Network gaming ride attraction

Abstract

A method for operating a ride attraction includes directing a rider to a kiosk or a mobile application on a smart phone, with the rider creating a character profile or accessing his/her previously created character profile. The rider is assigned to a ride vehicle or to a seat in a ride vehicle. The rider boards the into or onto the assigned vehicle or seat. The ride vehicle moves along a path in the ride attraction. At least one of the path, special effects, onscreen graphics and scoring may be modified according to the rider's character. A mobile application gameplay may unlock specified game features to change a ride experience

1 . A method for operating a ride attraction, comprising:
 directing a rider to a kiosk or a mobile application on a smart phone, with the rider creating a character profile or accessing his/her previously created character profile;   assigning the rider to a vehicle or to a seat in a vehicle;   boarding the rider into or onto the assigned vehicle or seat;   moving the vehicle along a path in the ride attraction; and   modifying at least one of the path, special effects, onscreen graphics and scoring based on the rider's character profile.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the rider's character profile is assigned and connected to the vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein mobile application gameplay unlocks specified game features to change a ride experience. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein on-ride gameplay unlocks specified features of a mobile application used by the rider. 
     
     
         6 . A ride attraction, comprising:
 a vehicle movable along a pathway;   a first communication link between the vehicle and a computer controller, the computer controller having a rider's character profile stored in a memory;   a second communication link between the computer controller and a rider's smart phone or a queue kiosk used by the rider; and   the computer controller adapted to modify at least one of the pathway, special effects, onscreen graphics and scoring based on the rider's character profile.   
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The ride attraction of  claim 6  wherein the first communication link provides information about a rider's actions during the ride from the ride vehicle to the computer controller, and provides instructions to the vehicle based on the rider's character profile and/or the rider's action during the ride, with the instructions influencing at least one of the pathway, special effects, onscreen graphics and scoring. 
     
     
         9 . The ride attraction of  claim 6  wherein the second communication link provides information about the rider's character profile from rider's smart phone or a queue kiosk to the computer controller. 
     
     
         10 . The ride attraction of  claim 9  wherein the second communication link provides assigned vehicle and/or seat information from the computer controller to the rider. 
     
     
         11 . A method for operating a ride attraction, comprising:
 receiving character profile information about a rider from a wireless appliance used by the rider, with the character profile comprising a set of data unique to the rider;   storing the character profile information in a computer;   assigning the rider to a vehicle or to a seat in a vehicle;   boarding the rider into or onto the assigned vehicle or seat;   moving the vehicle along a path in the ride attraction; and   modifying images displayed to the rider as the vehicle moves along the path, based on the rider's character profile.