Interactive Theme Park Goes Mobile

If you’ve never heard of it, Shocktoberfest is a haunted theme park in Pennsylvania that is celebrating its 15th year of operation this Halloween season.

Long regarded as a high-tech, cutting edge amusement park (as far as Halloween is concerned), Shocktoberfest is known for Hollywood-style computer-controlled special effects and various horror-themed rides.

But starting tomorrow, the theme park will go mobile in a new marketing endeavor that is attracting interest and attention from people who don’t ke theme parks or Halloween.

Thanks to the iPhone, Shocktoberfest will become an interactive attraction. Here’s how they’re putting it: “Visitors at the theme park can interact with both attractions and features via their Apple iPhone. After getting scared yourself, you can scare others by setting off animated props, triggering effects, and – to a considerable degree – manipulating your environment right from your iPhone.”

A quality example of an interactive mobile entertainment experience is in full display at Shocktoberfest beginning this week. If successful, look for major theme parks to adopt more interactive elements to both their daily operations and their marketing campaigns.