One of the most dangerous, most exhausting, most rewarding, most- whatever you want to call it- question anyone in a creative position pertaining to Guest Experience can ask themselves or a group: “What if?”
Ask this question and let the creativity and innovation flood in.
Full disclosure, I was nowhere near any conversation or whisper when Universal Orlando’s “Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure” roller coaster was designed. I was not part of any meeting, any conversation, etc… leading up to it. BUT, I can imagine it was an outstanding experience of creative people asking “what if” at every turn. Beginning with the request of building a rollercoaster with themed elements. OK, simple enough, right?
- What if the trains launched rather than use a typical lift chain. That would add a thrill element.
- But, what if… there were a couple of launch areas?
- Movie elements and theming need to be added to the ride route, obviously- but what if the train slowed down enough that you went around a scene from the movie?
- That alone would be great theming- what if instead of a normal roller coaster train seating a replica motorbike seating was made into the vehicle.
- What if one of the hill elements caused the train to go in reverse for part of the journey?
- Oh… here’s a good one… if that all isn’t enough, what if the train goes into a “cave” in reverse… in the dark- THEN drop 15-20 feet and continue on????
I’m pretty sure it didn’t happen like that. But I can imagine the design engineers trying to one-up each other on surprise elements that, in the end, delivered one of the most unique roller coaster ride experiences I’ve ever been on. Island’s of Advenure hours today is 9a-9p. At 9:15 this morning, this almost 4-year old coaster experience was reporting a 110 minute wait.
What if?
OK- not everyone is or has the budget of a Universal but all can ask the same questions to generate creativity and something unique.
I live in northern Cincinnati. There is a 2-location grocery chain (at least I think there are only two) called “Jungle Jims.” Of course, inside one of their locations they have a men’s and women’s restroom location, as most venues tend to have. Pretty simple, right? Put up some doors, slap a set of men’s & women’s signs on them and you’re done, right? WRONG. Somewhere, someone seemingly had the audacity to ask “what if?” What if we did something different and made these restroom entrances into an attraction that people would come specifically to see… and while here shop our products? What if instead of normal doors we made them look like indoor port-a-john entries? That’s a dumb idea, that’ll never work!… right? Wrong!- there will be magazines write entire articles about it.
No matter how small your venue or organization is- coming up with idea to try, concept to do, or ride to install is easy. Take a mundane thing and ask…. what if? – then you have generated an environment to create something unique. Once you’ve achieved the first tangent, ask “what if” again. Asking these questions will lead your creativity and innovation into new directions leading to a whole new conversation called “if/then”- you know… “if you build it, then they will come.”
Next project to come, ask your team “what if?”
Additional anecdote for “what if”: one of my favorite TV shows growing up was “Moonlighting.” My personality as an adult owes some of it’s characteristics to the David Addison character…. On of my favorite DA quotes from the series (regarding the store Seven Eleven): “we have to create our own opportunities. One day Mr. Eleven says to Mr. Seven “Sev, ‘what if’ we open a little earlier, close a little later”. A lightning bolt goes off in Sev’s head, the two guys switch billing, and the rest is business history!”
