Analysis of queue management in theme parks introducing the fast pass system

Abstract

Prolonged waits reduce tourist satisfaction and have become a major factor in the theme park experience. How to improve tourist satisfaction is one of the main challenges for theme parks, and the key is to develop an appropriate queue management strategy. We develop a theme park queueing model considering the Fast Pass system, derive the optimal pricing strategy under profit maximization, and analyze the Shanghai Disney theme park as an example. The contribution of this paper is to establish a mathematical model of the queuing of theme parks with heterogeneous tourists and incorporate tourist satisfaction into the objective function. The results show that the equilibrium result of the Fast Pass system under profit maximization can optimize both tourist satisfaction (travel utility) and theme park profit, which is more acceptable to theme park operators.