PART 2

PART 1

Photo by Jordiferrer, used under creative commons license.
Not endorsed by Jordiferrer.

On this Episode 39 of the WDW Happy Place Podcast for April 2, 2013, Ashley Kennedy Turner and Sam talk about Blizzard Beach celebrating 18 years. They also talk about Disney announcing an additional eatery in Epcot along the waterfront of Morocco. They also talk briefly about the trans-Atlantic cruise in September 2014 and the connection of Barcelona to Disney.

Image courtesy of and property of Disney

On this Episode 30 of the WDW Happy Place Podcast, Ashley and Sam discuss a recent announcement of “A Pirates’s Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas” in the Magic Kingdom. They also talk about a recent announcement in the technology sector about a great new game called Disney Infinity and of course the big announcement for Star Wars Episode 7 director being named, J.J. Abrams. Also they talk about Annie Leibovitz recent portrait of Taylor Swift as Rapunzel.

Available for Apple and Android devices – FREE

iTunes App Store (itunes.apple.com) or the Google Play Store (https://play.google.com)

* Please note that this review is based on the Apple iPad version of the app

My Disney Experience is a new FREE app from Disney. This Walt Disney World app provides users with the ability to check up-to-the-minute wait times, character meet and greet times, view park maps with detailed attraction and restaurant info, fast pass availability, entertainment schedules and even a dining reservation option. It is available for the iPhone and/or iPad and makes a great in-park companion guide.

While the home screens focus on the four major parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom), the Explore feature offers maps and attraction/entertainment information for the water parks, too. Within the Explore feature, users will also find an in-depth list of entertainment offerings, restaurant descriptions and detailed maps for each of the Disney resorts. I really loved this feature, as many of the Walt Disney World apps out there don’t provide any coverage of resorts. See the map of Animal Kingdom Lodge below…

Using the built-in Here & Now feature, users can find attractions, restaurants and services nearest to them while they’re at Disney World (I can only assume this will work from any location on property, not simply the parks but I’ll have to do an on-site test to confirm). If you’re not currently visiting the resort, users are instead connected to the Times Guide, which shows attraction wait times and a countdown to parades, fireworks and other entertainment options.

For those who like to plan their trips in advance, My Disney Experience offers a Wish List to keep track of those attractions, entertainment offerings and restaurants you desire to try on your upcoming trip.

From what I’ve read about this new offering, it seems poised to replace the Mobile Magic app as the “official” Disney Parks app. I also read that a Disneyland version is expected in early 2013. There is rumor that My Disney Experience will eventually link to Disney’s next generation Fastpass system…we’ll have to wait and see. I can neither confirm nor deny the rumor, but it would make perfect sense, combined with the fact that Disney is in the process of installing in-park free WI-FI for guests.

I found this app very easy to use and navigate. Load time was minimal on my iPad 3 with WI-FI, even when pulling up park maps. This app is perfect for all users – whether a new visitor or a frequent park hopper, thanks to the inclusion of attraction wait times and fastpass information. Disney has done a great job with this app – and it’s FREE. I hope you’ll all check it out on your next trip – and let me know what you think!

Available at www.apple.com/itunes

I’m back! Life has thrown me a few lemons over the last week and a half, so I’ve been busy making lemonade. As our friend Dory says, just keep swimming! So I’m doing just that and am happy to have a new review for you!

Before I start this week’s review, I wanted to comment on the recent announcement that all Walt Disney World theme parks and Downtown Disney will provide free Wi-Fi for guests; as of today, Magic Kingdom is already “live” with the other parks getting connected over the next few months. This will certainly make a difference in how we use our Wi-Fi only devices and apps in the parks. I’m excited about this news and am eager to try it out by taking my iPad into the park on my next visit. Did someone say RESEARCH TRIP??

Will you tour the parks differently now that you’ll have Wi-Fi? Let us know!

This week’s review focuses on the app called Disney Dining. When my husband and I travel to the parks together, any dining reservations we make require a lot of research, as I’m an adventurous eater married to a picky eater with a limited palate. Therefore, when I suggest we try a new restaurant, hubby must review the menu in advance and determine whether there’s anything he will eat before I make reservations.Disney Dining breaks down your culinary choices by park or resort and includes table service, counter service and snack locations. A search by name function is also available. Once you select your desired restaurant, the app provides a brief description, restaurant photo, menu(s) with prices and additional information about available discounts (annual passholder, Tables in Wonderland, etc.). The information is presented in an easy to use format with just enough detail. Within the restaurant, you can also keep track of any reservations you may have. For those using the app within the parks, there is a Near Me option, showing those restaurant choices closest to you. The app will also alert you twice for those walk-up reservations you may make while in the parks – 40 and 20 minutes before the return time.

The app provides a location for users to make notes and any restaurant can be added to a favorites list with just one click. This makes the app perfect for my husband – he can research the restaurants I recommend, make notes on what dishes he wants to try and he can mark the restaurants he likes the best. Then when we sit down to make a plan, he’ll have his app to refer to for restaurant choices!

One of the features that drew me to the app initially was the ability to link pictures to each restaurant. Had I read the description more carefully, I would have realized it said picture not pictures. Yes, I am that person who takes pictures of her food (and my husband’s food, which sometimes drives him crazy). I thought this would be the app where I could keep track of all our Disney meals. Alas, Disney Dining gives the user space for just one personal photo. I’ll have to keep using Evernote Food instead…for now!

The app looks great on both the iPad and the iPhone. The seller indicates that they will update the app with menu changes every two weeks and provide an email address for new or updated menu submissions from users.

Disney Dining app offers users a one-stop shop for restaurant information and menus. One thing it lacks for this user is easy access to restaurant reviews. Other than that, this is a solid app for planners at all levels. I could see a family planning for a first-time trip, for example, using this to research and track each family member’s restaurant choices during the initial planning process.

If you have any recommendations for other Disney apps I should check out, please let me know! I look forward to hearing from you!

Walt Disney World Touring Guide (Unofficial)

Available at www.apple.com/itunes

Cost: $1.99

Last week, I reviewed an app that I’ve owned for a while and used a number of times.  For this post, I decided to take a look through the iTunes app store and choose something that’s new to me.  And I’m sure glad I did!  I found Walt Disney World Touring Guide.  The app, which is designed for both iPhone and iPad, is brimming with attraction and restaurant details from each of the six Walt Disney World theme parks (yes, water parks too!).

First let me say that this app is built for park touring ONLY.  It is not intended to use to plan a complete trip, as it is focused specifically on the theme parks.  This is not a bad thing by ANY means, but I want to be sure you guys understand what you’re getting.

What is covered:

• A concise overview of each park
• Attraction details, including a photo, height/weight restrictions, history and facts, touring tips and even Hidden Mickeys
• Restaurant listing with menu and prices
• Link to Google map of the area (requires a WIFI or data connection)
• Current park weather and temperature

What’s not covered:

• Wait times or show times
• Specifics on any Disney entertainment, such as fireworks cruises or park tours
• Resort information

A menu at the bottom of the main screen lists each park (water parks share one tab).  Once you’ve selected your park, you’ll find a beautiful photo and park summary, broken down by land/area.  All photos are high-res, so they look great on the iPhone and iPad retina displays.  From here, you can select either Attractions or Restaurants for a more detailed view of the park.

Attractions are listed by land/area by default; you can also sort by type or FASTPASS (versus Non-FASTPASS).  Similarly, restaurants are listed by location, but can be viewed by type or price.  Each attraction or restaurant can be marked as a favorite for quick viewing later.

My husband and I are partial to Epcot, so I spent some extra time reviewing that chapter.  Each country’s pavilion is given a page in the Attractions section, which drills down into each aspect of the land – dining, shopping, entertainment, attractions and lots of facts about the layout of the pavilion.  I learned a lot while preparing for this review and I can’t wait to keep reading!

I’m a Disney guidebook junkie, so I’ve read and own a lot of them.  This app is like a mobile, summarized version of my beloved guidebooks.  There is enough information included to satisfy Disney fans old and new.  The app would make a great Disney trip companion – I envision users reading through some of the history to pass the time while waiting in line or reviewing touring tips over lunch.  Overall, I’m very impressed with what is available for just under $2.  I’m eager to use this one the next time I’m in the park!

PLEASE NOTE: This is a new app – it was just released in May 2012.  I just hope the seller keeps the information current with regular updates as the parks make changes.  Enjoy!

So you want to get the attention of Donald, Daisy or the nephews while at Disney?  Why not turn to the Duck Commander. Well that’s just what Disney along with Heart Publishing did, when they spent approximately $3 billion (foxbusiness.com) to purchase another 15% interest in the A&E Networks which airs Duck Dynasty and Storage Wars just to name two.  The A&E Networks also include the History Channel with shows like American Pickers and most successful cable show not involving news or sports the mini series, Hatfields & McCoys, Lifetime Network which airs shows like Dance Moms.

Why would Disney want to make such a large investment to increase its stake in the networks? Well, let us look back at their large purchase from just about three years ago when they bought Marvel Entertainment for only $4 billion. Increase your customer base. Reach out to markets that may or may not yet be tapped into. Look at the channel line up and show offerings. From people who love to duck hunt, to parents whose kids are into competitive dance. Disney is making sure they have multiple revenue streams to maximize their exposure to families of every socio economic background. Whether it is just to have a more diverse viewership to add revenue by way of advertising or looking at long term increases to visitors to the Disney family of parks.

Cost:  $0.99

If you’re anything like me, I love planning my Disney trips almost as much as I love taking them!  Over the years, I have used of everything from index cards to handwritten planning guides to spreadsheets as my planning tools.  Since I am rarely without my iPhone, it only stands to reason that I would want to use my favorite device to aid in the planning process!

I am forever on the iTunes app store looking for the latest and greatest Disney apps.  A while back, I ran across the Mouse Memo app.  Mouse Memo provides users the opportunity to store all their pertinent Disney vacation information in one, easy to use iPhone/iPod Touch application.

Here is a screen shot of Mouse Memo’s home page:

The app allows users to track reservation details for dining, entertainment, travel and lodging.  Once your trip details are entered, the app puts them in chronological order by category.

In order to help you in making the difficult decisions of where to dine on your trip, Mouse Memo’s Restaurant Information tab connects you to the AllEars site where you can view each restaurant’s menus with prices (requires Wi-Fi or data connection).

Below is a screen shot of the available fields in the Dining section. The Restaurant field provides a list of all available restaurants on property.  Notice the in-app option to call Disney Dining.  The app tracks not only those reservations you’ve already made, but those you are considering for future trips.  If those future trips are outside your 180-day reservation window, Mouse Memo even lets you know when you can call Disney Dining!  Very handy!

The Entertainment section keeps track of your reservations for a plethora of Disney entertainment options: childcare, cruises, hard ticket events, recreation, shows, spas and tours.  Available fields include confirmation number, balance due and more.

The remaining options for travel and lodging details contain all the fields you’ll need to easily organize your flight, ground transportation (including Magical Express) and hotel information.

Once your reservation details are entered, you can email your trip itinerary to yourself, friends and relatives who may be joining you.  If I had one complaint about the app, it would be the lack of a full itinerary view WITHIN the app. But for the low price of $0.99, I think you’re getting a great value for your dollar.