News Disney launching 'Play Disney Parks' app this summer

[Disneyson]

I have to say, this is a pretty good app. Played in the park a little today and ran through nearly all the quiz questions in Fantasyland (they need some new ones, but the questions are quite good), got a bunch of achievements (the only one that didn’t instantly work was Pirates), and enjoyed the map.

We did the FP+ version of the Space Mountain game, and it was EXCELLENT. Without too many spoilers, the game is cooperative in a very similar way to the Ellen “Heads Up!” App and it’s incredibly addicting. The gameplay is fun, varied, and surprisingly deep, and the storyline was well integrated. The hidden secrets in the queue were really fun, and I know I didn’t catch them all.

The best part to me, though, was the way it adjusted time in order to accommodate us. While we hadn’t quite reached the climax of the game, the game saw we were close to boarding and asked us where we were. When we said we were about to board, the game gave us a ceremonious ending that made us all feel good about ourselves even though we obviously hadn’t finished the game, AND (my favorite part), THEY TELL YOU TO STORE LOOSE ITEMS AND PULL UP ON YOUR LAPBAR! While many people have made the assumption that this game will slow down wait times, I personally think that the extra, personal, handheld reminders will encourage typical tourists to get ready for the ride quickly and safely.

I can’t wait to try out the Peter Pan game, and I hope to see more games like this arrive on the app in the future, specifically for Safaris, Flight of Passage, Kali River Rapids, Test Track, and Frozen.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

Interesting that the trivia in Toy Story Land is labeled as Pixar Place...

 

[DisneyGentlemanV2.0]

All that money just to go to inside the park and people are excited to spend their time on an app. Classic.

Just wait until you stay home and they charge you for a virtual visit on your phone. It's inevitable.

 

[aladdin2007]

Given the way Disney has updated their other apps over time, and Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom in the park... I wouldn't count on it.

Its too bad they gave up on the shopping app, everything is blocked from ordering or says out of stock, when it isn't. They ruined that one. Whole diff topic really I know but just saying its an app that use to be great and is now useless.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Used this app for the firs time this week! Visual look cool... I'm hoping they'll add some more games and interactive elements. Seems unfinished to me.

Also to note -- I did not know they took out the video games in the Space Mountain queue!

 

[SuperStretccch]

Also to note -- I did not know they took out the video games in the Space Mountain queue!

Wait, they did? Pics?

 

[GlacierGlacier]

Wait, they did? Pics?

They're there. They just don't turn them on often, as people slow down to play them. This results in the "To keep your wait times at an absolute minimum, please keep up with the party ahead of you" message.

As an aside- they're put in possibly the worst location in the queue. Single-to-low file, high-quality theming around the queue. They really need this as a phone-based thing in the massive mortal maze before load. They already have the screens with the pre-board instructions.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Wait, they did? Pics?

They're there. They just don't turn them on often, as people slow down to play them. This results in the "To keep your wait times at an absolute minimum, please keep up with the party ahead of you" message.

As an aside- they're put in possibly the worst location in the queue. Single-to-low file, high-quality theming around the queue. They really need this as a phone-based thing in the massive mortal maze before load. They already have the screens with the pre-board instructions.

I could have sworn the buttons were no longer there! But maybe I'm wrong. It's possible I was wrong. I was in the FP+ queue.

I should have taken pictures. They were just screens of stars when I was passing by. Both days.

 

[GlacierGlacier]

I could have sworn the buttons were no longer there! But maybe I'm wrong. It's possible I was wrong. I was in the FP+ queue.

I should have taken pictures. They were just screens of stars when I was passing by. Both days.

The buttons are there, but only on the standby side. Screens display stars when the game is inactive, and the buttons don't light up until the game is beginning to start.

I was there last sunday, so unless they did some big change overnight it should be good.

 

[WondersOfLife]

The buttons are there, but only on the standby side. Screens display stars when the game is inactive, and the buttons don't light up until the game is beginning to start.

I was there last sunday, so unless they did some big change overnight it should be good.

Perhaps the button lights not being on made me think they weren't there. Either way, we rode Space mountain 3 times and not once did we see them turn on! Maybe they're hoping park guests will use the app for games instead.

 

[Rider]

The buttons have been removed and replaced with normal silver queues. The screens only show stars now.

 

[WondersOfLife]

The buttons have been removed and replaced with normal silver queues. The screens only show stars now.

I knew I wasn't going crazy.

 

[GlacierGlacier]

I knew I wasn't going crazy.

Apparently I was going crazy. Apologies.

 

[MisterPenguin]

PHOTOS: Interactive Gem Sorting Removed from Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Queue for Play Disney Parks App

 

[tissandtully]

PHOTOS: Interactive Gem Sorting Removed from Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Queue for Play Disney Parks App

wow, I've literally never been through the standby queue. Makes sense though if it was jamming up the line and nonfunctioning anyways.

 

[Andrew C]

PHOTOS: Interactive Gem Sorting Removed from Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Queue for Play Disney Parks App

Good! That was a line slower. You never stopped in that place for too long.

 

[VJ]

PHOTOS: Interactive Gem Sorting Removed from Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Queue for Play Disney Parks App

i am DEVESTATED, absolute DEVASTED I tell you!! Little Johnny and Kiera loved the gem sorting, it was their absolute favorite thing to do, and nw its GONE!!! I had childhood memories of it myself, and now it's... GONE!! Declining by degrees!!

 

[KBLovedDisney]

i am DEVESTATED, absolute DEVASTED I tell you!! Little Johnny and Kiera loved the gem sorting, it was their absolute favorite thing to do, and nw its GONE!!! I had childhood memories of it myself, and now it's... GONE!! Declining by degrees!!

So...un...MAGICAL!

 

[SuperStretccch]

It disappoints me a bit that they're now removing interactive elements in favor of this app, but I guess that's just the way of the future. At least the line will move faster, which is always a plus.

 

[solidyne]

It disappoints me a bit that they're now removing interactive elements in favor of this app, but I guess that's just the way of the future. At least the line will move faster, which is always a plus.

The line may have been slower for a moment, but it would speed up once people stopped playing and moved on. You didn't lose your position in line, so you'd end up reaching dispatch at the same time. Unless, that is, the gap grew big enough to reach the FP merge, but I'm sure people would yell at the stoppers long before then.

What's more, some stoppers would let people pass them while they were playing, so these games may have been a net gain in efficiency for those who didn't want to play!