Dark ride science: Examining now, wow and awe experiences.

During this presentation, attendees will gain insights into how three years of intensive scientific research on dark rides, led by Dr. Wim Strijbosch and Dr. Pieter Cornelis, translate into practical implications. Through the examination of 250 dark rides across 75 criteria, attendees will grasp how the dark ride experience is carefully crafted as a staged experience for guests. Additionally, they will delve into a qualitative inquiry revealing two primary experiential trajectories, inward-driven and outward-driven, and learn how guests navigate these trajectories based on their motivations, opportunities, and abilities. Attendees will also discover key components shaping the dark ride experience, including emotion, imagery, and narrative-related states such as narrative transportation, presence and flow.