Universal Parks & Resorts' creative think tank has filed a patent for a rotating ride lift.
The theme park operator, which is part of Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA) and oversees Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, dubbed the new patent, "Ride with Rotating Lift."
The technology appears to find a way to use a tower-like structure in a ride setting and have a vehicle system move through multiple rooms.
Why this matters: Patents provide a peek into what theme park designers and creative departments see as improvements to theme parks. Ride systems are a key part of theme park innovation. New rides draw more visitors, who support Orlando's $75 billion tourism industry.
"The rooms may be at a different vertical positions with respect to one another, and the lift system may change the positions of the ride vehicles to be at the same vertical position as one of the rooms. The lift system may also move the ride vehicles into and out of each room," said the patent.
The ability to have a vertically moving ride that also can turn horizontally provides a new sense of immersion and spontaneity for riders, said the patent. In addition, the technology would provide a greater number of possible paths for the ride, which results in repeatability.
Drawings included with the patent showed a ride system that depicted riders straddling seats with handles on a vertical tower system. No specific details show what the ride could be themed for in a real-life setting.
Executives with Universal were not available for comment.
However, Universal has multiple theme park areas that can fit within this style.
Most notably, Universal's Epic Universe theme park project, set to open in 2025, is rumored to have lands themed after Universal's classic monsters such as Dracula, Frankenstein, Phantom of the Opera, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Mummy, the Wolf Man and the Invisible Man; the film How to Train Your Dragon; and a third Harry Potter-themed land.
A ride design like this could work for ride systems based on the How to Train Your Dragon film, which follows vikings that ride on dragons, and the Harry Potter land that often depicts characters riding on broomsticks. However, no details on either land have been revealed.
Meanwhile, intellectual properties have raised the game for theme parks as attractions try to bring those stories to life for guests.
"IP is becoming increasingly important in the way we connect with and create experiences at theme parks. Consumers have strong connections with IP that transcend continents," said Francisco Refuerzo, senior analyst for Aecom Economics + Advisory, via the Themed Entertainment Association and Aecom's 2021 Theme Index and Museum Index report released in October.
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, during an Oct. 27 third-quarter earnings call, briefly touched on the ongoing construction of Universal's future Epic Universe theme park, saying it will open in summer 2025 and help transform Universal Orlando Resort into a weeklong destination.
Several experts have attributed Orlando's boom in hospitality-related growth and deals — including multiple hotel sales and projects — to the incoming new Epic Universe theme park. It will create 14,000 new jobs in the area and likely generate billions of dollars in economic impact.
Universal Orlando Resort typically draws a combined nearly 20 million tourists through its Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida theme park gates, and its Volcano Bay water park in Orlando each year.
Universal also owns the CityWalk dining/shopping/entertainment complex, several area hotels and more than 700 acres for development off of Universal Boulevard for Epic Universe.
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