Challenge
The Orlando International Airport (MCO) is one of the busiest airports in the US and a leader in customer satisfaction. Disney World, Universal Studios, the Space Coast, Port Canaveral, miles of beautiful beaches, and countless other attractions make the Sunshine State and MCO a beloved destination for families and tourists.
The Disney Magical Express is a complimentary motor coach that transports park-bound passengers from Terminal B to their Disney Resort hotel. It has long been a favorite mode of transport for traveling families and visitors, but finding the Magical Express counter frequently proved challenging. MCO turned to Synect to help deliver better wayfinding and a more enchanting experience across the passenger journey to the Disney Magical Express.
Approach
ReadySeeGo® is an on-demand digital signage solution from Synect. It is portable and combines flexible, engaging visual content, hardware, and software in a dual-sided plug-and-play display Synect used custom content and several strategically placed ReadySeeGo® units to help passengers find their way. The new Disney Magical Express wayfinding program took advantage of MCO’s existing visual communications ecosystem to display directions to passengers.
Synect’s studio envisioned a content strategy for the Magical Express that would be:
Eye-catching to stand out to Disney-bound passengers
Intuitive to deliver helpful, glance-and-go information
Magical to provide a premium, Disney-themed experience
Branded to align with MCO’s Orlando Experience™
With a vision for helping excited travelers on their way to the most magical place on earth, Synect set out to build a memorable wayfinding program for the Disney Magical Express.
Power in Numbers
Solution
The wayfinding content appears on the ReadySeeGo® totems and other digital signs within the airport’s visual communications ecosystem. MCO’s digital avatar Annie the Astronaut, created by Synect, dances and gestures while holding signs that show passengers where to go. On the digital wayfinding signage, Annie draws passengers’ attention to the directional messages. She flies into the scene and lifts a fairy-inspired curtain to give viewers a peek at the Disney Magical Express. The animation directs passengers’ eyes to the wayfinding information they need.
The totems enhance passenger experience at the airport and build on the excitement Disney-bound travelers feel. The digital wayfinding solution incorporates motion to elevate communication. Changes and updates to the content are quicker and easier than is possible with printed signs.
Results
The program proved highly effective in reducing the amount of information desk inquiries surrounding the Disney Magical Express. 75% of the information desk workers surveyed reported a reduction in the number of questions received. Even the bloggers noticed. Disney travel site Mousehacking featured the program in their Guide to Disney World Magical Express Airport Shuttle, noting, "the airport is full of prominent Magical Express signage."
“We loved working with the airport to define a new way to help people find the Disney Magical Express at MCO,” Synect Creative Director Ryan Boyle said. “Anyone, young or old, who’s taken a trip to Disneyworld knows that the experience is pure magic, and we’re honored that our content and our ReadySeeGo solution is helping add even more sparkle to their journey.”
Digital Wayfinding
Light the Way for Families and Tourists
Project Goals
Passenger Experience
Deliver a Magical, Memorable Journey
Branding and Engagement
Effectively Position Premium Services
Project Gallery
