Disney's Over-Reliance on Smartphones

[Californian Elitist]

All the more reason to refrain from going go to the parks.

 

[Parteecia]

I upgraded a few months ago from my 06 CR-V I've driven since I got my license to a nice lightly used 2017 Audi A4 with CarPlay. I could not charge my phone and listen to music off my phone in my old car, so I would drain the battery the whole time I'm driving, especially when using directions, it was miserable. Upgrading to a car that I can plug in my phone to charge and see my music / directions on a screen that isn't my phone was a huge quality of life update that I haven't stopped appreciate after dealing with my old car's situation for so long.

My vehicles are a 1994 and a 2006. It sounds like you were happy to get rid of the CR-V but if you'd preferred to keep it you could've just gotten a new radio with the features you want.

 

[celluloid]

This comment reminds me of Disney adding so many "video game" rides to the parks. Having TSMM, Spider-Man, and MF:SR don't interest me, if I wanted to play a video game I would stay home and save my time and money and play an actual game. I want to go to the parks for the atmosphere, the actual rides with physical sets, the food, the entertainment, etc. I remember in The Imagineering Story they talked about how they have to compete with the video game systems people have at home when talking about developing MF:SR and I think that design philosophy is so flawed. Sorry for the off topic rant but your comment really reminded me of that line in the show.

Agreed. One of the simplest examples of this being flawed is what I lecture when I can, and that is about The Hitchhiking Ghosts. When they were replaced in WDW with Augmented reality versions it was for the sake of the technology, but phones could already do similar things with filters and now they definitely can. One thing that 99.9 percent and higher or the population cannot create or ever have, is large scale reverse Pepper's Ghost effect that the system of rotating figures was based on. The impact is much greater on the original concept of the effect as still used in all of the other Mansion/Manor attractions at Disney's theme parks that have that original finale.

 

[brb1006]

Running a theme park is not rocket science. So stop pretending that it is.

A bit harsh don't you think?

 

[TP2000]

A bit harsh don't you think?

Perhaps.

But we've got stories here from Disneyland visitors who couldn't get a Dole Whip because the Mobile Order window was pushed out two hours, and standing in a line is no longer an option.

Unless you book a Dole Whip on your smartphone hours ahead of time, you can't buy one when you go to Disneyland? They have vastly over-complicated the process here.

 

[Professortango1]

I don't really have a problem with QR codes at restaurants honestly, it's a little annoying but it has worked fine for me any time I have gone out to eat since the pandemic. I haven't asked if any of them would give me a physical menu but I'm assuming they would since I saw stacks of them at the host stands when entering, I think it's good to have options of digital or physical. The problem is Disney does not give the choice, they force you to do everything digitally now and lock out the ability to even buy food if you don't use a phone. I'm extremely curious to see if / when they do walk these digital requirements back finally, they can still say it's for the pandemic as of now but I'm curious how long into the future it'll be before it becomes clear they are too lazy to put back the systems they had in place that were a much easier process.

My issue with QR codes is they say "just take a picture with your smart phone." But that doesn't work. I just get a picture of the QR code. I have to download a QR code app and open it. Then, it takes me to website. Its just easier to google "Applebee's Menu." Or...provide a menu.

 

[waltography]

My issue with QR codes is they say "just take a picture with your smart phone." But that doesn't work. I just get a picture of the QR code. I have to download a QR code app and open it. Then, it takes me to website. Its just easier to google "Applebee's Menu." Or...provide a menu.

When they say take a picture with your phone, they mean open your camera app to scan the code; it's the standard for both iOS and Android devices now to read QR codes without additional software.

 

[waltography]

I think something to bring up is that I think there is a place for smartphones at the parks to augment the experience—that everyone basically has a pocket computer with them now is something that should be leveraged. I think the experiences are few and far between right now, however. I love the smartphone experiences that have physical interactions in addition to the virtual experiences (for example, Tinkerbell in the Pan queue, Esmeralda on Main Street, the WoC Fun Wheel game that let you control the lights at the Pier, hacking the droids in front of Droid Depot and making them react), but hate the smartphone-exclusive experiences (for example, the rest of the Star Wars datapad, the Space Mountain code game).

 

[Professortango1]

When they say take a picture with your phone, they mean open your camera app to scan the code; it's the standard for both iOS and Android devices now to read QR codes without additional software.

I have an Android and it doesn't work.

 

[waltography]

I have an Android and it doesn't work.

Is it a Samsung Galaxy or something else? How old is it/the OS it's running on?

 

[TP2000]

I think something to bring up is that I think there is a place for smartphones at the parks to augment the experience—that everyone basically has a pocket computer with them now is something that should be leveraged. I think the experiences are few and far between right now, however. I love the smartphone experiences that have physical interactions in addition to the virtual experiences (for example, Tinkerbell in the Pan queue, Esmeralda on Main Street, the WoC Fun Wheel game that let you control the lights at the Pier, hacking the droids in front of Droid Depot and making them react), but hate the smartphone-exclusive experiences (for example, the rest of the Star Wars datapad, the Space Mountain code game).

I can agree with that. Disney should be able to offer wait times and such on an App for its customers in the park.

The problem is that Disney went waaaaaay overboard and now everything requires you to pull out a smartphone and punch and poke at it while you are on vacation in a fabulously themed environment.

You also have to decide if you will be thirsty three hours from now so you can reserve a beverage from a snack bar. Because paying $4 for 25 cents worth of product isn't enough of a commitment from you, they need to know you really want that overpriced beverage in advance.

Disney's executive team keeps proving they have no clue how their parks are designed to operate, or how their customer base uses them. The smartphone problem is proof of that.

 

[TP2000]

Look at the results of this poll. 60 people have voted and 85% of us think this is a problem.

And we are all clued-in, engaged customers who are very familiar with the parks and the systems we use as customers when we go there.

Now imagine you are a non-fanatic who just visits Disneyland casually once per year or so. Imagine how frustrating and annoying today's over-reliance on smartphones and wonky Apps must be for that Disneyland demographic?

 

[DavidDL]

Things that I want to use my smartphone for in the park: check wait/show times, take photos and videos.

Things that I don't want to use my phone for in the park: having to order everything I think I might be in the mood to eat for the entire day at 7am.

 

[John park hopper]

I have a flip phone and have had it for years and it serves me just fine to make calls and receive calls. I don't want an expense smart phone that has bells and whistles I'll never use. My life does not revolve around my phone and I sure as H-!! don't want to be tied to a phone when I'm on vacation. Maybe Disney's intent is if you are staring at your phone all the time you won't notice how crappy WDW has become

 

[Professortango1]

Is it a Samsung Galaxy or something else? How old is it/the OS it's running on?

Samsung S7.

 

[SteveAZee]

I have a flip phone and have had it for years and it serves me just fine to make calls and receive calls. I don't want an expense smart phone that has bells and whistles I'll never use. My life does not revolve around my phone and I sure as H-!! don't want to be tied to a phone when I'm on vacation. Maybe Disney's intent is if you are staring at your phone all the time you won't notice how crappy WDW has become

One of the last things I want to do on my smartphone is make phone calls.

It seems like most people, especially younger folk, communicate through texting (or similar apps), social media, and sometimes email. I usually text my kids before I call them so they know what that strange ringing sound is coming from their phone.

You probably know all this... sounds like you've got some grown kids too.

 

[waltography]

Samsung S7.

Hmm, the S7 should still support QR scanning through the basic camera app. I'd check the camera settings for a Scan QR Codes toggle that you might have to turn on.

Anyways, that doesn't really address your main issue with having to open any app at all for a QR code (sorry for going tech support guy on you ).

 

[Professortango1]

Hmm, the S7 should still support QR scanning through the basic camera app. I'd check the camera settings for a Scan QR Codes toggle that you might have to turn on.

Anyways, that doesn't really address your main issue with having to open any app at all for a QR code (sorry for going tech support guy on you ).

Haha, no worries. See, this is why I hate mobile based stuff.

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

And then there are the times when even if you have a phone to mobile order... there's nothing to order...

Went to the park recently for a Halloween Time visit and I wanted to enjoy some Halloween Time treats that had been advertised for the season.

Went to Gibson Girl to get the Halloween sundae - was told sorry, we are out of the ice cream so you can't order it.

Went to Jolly Holiday to look for a Halloween sweet - nope, just the regular offerings there.

I wanted to mobile order the Halloween hot dog at Coke Corner - nope, that's gone, too.

So I went to Hungry Bear to try the loaded fries in a special Halloween bowl. It was on the menu. But not available to mobile order. So I hiked on over to find that almost six weeks into Halloween Time, the special bowl has still not yet arrived. But if I wanted to just try an order of the loaded fries I had to get in line at a register because it wasn't available to mobile order!

Yeah...

 

[BeentoallDParks]

Disney’s smartphone addiction is emblematic of how current management has lost its way—all the systems are now designed for Disney’s convenience, but not so much the guest’s.