Show discussion idea....

[KingLlama]

I thought of this idea for a show discussion. I don't think it fits a "Best/Worst" discussion, so I'm not sure how it could be incorporated into a show, but I think it would make for an interesting conversation.

How have smartphones made Disney park experiences better or worse?

I thought about it often while at WDW last week. And it might seem obvious at first that it's made the park experience better:

-Easier to take great photos when/where you want instead of relying on PhotoPass photographers
-Wait time apps
-MDE
-Ability to capture video quickly/easily

But then I looked around and saw just how many people had their eyes on their phones, and I realized that maybe there are drawbacks as well:

-People holding up their phones to capture video during attractions/shows
-People taking flash video/pics during dark rides
-People glued to their phones in queues and restaurants instead of actually engaging in conversation with the others in their party
-People looking at their phones and missing all the small details that make Disney special

I'm probably missing other advantages/disadvantages of smartphone usage in the parks. I also realize that it's not just the Disney experience being affected. There are a lot of books/articles coming out about the deep effects that our phones are having on all facets of life.

I'd just be interested to hear a discussion of how smartphones have altered the Disney park experience, and in which ways, positive and negative.

 

[rteetz]

I love this. Believe it or not I wrote a 20 page paper on mobile devices in theme parks last year for a college class.

Based on current uses I believe it has made things worse. Now that doesn't mean they are a bad thing overall. When MyMagic+ was first introduced they talked about interactive experiences and that is too coming with Play Disney Parks. We don't know a lot about that yet though. I think if Disney has truly interactive experiences with devices it could help people better see the smaller details that imagineers place in these parks.

 

[Spencer Wright]

I think this is a great idea!

I found last trip that those using their phones on attractions really put a huge damper on a significant portion of the experience for a large number of them.

There was even one chick talking on her phone the whole time on Expedition Everest, can you imagine??

I think there should be a bin you put your phone in prior to going on an attraction to avoid its use all together (I know that would never happen).

 

[tori.bh3]

I definitely see the drawbacks of MDE in some areas. I love mobile ordering though! The phones make it convenient to make/change plans, but I will admit that it takes me out of the moment with my family.

Speaking from a Disneyland perspective, I could not be more in love with MaxPass. It requires more on the phone, but I was able to set an alarm to get the next fastpass, get what I wanted, and put it away. I wish they would adopt that system in WDW.

 

[Spencer Wright]

I love this. Believe it or not I wrote a 20 page paper on mobile devices in theme parks last year for a college class.

...

One of my favorite parts of college was being able to write about niche topics of personal interest!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I thought of this idea for a show discussion. I don't think it fits a "Best/Worst" discussion, so I'm not sure how it could be incorporated into a show, but I think it would make for an interesting conversation.

How have smartphones made Disney park experiences better or worse?

I thought about it often while at WDW last week. And it might seem obvious at first that it's made the park experience better:

-Easier to take great photos when/where you want instead of relying on PhotoPass photographers
-Wait time apps
-MDE
-Ability to capture video quickly/easily

But then I looked around and saw just how many people had their eyes on their phones, and I realized that maybe there are drawbacks as well:

-People holding up their phones to capture video during attractions/shows
-People taking flash video/pics during dark rides
-People glued to their phones in queues and restaurants instead of actually engaging in conversation with the others in their party
-People looking at their phones and missing all the small details that make Disney special

I'm probably missing other advantages/disadvantages of smartphone usage in the parks. I also realize that it's not just the Disney experience being affected. There are a lot of books/articles coming out about the deep effects that our phones are having on all facets of life.

I'd just be interested to hear a discussion of how smartphones have altered the Disney park experience, and in which ways, positive and negative.

In interesting topic - and something that I am sure varies by individual. Overall I find it to be a net positive as great to be able to quickly reach out to others in your party, look up information, use it to play games/pass time while online, and then of course the specific Disney things such as booking ADRs or changing FP times, etc.

I get the negative parts, and I am sure I am guilty of sometimes having my nose in my phone too often - but I do try to enjoy the moments that I am in and not do it all the time. Maybe because I love the Disney Details I take the time to look for them and notice them whereas others might not think to look for them and thus miss them

 

[BradChristian]

This goes along with the news of the new app coming out this summer...

On my spring break trip I did think about this because I spent a good amount of my queue time searching for the next fastpass... Some queues aren't that elaborate, so I didn't miss out on somethings... but your point about family time and interactivity - that is a good question!

 

[disneysteve]

How have smartphones made Disney park experiences better or worse?

I actually submitted an article about this a while ago but I don't think it ever got published. I'd love to hear the team discuss it.

 

[disneysteve]

There was even one chick talking on her phone the whole time on Expedition Everest, can you imagine??

I've seen people talking the whole time. I've seen people facetiming the whole time. I've seen people taking and posting pictures to facebook during the ride/show. I've seen people playing candy crush or some other game the whole time. And just walking through the park becomes ever more challenging when so many people are staring at their phones rather than watching where they are going. I almost got run over by a guy in an ECV who was driving while doing something on his phone and totally not looking where he was going.

The free wifi in the parks is the worst thing they ever did, along with building a system that pretty much requires you to use your phone while you're in the park.

 

[Captain_Jim]

Being a teetotaler on either side isn't very practical. When we were there in 2016 I used the MDE app A LOT! It made scoring last minute FP+s and looking at wait times so much more convenient. Plus taking pictures and videos is obviously much easier. I am really looking forward to using the mobile ordering on the next trip.

Did I miss some detail and intricate theming while on my phone? Probably. Not enough to negatively affect my experience, but it was enough to give me things to look for on our next trip. Did we miss some some quality family bonding while buried in our phones. Again, probably. But not any more than I miss on a random Tuesday in October by being on my phone.

Having phone time guidelines is important whether on vacation or at home. Or maybe it isn't. Who am I to tell you what to do. I'm not trying to get preachy. I'm not the phone police. Or maybe I am. "Sir, please step out of the queue."

 

[disneysteve]

Clearly, this is not a problem unique to Disney World. People have their faces buried in their phones everywhere. I get walked into all the time in stores and the supermarket because of this. And the situation when out driving is truly frightening. The number of drivers I see talking and texting and doing whatever else on their phones is horrifying.

 

[rteetz]

The free wifi in the parks is the worst thing they ever did, along with building a system that pretty much requires you to use your phone while you're in the park.

And this is why I believe Disney should take this and make into something to enhance the park. People are going to be on their phones no matter what so why not take that and make then use the parks and their phones as part of the experience.

 

[disneysteve]

And this is why I believe Disney should take this and make into something to enhance the park. People are going to be on their phones no matter what so why not take that and make then use the parks and their phones as part of the experience.

I'm not sure how I feel about that. I don't like the idea of giving people even more reason to be on their phones and ignoring their surroundings. But if they did something that was somehow contained and integrated into the park experience, that might be okay. For example, maybe something like the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game but using your phone instead of the physical cards. That way you'd only need your phone at each interactive point but you wouldn't need to be on it the whole time you're walking around and definitely not while on a ride or in a show.

 

[rteetz]

I'm not sure how I feel about that. I don't like the idea of giving people even more reason to be on their phones and ignoring their surroundings. But if they did something that was somehow contained and integrated into the park experience, that might be okay. For example, maybe something like the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game but using your phone instead of the physical cards. That way you'd only need your phone at each interactive point but you wouldn't need to be on it the whole time you're walking around and definitely not while on a ride or in a show.

With the age of social media and taking pictures with walls people are never not going to be on their phones in the parks. Making the phone an interactive experience within the park could be a good thing and help people see those details. Your example with Sorcerers is exactly where I am going with this. As I mentioned earlier I wrote a paper on this so I am very interested in the possibilities here.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

The "totally technology" society today struck me HARD this past Christmas. I was out at the local mall, people watching. Almost everybody that walked by with at least one other person were NOT relating with that person. They were looking at their phone, or had ear buds in. And the bigger the group, the more disconnected from each other they seemed. And in years past - even total strangers were usually in a somewhat better mood (if not in a crowded store, or long line, and ticked off!) and would smile, and/or say "Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays" to even strangers around them. One of the reasons I go/went to the mall by myself, I find that kind of interaction uplifting, I always joke it "restores my faith in humanity". Not this past Christmas. Made me sad.

 

[DisneyKingpin]

Biggest positive for smartphones: if a ride breaks down while you’re on it, you have something to do to pass the time.

Biggest negative for smartphones: By being constantly connected via text and GPS tracking, I can’t “inadvertently” get separated from the family and wander into places like Trader Sams for a few hours before they find me.