Cell phone parks info - Verizon

SamFromOrlando

Member
Original Poster
from http://______________.com/ViewPressRelease.aspx?PressReleaseID=111636

Companies Align to Bring Unprecedented New Experiences to Guests at Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort…and Right on Their Verizon Wireless Phones

November 12, 2008 - Marking a first in both the travel and mobile industries, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and Verizon are teaming up for a multi-year relationship designed to enhance the guest experience – before, during and after guests arrive at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. This alignment allows guests to have a personal tour guide right in their wireless phones along with reliable new services at the parks. Early next year guests will also use Verizon Wireless’ technology when experiencing Disney’s Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, an ultra-interactive attraction coming to Epcot in Walt Disney World Resort.

“With more than 90 percent of families bringing a mobile phone into our Parks, our objective was to enhance the magical Disney experience through innovative wireless technology,” said Jay Rasulo, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “Imagine receiving up to the minute tips on special Park activities with just the touch of a button or receiving a call from Buzz Lightyear welcoming you to the Magic Kingdom.”

Beginning next year, guests will be able to access an array of features on their Verizon Wireless phones while at the Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort to help them make the most of their Disney experiences. Planned services include an exclusive mobile application that will give guests with Verizon Wireless service the ability to easily locate shows, restaurants and the Disney characters anywhere inside the Parks; get real-time attraction availability information; access mobile games; receive messages from characters and more. Verizon Wireless is also continuing to invest in its wireless network from coast to coast, and the relationship with Disney means the wireless users will benefit from further enhancements to the Verizon Wireless network in the Parks.

John Harrobin, senior vice president of digital media and marketing for Verizon, said, “All of our efforts focus on one goal: making the Disney experience even better for our customers. There are few life experiences that are more memorable than visiting a Disney Park, and now guests with Verizon Wireless service will unlock even more magic from their visit – by navigating the Parks easier and faster with instant access to key information such as ‘Where’s Mickey now?’ and other special features – even when they travel home and share their experiences with family and friends.”

In addition, guests visiting Epcot in Walt Disney World Resort in early 2009 will be among the first to experience Disney’s Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure. An ultra-interactive attraction, Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure invites guests of all ages to team up with members of Team Possible to save the world from various comical villains and their mad inventions. Armed with an official Verizon Wireless “Kimmunicator,” guests will use these handheld devices to help maneuver through the mission. The interactive wireless theme park game was inspired by Disney Channel’s Emmy® Award-winning animated series, “Kim Possible.”

While Verizon Wireless customers will have exclusive access to an array of enhanced features, Disney and Verizon are also working to ensure that some mobile information such as dining locations, show times and locations will be available to all Parks visitors, regardless of their wireless company.

Additional details will be available next year as the companies expect to add a suite of services and functionalities to help guests at Disney Parks have the most magical experience. For more information about Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, visit www.disney.com. For more information about Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

Disney Parks and Resorts – Taking Guests to New Frontiers

The agreement between Disney and Verizon is another step in a series of new initiatives that highlight the latest technologies from Disney Parks and Resorts with a continued focus on improving guest experience and providing immersive entertainment. Disney Parks and Resorts continue to exemplify how technologies can be used to build new connections and redefine how guests plan and enjoy their vacations. From the time guests begin planning their vacation using Walt Disney World Resort in 3D on Google Earth or tuning into Disney Travel on Demand, the experience is designed to make their lives easier. Guests can take their vacation experience to a new level with Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, an interactive wireless theme park game for families, and by personalizing and sharing their Disney experiences when they return home, using DisneyLink, a desktop application.
 

mickeysaver

Well-Known Member
:sohappy::sohappy::sohappy: Thank God, I am so glad that we dumped AT&T! :sohappy::sohappy::sohappy:​

I have an LG enV with Verizon, so this should be awesome. I hope they have it up and running for my April trip. :D
 

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
I guess this means the Nextel/Sprint deal is officially over then. Maybe it means new tree towers?
I do not know about that but there have been quite a few permits filed for wireless cell antennas being installed all over World Showcase over the past few weeks.
 

warntheduke

New Member
It seems like with all the overseas visitors and the number of people who use wireless carriers other than Verizon that this new service would exclude more people than it would help.

Is this Disney and Verizon's first partnership?
 

kimmychad

Member
from what I read somewhere the service would be used to help you find characters in the park, dining reservations, even ride info. you'll need to download an application from the get it now section of your verizon phone, verizon hasn't decided yet whether it will be a one time use charge for the program or a monthly subscription. when I get home i'll see if i can figure out where I saw the article at.
 

Lee

Adventurer
If you aren't on Verizon, all is not lost.
Disney is also working on some special park stuff for the iPhone. :D

(I mean, aside from the interactive park maps you can already download from the app store.)
 

hauntdmansion79

Active Member
Looks like this is almost exactly the service that was tested on the Nintendo DS this past year. It has attraction wait times, restaurant menus, maps, games...etc.

I think it is a good idea to switch it from the DS to people's phones. Phones are something that more people bring with them anyway, so Disney won't need to manage rental equipment. Also it seems Disney would be less responsible if the service didn't work, so complaints would go to Verizon more than the in-park service desks. Sounds like this will work better, test better, and be able to be implimented faster.

Although it will work better if you have a larger cell phone screen.

thanks,
Hauntdmansion79
 

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
It seems like with all the overseas visitors and the number of people who use wireless carriers other than Verizon that this new service would exclude more people than it would help.

Is this Disney and Verizon's first partnership?

As far as I know it is. Part of the deal was that VZW would expand and improve its coverage in the parks, hence all the permits for the new cell sites.

As far as a "proprietary network", all cell networks are proprietary, you have to pay to use them :)

Verizon is currently on a CDMA network using EVDO (as is Sprint)

Most of the rest of the world uses a GSM network. Thats why some phones will not work on the Verizon network and vice versa. Think of it as having and AM only radio and an FM only radio. It's a matter of hardware, not the network being locked. Just as there are AM/FM radios there are dual network phones, mainly for world travlers who want to pay the big bucks.

However, Verizon announced back in 2007 that for its 4G data services, it will not be using EV-DO rev C on the CDMA network, but instead the Long Term Evolution (LTE) services on the GSM network. Now LTE is slower than EV-DO rev C but it is compatable with most of the other carriers hardware in the world. (And even if it is slower, it is still wicked fast)

I have no idea what platform will be deployed in WDW, but it may be cross platform, and while the content is provided by Disney on a Verizon network it may be accessable (roaming fees apply :) ) to other network devices.

There is an old article on it here http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cellphon...-for-ultra-highspeed-4g-technology-327849.php

Where I also shamelessly scapped this picture from - because it amused me :)

untitled-1.jpg


-dave
 

SamFromOrlando

Member
Original Poster
If you aren't on Verizon, all is not lost.
Disney is also working on some special park stuff for the iPhone. :D

(I mean, aside from the interactive park maps you can already download from the app store.)

the iPhone stuff is very early in the concepting phases.
 

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