Pal Mickey Discontinued

dolbyman

Well-Known Member
Hopefully they are pairing it with iPhones, or any PDA for that matter!


too complicated .. Iphone users would have to use an app store download first (the actual application)...other than that you can't get programs in an unmodified iphone
 

DisneyWales

Member
While im sad to see Pal Mickey stop at WDW, I hope this will lead onto the next generation.

I'm sure this was a cash cow for Disney, sell a very cute, high quality, interactive plush.

The infrastructure is still in place for this, so it would be to hard for them to reuse the emitters for a new system.

As for the iphone system its not that hard for Disney to privately provide the WDW application themselves. There are a number of ways to do it (and maybe offer the service to other platforms also).

the easiest way would be to provide the application over wifi. They could place general instructions on the park map, i.e. if you have the following device's:- iphone, win mobile, DS, PSP etc, activate your wifi and connect to network *mobile-magic* (or some-other magic, wishes, dreams, wifi network name). From there, you connect to a private website which has a screen with options for you to download the required software to your device.

Apple have the facility to allow private distribution of an application, they also have the ability to push information to your iphone over a wifi network (look up the iPhone Starbucks iTunes mobile store feature). So this isn't as hard as you may think.

Once the app is on your device use of either gps, cellnet location, or wifi location could be used to identify where you are in the park as seen on the DS device.

They could also use times boards to provide further instructions on how to download the application, like the way Disneyland Paris gives out bluetooth times at time boards, plus as there are usually cast posted nearby, so guests who are unsure can then ask a cast member for more info.

There are a million ways this technology could go, they could even post market research surveys onto the system, aimed at different ages, so if your kids are using, disney could ask which ride they like best, which characters they enjoyed meetings etc.

There's nothing stopping Disney from even making there own handheld device, that could maybe work as a MP3/movie player (backed up with a online store for extra revenue when guests leave the parks, allowing downloading of Disney games, music and short cartoons etc), that has extra features when used at Disney parks worldwide.

I guess all I'm saying is, I hope this isn't the end of the road of the interactive guide initiative, I love technology, and think there are a million possible ways that Disney could bring new experiences to consumer devices.
 

Since1976

Well-Known Member
Not surprised to see this happen. I contemplated getting Pal Mickey many times, but I just could not justify the price.

I also think that Disney didn't do a very good job of promoting him. Were there any TV commercials (beyond resort TV) touting what he could do? Or mentions on planning DVDs?
 

RiversideBunny

New Member
If they want this idea to work, the product will have to be a talking badge or similar so people don't have to carry it.
Just attach it and walk around the parks.

Maybe it could be shaped like Mickey or Tink or Big Al or whoever.

I liked the flashing pins that they offered a few years ago. They would light up in various places. They discontinued them.

:)
 

Dwarful

Well-Known Member
A friend bought our girls a Pal Mickey a few years ago. The first one we bought had to be exchanged the day we got him because he didn't work right. We got the replacement and he was worked fine. But he didn't go every day to the parks as by mid day no one wanted to hold him.
 

plaz10

Well-Known Member
Was a Pal Mickey even worth it?

I've always known what one was but never got one. Was I really missing out and will forever regret not buying one? haha.
 

markjohns1

Member
This is not a surprising change. I think two big limitations to PAL Mickey were the price and the need to carry a plush doll everywhere. It is much easier to utilize something that someone may already be carrying, like a smartphone or Nintendo DS. This would also be cheaper than having to produce their own type of handheld. And if anyone is like me, the last thing they want is another gadget to carry around. Hopefully they put some effort into leveraging the ideas from PAL Mickey and their DS pilot to put out something really cool.
 

RiversideBunny

New Member
If they want something for guests to carry around that does what Pal Mickey did, and hopefully more, then they need to have something that will appeal to adults as well as children.

It also has to be super easy to carry around and not require holding it or having it get in the way.
Maybe it would even help if it had an 'electronic' look to it.

IMHO
:)
 

WishIwasThere

Active Member
I love that little guy...we last went to WDW about a year and a half ago and our neighbors let us borrow their Pal Mickey. It was great...the kids and I loved it. The wife thought it was a waste of $60 so she veto-ed us buying our own, but it was great fun for the kids waiting in line at the rides. Giving trivia, singing songs, palying games and telling jokes...I always thought it was a great and original concept. At least they are leaving the system in place for the people who still have one...:(
 

Fizbain32

Member
We bought one of the first ones in 2003. Still used him on every trip. He actually even went down with some of our friends and family so they could use him on their trip. Only thing I noticed with ours is every now and again he would forget his upgrade and start talk about things like Alien Encounter. Go figure. In Sept I was thinking of getting a new one to make sure I was up to date. Guess that's not going to happen. We would clip him to our sling bag so no-one really had to carry him.
 

MojoMax

Member
Well I am sad to see it go. We have the first version we bought for our son. We go several times a year and Mickey must go each time. My son now 7 cannot leave him behind. I am glad he will still be able to use him though. I don't think people really understand the fun he was even away from the parks to a kid. As an Adult it may seem cumbersome or silly, but to the kid, he was really a pal. Those who did get it will miss the idea of him. Hopefully whatever the new concept may evolve to be will be cool as well. RIP Pal Mick!
 

ckvin

New Member
I'll definitely miss Pal Mickey. We've gone from having one of them to all three of my girls carrying them around. They're always something to have while waiting in a line or back at the hotel at night. Plus, they've always enjoyed them at home as well. Ours even took a trip to Disney without us one year....friends borrowed it and loved it!

What a bummer....
 

figment1988

Member
Kind of a shame that Pal Mickey's going to be discontinued. i still have my "year of a million dreams" version of him (the sorcerer's apprentice version), and i often take him with me to WDW. lol, i even took him where no Pal Mickey has gone before (even though he won't work at either of those parks): Universal. i even took him with me to HHN just to increase my odds of being a scareactor target
 

Dragonrider1227

Well-Known Member
Well, that's sad. I guess constantly re-releasing updated Pal Mickeys was becoming a bigger problem than neccesary. I'm glad we got ours when we did.
I've always wanted to take apart a PAL Mickey and hack the voicebox. Give it a Stitch voice maybe. :)
No No No, you program it to say "HAIL SATAN AND ALL HIS GLORY!" In a perfect Mickey Mouse voice :fork: Then you sit back and watch all the "Choose Jesus over Mickey" fundamentalists flip! :drevil:

i often take him with me to WDW. lol, i even took him where no Pal Mickey has gone before (even though he won't work at either of those parks): Universal.

I always thought when you take him to Universal, he should scream "AAH! IT BURNS!"
 

UberPlannerMom

Well-Known Member
The pal mickey was wonderful and we will miss him. He was an electronic that my son could have as much as he wanted. I for one do not want to take my DS into the parks. Number one I don't want to deal with fighting with my son over who gets to hold it. Number two I don't want to expose it to the elements like that. Number three at least if something happened to pal mickey that didn't affect anything but pal mickey. If I have to constantly have my DS or even my cell phone out in hand then the chances of something happening to it increase a million fold and if something happens to them- well- that would be a catastrophe. My DS cost a whole lot more than what I paid for Pal Mickey. And wouldn't we more than likely have to buy something extra to make our DS's work for that purpose. I know that you can download a lot of stuff for short term use but since when has that been how any company operates?
 

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