Disney
Project Overview
Storytelling and magical management
The original state of managing ride load and reservations and therefore distribution of guests in the parks was handled by two separate systems. The cumulative attendance of all Disney theme parks combined exceeds 150 million visitors annually. This figure encompasses all Disney parks worldwide, including those in the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Objective
Frog Design, the global design consultancy that was awarded the project, invited me to participate in their process.
The challenge was to join the Ride Management & Guest Reservation Management systems together to increase utilization, capacity, and balance throughout their global systems.
Unify digital experiences while preserving storytelling magic across products and services.
Partnered with cross-functional teams to create design system guidelines; standardized interaction patterns across streaming, web, and parks; embedded Disney’s storytelling into reusable UX components.
Scope of Work
My collaboration with Frog covered every major touchpoint:
Reservation Redesign
Unify two separate database back end systems to manage all aspects of the guest experience.Experience direction
Changing the systems meant the need to research a new booking system.Ride & Park load balancing
We rebuilt the site architecture from the ground up with a focus on storytelling and seamless mobile navigation.Custom UI Design, Iconography, and Toolset
Developed a set of rich design icons and components to represent parks, rides, navigation, hotels, features, transportation, routines.Performance Optimization
The site was optimized for fast load times, accessibility, and frictionless checkout.
Outcome
Positive Outcomes
Crowd management: The systems, particularly park and ride reservations, are designed to help manage and balance crowds, especially during peak seasons.
Improved guest experience: By allowing for planning, the systems can help guests secure reservations for dining and attractions, ensuring a more predictable and smoother experience.
Flexibility for passholders: Some system updates have aimed to provide flexibility for passholders, allowing them to take "Good-to-Go Days" with little notice.
Increased revenue: The premium offerings, such as the Lightning Lane Multi Pass, have contributed to significant year-over-year revenue growth for Disney's parks.
Even wait times: While some attractions may still have long lines, systems like the paid Lightning Lane can help distribute guests more evenly across different attractions.
Enhanced planning for resort guests: Guests at Disney resorts can often make dining and attraction reservations 60 days in advance, giving them a head start on those who are not staying on-site.
