Arnould 1993

River Magic: Extraordinary Experience and the Extended Service Encounter

Although from an ethnography point of view this article is key in terms of methodology, because of the range of methods used - pre-trip, post-trip, focus groups, speaking to guides, obsevation.
Similar to my own thinking, the EDP method is rubbished to a certain extent because of the unclear or vague expectations associated with the experience. The question of how similar 'extraordinary experiences' are to 'soft-adventures' remains to be seen, but many of the points are valid.
The emphasis on the narrative and the creation of it are not really what I want to look at - CCTV
Expectations seem to be vague to begin with, and most importantly evolve as the trip progresses - pg26
Touches on the role the participants play in the service outcome - again an unexpected outcome pg 27
Very interesting point made regards the individual attributes that make up the trip and how each of them may not be enjoyable as a stand-alone. ie. you only feel happy when you reach the summit, but getting up at 3am with crappy accommodation, not hot water, and poor toilet facilities may not be ideal.
Pg 29 - more experienced participants have a greater appreciation of the experience and what to expect.
Main highlights - complex relationship with satisfaction
use of methods to understand - surveys, focus groups, observation.