Assessing technology adoption practices in Chinese theme parks: text mining and sentiment analysis

Purpose This study aims to examine technology adoption practices in Chinese theme parks by leveraging text mining and sentiment analysis approaches on actual theme park customers’ online reviews. Design/methodology/approach The study text mined a total of 65,518 reviews of 490 Chinese theme parks with the aid of the Python program. Further, it computed sentiment scores of the customer reviews associated with the ratings of each categorized technology practice applied in the theme parks. Findings The study identified two major categories of technology applications in theme parks: supporting and experiential technologies. Multiple statistical tests confirmed that supporting technologies consisted of three types: intelligent services, ticketing and in-park transportation. Experiential technologies further included five aspects of technologies according to Schmitt’s strategic experiential modules (SEMs): sense, feel, act, think and relate. Originality/value The study findings contribute to the current understanding of theme park visitors’ perceptions of technology adoption practices and provide insightful implications for theme park practitioners who intend to invest in high technology solutions to deliver a better customer experience.

What is a Theme Park? A Synthesis and Research Framework

Theme parks have attracted extensive scholarly attention within and outside the tourism literature. These parks have been studied from various stances, yet a uniform definition and integrated framework remain lacking for theme park research and practice. Based on a comprehensive review and research synthesis, this article defines a theme park as a dedicated space featuring five main characteristics: thematic identity, closed space with controlled access, hybrid consumption, performative labor, and merchandising. This article further considers multidisciplinary lenses in theme park studies, particularly in terms of how these five characteristics can be assessed. A research framework covering four domains (industry, tourists/visitors, environment, and impacts) is accordingly proposed to inspire theoretical advances, identify research gaps, promote relevant research, and facilitate managerial practices. This article encourages scholars to move beyond current empirical confines and shape the interdisciplinary future of theme park tourism research.

Interpreting and Experiencing Disney: Mediating the Mouse

The name 'Disney' is synonymous with its expansive franchises, from princesses to theme parks. The power of the Disney brand is its role as a cultural influencer across multiple generations across the globe. This collection of essays takes a look at Disney beyond its behemoth corporate presents and into the threads of the Disney experience.

DNA repair and gene editing: the director’s cut

Novelists and screenwriters have bombarded our imaginations with the idea of genetic engineering. From superhero origin stories to theme parks inhabited by dinosaurs, the prospect of re-writing the genetic code has inspired many and raised many ethical questions. The potential for these tools in medicine and biological sciences to prevent genetic diseases is readily being explored. Recent successes include destruction of simian immunodeficiency virus DNA from infected rhesus macaque monkeys (synonymous to the human immunodeficiency virus). The diverse power of these tools is also helping to control mosquito populations and supress the spread of malaria. New gene-editing tools have made genome editing faster, more accurate and cheaper than ever before, but how do they work? And how do we know whether the desired edits will be made?