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Patrons who visit the Great Wolf waterpark in Grapevine, Texas, will
receive a fashionable wristband to wear around the property beginning
November to let them make purchases without cash or credit cards.
Key Water Resorts, a Sage Hospitality waterpark in Cincinnati, Ohio,
will follow when the park opens in December.
The wristbands from Precision Dynamics contain a 13.56 MHz radio frequency identification chip from either Texas Instruments or NXP Semiconductor. The band lets patrons leave the cash in a secure park locker. They pay for food, merchandise and rides with a cashless system.
RFID readers from Feig Electronic, Weilburg, Germany, collect the
information from the chip on the wristband and process it through
point-of-sale software either from Micros Systems, Agilysys, or
Springer Miller.
The application isn't new, but definitely catching on this year, says
Doug Bourque, RFID market development manager at San Fernando,
Calif.-based Precision Dynamics, which found a niche in designing and
installing RFID cashless systems for waterparks.
Precision Dynamics will install its sixteenth waterpark system by
year's end, up from the first in October 2005, built into the indoor
78,000-square-foot waterpark at the Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos.
"Parks that have installed the cashless system have seen between 15%
and 18% lift in attendance, and 25% more in transactions," Bourque
says. "Most amusement parks have seen flat attendance for the past
year, and it's one way to increase consumer interest."
Past project include Six Flags Over Georgia where Precision Dynamics
installed a "floating locker" system that let patrons rent a locker in
one area in the park and transfer to another in the park as they moved
from one ride to the next.
Hyland Hills Water World in Federal Heights, Colo., uses Precision
Dynamics cashless point-of-sale system consisting of Smart Band
wristbands and readers at POS stations throughout the park. Guests can
load money onto Smart Band wristbands with cash, check, debit or
credit card at any kiosk or terminal.
Guests no longer have to carry cash, a wallet, or a purse while at the
waterpark. The system helps eliminate discrepancies with cash drawer
transactions, whether caused by human error or theft. In such
applications, accuracy is just as critical as convenience.
Precision Dynamics will demonstrate its Smart Band RFID Wristband
System and VIP Band Wristbands during the 27th Annual World Waterpark
Association (WWA) Trade Show, Oct. 25 and 26, at the Palm Springs
Convention Center, Palm Springs, Calif.
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