Make the Most out of Mobile Magic

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As a former Disney Cast member and Disney Guest as well, I know the frustrations of trying to navigate through Walt Disney World the most efficient way possible. (Although, I guess I can be biased since I got to know Magic Kingdom like the back of my hand during my employment.) Not everyone's a Disney Employee or is able to hire a Guest Relations Cast Member to take them around the parks, allowing them in-the-know information about the park and lines.

Fortunately, the Disney Company has developed the Disney Mobile Magic app, which available in the Google Play Store for Androids as well as the Apple App Store for iPhones. It's free and was launched in 2010.

On start up, the app immediately tries to find your phone via GPS to pinpoint your location, but it's not necessary to use it; it'll just turn off any location-based features. If GPS can't find you, you're able to pick between Walt Disney World (the resort in Orlando, Flordia) or Disneyland (the resort in Anaheim, California). Because I'm more familiar with Walt Disney World, I'll be describing what will be displayed on the screen for that resort only.

Upon choosing Walt Disney World with GPS off, a list prompts "Walt Disney World has a lot to offer. What would you like to explore?" and includes a list of the parks and several resorts.

• Magic Kingdom
• Epcot
• Disney's Hollywood Studios 
• Disney's Animal Kingdom
• Typhoon Lagoon
• Blizzard Beach
• Downtown Disney
• ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
• Disney Resorts

Upon clicking any of the locations, you're either given a sublist of other locations within those areas or a list of today's events and a guide map of the area (after the sublist, those will show up as well). If you want to go back, you have to Relocate, which will have you try use GPS again. This is kind of troubling for me as a person who's currently not at a park, but it does make sense since it's an app geared more toward current Park Guests.

Maps are marked with Stars for locations of interest showing times they're open and upon clicking them, you can view that location's schedule, its description, handicap/hearing accessibility, how to get there, mark it as a favorite, or set a reminder for that place.

For parks, there's a list consiting of:

• Guide Map
• Attractions - Shows wait times for rides/FastPass availability
• Characters - Where/When characters are available
• Dining - Where to eat/Make reservations/View Dining options
• Today's Events
• Weather
• Games - Try a Disney Park trivia game!
• My Favorites - Your list of favorite locations
• Transportation - Information on travel by monorail, ferries, or ground transportation
• Shopping - Where to shop and when shops are open
• Guest Services - Find locations of Guest Relations, Bathrooms, First Aid, Baby Care, ATMs, Smoking Areas, Automatic External Defibrillators, Picture Spots, and Disney Vacation Club Information Centers

Resorts have a list that says:

• Guide Map
• Recreation - Locate activities found on the resort
• Dining - Find restaurants and book reservations
• Weather
• Transportation - Monorail/Bus/Ferry information
• Games - Disney Trivia again!
• My Favorites - List of your favorite spots
• Shopping - Where gift shops are and when they're open
• Guest Services - Information on Resort Benefits & Info, Restroom locations, ATM Locations, Smoking Area locations, AED locations, and Disney Vacation Club Infromation Center locations

Although really helpful, especially for booking restaurant reservations, I do recommended NOT relying on the app MOST OF THE TIME for information. Use it as a resource, but don't be afraid to rely on the nearest Cast Member to clarify any doubts.

As a former Character Attendant, ALWAYS double check on character times with Character Attendant Cast Members for accurate times/when to return. I had a lot of angry Guests come up to me with the excuse of, "But the app said they'd be out till XX PM!" Yes, the character is out that long, but sometimes their lines will close before then, because we have to determine how many people they can see so they actually LEAVE at that time.

CAST MEMBERS CAN BE YOUR BEST FRIENDS, SO DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK US QUESTIONS. If we can't find the answer, we'll try our best to find through another person. We want you to enjoy your vacation and YES we do know how much money you probably spent on this trip. Most of the things we warn you about are for not only Cast Member Safety, but your safety as well.