Disneys Virtual Queues: A Strategic Opportunity To Co-Brand Services?

Almost all service experiences require customers to wait in a queue at some point during the service encounter. Although waiting is a natural part of many services, for most customers, waiting is an annoyance. One of the most recent and innovative ways of making the wait invisible is through the application of virtual queues. Disney is a leader in this queuing advancement which allows customers to participate in other activities while they wait for an appointed time at their desired activity. In the past, queuing systems were modeled and studied as a means to minimize the negative aspects of service waits. However, in today’s service environment, technology has provided businesses with the ability to create captured audiences through virtual queues. In fact, a powerful opportunity now exists for service firms to strategically co-brand products. In our work, we first explore queuing in the services industry. We then investigate Disney’s queuing advancement – FASTPASSTM. Strategies for co-branding services are discussed as opportunities to increase sales volumes and profit margins.