Engaging Eats: The Impact of Cuisine on the Tourist Immersion Experience in a Theme Park Setting

Each year over 300 million people visit theme parks, making them the major vacation destination
worldwide. Theme parks are known for their elaborate spectacle, the creation of artificial realities
through intricate immersive experiences including costumed characters, stage shows, and extravagant
decor. A unique avenue of research, themed spaces are becoming of greater interest to scholars
particularly in regards to the authenticity of the experience and the creation of a hyperreality. Though
many aspects of the theme park experience have been reviewed, little focus has been given to the role
of food in the overall immersion, particularly how food extends the spectacle theme into a created
reality. This study examines the function of food within a highly immersive theme park setting, and how
it contributes to the spectacle. Research was conducted from December 2014 to February 2015 at The
Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Orlando Resort. A total of 363 survey responses and 21
semi-structured interviews were collected. Themed food was found to further immerse the guest in the
themed experience, though visual cues remained the primary sensory stimulus. However, guests
considered the location to be more authentic when coupled with a themed food item, as opposed to a
generic food choice. This study determined that themed food functions as an extension of the spectacle
by means of maintaining the illusion, and contributes to the overall exhibition of the themed space.
Further research is needed to understand the overall
function theme parks serve to society.