provide QR and/or RFID codes in some way. The card codes will randomly signal a new game and will carry the code necessary for you to successfully carry the game through to completion. It is similar to the Mickey Midship Detective Agency aboard the Disney Dream, where using your badge you move around the ship showing a 2-D bar-code that would take you through the particular sequence of that game. This way guests will not have to carry or return a phone or electronic piece of equipment.
When Disney's new Alauni resort opens, interactive games are planned as part of that experience as well along the Menehune Adventure Trail. Because those playing the games will be guests of the hotels (and will have their credit cards on file), it's easier to upgrade the games so that they use an electronic pad (not an iPad) to work through the activity. Therefore, those activities will have a much greater electronic interface involved.
Returning to the Magic Kingdom, these games are not just a "nice-to-have" on the side. They are part of a major strategy to better direct the guest experience as the park has had to close off areas and in anticipation of capacity increases as the park premieres new attractions over the next couple of years. Already the park has been struggling to maintain the upkeep as it has taken down many areas. Much has been said in recent weeks on Disney Fan Boards about the condition of park attractions like Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. With the major closure of Toon Town Fair at the Magic Kingdom, as well as lesser attended areas in Fantasyland (Ariel's Grotto and Pooh's Playful Spot) for the new major Fantasyland additions, it is simply difficult for the park to close and rehab major attractions. The park has tried to compensate by creating a new meet and greet experience in Town Square and by trying additional parade and show times to the schedule. This is one additional effort in that guest management strategy.
Remember, even though Magic Kingdom's attendance in 2011 was soft with a 1.5% decline in attendance, it still reigns supreme as the number one park in attendance in the world. There has been much positive (for good reason) about how Disney California Adventure has managed the crowds with a major expansion going on throughout, but keep in mind that there are more than 10 million people going through the Magic Kingdom's gates each year (16.97) compared with DCA (6.29). Meanwhile, Disneyland, who is second in attendance (15.98), can take down attractions (as it did for several months with Splash Mountain) because its core audience is return guests and annual pass holders who ride those attractions all the time, as opposed to those attending the Magic Kingdom, whose opportunity to visit and ride an attraction like Splash is either a first time event, or a once every several year event.
Therefore, the demand on the Magic Kingdom is much greater. Sorcerers in the Magic Kingdom and other efforts right now are the most strategic way to soften the blow of taking down attractions for refurbishment. And when Fantasyland Forest opens, it will be an important key to occupy the huge (and perhaps all time record) attendance boost that park will soon be receiving.
http://disneyatwork.blogspot.com/2011/07/sorcerers-of-magic-kingdom-underway.html
