The Future of Disney's In-Park Transportation Experience
DreamLine is a self-driving electric vehicle that turns travel time at Disney parks into downtime, with climate-controlled seats and an interactive table for resting and play between rides.
My Role
Led the team, mentored teammates in UX and visual design, and owned the map and dining widgets from paper prototype to high-fidelity UI. Interviewed and surveyed Disney guests to inform the design.
Overview
Relax between park activities in DreamLine's themed interior.
The center of the Dreamline experience, the interactive table, lets you plan your route, shop online, and get entertainment while you ride.
Research
Surveying Families To Uncover Their Disney Experience
We surveyed 129 recent Disney visitors, with a focus on families with young children and those with mobility challenges.
Interviews To Understand Individual Experiences
Eight in-depth interviews revealed that kids often feel overwhelmed by the heat and the amount of walking, parents struggle to balance group needs, and older adults found it difficult to keep up with the group and find shaded rest areas.
On-Site Research at Disney
Our team visited Animal Kingdom, Disney’s largest park, and conducted impromptu interviews and ethnographic studies.
Interview Insights With Guests At The Park
We asked people about their experience in the park concerning the walking and the heat. While half who we asked were not strongly affected, we found older guests and large groups had the most difficulties.
Five Major Problem Areas
Solution
A Mobile Disney Experience
Based on our insights, we designed DreamLine, a themed, family-sized, self-driving electric vehicle that offers guests a restful, immersive way to travel through the park.
Compact Self-Driving Electric Vehicle
The size of a golf cart, and travels at walking speed on dedicated lanes within the park.
Themed Around Favorite Character
An experience themed around the guest's favorite Disney character.
Wheelchair Accessible
Removable seats and ramps for wheelchairs.
Panoramic Windows
Allows guests to continue experiencing the park's atmosphere while en-route.
Interactive Table
Featuring park maps, scheduling tools, car controls, and entertainment.
AI-Powered Planning
Helps guests optimize their park route and reach attractions with the lowest wait-times.
Validating Demand
To gauge interest in this solution, we surveyed 87 members of our target audience. These results confirm that there is a strong demand for an accessible, enjoyable way to move through the park.
64/87
Interested in using the vehicle.
42/87
Find the vehicle helpful.
Dedicated Lanes
For the DreamLine to seamlessly navigate around the parks.
To preserve the park’s atmosphere and avoid turning Disney into a highway.
Advanced Safety
Interactive Table
The Heart of the DreamLine
Giving guests full control of their park journey, and the ability to plan routes, shop, order food, and enjoy entertainment in one seamless, themed interface.
Paper Prototyping
To explore free-form interaction patterns, we began with paper prototyping. This helped us refine the design, scale, and layout of widgets, and explore how physical interactions would translate across a horizontal surface.
Not Looking Consistent…
Our approach of modeling our UI from existing platforms quickly revealed an issue: each interface looked different and had their own navigation and in-depth features.
Aligning Our Visual Styles
We stripped down each feature for our interactive table to its essentials, created a visual moodboard for inspiration, and created style guides to ensure visual cohesion.
Mid Fidelity UI
High Fidelity UI
Testing The Interactive Table With A Projector
We projected the UI design onto a tabletop for interactive testing. Participants navigated the interface in real time, opening widgets, scaling them, passing them across the table, and rotating or interacting with them independently.
Testing The Map Prototype
Further rigorous testing focused on the map feature, one of the most complex flows. Testers found the map to be intuitive and flexible to their needs, allowing them to easily understand, rearrange, and start their route.
Car Development
Golf Cart Size Vehicle
Creating The Pod Design
We aimed to create a compact pod with an exterior design that seamlessly integrates into the Disney park environment. We drew inspiration not only from beloved characters but also from the worlds they inhabit and the surrounding landscape. While evoking a sense of magic and nostalgia, the vehicle’s sleek, futuristic form reflects the innovation of an autonomous EV, capturing both the wonder of Disney and the forward-thinking spirit of the park’s future.
Integration Into Disney
Disney is investing $60 billion into a 10 year expansion plan, meaning opportunity for infrastructure updates such as…
Orlando Weekly
Dedicated Lanes
For the DreamLine to seamlessly navigate around the parks.
Charging Stations
Readily available within the parks for each DreamLine to easily recharge.
Parking Zones
Throughout the park to ensure any DreamLine has a place to stop.
Meet The Dream Team
This team was incredibly driven, curious, and excited to create something truly magical. Click on their photos to see their portfolios!
