MyMagic+

Do you look forward to more of Disney’s next generation advances like “MyMagic+”?

Tom Staggs, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman, wrote about MyMagic+ today on the Disney Parks blog:

“A major component of MyMagic+ is the new My Disney Experience website and mobile app, which gives guests planning their trip the latest information on all Walt Disney World Resort has to offer. We know that some people like to plan every aspect of their Disney vacation in advance while others like to plan very little, letting their day unfold spontaneously.”

“No matter where guests fall in that spectrum, My Disney Experience gives them the flexibility to plan as much or as little as they’d like to create the exact Disney experience they want. They can book dining and other experiences and reserve times for their favorite attractions, shows and more through an enhanced FastPass system, FastPass+. Once they arrive, they can use their smart phones to spontaneously change their plans in the moment, exploring our parks at their own pace and getting the most out of their visit.”

Articles:

“Disney unveils ‘MyMagic+,’ the centerpiece of its sweeping NextGen technology project” – Orlando Sentinel

“At Disney Parks, a Bracelet Meant to Build Loyalty (and Sales)” – New York Times

One bracelet to rule them all! ^_^ My preciousssss…

If you’ve ever read “Down & Out in the Magic Kingdom”, it seems we’re on our way to what Cory Doctorow wrote as science fiction years ago.

Here’s a thought: Guys! Guys! MyMagic+ can be abbreviated to MM+! (MickeyMouse) (MinnieMouse)

What are your thoughts on NextGen and MyMagic+ — leave a reply below or follow me (DisneyEcho) on Twitter and leave a comment there!

DisneyEcho on twitter

Make Disney friends with me if you like reading about Disney with a bit of snark and like the iPhone, too — #FF Follow @DisneyEcho (me) on twitter ^_^ I write about WDW, Disneyland and Disney movies… and I don’t spew their press releases.

EPCOT Horizons 2.0

Photo courtesy Disney and more blog

I signed the "Bring Back Horizons To Epcot" petition! http://petol.org/Epcot #petol—
Rich Koster (@DisneyEcho) January 12, 2011

Like This on Facebook!

Need A Little Christmas, Right This Very Minute

Disneyland’s Christmas Day parade is being recorded for the Christmas morning ABC-TV broadcast right this very minute at DL’s Town Square, Main Street U.S.A. and in the Central Plaza in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Taping is also going on at Walt Disney World today.

RT @Orlando_United: Heads Up: Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel will be filming at Epcot today from 3-5 PM! #fb #WDW—
Rich Koster (@DisneyEcho) November 07, 2010

Nick Cannon and friends at Disneyland today.

The Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade airs on ABC on Christmas Day at these times:
Eastern Time Zone: 12 pm – 2 pm
Central Time Zone: 11 am – 1 pm
Mountain Time Zone: 10 am – 12 pm
Pacific Time Zone: 5 pm – 7 pm
Los Angeles: 9 am – 11 am

Like This on Facebook!

Disney Parks And Apple Products Are Designed With Similar User Experiences In Mind

Andy Ihnatko, personal tech writer for the Chicago Sun-Times, gave the keynote address Wednesday at the MacTech conference in Los Angeles. He spoke about various features of the upcoming new version of Mac OS X, Lion, including how Apple is making it to be similar to Walt Disney’s philosophy of the experiences Guests have at Disney theme parks.

“Disney wanted to make sure park visitors didn’t have a bad time when they showed up to the parks, so instead, he went over the line and didn’t give them permission to have a bad time. In the same way, Apple is locking away and removing any parts of the computer that might cause problems in any way. Traditional users might be disappointed to lose that control, but users in general appreciate just not having to worry about settings that seem to only harm them when wrong.”

That’s an interesting insight and explains why I enjoy being at Disney parks as well as using Apple devices like the MacBook, IPhone and iPad.

You can read the full article I’ve quoted from here.

Like This on Facebook!

Tink’s Walt Disney World Guide

Free for a limited time! Tink’s Walt Disney World Guide is an iPhone and iPod touch application designed to maximize the enjoyment you experience on your trip to Walt Disney World. Specifically, Tink’s WDW is an app built for the family on the go with an at-a-glance design.

There is on undeniable fact that anyone choosing to vacation at WDW must face: waiting in line is just a fact of life. Like many other apps, Tink’s WDW tracks estimated wait times, allows users to rate attractions and dining, and makes your trip through the parks as efficient as possible, but no app can keep you from standing in the occasional queue.

Keeping children occupied in the heat or cold for 20, 30, 40, sometimes 60 minutes at a time can be exhausting and hard. This app was developed with that fact in mind.

For Fun

• Attraction information including user submitted and Disney recommendation for wait-time for rides at all major parks including, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom
• Attraction information other areas of fun including Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, Downtown Disney and the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex.
• Daily event information about parades and fireworks – Park hours for all parks
• Maps and other information to make your easier and more enjoyable
• 4 star rating system for all attractions

For Dining

• Information on over info for over 150 eating establishments in Disney World covering the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach and the ESPN Wide Wide World of Sports Complex.

Features include:

• Restaurant info like location, description, photo, and more
• At-a-glance description of food offerings
• Free app updates to get new menus and new features
• 4 star rating system for all dining experiences

Disclaimer: This application is not affiliated in any way with the Walt Disney Company or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries. This application and the information contained therein represent the opinion of the developer.

Get Tink’s Walt Disney World Guide here.

Like This on Facebook!

Guest trying to choke WDW bus driver results in bus driver placed on paid leave of absence

Advisory: This video shows a Walt Disney World guest trying to choke a Disney bus driver and the guest reportedly also threw his baby at the man! Parental discretion is advised (which is more than the male parent guest had).

From the YouTube description in the video, taken by one of the many eyewitneses, “…a man and his wife with her baby were waiting for the bus. There wasn’t enough room on the bus so the bus driver told them he would call another one. The man was enraged and THREW THE BABY AT THE BUS DRIVER. The woman got her baby and moved back away from them. (then I started recording) That’s when the man started attacking the bus driver then everyone called security… my friends and i were sitting by the line for the bus and I hurried to get my camera out. I missed recording the most intense part of this fight though.

It happened while they were at Disney’s Hollywood Studios waiting for the Epcot bus. You see enough in the 3-minute video that is VERY upsetting and it is the male adult guest who seems to be the perpetrator. What’s happening with some people nowadays?

The Orlando Sentinel reports that the Disney bus driver has been placed on paid leave of absence while what appears to be an unprovoked attack by the male guest is investigated. In the video you can hear the guest shouting at the bus driver, “We have a baby, you know”We’re supposed to get the priorities.”

Geesh! What’s up with some people nowadays?

Like This on Facebook!