Dronisos, the Bordeaux-based drone present firm behind main theme park productions together with Disney Cascade of Lights, the record-breaking Mickey Mouse show at Disneyland Paris and the Disney Electrical Sky Parade, appears to be making a severe push into the U.S. market.
The corporate has appointed Jeremy Pancoast as Vice President of U.S. Enterprise Improvement. Pancoast brings greater than 20 years of government expertise at Merlin Entertainments (the corporate behind Legoland Resorts North America) and United Parks & Resorts (the corporate behind SeaWorld and Busch Gardens). This rent all appears to recommend that Dronisos has large ambitions to place extra drones in additional theme parks.
I sat down with Jeremy to speak about Dronisos’ U.S. ambitions, what makes the corporate completely different from different drone present operators, and the place he thinks drone leisure is heading.
The Drone Woman: You spent greater than 20 years in themed leisure at a few of the largest names within the enterprise together with Legoland, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens. What drew you to a drone present firm?
Jeremy Pancoast: What excited me most is the corporate’s potential to mix high-quality, dependable aerial drone productions with a scalable expertise ecosystem that may adapt to every associate’s imaginative and prescient.
Coming from theme parks, I do know what it means to ship a present that has to work completely each single evening, in entrance of 1000’s of visitors, in any climate. That’s an extremely demanding atmosphere. And Dronisos has already confirmed they’ll function at that stage. Disneyland Paris doesn’t associate with corporations that may’t execute. That operational credibility was an enormous a part of what drew me right here.
TDG: Dronisos already has roots within the U.S. by means of parks together with Dollywood and Legoland Resorts. From there, what are your U.S. growth plans?
JP: We have already got a significant U.S. presence. Roughly one-third of our exercise is tied to the U.S. market in the present day. However the purpose is to make the USA one in all our largest markets, and we’re constructing the inspiration to help that.
That features an operational staff of venture managers, pilots, and on-site groups headquartered in Orlando, Florida, and a devoted take a look at and coaching discipline outdoors Orlando for present growth and operational readiness.
My position is targeted on constructing the proper relationships throughout the business — not simply closing offers, however serving to companions assume by means of the place expertise can elevate their storytelling in methods which might be additionally scalable, protected, and operationally sound. That’s the place my background as each an government producer and an operator is helpful. I’ve been on each side of that dialog.
TDG: Theme parks are the apparent first market. The place else is Dronisos trying?
JP: Wherever massive audiences collect and the place storytelling and spectacle can elevate the expertise. That’s vacation spot resorts, mixed-use leisure districts, cruise locations, sports activities venues, tourism landmarks and main festivals.
Walt Disney Studios has used Dronisos for aerial storytelling moments tied to main movie releases — Unbelievable 4 and Avatar: Hearth and Ash.
We’ve labored with Carnival Cruise Line, the place drone expertise enhances their indoor exhibits. And occasions just like the Tour de France, the place aerial choreography turns into a part of each the reside expertise and the published. These are very completely different contexts from a nightly theme park present.
TDG: Talking of versatility, the aquatic drones in Disney Cascade of Lights have been one thing genuinely new. Was {that a} Dronisos innovation, or has water-based expertise been a part of the platform for some time?
JP: The water drones in Cascade of Lights are a fantastic instance of the collaborative innovation that defines how Dronisos works with companions. Working intently with the inventive groups at Disneyland Paris, a shared imaginative and prescient for a brand new sort of nighttime spectacle developed by means of our analysis and growth course of into a totally realized manufacturing that blends aerial and aquatic choreography as one visible language.
TDG: I all the time consider drones as simply being air! This made me notice there may be much more to drones than flying within the sky.
JP: As we regularly say: anybody can put lights within the sky. At Dronisos, we orchestrate movement throughout air, water, and land to create a wholly new language for reside leisure.
TDG: Soooo…will we see that aquatic expertise deployed within the U.S.?
JP: That’s one thing we’re actively exploring as a part of our U.S. partnerships. I can’t share specifics but on what’s in growth, however the expertise has been confirmed in manufacturing now, and the urge for food for immersive nighttime experiences is totally there within the U.S. market. Venues with water options — and there are a lot of of them — are a pure match for what that multi-vector method makes attainable.
TDG: The U.S. regulatory atmosphere for big drone exhibits is famously advanced. How does Dronisos navigate FAA necessities in comparison with Europe?
JP: Our groups repeatedly safe permits and authorizations in additional than 25 international locations worldwide, so working inside regulatory frameworks is solely a part of how we function. In some ways, the U.S. FAA course of is in keeping with what we already handle globally.
TDG: Theme park drone exhibits are fascinating as a result of in lots of of those, you’re flying fairly near epople.
JP: Dronisos has intensive expertise working in extremely regulated environments — notably inside theme parks the place reliability, precision, and security requirements are exceptionally excessive. We work intently with authorities, native companions, and venue operators to verify each manufacturing meets the very best requirements. That’s not a constraint we’re working round; it’s how we construct belief with companions and communities.
TDG: In fact it’s not simply the FAA. I do know many individuals even have their eyes on that FCC ban.
JP: What I’d say to any potential associate who worries about this: regulation will not be a barrier to innovation, it’s a part of delivering it responsibly.
TDG: The place do you see U.S. drone leisure in 5 years? And the place does Dronisos slot in that image?
JP: The trajectory is evident. Drone exhibits are shifting from novelty to a typical part of main leisure experiences.
TDG: It’s so true! Beforehand you needed to work onerous to hunt out a drone present, however now I really feel like I simply by accident come upon them at baseball video games and county festivals!
JP: What was a exceptional one-off is changing into an expectation. Venues and types that haven’t integrated drone leisure but are beginning to ask severe questions on methods to do it.
TDG: Yeah, it’s beginning to really feel like drone exhibits are simply as important as sizzling canine and beer at baseball video games as of late! So how can drone present corporations stand out in what’s changing into a busier area?
JP: What’s going to separate the leaders from everybody else is not only the expertise, however the potential to ship it at scale, safely, evening after evening, in ways in which serve a selected storytelling imaginative and prescient. That’s what Dronisos has constructed over years of working at Disneyland Paris and different demanding environments. My job is to deliver that functionality to the U.S. companions who’re prepared to make use of it.
Dronisos is headquartered in Bordeaux, France with U.S. operations primarily based in Orlando, Florida. For extra on Dronisos’ work with Disney, try The Drone Woman’s full preview of Disney Cascade of Lights and the full historical past of Disney drone exhibits.
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