When we think attraction safety, typically we think of thrill rides with physical twists and turns and the different restraint types needed to secure guests. While those are very important and we have covered restraints in a previous post, safety considerations go into all different types of attractions. In line with CAVU’s recent launch of Quest, we thought we would focus this post on the safety of walkthrough attractions. For those of you when are unfamiliar with Quest: themed entertainment’s first walkthrough ride, you can watch our launch highlight reel below:
Walkthrough attractions offer new challenges compared to other more traditional rides. Guests are not confined to a vehicle; they are free to move about as they please. While typically, restraints and vehicles create specific clearance envelopes that engineers and designers can design to; with walkthroughs, this is not the case. Designers and engineers need to take into consideration all movement from guests and design to safely consider all possibilities.
When we think of safe attraction design, there are generally a few measures that can be taken to mitigate risk. As with any activity, there are inherent risks with any attraction. To make an attraction “more safe”, designers can aim to reduce the occurrence of those risks, increase the detection of those risks before they happen, or reduce the severity of those risks. For traditional thrill rides, risk is typically managed by mitigating the occurrence and detection of the risks. The risks that come with heights, speed, and forces still exist on all roller coasters, but they are mitigated through extremely sophisticated engineering and design. These engineered solutions like restraints and operational procedures don’t eliminate the risks, they simply dramatically reduce how often the risk will occur, typically less than 1-in-100,000,000 or more. In walkthroughs, however, we can reduce the severity of those risks, in addition to the traditionally used techniques. By making walls and scenic sets from touch-friendly materials, adding flexibility to the floor, and adding lighting in areas that contain elevation changes, all allow for the reduction in both the severity of the risk but also the likelihood that a risk occurs.
We know what you’re thinking “how unsafe could walkthroughs really be?” Overall, walkthroughs have less major safety concerns, than traditional attractions. Typically, there is less large moving equipment, guests are not accelerated or suspended and there are less accessibility limitations as guests are not confined to a vehicle. Regardless, each and every attraction or experience we designs begins with an extensive risk assessment and mitigation exercise where we systematically look at all foreseeable risks and design targeted mitigations and reductions strategies to make those risks acceptable per the latest industry standards. The attraction design will take into consideration what the guests can touch/reach and the accessibility of the pathway that guests will take.
There are usually three types of guest flows in walkthrough attractions:
1) Free Flow, where guests can enter and exit the attraction at their own will.
2) Controlled Dispatch, where groups of guests move through the attraction at a fixed pace to control throughput.
3) Hybrid, where groups of guests enter the attraction at specified intervals, but once inside the attraction they can freely move through.
The type of guest flow that is chosen for the attraction will dictate certain safety measures, such as:
- Automatic show-action doors to control guest entry and exit.
- Operators in certain rooms to help control guests.
- Advanced control system systems that track guests’ movement throughout the attraction.
Sanitization is a unique challenge for walkthrough attractions, even before COVID-19, this was a major consideration for designers and operators. In walkthroughs there are no vehicles that cycle through the attraction that can be sanitized at a single location. Guests have more opportunities to contact surfaces and spread bacteria or viruses. Alternately, walkthrough attractions can prevent the spread of disease in ways that other attractions cannot.
With Quest, we have reimagined a walkthrough attraction to exist in a post COVID world. Guests can socially distance themselves during the attraction without significantly reducing throughput. Single-direction guest flows prevent groups from interacting or passing each other. The Quest modules are designed to include social distancing as well as staggering modules to allow for cleaning between each group, this maintains a smooth guest flow.
Another major safety and sanitization consideration for walkthroughs and interactive attractions is touchpoints. Guests are often handling devices used throughout the attraction that are passed from guest to guest. With Quest, we introduce new forms of touchless interactivity to reduce touch points. Interactivity using audio and hand gestures is incorporated to minimize the need for constant sanitization throughout the attraction.
While walkthrough attractions may not need the restraints or safety features of thrill rides, engineers and designers still need to incorporate safety measures into these attractions. A safe walkthrough is one that focuses on hygiene and guest flow, creating an enjoyable experience while keeping guests safe and comfortable.