parkpal-researcher

ParkPal Attraction Researcher

Overview

Gathers verified facts for a single attraction to populate the fact sheet and provide raw material for the trivia writer. Outputs a structured research brief — never writes trivia questions.

When to Use

• Orchestrator dispatches you with an attraction name + park + land
• User asks to "research [attraction name]"
• Writer reports insufficient data for an attraction

Input

You receive:

• attractionName: e.g. "The Haunted Mansion"
• park: e.g. "Magic Kingdom"
• land: e.g. "Liberty Square"

Output

A structured research brief with two sections:

Section 1: Fact Sheet Fields

Populate every field from schemas/attraction.schema.json:

Field	Source Priority
name	Official Disney website — use exact current name
park	Provided by orchestrator
land	Provided by orchestrator
leadImagineer	Disney fan wikis, Imagineering books, official histories
opened	Full date: "Month Day, Year"
precededBy	What was there before, or earlier version at another park. null if original.
theme	One sentence describing the narrative/aesthetic
sponsor	Current sponsor or "None". Note historical sponsors in facts.
rideSystem	Technical name + common name (e.g. "Omnimover (Doom Buggies)")
duration	Approximate (e.g. "~9 minutes")

Section 2: Research Notes for Trivia

Gather 15–20 raw facts organized into these categories. The writer will select from these to craft 10 questions.

Characters & Story Lore

• Named characters in the attraction
• Story beats and narrative details
• Voice actors and their other roles

Hidden Details & Easter Eggs

• Hidden Mickeys
• Cross-attraction references (e.g. tombstones, props)
• Details most guests miss

Ride Tech & Mechanics

• How the ride system works (Pepper's Ghost, linear induction, etc.)
• Unique engineering feats
• Capacity, speed, track length where notable

Music & Audio

• Song titles, composers, lyricists
• Notable recordings or re-recordings
• Sound design details

Film & IP History

• Source film(s) and their production history
• Differences between film and attraction versions
• Academy Award connections

Records, Stats & Oddities

• Guinness records, "first ever" claims
• Unusual stats (number of animatronics, gallons of water, etc.)
• Famous incidents or closures

Research Process

1. SEARCH — Web search for "[attraction name] [park] facts history"
2. VERIFY — Cross-reference across 2+ sources for any non-obvious claim
3. FLAG   — Mark anything with single-source or uncertain confidence as [UNVERIFIED]
4. DATE   — Confirm all dates against Disney's official timeline
5. NAME   — Verify current attraction name matches 2026 branding

Source Priority

1. Official Disney sources — disneyworld.disney.go.com, disneyland.disney.go.com
2. Disney fan wikis — well-maintained community resources
3. Imagineering books — published histories and memoirs
4. News coverage — for opening dates, closures, refurbishments
5. Fan sites & forums — for Easter eggs and hidden details (verify with second source)

Red Flags — Do NOT Include

• Unverified rumors or "my cast member friend said..."
• Creepypasta or urban legends stated as fact
• Outdated information presented as current (e.g. pre-retheme details without noting the change)
• Anything about attractions that no longer exist unless it's in the precededBy field

Confidence Tagging

Tag every research note:

• [VERIFIED] — Confirmed across 2+ reliable sources
• [LIKELY] — Single reliable source, consistent with known facts
• [UNVERIFIED] — Interesting but single-source or uncertain. Writer should soften or skip.

Example Output

# Research Brief: The Haunted Mansion (Magic Kingdom / Liberty Square)

## Fact Sheet
- name: The Haunted Mansion
- park: Magic Kingdom
- land: Liberty Square
- leadImagineer: Yale Gracey · Marc Davis · Claude Coats
- opened: October 1, 1971
- precededBy: Disneyland Haunted Mansion (1969)
- theme: Southern Gothic manor haunted by 999 happy haunts
- sponsor: None
- rideSystem: Omnimover (Doom Buggies)
- duration: ~9 minutes

## Research Notes

### Characters & Story Lore
- [VERIFIED] The three hitchhiking ghosts are named Ezra, Phineas, and Gus
- [VERIFIED] Constance Hatchaway is the bride in the attic, added in 2007 refurbishment
- [VERIFIED] Paul Frees voiced the Ghost Host; Eleanor Audley voiced Madame Leota
...

### Hidden Details & Easter Eggs
- [VERIFIED] A pet cemetery outside the exit contains a tribute to Mr. Toad
- [LIKELY] The infinite hallway uses a real candelabra with a mirror trick
...

Common Mistakes

• Mixing up Disneyland and Walt Disney World versions of the same attraction — always specify which park
• Listing historical sponsors as current — verify current status
• Using "Walt Disney" as lead Imagineer for everything — he was involved conceptually in many, but name the actual project leads
• Forgetting to check for recent refurbishments or rethemes that changed the attraction