Ride Wait Times iPhone Apps - Experiences?

WDW John

WDW John

Member
Original Poster
Hey everyone,

My wife and I heading down to WDW in October and I was cruising the iTunes App store for Disney apps. I found two that display supposedly current wait times for rides.

The first one is free. It's called WDW Wait Times (click opens iTunes) and relies on user submitted feedback to update the time. The comments for this one are generally good but I don't always fully trust the commenters. Plus, if you are in the park it's easy enough to post bogus times.

The second one costs $.99 and is named Disney World Wait Times & More. This one claims to get the wait time feed directly from the parks AND user feedback. The comments on this are generally negative.

My question is this: Has anyone had good experiences with either one of these Apps?

I downloaded the free one and I check it from time to time and it certainly does reflect changing ride times. I don't know if they are accurate but...

Thanks in advance,
 
chaggy102

chaggy102

Member
As far as I know both apps only work if people send in wait times and if wait times aren't sent in by users than both services fail. I remember WDWMagic here tried an app like that and it didn't work because there was little to no feedback at times. So I'd take both applications with a grain of salt.
 
blackthidot

blackthidot

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
chaggy102 said:
As far as I know both apps only work if people send in wait times and if wait times aren't sent in by users than both services fail. I remember WDWMagic here tried an app like that and it didn't work because there was little to no feedback at times. So I'd take both applications with a grain of salt.
Click to expand...

Ditto.

Download the upinpoint maps and thats about it...
 
Pioneer Hall

Pioneer Hall

Well-Known Member
I heard the free one is a lot better. The apps seem really good in theory, but not in application. Some people (myself included) would probably have no problem doing this, and might even have fun with it. The problem here is obviously that they are completely dependent on user input, and the only way you will ever have one that is correct is if it ran through Disney. Maybe you will see that one day. For me, if I ever get an iphone (or if wireless somehow pops up in a disney park and i can use my touch)...I will try it. I like to help out where I can.
 
wdwmagic

wdwmagic

Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
It's not gonna work because it relies on user submitted data which just isn't supplied frequently enough. To be of any use, you need wait times supplied every 15 mins for every attraction, from every park, every day. That just isn't going to happen from users. People have far better things to do on their vacation than to supply wait times to a site.

We tried to get people to post wait times here, we're lucky if we get one user per week, nevermind every attraction, every 15 mins.

Wait times will only work if Disney ever decide to release it publically.
 
Rob562

Rob562

Well-Known Member
There's the application(s) from Disney and Verizon that was announced almost a year ago, and hasn't materialized yet. (Last I heard they were still upgrading cell phone coverage on-property)

It would lessen the control that Disney has over things, but I'm wondering if they could do what the MBTA just did here in Boston. (The MBTA operates the subway, bus and boat public transportation in and around Boston)
Like other cities have done, they're putting constantly updated train and bus status information (which was already being kept track of in their own systems) out on the web in raw data format. The idea is that some developer will be able to take the data and create an application that uses the live info feed from the MBTA and allows riders to access that info. Multiple developers coming up with different applications will just keep things competitive.
It allows the MBTA to provide the live info (which they were keeping already) and provide it to riders, without having to undergo the expense to develop and maintain the end-user programming. Apparently other cities have done the same thing, and applications started appearing on the market within 2-3 weeks.

If Disney keeps a live-update system for their wait times already, I wonder if they'd be willing to do this kinda thing?

-Rob
 
P

Philo

Well-Known Member
I downloaded the free one a few days ago, just to see how it works. I would probably use it in the parks (if there was a wifi signal, I'm not paying for overseas data charges) but mostly out of interest rather than for actual knowledge.

The times will never be that reliable. If you roll up to Space Mountain and it's basically walk on, are you going to spend time submitting that info? No, you'll just jump on and ride it. I would probably only bother submitting whilst I was in the queue and unless you do this ASAP, chances are the wait time will have changed.

Still, If any of the developers are on this forum, WELL DONE!!! It's a really nice app to use and it's a great community project, if there was any real-time data from Disney this app would be priceless (well, I guess it's free anyway but you know what I mean!)
 
bgraham34

bgraham34

Well-Known Member
I plan to use WDW Wait times while in the park Labor Weekend. I hope to update it whenever I walk by an attraction.
 
P

Philo

Well-Known Member
MissM said:
Sorry, no in-park open wifi networks. :cry:
Click to expand...

Not yet but im still hoping it's on it's way! Funny isn't it, acouple of years ago I would have hated the idea of Internet access in the parks but ideas like the apps, online dining reservations change all of that.
 

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