We live in the age of experiences. Immersive experiences stretch our imagination, evoke curiosity and spark creative energy. This post reflects on the immersive experiences offered by Disney and Universal and distills relevant design principles for corporate learning.
My family loves theme parks. Trips to Disney and Universal are annual pilgrimages. We have a blast experiencing the latest and greatest they have to offer. Last year we visited Harry Potter World in Universal Studios. This year it was Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Disney’s latest addition to Hollywood Studios. We also spent a day in Animal Kingdom’s recent addition Pandora – The World of Avatar – the park that brings James Cameron’s 2009 record breaking sci-fi movie to life.
Immersive experiences at Disney and Universal
Theme parks like Disney and Universal have always been at the forefront of immersive experiences. Disney in particular has always been a place where dreams come true. (Those magical mouse ears make everyone suddenly feel like a child again.)
Yet in the last few years both Disney and Universal took the level of “immersion” to a completely new level in the parks like Harry Potter World, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Pandora – The World of Avatar.
As a parent, it was pure joy watching my kids (Emma – 8 and Alex -10) live the magic. For me as a learning professional, it presented a fascinating educational experience. I must admit, I’m not a huge fan of sci-fi so before visiting the new parks, I had not read Happy Potter, watched very little of the Star Wars saga (despite strong pressure from my husband and my son), and never heard of Pandora. However, after visiting the parks, I felt as if I understood their stories and felt compelled to learn more.
Upon returning home, I reflected on what Disney and Universal do to create these highly immersive experiences and distilled key design principles that could apply to workplace learning. Here they are:
1. Simulate physical environment
From the moment you enter Harry Potter section of Universal park, you find yourself literally in the movie. From Diagon Alley with its crooked buildings and magic shops, to Hogwarts castle and Hogsmeade village – you feel instantly transported to the Wizardly World of Harry Potter. The park has two parts, connected by Hogwarts Express – an exact replica of the train from the movie. At Disney, every ride, show, and game envelopes you, pulling you into the experience, making you feel as if you are really in the game.
The new Star Wars: Galaxy Edge park is just as impressive. From the moment you enter, you find yourself on a different planet – Batuu – a remote frontier outpost with unreal landscapes, life-size replicas of space ships, rugged streets of the Black Spire Outpost village with signs in the local language, and characters roaming around true to their roles. Our favorite artifact was a Star Wars-themes Coca-Cola stand selling coke bottles that looked like grenades. The physical environment of the park transports you to the edge of the galaxy.
Implication for workplace learning:
Physical environment is a key element of immersive experiences, setting the context and triggering curiosity – a necessary precursor to learning. It instantly shifts the mindset and establishes a new point of view. Without a doubt, the best environment for learning is the work itself and whenever possible we should embed learning in the workflow. However, in situations where mistakes on the job carry high risk and high cost, simulated immersive experiences offer the best alternative.
2. Design multi-sensory experiences
Recreating the physical environment is an important first step in the immersion process. However, the true “magic” happens when you combine the physical environment with multi-sensory sensory experiences.
For example, in Harry Potter World, you can dine at the Leaky Cauldron, sample butterbeer at Three Broomsticks, shop at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, buy a wand at Ollivander’s Wand Shop, do magic spells, take a ride on the Hogwarts Express, and join Harry Potter in the game of Quidditch during Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey ride.
At Disney’s Pandora – The World of Avatar, guests can soar on the back of a banshee (a predator-like bird) over surreal landscapes of Pandora, walk under a floating island, dine at the Satu’li Canteen, get a Na’vi makeover, and experience Pandora at night when the park transforms with bio-luminescent flora and lights.
In Start Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, you can stroll the Black Spire Outpost Marketplace, take a swig of Blue Milk, drop by for a drink at Oga’s Cantina, craft a Lightsaber at Savi’s workshop, build a droid inside the Droid Depot and fly the “Fastest Hunk of Junk in the Galaxy” in Millennium Falcon in the Smugglers Run ride.
Scott Trowbridge, Supervising Imagineer on the Star Wars project explained, “Our intent was to make you feel as if you just walked into one of the movies…bringing Star Wars to life in the physical world gives us an opportunity to play with a whole bunch of things we have never done before… to really engage all senses.”
Implication for workplace learning:
Deep integration of the physical environment and multi-sensory sensory experiences is what pushes the boundaries of immersion to the new level. Each experience set in a realistic context brings you one level deeper into the story. In the corporate learning space, this principle translates into smart integration between on the job learning, immersive classroom and online, as well as curation of different forms of content that appeal to different learning styles (articles, podcasts, videos, case studies, etc).
3. Create a story that resonates
From the moment you enter the parks, you are immersed into the story. You become a part of the story, meeting the characters, learning about their friends and enemies, understanding their day-to-day lives, their interests and hobbies, their struggles and challenges, their goals and purpose.
Different experiences illustrate different parts of the story, but together they form a narrative from the favorite books and films. Take away the rides, the amusement park food and the themed souvenirs. At the heart of the experience is great storytelling. People come to these parks because they love the stories of Harry Potter, Star Wars and Avatar. The parks simply give the fans an opportunity to be a part of their favorite stories.
Implication for workplace learning:
When you design learning experiences, create a good story that will resonate with the audience. Carefully define a persona(s) / (protagonists) that people can easily understand and relate to as they take on their roles. Think through realistic and engaging scenarios that will capture attention. It is through the art of storytelling you set the context for learning, establish relevance, build connection with the learner, and generate engagement. Powerful stories can turn boring content into immersive learning experiences.
4. Throw in a team challenge
Gamification is a common element in theme park experiences. Yet this year I experienced a new type of gamified experience. It was a true team challenge during the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride. The ride is a 4-min simulated flight that one can describe as a train heist in space. A team of six people sets on a mission onboard the iconic Millennium Falcon ship to obtain coaxium – a substance needed to support the Resistance.
The crew consists of six people – two pilots, two gunners or and two flight engineers – who must work together to successfully complete the mission. The pilots steer the ship, one – up and down, the other – left and right; the gunners defend the cargo, shooting anything that gets in their way; and the engineers repair the ship and, at a crucial moment, unleash a harpoon to capture the cargo. The better the team works together, the better the results. It only took us eight rides to master the game!
Implication for workplace learning:
In the augmented age where humans will work alongside machines, people skills like teamwork, collaboration and creative problem solving will become increasingly critical. Working in small, agile teams will be a critical skill for every role, at every level. Adding a team project or a group challenge to a learning program will not only help employees practice the critical skill of teamwork, but also foster social and peer-to-peer learning – an important lever to create a culture of learning and apprenticeship.
5. Live your own adventure
From the beginning of time, people sought adventure. Today we live in the age of experiences. We are always on a lookout to try something new. Disney and Universal understand this element of consumer behavior and bring continuous innovation to their offers. Each park offers dozens, if not hundreds of experiences that support specific themes – animated shows, interactive activities, characters meets and greets, cultural and wildlife encounters, themed dining, thrill rides – you name it! There is something for everyone in every park, and it is impossible to see everything.
A variety of options gives guests freedom to choose experiences they are most interested in, chart a personal journey, and live their own adventure. Continuous innovation to create new adventures brings fans of Disney and Universal back to the parks year after year.
Implication for workplace learning:
Personalization has been a key theme in learning for a while. With accelerated changes in the labor markets, and constant evolution of roles and skills, the approach to learning and development must become much more flexible and self-guided. We know that adults value and welcome autonomy in learning. Creating a buffet of options from which learners can chose will ensure deeper engagement, satisfaction and value from learning.
In summary
Disney and Universal are leading the way in creating new level of immersive experiences. Core immersion principles used in entertainment can be applied to corporate learning. Immersive experiences – be it on the job or off the job – can improve engagement and accelerate the speed of knowledge and skill acquisition in the workplace.