Method and system for customizing a theme park experience

• US 7,837,567 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Mendelsohn, Seth, Kummer, Edward, Voris, Jeffrey, Holzberg, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kien T
• Application Number:
  US11/999,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20090149265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 472 59- 61, 472 88- 90, 472/117, 472/128, 472/129, 463/7, 463/52, 463/53, 463/42
• US Class Current: 472/59
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8094 Unusual game types, e.g. virtual cooking
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/00 Amusement arrangements hoop exercising apparatus driven by the user A63B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/16 creating illusions of travel

Abstract

There is provided a method of customizing a theme park experience comprising designating a theme park experience motif, selecting customizable features associated with the designated motif, and assembling the designated motif and the selected customizable features into a custom virtual theme park experience suitable for adaptation as a customized theme park experience. In one embodiment, the method includes hosting the custom virtual theme park experience, rating the popularity of the custom virtual theme park experience among a community of users, and adapting the custom virtual theme park experience to a customized theme park experience.

Claims

1. A method of providing a customized theme park experience at a theme park, the method comprising:

designating a theme park experience motif from among predetermined motifs contained in a motifs database, in response to an input received by a client computer from an online user located remotely from the theme park, to produce a designated motif;

selecting one or more customizable features associated with the designated motif from among features contained in a customizable features database, in response to one or more additional inputs received by the client computer from the online user, to provide selected one or more customizable features;

assembling the designated motif and the selected one or more customizable features by the online user into a user-generated custom virtual theme park experience suitable for adaptation as a user-generated customized theme park experience;

hosting the user-generated custom virtual theme park experience for online use by other online users located remotely from the theme park; and

providing the user-generated customized theme park experience, adapted based on the user-generated custom virtual theme park experience, to visitors of the theme park in conjunction with an in-park attraction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a popularity rating of the user-generated custom virtual theme park experience among the other online users.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing a selection of the user-generated custom virtual theme park experience for adaptation as the user-generated customized theme park experience based on the popularity of the user-generated custom virtual theme park experience.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the user-generated customized theme park experience with a user access code.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated motif comprises an interactive shooting game.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the selecting of the one or more customizable features comprises selecting one or more targets of the interactive shooting game.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated motif comprises a dramatic entertainment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated motif comprises an informative presentation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user-generated customized theme park experience comprises a guided tour.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a downloading of a customized theme park experience design content including an interactive custom virtual theme park experience design application, the motifs database, and the customizable features database, to the client computer.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a customized theme park experience design content including an interactive custom virtual theme park experience design application, the motifs database, and the customizable features database to the client computer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing provides a tour including a video simulation of a personalized tour guide using a display unit.

13. A host system capable of enabling design of a customized theme park experience, the host system comprising:

a content server configured to;

designate a theme park experience motif from among predetermined motifs contained in a motifs database, in response to an input received by a client computer from an online user located remotely from the theme park, to produce a designated motif;

select one or more customizable features associated with the designated motif from among features contained in a customizable features database, in response to one or more additional inputs received by the client computer from the online user, to provide selected one or more customizable features;

assemble the designated motif and the selected one or more customizable features by the online user into a user-generated custom virtual theme park experience suitable for adaptation as a user-generated customized theme park experience; and

hosting the user-generated custom virtual theme park experience for online use by other online users located remotely from the theme park;

wherein the user-generated customized theme park experience is adaptable based on the user-generated custom virtual theme park experience for use by visitors of the theme park in conjunction with an in-park attraction.

14. The host system of claim 13, wherein the host system is configured to interact with a client computer utilized by the online user so as to enable the online user to design the user-generated custom virtual theme park experience.

15. The host system of claim 13, further comprising a custom virtual theme park experience storage configured to store a user designed custom virtual theme park experience.

16. The host system of claim 13, wherein the content server is further configured to provide a popularity rating of the user-generated custom virtual theme park experience among the other online users.

17. The host system of claim 16, wherein the content server is further configured to provide a selection of the user-generated custom virtual theme park experience for adaptation as the user-generated customized theme park experience based on the popularity of the user-generated custom virtual theme park experience.

18. The host system of claim 13, wherein the content server is further configured to associate the user-generated customized theme park experience with a user access code.

19. The host system of claim 13, wherein the content server is further configured to provide a tour including a video simulation of a personalized tour guide using a display unit.