Theme Park Visitors Research Articles

Theme park visitors’ responses to monetary promotions: The moderating roles of promotion frequency and original price

Previous research has shed light on how monetary promotions affect visitors’ purchase intentions, leading many theme parks to adopt these strategies. Yet, with different promotion frequencies and original prices, the effectiveness of these promotions may diverge. Utilizing three experimental studies, this research demonstrates that perceived value fully mediates the significant impact of monetary promotions on purchase intentions. Original price moderates this effect, whereas the moderating role of promotion frequency was not significant. Specifically, for high-priced theme parks offering minimal discounts, “amount off” was preferred over “percentage off,” irrespective of promotion frequency. When original prices are low, the effectiveness of two promotional messages becomes indistinguishable. Both theoretical and managerial implications are further elaborated.

Relationships Between Theme Park Ride Experience and Loyalty: The Moderating Role of Past Experience

ABSTRACT Understanding the relationship between theme park ride experiences and visitor loyalty is crucial yet still not fully elucidated, particularly regarding differences between first-time and repeat visitors. Drawing upon the experience economy framework and the theory of experienced utility, this study explores how various aspects of theme park ride experience (education, aesthetics, entertainment, and escapism) influence visitor loyalty (revisit and recommendation intentions), considering the moderating effect of past experience. Structural equation modeling and invariance tests were conducted on data collected from 412 theme park visitors in China. Results indicate that the four dimensions of theme park ride experience have varying impacts on patrons’ revisit and recommendation intentions. Additionally, first-time visitors’ intentions are more influenced by active participation experiences compared to repeat visitors. This study advances the theoretical knowledge of theme park ride experience and offers practical implications for park management.

What keeps historical theme park visitors coming? Research based on expectation confirmation theory.

Culture is one of the most important factors in attracting tourists and influencing the tourist experience. In China, "theme park" is a new field of tourism research, an excellent theme park can not only drive the development of a city's tourism industry, but also help it better publicize its history and culture. The article takes Kaifeng, China as the background, and selects the Song Dynasty historical and cultural theme park, which was established based on the traditional ink painting Qingming Riverside Drawing, as an example, to study the factors affecting tourists' travel experience in historical and cultural theme parks, and based on which it explores the reasons for the formation of tourists' satisfaction and post-trip behavioral intentions, to provide references and suggestions for the development of cultural theme parks from the point of view of travel experience. Based on the expectation confirmation theory, this essay introduces five constructs, namely, expectation (tourism motivation), performance (service quality), confirmation (tourism experience), satisfaction, and post-trip behavior intention, to construct a model of the factors influencing tourists' satisfaction by tourism experience in historical theme parks and analyze the intrinsic correlation among the factors within the model. It is found that tourists' tourism experience is mainly affected by tourism motivation and service quality, satisfaction and post-trip behavior intention are jointly determined by the above three. According to the research results, this study believes that tourism motivation, service quality, and tourism experience should be the focus of attention of the current tourist destinations, therefore, focusing on tourists' motivation to optimize the quality of service, helping tourists to enhance the sense of tourism experience, and improving based on the above focuses is of great significance to promote the development of historical and cultural theme parks.

The Impact of Theme Park Experience on Satisfaction and Loyalty

Theme parks have become more successful in recent years. Furthermore, theme parks have grown in popularity as urban leisure destinations and tourist attractions that offer visitors a variety of experiences. Understanding visitors' interactions in the theme park is important because customer satisfaction and loyalty are heavily influenced by their experiences. The study's goal was to determine the impact of theme park experience on satisfaction and loyalty. Specific objectives were to describe the respondents’ demographic profile, determine the respondents’ perceptions toward their theme park visit in terms of theme park experience, theme park satisfaction, and theme park loyalty, establish a significant difference between the respondents’ profile and their perception towards theme park experience, theme park satisfaction, and theme park loyalty, and establish a significant relationship between the respondents’ perception towards their theme park experience and their theme park satisfaction and theme park loyalty. This study adopted the descriptive-correlational method.The survey was completed by 389 visitors who had visited the three major theme parks in the Philippines during the past few years. The research used a combination of convenience and snowball sampling in order to reach all respondents during the pandemic. The statistical tools used were frequency counts, percentages, mean, chi-square, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. It can be gleaned from the study that theme park visitors' satisfaction is based on their happiness with all their experiences in the theme park. The key findings demonstrated that theme park experience, theme park satisfaction, and theme park loyalty are significantly and positively related to respondents’ assessments when visiting theme parks. The results suggest that theme park operators and management should focus on maintaining a good physical setting that will entertain and satisfy theme park visitors.

The Effects of Virtual Reality Technology on Visitor Experience: Legoland, Johor, Malaysia

Nowdays, theme parks are a growingly common travel destination for tourists all over the world. According to Themed Entertainment Association (2016), theme parks provide an experience with a distinctive atmosphere and as such offer top-notch rides and attractions, a wide range of performances and events, environmental buildings and landscapes, options for dining, and eye-catching retail stores. Technology advancements have a significant impact on the travel and tourism sector, improving customer satisfaction by giving them a more immersive experience. Virtual reality (VR) is a new area of technological development that is increasingly being used in a variety of fields, including entertainment, marketing, and education (Guttentag, 2010). This research aims to understand how VR technology may enhance theme park visitors' experiences and actions. Data was gathered from 200 theme park guests who have experience VR roller coasters in the previous 12 months. The data was collected by using quantitative method. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. The result of the study indicates that functional and experience has a significant impact on satisfaction and revisit intention at LEGOLAND Malaysia. The findings of this study can be used by the management to plan and implement marketing activities that will improve the services offered by the LEGOLAND Malaysia.

테마파크 방문객 세분화에 관한 탐색적 접근 : 코로나19 팬데믹 기간의 에버랜드 방문객을 중심으로

테마파크 방문객 세분화에 관한 탐색적 접근 : 코로나19 팬데믹 기간의 에버랜드 방문객을 중심으로

Exploring thematic influences on theme park visitors' satisfaction: An empirical study on Disneyland China

AbstractThis study aims to explore thematic influences on theme park visitors' satisfaction through user‐generated data. To this end, we first used an unsupervised machine learning method, structural topic modeling, and analyzed 112,000 reviews post by visitors to Shanghai Disney Resort from June 16, 2016 to March 4, 2022. Our findings are of great significance for reflecting consumer behavior through user‐generated data. Specifically, we find that visitors' satisfaction is highly related to service in the theme park and their playing feeling, and early tourists pay more attention to the experience of specific playing items while later tourists focus on the overall playing experience. In addition, an empirical study is conducted by treating the ratings associated with each review as dependent variable and each topic represented by comments as independent variables, which shows that the relationship between the customer reviews and ratings by tourists becomes less pronounced over time. In other words, as time goes, customers review can reflect their subjective feelings or experience, but the rating is not. We discover the “dynamics” of user‐generated data over time and gain a better understanding of the aspects and concerns of visitors' satisfaction over time. The findings of the study contribute to the literature on tourism, service, and consumer behavior while also providing valuable practical implications.

THE PUBLIC’S PERCEPTIONS TOWARD THEME PARKS AS A RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY

A theme park is an attraction that the public enjoys. A theme park provides amusement and creates a leisure time for the public to spend time with family, friends and other relatives. Therefore, it is critical to determine the public's expectations and perceptions of theme park recreation. The purpose of this study is to determine the level of public participation in a theme park recreational activity. The theme parks selected are Sunway Lagoon Water Park, iCity Water World, and Wet World Water Park. All of the selected theme parks are located in the state of Selangor. The objective of the study is to investigate the influence factor of public perception on theme park attendance based on social demographics. Due to the Covid-19 situation, the survey was conducted through an online form using a Google form. A total of 437 people from the selected theme parks were surveyed. The study found that most theme park visitors are students and are between 18 and 30 years old. The result shows that public participation in theme park recreational activities is significant. It was found that people who do their leisure activities in amusement parks have higher expectations. On the other hand, the influence factor of public perception of participation in theme park leisure activities was significant. The iCity Water World has the highest influence. The influence factor of public perception of participation is statistically significant in theme parks. Nevertheless, the management should cooperate and communicate with the government and private organizations to improve the country's economy due to the Covid-19 situation.

The Effects of Perceived Crowding on Satisfaction and Place-Attachment of Theme Park Visitors

The Effects of Perceived Crowding on Satisfaction and Place-Attachment of Theme Park Visitors

Customer experience through online reviews from TripAdvisor: the case of Orlando theme parks

In the last years, the development of social media and digital technology has empowered customers to strongly engage with firms, to freely behave choice wisely and to influence other customers either positively or negatively. This study sought to extract latent information on theme park visitor perception and experience through sentiment analysis from user generated content. In general, satisfaction and sentiment differed between the eight theme parks, wherein the three theme parks with higher positive sentiment were Disney's Animal Kingdom, followed by Universal's Islands of Adventures, Discovery Cove and finally SeaWorld. Furthermore, it was found on the one hand that drivers of customer's satisfaction were associated with sentiments such as 'fun', 'great', 'lovely' and 'amazing', and on the other hand experience and services like 'rides', 'water', 'dolphins', 'experience' and 'show'. Those results are valuable to support theme park management to improve guest experiences and consequently achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

테마파크에서의 체험요소와 감정반응 및 행동의도에 관한 연구

The objective of this study is specifically in order to verify the influence relationship of the theme park experience on emotional response and behavioral intention. The implications are presented based on empirical verification results through the survey of the theme park visitors' perceptions regarding of the affective response and behavior intention according to the effect of the theme park experience. To achieve the objectives, as a conceptual framework of the study, experience factor, affective response, and behavior intention on theme park visiting were reviewed and the empirical study on visitors’ experience the perceptive relation between affective response and behavior intention. For analysis purposes, the questionnaire of 241 theme park users who participated in the survey was coded. SPSS 21.0 was used for research analysis, and frequency analysis, factor analysis, reliability analysis, regression analysis, and mediating analysis were performed. As a result of the study, it showed that the various experiences desired on theme park have an influence relationship that stimulates emotional responses. As the hypothesis of the influence relationship between emotional response and behavioral intention formed by the theme park experience was adopted, it was statistically significant and found that emotional response had a positive relationship with behavioral intention for the subject of experience. According to the result of partial adoption verification of the hypothesis that the theme park experience has a positive effect on the behavioral intention, it can be seen that the non-daily theme park experience directly leads to positive behavior. The results of the analysis were discussed in a context that can help understand the emotional response of theme park visitors and revitalize revisit.

The influence of dynamic pricing on consumer trust, value, and loyalty relationships in theme parks

Previous research addressed the impact of dynamic pricing strategies in different economic sectors. While consumer loyalty towards theme parks received attention, its relationships with consumer trust and value under different dynamic pricing strategies have not been studied. This study investigated the potential influences of different dynamic pricing strategies on the modeled relationships among consumer trust, consumer value, and brand loyalty. A randomized online experiment of six scenarios was developed, sampling 50 theme park visitors in each scenario, and obtaining a usable sample of 286 respondents. The findings revealed that consumers’ overall trust in their favorite theme park, measured by benevolence and competitive trust, positively influenced their overall value perceptions measured by emotional, financial, reputation, and social dimensions. These dimensions had different effects on consumers’ theme park brand loyalty. The multi-group analysis did not show a clear pattern of differences among the different pricing strategies. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Consumer reactions to different robotic servers in theme parks

消费者对主题公园中不同机器人服务器的反应研究设计/方法/方法本研究对 399 名受访者进行的结构化在线调查测量并比较了消费者对主题公园环境中机器人质量和功能的看法以及消费者的行为四种不同机器人场景中的意图——动漫、卡通、人类和主题公园中的动物机器人。调查数据由在线平台收集并通过 SPSS 进行分析。研究目的该研究旨在了解主题公园游客感知到的四种不同机器人所具有的机器人品质, 评估它们的机器人功能, 以及消费者对四种不同机器人服务器类型的忠诚度。研究发现结果显示, 不同机器人类型场景中机器人质量存在一些预期差异, 但总体反应相似。调查结果还提供了有关消费者偏好机器人类型的信息, 并显示出对类人机器人服务器的更多偏好。研究局限性/影响该研究仅限于北美主题公园的几个机器人场景。未来的定性和定量研究应该更详细地研究主题公园游客参与机器人服务交付过程、机器人的移动性以及与其他游客的互动。实践意义这些发现可以指导从业者机器人的外观、品质和功能, 以考虑将其介绍给他们的顾客, 以创造更多的互动环境和体验。研究原创性/价值该研究揭示了一些关于消费者对主题公园机器人服务器期望的新知识。到目前为止, 还没有其他研究比较不同机器人类型的感知外观, 质量、功能或消费者在主题公园背景下的行为倾向。

How Fear of COVID-19 Affects Service Experience and Recommendation Intention in Theme Parks: An Approach of Integrating Protection Motivation Theory and Experience Economy Theory.

The unprecedented public panic caused by COVID-19 will affect the recovery of tourism, especially the theme parks, which are generally crowded due to high visitor volume. The purpose of this study is to discuss the effect of the COVID-19 on the theme park industry. This study aims to predict recommendation intentions of theme park visitors by exploring the complicated mechanism derived from the fear of COVID-19. This study uses a quantitative research method, and SPSS 20.0 and AMOS 22.0 were used for data analysis. An online survey was conducted with 420 Chinese respondents who visited Shanghai Disneyland after its reopening. The study explored the relationship between Fear of COVID-19, perceived risk, participation, service experience, and revisit intention. Results indicated the perceived risk of theme park visitors will not directly ruin their recommendation intention. Visitors’ fear of COVID-19 enhanced their perceived risk, reduced their desire for active participation and impaired their service experience, which consequently affected their recommendation intention. We provide theoretical and managerial implications.

An empirical investigation of the impact of service experience on emotions, satisfaction and loyalty for theme park visitors

An empirical investigation of the impact of service experience on emotions, satisfaction and loyalty for theme park visitors

Assessing technology adoption practices in Chinese theme parks: text mining and sentiment analysis

衡量中国主题公园的科技采用行为：文本挖掘和情感分析研究目的通过对游客的在线评论进行文本挖掘和情感分析, 本研究论旨在探索在中国主题公园中科技采用的行为。研究设计/方法/途径本研究运用Python 程序一共挖掘了来自490 中国主题公园的65,518 条评论。本研究进一步计算了在主题公园中与科技运用有关在线评论的情感指数。研究发现本研究发现了在主题公园科技应用的两大主要分类：辅助和体验科技。辅助科技包括三种：智慧服务, 售票, 和园中运输。根据Schmitt 战略体验模块（SEMs): 体验科技进一步包括科技的五大方面：感官, 感觉, 思考, 和联系。研究原创性/价值本研究对了解目前主题公园游客对科技使用行为的看法提供了见解, 以及对主题公园有意向投资科技来提高客户体验的从业人员提供了深远意义。

New insights on satisfaction prototypes for segmentation: Focus on customer experience

This paper tests a conceptual segmentation using a criterion outlined by Oliver based on the satisfaction prototypes customers may follow. The empirical study was conducted with a sample of theme park visitors grouped into four satisfaction prototypes/segments. Results show the presence of important differences by groups in terms of both the effects of perceived value dimensions on satisfaction and the level of satisfaction by segment, supporting the proposed approach. The findings are valuable for a better identification of key drivers of segments’ satisfaction, which will be helpful to redesign service experiences to better fit the varying preferences of modern consumers.

A Comparison of Consumer Attitudes Toward Dynamic Pricing Strategies in the Theme Park Context

ABSTRACT Dynamic pricing is the practice of changing the price for a product or service in different time periods, in different sale points, or for different market segments. The strategy is applied in many economic sectors, including the tourism and hospitality industry; however, consumer reactions to dynamic pricing in the theme park industry have not been examined. This study assessed consumers’ trust, perceived value, and brand loyalty under different pricing strategies using six hypothetical pricing scenarios. The results indicated that theme park visitors had the best positive attitudes and loyalty when they pay less and know that they paid less. Theme park visitors’ reaction toward paying price premiums does not change substantially when they know that they pay more for charitable causes or sustainable practices. Implications are discussed.

Scale Development of Non-Smoking Theme Park Visitors’ Emotion and Its Connation

Objectives: To advance consumer emotion research in tourism, it is necessary to develop practical and context-relevant emotion measures. This paper aims to discover the connation of consumer emotion of non-smoking theme park visitors and develops emotion scale and provides theoretical and practical suggestions for theme parks. This paper adopted two studies and combined qualitative and quantitative research methods with Shanghai Disneyland as the research objective. In study one, this paper develops theme parks visitors’ emotion scale based on literature review and three focus group interviews. In study two, this paper verifies the scale based on 215 on-site effective questionnaires. The final emotion scale has four dimensions, love(cared, loved, romantic, happiness and warm-hearted), joy(content, happy, satisfied and joy), surprise(surprise, exciting, indulged and fantastic)and unpleasantness(anger, sad, disappointed and worried). This emotion scale can be used as an effective tool to measure theme park’s visitor emotion since it considers theme park’s character and consumer experience.

AN ANALYSIS OF VISITOR PROFILES AND SATISFACTION TOWARDS JUNGLELAND ADVENTURE THEME PARK, SENTUL CITY BOGOR, INDONESIA

There are various components such as diverse products and services offered to the theme park visitors as an ‘all-inclusive theme park experience’. The necessities in satisfying the needs of theme park visitors are crucial in retaining and attracting visitors to the park. The absence of research in visitor perceived experience at the Indonesian theme park has led this study to examine the profiles and satisfaction level of visitors at the theme park. This study aims to examine the profiles and factors that contributed to visitor satisfaction at JungeLand Adventure Theme Park, Indonesia. A total of 384 questionnaires were distributed to previous visitors at JungeLand Adventure Theme Park using ‘Google Forms’ between August to October 2020. The questionnaire was meant to assess the demographic profiles and the factors influencing the satisfaction level of the theme park visitors. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to examine the satisfaction of visitors towards various components at the theme park. Findings revealed that single, high-school female students aged between 18 to 22 years old, are the majority of visitors to the theme park, who visits the park mostly on weekends and companied by friends. Visitors were mostly satisfied with the ‘Interaction with Staff’ variables, followed by the ‘Facilities’ for rides available at the park and the discount and promotion of ‘Ticket Prices’. Findings provide reliable suggestions for developing effective promotional materials, which in turn will help theme park operators to enhance their offerings and services while also enriching visitors’ experiences.