Attractions.io partners with Cedar Fair to enhance mobile experience

Attractions.io, a leading creator of mobile visitor apps, has revealed that it has partnered with Cedar Fair on its new guest experience app at Carowinds. The firm’s groundbreaking MapLayr technology has been deployed at the site to handle the complexities of navigation and mapping. MapLayr is the first maps and wayfinding SDK custom-made for the attractions industry. Attractions.io partners with Cedar Fair on app Customised apps This year, Cedar Fair plans to enhance the mobile experience at all 13 of its venues by offering customised apps for each theme park. Every new app features an interactive map powered by MapLayr. Attractions.io partners with Cedar Fair MapLayr enhances park app Jim Denny, VP of digital at Cedar Fair, says: “Our previous maps were functional but didn’t convey the excitement of visiting our parks. And that was a problem because guests rely on our wayfinding. In our parks, you can’t always just look at the map, find a landmark on the horizon and head straight over. People often need turn-by-turn directions and to follow the route on the screen to get them where they need to be.” The team had to choose between creating their own maps and wayfinding or using a pre-existing solution. Typically, both routes were more complicated than anticipated. Denny explains: “A lot of the existing platforms out there are built for spaces like shopping malls and roadways. As we went deeper into the discovery process, it became clear that they couldn’t reflect the atmosphere we’ve worked hard to create at our parks. “Building ourselves wasn’t an option. Functionality like mapping, which is so core to the actual experience for a guest, needs to be well maintained. I’d need a full-time team just for mapping to guarantee the experience our guests expect.” Sophisticated functionality Cedar Fair selected MapLayr, Attractions.io’s new maps and navigation SDK, for its ability to convey the distinct atmosphere of each park, handle millions of visitors with high-end capabilities, and the team’s extensive experience in the attractions sector. The launch at Carowinds has been highly successful. Denny comments: “It has been amazing to see how the illustrators work. These people have never walked through our parks, but when I’m onsite and looking at one of our buildings on the map, it’s perfect. Functionally, it’s more sophisticated than our previous solution, and our testers loved that you could orient, zoom and tilt the map to suit your search preferences. Attractions.io partners with Cedar Fair MapLayr “Choosing MapLayr allowed our team to focus on other critical aspects of the project, confident in the knowledge that Attractions.io was handling the heavy lifting on mapping.” Visitors have also provided extremely positive feedback on the new Carowinds app and exit surveys consistently rank maps and wayfinding as one of the app’s most popular features. Visitors report improved ease of use for maps and wayfinding, leading to a better overall experience. “When guests use the Carowinds app, they tell us mapping and wayfinding is the easiest tool to use. The overwhelming sentiment is that it’s a huge improvement over our previous experience,” adds Denny. Peter O’Dare, VP of product at Attractions.io, says: “Our focus is on making every interaction with the map and app ecosystem a part of guests’ adventures at the Carowinds. Our aim with the MapLayr integration was to create a wayfinding experience that delighted guests functionally but was also an extension of Cedar Fair’s brand story, with beautiful designs and branded elements that look and feel like the in-person experience. We want guests to feel connected to the park from the minute they see the map.” Attractions.io recently exhibited at IAAPA Expo in Orlando, Florida, from 14 – 17 November 2023. The company presented an unmissable reveal during the event for attraction operators, digital experts and agency owners.