MK now has park wide Wi-Fi

[ekatiel]

Wouldn't it be great if the new app had the ability to electronically get a FP? I wonder if the new scanny-things (yes, that's the technical term) they have installed at the FP locations could scan a fastpass code off your phone?? That way, you don't have to send runners to get FPs. Also, you could check the FP return times for several rides all at once and choose the ride that fits best with your schedule. That would be neat-o ! Not sure how the system would recognize your park tickets, though-- maybe a QR code on each park ticket or KTTW that you can photograph with your phone's camera?--Katie

 

[bytheblood]

Great. That is exactly what we needed....more distracted guests walking around on their ipads and cellphones surfing the web. Stopping in the walkways with your map and stroller and your 5-wide family isnt enough....now we have another reason to not be cognizant of the people around us.

 

[Lindy Loo]

Being from the UK, this is GREAT news!!!

I was too scared to bring my mobile into the US, for all the roaming charges, so it will all be turned off at the airport.
We will use an ipod touch and use thye wifi to check ride wait times etc.

Thank goodness Disney is getting into the 21st Century! We booked asplit stay last year, based on the "off site" hotel had free wifi, and disney at the time didnt.

 

[Olivejuicy]

If the wifi is anything like the wifi at POFQ, it is a waste of money. I gave up on using the wifi last week after a couple of attempts. It was so slow.

Also, I thought it was funny that Epcot was the only park in which my 4G didn't really work and I could barely get a cell signal. I realize that has to do with the service provider (AT&T), but it made me laugh. Community of Tomorrow indeed.

 

[DisneyFive]

So if I have an Ipod Touch, is there an app, like Disney Mobile Magic that I can download to check FP windows and wait times? Any place where I can find information about this?

Very excited about this development and hope the other parks are online by our trip late Sept.

Dan

 

[mesaboy2]

I am wondering about this too. That many people all using the same wifi service will cause it to be slow to the point of unusable. Hopefully Disney installed really great servers for this.

Hopefully. The skeptic in me, however....

works just at MK or all the parks??? i know the resorts all have it now but more concerned with parks

Source only names MK, so I expect only that for now.

Wouldn't it be great if the new app had the ability to electronically get a FP? I wonder if the new scanny-things (yes, that's the technical term) they have installed at the FP locations could scan a fastpass code off your phone?? That way, you don't have to send runners to get FPs. Also, you could check the FP return times for several rides all at once and choose the ride that fits best with your schedule. That would be neat-o ! Not sure how the system would recognize your park tickets, though-- maybe a QR code on each park ticket or KTTW that you can photograph with your phone's camera?--Katie

Great for anyone with a device that can do this. Not great for others, and there are still enough "others" for this to be a concern.

If the wifi is anything like the wifi at POFQ, it is a waste of money. I gave up on using the wifi last week after a couple of attempts. It was so slow.

Also, I thought it was funny that Epcot was the only park in which my 4G didn't really work and I could barely get a cell signal. I realize that has to do with the service provider (AT&T), but it made me laugh. Community of Tomorrow indeed.

My experience at POR two months ago as well. I couldn't even hold a connection for more than a few minutes unless it was very late at night.

So if I have an Ipod Touch, is there an app, like Disney Mobile Magic that I can download to check FP windows and wait times? Any place where I can find information about this?

Very excited about this development and hope the other parks are online by our trip late Sept.

Dan

Since the Touch uses WiFi, this should make DMM useful on it now. In the past, you couldn't even get DMM in the iTunes App Store since there was no point. It may take some time for someone to connect those dots and make DMM available for a Touch.

 

[Colleen27]

I'm excited but a little apprehensive too, because we're not yet in the "smartphone" era in my family and I'm more than a little concerned that we may have limited/no ability to take full advantage of next-gen because we don't shell out hundreds for phones and hundreds more for data plans. Electronic FPs sound great except when your smartest phone is a 266mhz processor, outdated version of Android that can't manage Disney's existing mobile products because they're too graphics/memory intensive.

I hope that they take into account that not everyone travels with the latest iPhone, but I don't hold out high hopes on that. Mobile Magic and the mobile portal of the web site are both clearly designed for much better hardware than I have, so I expect next-gen to follow suit on that.

 

[Buffalo2Disney]

So if I have an Ipod Touch, is there an app, like Disney Mobile Magic that I can download to check FP windows and wait times? Any place where I can find information about this?

Very excited about this development and hope the other parks are online by our trip late Sept.

Dan

Disney is developing a new "next-Gen" app that will be released in August that will replace Mobile Magic. It will be available for iPad, iPhone, iPods, and Android devices. With window devices following after that.

 

[mesaboy2]

Disney is developing a new "next-Gen" app that will be released in August that will replace Mobile Magic. It will be available for iPad, iPhone, iPods, and Android devices. With window devices following after that.

Ooh, good point--I forgot about that. Maybe DMM will not play well with WiFi.

 

[Olivejuicy]

I don't think the FP thing would happen because it excludes people from being able to partake in something that is included with the cost of admission unless they had a smart phone. They can't qualify admission with smart phone ownership. The mobile app is different because while it adds some additional convenience for users, it is not necessary to enjoy the parks in the same way that FP are. So either they would have to move to charging for FP privileges, which would allow them to say that it is your choice about whether you want to risk not getting FP wiout a smart phone, or keep FP separated from mobile apps.

 

[wendyt_ca]

This makes me incredibly happy as I am from Canada so I always have to purchase a $40 plan in order to be able to text back home while I am away which I like doing while I am in line or sitting around at the park. This way I can just use imessage or email people without an iphone/ipad/ipod. And it will be nice to be able to access the internet in the parks which I can't do right now as it is too expensive for us. Not that I walk around using the internet but sometimes there is something we want to check like wait times and if there are long lines it makes time pass.

 

[hakepb]

I'm excited but a little apprehensive too, because we're not yet in the "smartphone" era in my family and I'm more than a little concerned that we may have limited/no ability to take full advantage of next-gen because we don't shell out hundreds for phones and hundreds more for data plans. Electronic FPs sound great except when your smartest phone is a 266mhz processor, outdated version of Android that can't manage Disney's existing mobile products because they're too graphics/memory intensive.

I hope that they take into account that not everyone travels with the latest iPhone, but I don't hold out high hopes on that. Mobile Magic and the mobile portal of the web site are both clearly designed for much better hardware than I have, so I expect next-gen to follow suit on that.

Even m.disneyworld.com ?
My old BB was not known for speed but always used it OK. I could understand if the issue was super sloooow data downloads. FB updates were near impossible on my iPhone due to the sloooow 3G I experienced in WDW.

 

[mill4023]

Great news - sometimes the cell connection at MK is shotty and causes your smartphone to overwork to keep a connection. Next time I am there I will pop my iPhone on airplane mode and simply use the wifi connection. This will provide better service and battery life.

Thank you Disney for this added value!

Airplane mode turns off wifi and cell connections.

 

[DisneyFive]

Disney is developing a new "next-Gen" app that will be released in August that will replace Mobile Magic. It will be available for iPad, iPhone, iPods, and Android devices. With window devices following after that.

That's awesome news!!!

Thanks for the info. I look forward to getting the app! I hate to spend money on a data plan for our phones if we don't need it. My MIL always had her Andriod with us the last two trips and we used that thing a lot for FP windows and SB times. Getting FP windows and SB times for in the parks nearly had me convinced to get a data plan for a little bit. The inlaws are not going with us this year, and we don't do data plans on our phones since we don't feel the need to.

Dan

 

[ekatiel]

I don't think the FP thing would happen because it excludes people from being able to partake in something that is included with the cost of admission unless they had a smart phone. They can't qualify admission with smart phone ownership. The mobile app is different because while it adds some additional convenience for users, it is not necessary to enjoy the parks in the same way that FP are. So either they would have to move to charging for FP privileges, which would allow them to say that it is your choice about whether you want to risk not getting FP wiout a smart phone, or keep FP separated from mobile apps.

They don't have to eliminate traditional FP in order to also make it available on phones. So, they wouldn't be taking away anyone's FP ability, they'd just be making it more convenient for those who have smart phones or other wifi capable devices. --Katie

 

[IrisSphere]

I join the excitement from Canada! Now we won't have to fork over $40 just to check wait times, and any last minute things.

Wifi actually saved us a few times a broad and although I hope for no major emergencies at WDW, this is nothing but great news!

And if other people want to spend time playing with their phones, that's their business After all, if they want to spend thousands to miss special Disney moments, then all power to them!

 

[katt789]

Yay!! I usually don't use any apps, thanks to the fact that being from Canada, turning my phone on kiiiillllsss the roaming charges. But I can leave it on airplane mode & still be on wireless! YAY! I can finally use apps & tweet live from the parks!

 

[LilyWDW]

Disney is developing a new "next-Gen" app that will be released in August that will replace Mobile Magic. It will be available for iPad, iPhone, iPods, and Android devices. With window devices following after that.

Yay! Because I refuse to spend a insane amount of money with Apple for a product that really doesn't do much more for me.

 

[FrankieDplus3]

Another Canadian cheering!!!

What's confusing to me is that the DIS story mentions that it is covered by the US cell carriers, but, if it's wifi, how does the carrier factor in? Will it matter that I am with a Canadian provider?

This is sweet. I can't wait...only 29 more sleeps to go!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[crazyfordisney2000]

We have a rule...no phones at the table and no phones at Disney. Dont make me start quoting Ferris Bueller.

Our rule at home is "no toys at the table" , so this is what I have to look forward to, I guess!