ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Some years ago ASTC held its annual conference in Orlando, and I  
remember at session where one of the senior Disney people spoke.  He  
said that Disney would never make extensive use of interactive  
exhibits, not because people don't enjoy them but because there is no  
good way to manage the crowds.  I have to agree with Harry and Charlie  
- I don't think Disney has much to offer us on this particular issue.   
Chuck Howarth

On Jul 29, 2005, at 10:53 AM, Charlie Stout wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> *********************************************************************** 
> ******
>
> Thanks, Harry.
>
> As apparently one of the very few people, who even as a child, never  
> had
> any desire to visit a theme park and go on rides (which always looked  
> as
> if you ended up right where you started albeit a bit shaken up), I do
> enjoy the experience of visiting almost any museum, science center or
> historical site. A big part of this is experiencing things in my own
> time, reading all the labels if I so choose, repeating a hands-on
> exhibit activity until I'm satisfied I've got the idea, walking back  
> and
> forth along a path traveled by ancients, etc. I can't abide guided  
> tours
> though art museums or pre-ordained traffic flows through immersive
> exhibits.
>
> I would hope that the people who come to our institutions are looking
> for experiences that are uniquely ours to offer, one of them being the
> leisure of spending as much time as they want exploring and  
> appreciating
> the subjects of their interest.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Charlie
>
> Charles Stout, Ph.D.
> Media Arts Manager
> Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum
> 220 East Ann Street
> Ann Arbor, MI 48104
> 734.995.5439
> Cell: 734.693.1033
> [log in to unmask]
>
> The views and representations stated in this e-mail are the
> individual's. They do not bind the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum or its
> Board, staff or volunteers, and they do not necessarily reflect the
> Museum's institutionally-held viewpoints, opinions or policies.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Harry White [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 1:25 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Wait time at Exhibits
>
>
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology
> Centers Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and  
> related
> institutions.
> *********************************************************************** 
> *
> *****
>
> All the talk of Disney rides etc is very interesting and there is no
> doubt that we should learn from their people handling techniques when
> they are appropriate.
>
> But a Science Centre experience is not a Theme Park Ride. Theme park
> rides start, something happens to you, usually without your control and
> then it ends, quite quickly.
>
> The Science Centre Exhibits experience should last as long as the
> Visitor wants/needs and, as every visitor is different, every
> visitor/exhibit interaction will take a different length of time, even
> for the same exhibit.
>
> So, a Science Centre offers diverse exhibit experiences to suit its
> diverse audiences. Theme Parks queue solutions deal with a different
> sort of problem.
>
> Of course, none of the above actually helps with a solution to the
> Science Centre queue problem, I can only suggest having other appealing
> exhibits nearby to draw the queues away.
>
>
>
> -- 
> Harry White, Concept Development Director
> Techniquest, Stuart Street, Cardiff, UK. CF10 5BW
> Tel: +44 (0) 29 20 475 475, Direct: +44 (0) 29 20 475 464
> Fax: +44 (0) 29 20 482 517
> Web: http://www.techniquest.org
>
> Techniquest is a Company Limited by Guarantee,
> registered in England and Wales, no. 1955696
> It is a registered as a charity, no. 517722
>
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