SANDUSKY — After finding success with two high-tech but leisurely interactive rides, Cedar Fair LP is ready to up the ante and give virtual reality a shot on a full-blown roller coaster.

The Sandusky amusement park operator announced plans Tuesday to test a virtual reality system on one of its current coasters this fall.

Officials didn’t name the coaster or say at which park it would be.

“This is only a test, but it starts to give you a flavor for the opportunities that could happen over time, where we could create a compelling and reprogrammable experience with less capital,” Chief Executive Officer Matt Ouimet told industry analysts during a conference call to talk about the company’s second-quarter financial results.

Though it’s best known locally for the skyscraping thrill rides at Cedar Point, the company’s flagship park in Sandusky, Cedar Fair has been turning a more aggressive focus toward technology over the last few years.

The company has rolled out parkwide Wi-Fi at its King’s Island park in Cincinnati and Carowinds in Charlotte, N.C. Mr. Ouimet said Tuesday that the company plans to expand that to its five largest parks next year, with the remaining parks quickly following suit.

Not only is Wi-Fi something that guests increasingly expect, Mr. Ouimet said, but it supports a number of other technologies Cedar Fair has in the pipeline, including a new mobile application that’s already in use at King’s Island, and a digital imaging program currently in development.

“We’ve learned a lot this past summer through both of these processes and are now planning to roll these platforms out to our parks over the next few years,” Mr. Ouimet said.

Industry experts say it’s important for park operators to find ways to incorporate mobile and interactive technology.

“The future of our industry is going to be driven by Wi-Fi, social networks, anything that can improve waiting times and expedite the guest visit,” said Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services Inc. in Cincinnati.

The Walt Disney Co. has been a pioneer in that respect. Its MagicBand and MyMagic+ systems give visitors nearly everything they need right on their wrist, from paying for dinner to unlocking hotel room doors. It also gives the company a tremendous amout of data about its visitors.

But that kind of system is expensive. Mr. Speigel said Disney spent more than $1 billion on the program. Cedar Fair doesn’t have that kind of money, but Mr. Speigel said it still can find some of those benefits in mobile technology.

Even without high-tech baubles, Cedar Fair has successfully grown its business.

The company reported attendance rose 3 percent to 15.1 million through the year’s first seven months, while per-capita spending is up 2 percent. Both are records.

“Our strategy heading into this year was to provide experiences that would encourage our guests to visit our parks early and often,” Mr. Ouimet said. “This included a focus on early season pass sales, the introduction of an all-season dining program across all of our parks, new springtime events and introducing innovating new rides and attractions as early as possible.”

In the year’s second quarter, Cedar Fair reported Tuesday that it had revenues of $377.4 million, up from $363 million in the same period last year. Profit rose to $57.6 million from $43.9 million last year.

The company also Tuesday declared a quarterly dividend of 75 cents per share, payable Sept. 15.

Contact Tyrel Linkhorn at tlinkhorn@theblade.com or 419-724-6134 or on Twitter @BladeAutoWriter.

First Published August 5, 2015, 4:00 a.m.