englanddg
One Little Spark...
Now that I've been using it for a few weeks, I feel I know enough about it to share some of my gripes.
I'm curious to know if any of you others who have used the app have had similar experiences, and if you have anything to add (like, am I doing something wrong that's causing the app to act this way?)
So, lets start with the online app.
1) The layout. I really enjoy how clean it is, and I find it very easy to navigate overall (though I do have some gripes about navigation I'll get into in a moment). However, I find clicking on anything is very slow. It takes a while to get where you want to go, and it's rather annoying.
2) The homepage. I adore that they've added a counter to the home page, and I really like how it looks. Very clean, easy to read and navigate. No criticism here at all.
3) Itinerary and ADR Planning. I love this concept, especially how it gives you a home page for each day. I do wish, however, they would make the navigation a bit simpler by limiting your dates to your reservation dates by default (or at least having this as an option). Several times I've caught myself going to add a park or an ADR, and somehow it's found itself on the wrong date. The sad thing is, it will still let you make this ADR, so if you don't catch it...you may still get dinged on your credit card.
So, a note to those using the system for ADRs, pay SPECIAL attention to the dates until Disney does something about this (at least have a warning pop up or something..."Are you sure you want to reserve on this day, it is outside of your trip itinerary dates)
4) This is a complete gripe. I find the system goes down a LOT. For example, right now the ADR system is down, so I can't modify or check ADRs...and there's no telling when it is going to come back up. I've seen it come up and down throughout the night many times, and it's annoying. Especially when it goes down in the middle of making an ADR and you are not sure if it went through or not.
5) Linking ADRs made over the phone. I've had trouble with this. It allowed me to link some ADRs but not others. Concerned, I called WDW-DINE, and they confirmed my conf. number and my ADR...so it's there. But, for some reason the app won't link it?
6) This is a suggestion, not a gripe. I think on the Itinerary Planning, Disney should add three things. First, you should have the ability to add/schedule your Magical Express (it doesn't have to be time specific, but being able to go in and add flight information, etc and confirm date and general time of pickup would be nice). I also think they should link this in with the Disney Cruise Magical Express, so you can do the same. It doesn't have to be a full integration with the DCL portal, but it would be nice to be able to mark on the itenerary, maybe put in your confirmation number from your cruise so it can display cruise information (departure, etc) and the estimated range of time for DCL ME pickup at your resort hotel.
7) Another suggestion, not a gripe per se. I think they should add another option to the "add a park" day that allows you to add two things. The first should be a Disney Cruise. That way those who do a split trip (like I am doing) can enter information into the itinerary for general planning. It doesn't have to have cruise details, and really could be nothing more than adding a "Disney Cruise" to that day, with a "Click Here" button to go to the DCL portal login in a separate window.
The other "add a park" option should be free form. This will allow you, the planner, to add anything you want at any time you want. I would limit this to a dropdown list of categories and then a freeform box for a memo, if I were the software designer for one reason...metrics.
I know Disney doesn't want to encourage people to go off site during their visit, but people do. I understand Disney may not want to put an obvious "go to Universal" option or something like that on the Add a Park page, but if they did it as a "Add Offsite Activity" button, and collected where people are going, it's a very valuable metric. Right now, all they know is that you didn't go to one of their parks that day. They don't know where you went instead.
By adding this option, Disney not only collects valuable metrics, but makes their planning tools more valuable for those who are planning out their vacations, which encourages people to ditch other planning methods and start to use theirs for ease of use and accessibility Again, the data collected in terms of what guests are visiting and when is invaluable, and I don't see why Disney wouldn't want to collect that data. It's a win win.
It also allows you to add things that are not restaurant or park related, such as "3:30 - Meet Someone - Meet Grandpa at the Castle"
8) Another suggestion is to add a general memo field to each day so planners can put in general info they need for that day. Confirmation numbers for flights, etc...things not "disney related"
Well, I think that's all I have for now. What do you think of the app as it stands? Is it magical? Do you like the direction they are going?
I'm curious to know if any of you others who have used the app have had similar experiences, and if you have anything to add (like, am I doing something wrong that's causing the app to act this way?)
So, lets start with the online app.
1) The layout. I really enjoy how clean it is, and I find it very easy to navigate overall (though I do have some gripes about navigation I'll get into in a moment). However, I find clicking on anything is very slow. It takes a while to get where you want to go, and it's rather annoying.
2) The homepage. I adore that they've added a counter to the home page, and I really like how it looks. Very clean, easy to read and navigate. No criticism here at all.
3) Itinerary and ADR Planning. I love this concept, especially how it gives you a home page for each day. I do wish, however, they would make the navigation a bit simpler by limiting your dates to your reservation dates by default (or at least having this as an option). Several times I've caught myself going to add a park or an ADR, and somehow it's found itself on the wrong date. The sad thing is, it will still let you make this ADR, so if you don't catch it...you may still get dinged on your credit card.
So, a note to those using the system for ADRs, pay SPECIAL attention to the dates until Disney does something about this (at least have a warning pop up or something..."Are you sure you want to reserve on this day, it is outside of your trip itinerary dates)
4) This is a complete gripe. I find the system goes down a LOT. For example, right now the ADR system is down, so I can't modify or check ADRs...and there's no telling when it is going to come back up. I've seen it come up and down throughout the night many times, and it's annoying. Especially when it goes down in the middle of making an ADR and you are not sure if it went through or not.
5) Linking ADRs made over the phone. I've had trouble with this. It allowed me to link some ADRs but not others. Concerned, I called WDW-DINE, and they confirmed my conf. number and my ADR...so it's there. But, for some reason the app won't link it?
6) This is a suggestion, not a gripe. I think on the Itinerary Planning, Disney should add three things. First, you should have the ability to add/schedule your Magical Express (it doesn't have to be time specific, but being able to go in and add flight information, etc and confirm date and general time of pickup would be nice). I also think they should link this in with the Disney Cruise Magical Express, so you can do the same. It doesn't have to be a full integration with the DCL portal, but it would be nice to be able to mark on the itenerary, maybe put in your confirmation number from your cruise so it can display cruise information (departure, etc) and the estimated range of time for DCL ME pickup at your resort hotel.
7) Another suggestion, not a gripe per se. I think they should add another option to the "add a park" day that allows you to add two things. The first should be a Disney Cruise. That way those who do a split trip (like I am doing) can enter information into the itinerary for general planning. It doesn't have to have cruise details, and really could be nothing more than adding a "Disney Cruise" to that day, with a "Click Here" button to go to the DCL portal login in a separate window.
The other "add a park" option should be free form. This will allow you, the planner, to add anything you want at any time you want. I would limit this to a dropdown list of categories and then a freeform box for a memo, if I were the software designer for one reason...metrics.
I know Disney doesn't want to encourage people to go off site during their visit, but people do. I understand Disney may not want to put an obvious "go to Universal" option or something like that on the Add a Park page, but if they did it as a "Add Offsite Activity" button, and collected where people are going, it's a very valuable metric. Right now, all they know is that you didn't go to one of their parks that day. They don't know where you went instead.
By adding this option, Disney not only collects valuable metrics, but makes their planning tools more valuable for those who are planning out their vacations, which encourages people to ditch other planning methods and start to use theirs for ease of use and accessibility Again, the data collected in terms of what guests are visiting and when is invaluable, and I don't see why Disney wouldn't want to collect that data. It's a win win.
It also allows you to add things that are not restaurant or park related, such as "3:30 - Meet Someone - Meet Grandpa at the Castle"
8) Another suggestion is to add a general memo field to each day so planners can put in general info they need for that day. Confirmation numbers for flights, etc...things not "disney related"
Well, I think that's all I have for now. What do you think of the app as it stands? Is it magical? Do you like the direction they are going?
