Welcome to Blockbuster Video World: The Theme Park Nobody Meant to Build

Aging Operations = Blockbuster Mindset

As Clayton Talley discusses in his article “Friction Kills Revenue: Stop Making Guests Spend Less”, guest friction often stems from operators enforcing internal processes that don't align with guest expectations.

And whether you realize it or not, many attractions today are still operating like it’s Friday night in 2004 — designing experiences around operational comfort instead of where guests are actually trying to go.

Let’s start with the harsh truth: Half your staff has no idea what Blockbuster even was.

They never wandered dim aisles hoping the cardboard movie sleeve had a plastic case behind it. They’ve never begged their parents to pay the late fee so you could rent the same movie again. They’ve never done the Friday night ritual — grabbing popcorn at the checkout, clutching three DVDs, and arguing about whether Dumb and Dumber is actually funnier than Tommy Boy.

That moment — where finding the movie was half the fun — is gone.

And it didn’t go out with a bang. It faded slowly. One Netflix DVD envelope at a time. One “why drive across town?” moment. One “this is just easier” decision.

Netflix didn’t just replace Blockbuster — it outmaneuvered it.

While Blockbuster was still doubling down on candy sales and late fees, Netflix was quietly sliding into your mailbox — then digitizing the whole thing before Blockbuster could even spell “streaming.”

They didn’t wait for guests to complain. They built what came next while everyone else was optimizing the past.

That’s the play.

You can keep fine-tuning a system your guests have already outgrown —or you can start building for the behavior that’s already here.

Guests don’t hate your process. They just stop showing up when something better comes along.

Blockbuster didn’t die because people stopped watching movies. It died because the way it delivered movies didn’t match how people wanted to consume them anymore.

Sound familiar?

In our industry, we cling to “the way we’ve always done it” like Blockbuster clung to their late fees. We design processes around our internal systems. We force behaviors — app downloads, paper vouchers, wristband pick-up lines — that fit our ops flow, not our guest’s.

We say things like:

• “It’s just a quick form” (when a guest is mid-vacation and on mobile)

• “They can upgrade at the kiosk” (after waiting 45 minutes in heat)

• “We can’t make that change mid-season” (even when it’s clearly broken)

This isn’t innovation. It’s inertia.

And just like that Blockbuster shelf where the movie jacket was there but the movie wasn’t — it creates frustration. Friction.

So here’s your warning label: If Clay’s post made you pause, this is your call to act.

Because while you're optimizing for process, your guests are optimizing for ease.

📲 They don’t want to download your app.

💳 They expect tap-to-pay.

🗌 They want maps that update in real time.

👀 They want to see what they're buying — not wonder if there's a case behind the cardboard.

Want a quick gut check?

Here are 10 things that are fading fast — or fundamentally redesigned in modern attractions:

🎥 Blockbuster World Relics	🚀 Guest Experience 3.0
Paper tickets	Mobile QR codes, digital wallets
Printed maps	GPS-enabled apps and interactive mobile maps
Cash-only payments	Tap-to-pay with cards or mobile wallets only
Standby-only queue lines	Virtual queues, Fast Lanes, timed reservations, express access
Banks of walk-up ticket windows	Mobile-first booking, advance reservations, self-serve kiosks
Shared touchscreen exhibits	BYOD (bring your own device), gesture-based, or automated experiences
Rental audio guides	Self-guided mobile audio tours via apps or QR codes
3D glasses for attractions	Ultra-HD, high frame rate, 2.5D projection — no eyewear required
Animal stunt shows	Educational encounters, enrichment demos, and habitat immersion
Static signs	Dynamic digital signage with real-time updates

You didn’t just let go of these — you were forced to. Guest expectations moved on. So did the world.

So, what part of your attraction is quietly collecting dust in the nostalgia bin?

Be honest — if any of the relics above still show up in your guest flow, it’s time to rethink the playbook. This isn’t about judgment. It’s about breaking out of bounds before your guests do it for you.

• What process, policy, or path is built more for your team than your guest?

• What tool are you excited about that your guest just... isn’t?

• What are you building that might already be halfway to obsolete?

  
  

Because if you’re not careful, you’re still building for how you operate — not for how guests move.

You’re designing the 2025 guest experience with a Blockbuster 2004 mindset.

And let’s be clear: nobody’s making a comeback tour for late fees and rewinding tapes.

👓 Want a second set of eyes on your operations before they age out?

We do that. Attraxion.ai helps attraction leaders remove friction, modernize systems, and think five years ahead — before the guests do it for you.