Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Possibility 3: Sniffing at the Sensory Barrier

Welcome back, readers, and after a little research dive into one of the Wonders of Life's greatest hits of all time, it's time we start sniffing out another possibility used up in multiple attractions. No pun intended - we'll be sticking our noses and muzzles into the possibility of harnessing smellitiser technology to enhance exhibition sections. Sure, most attractions take advantage of such technological wizardry, even those that take advantage of our senses, but we might be sitting on a little goldmine here, with regards to how we might enhance the environment a little more.
After all, according to a little passage from Scent Sciences:
People respond deeply to scent, which enhances their experiences and connects deeply to their emotional memory.
All right. With regards to implementing the power of letting the nose know what's going on, let's start with this little snippet.
...can anyone smell this already?

...and I choose this notable example because (counting myself out of the picture), anyone out there who fondly remembers this scene from Horizons would recall this iconic scene of the Mesa Verde orange grove would've remembered the lorange (lime and orange citrus hybrid conceived at the time) smell at the time. Pleasant, isn't it? It was with the thankful help of smellitisers to help bring home the splendid scent of growing loranges all the way to visitors in EPCOT Center during its glory days... and into the memory banks of numerous visitors.

Of course, just because the Horizons pavilion was lost doesn't mean the citrusy smell left us for good... in some way or another, the citrusy aroma crept its way back to EPCOT, this time, in Soarin'. Soarin included a scene taking guests above the Ventura orange groves... the evergreen forest and mountains... the coasts of Monterey and Malibu with a gentle ocean breeze...


...okay, caught myself imagining this time. Such smells were popular, so much so, it was even possible for people to order candles based on the most pleasant smells. (sorry, all sold out.) Sure, while smellitiser technology can help immerse guests into the scene, there are some trips and slips into, well... when Stitch hits the fan...
...for some reason, according to those who have been on the ride, this will only get worse...
...ask anyone who has been on the attraction show, and what you'd expect from them are a multitude of facepalms or nauseous expressions. While following in the footsteps of the well renowned (yet horribly blamed) Alien ExtraTERRORestrial Encounter, with regards to the hot wet breath of the rogue alien down your neck, guess who tweaked it around and used it for chilli dog breath? Of course, the smell of chilli dog smells nice when hungry, but does anyone appreciate chilli dog breath on a full stomach? No thanks... wait, maybe I should take my mind off the chilli dog breath and focus on...
...look, apologies if I'm triggering any unpleasant memories, but that's what your mind does to you once you've faced the unfortunate prospect of these rides. (Be glad I haven't been on those rides yet, but that's left me uber-cautious of them.) In fact, so much so, deep in the back of my mind, I can picture the PTSD-esque reaction of some poor adolescent (after a traumatic riding of Stitch's FAIL Escape as a kid) after a whiff of a chilli dog stand.

Sure, love it or leave it, the use of smellitiser technology is a sensitive issue, depending on which aroma is used to tantalise (or torture) guests into the scene. But what you didn't know is that while WDI may have pioneered attraction smellitizer technology, there is something interesting with regards to the technology beginning to expand to towards the home base. Take these, for instance:
Found at http://www.behance.net/gallery/SMELLIT- VIDEO-GAME-ENTERTAINMENT-DEVICE/423991
No, they're not home theater speakers... these are in-home smellitisers designed for the home theater or gaming experience - perhaps, who wouldn't like the smell of burning rubber during a round of NASCAR? Or better yet...
Found at http://gearcrave.com/2009-02-13/smellit-stinks-up-your-home-theater/
More information at http://www.mushon.com/spr09/nmrs/03/01/do-we-really-want-to-smellit/
...okay, okay, I guess it's enough for you to make your mouth water. But what I'm on about, maybe, just maybe, if it were possible to use this for a refurb for a long lost attraction, the answer may be divided, but it could break the sensory barrier in many ways more than one (well, as long as it is done right, then the use of smells to draw in crowds might be a good idea.). For instance, considering the food outlets within parts of any Disney park (such as the Main St bakery, as some might have heard), perhaps an eatery might use the power of scent to attract people to healthy offerings.

But it doesn't just stop there... in fact, what else within the Wonders of Life vicinity might deserve that treatment? I personally know... I'll give you a clue...
[XB = emoticon for drooling; ∴ XBBBBBBB = flooding! XC]

Just a thought. What about you, guys? Moment of drool or epic faint? Also, any suggestions on what might come in handy with regards to implementing this possibility into one or more attractions? Extra points if you catch yourself imagining them. Simply leave a comment below, I won't bite.
Now for some crispy bacon... *drools*

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