Ree Park, a beloved Danish safari park, was ready to move into the digital age. They were spending countless hours on manual tasks, and their visitors were missing out on key experiences - like booking unique sleepovers or ordering high-quality grill packs - because they couldn't be reserved online. We stepped in to build a custom booking platform that eliminated food waste, saved the park time and money, and gave families the chance to plan their perfect adventure before they even arrived.

Taking Ree Park Safari from a manual operation to a digitally-native experience was a significant but rewarding challenge. Our strategy was to implement solutions in phases, prioritizing immediate wins while respecting their existing customer habits.

Our first step was to streamline their core booking system. While the user flow could be modernized, the client chose to keep their familiar booking process to avoid confusing loyal visitors. I understood this business decision—sometimes, a smooth user transition is more important than a complete overhaul.

The real innovation, however, came with new, digital-first features. A standout example is the QR Code Ticketing System we implemented for the park's train. Instead of a long physical queue, visitors can now simply scan a code on a sign, which takes them directly to a mobile-friendly page to purchase and display their train tickets instantly. This not only improved the guest experience by reducing wait times but also opened up new, impulse-driven revenue streams for the park right at the point of interest.

Our goal was to create a central digital hub for Ree Park, and that meant seamlessly connecting several specialized third-party systems. We didn't just build a website; we built the digital glue that brought their entire operation online.

Powering the Ticket & Pass System
To handle all admissions, we partnered with Loby. Initially, their API lacked specific features we needed. Through close collaboration, we worked hand-in-hand with their development team, guiding them to expand their API. This successful partnership allowed us to fully integrate both digital day tickets and annual passes directly into the Ree Park website, creating a smooth purchase flow for visitors.

Automating Unique Experiences like Sleepovers
One of Ree Park's most unique offerings is the chance to sleep over in the park. This was previously managed through a separate system called Spectra. We developed a custom integration with the Spectra API, enabling real-time availability checks and online bookings for their cabins directly through the new website. No more phone calls or uncertainty—guests can now securely book their adventure online, anytime.

The result? A powerful, interconnected ecosystem. The website now automatically handles the complex logistics of tickets, passes, and sleepovers, freeing up the park's staff to focus on what they do best: creating magical moments for their visitors.

My primary responsibility in this large-scale digitalization was to architect and build the customer-facing website and the complete user journey, including the booking flow, checkout process, and webshop. I also developed all the core pages and various smaller features.

This project presented a unique challenge: our team lacked a dedicated UI/UX designer. This meant we were navigating the design process ourselves, making it a truly agile and iterative design-to-development experience. We had to prototype, test different designs for each component in real-time, and trust our collective eye to guide the user experience. It was like sailing in the mist, but through collaboration and persistence, we managed to achieve a functional and coherent final product.

While I'm proud of the robust technical system we built under these conditions, the experience underscored a vital lesson: the immense value of a skilled designer. A dedicated design expert would have streamlined our process and elevated the final aesthetic, and it's a partnership I now actively seek in my projects. Despite this, successfully delivering such a complex, integrated platform from the frontend to the checkout under these constraints proved my adaptability and strong development capabilities.

While I don't have access to specific performance data, the true success of this project is measured in operational efficiency and client satisfaction. The feedback from Ree Park has been overwhelmingly positive. The team is thrilled to have their time and hands freed up from administrative tasks, allowing them to redirect their energy towards what truly matters: enhancing the visitor experience and maintaining the park.

The new digital ecosystem has created a smoother, more reliable operation. By automating ticket sales, annual passes, and sleepover bookings, we've reduced manual errors and eliminated points of friction for both guests and staff. The park is no longer just running; it's running more intelligently, proving that effective digitalization is about empowering people, not just installing new software.