“My Disney Experience” NextGen App
“My Disney Experience” is an iPhone, iPad, and Android App for Walt Disney World’s NextGen project released on August 2, 2012, which provides wait times, park maps, dining reservations, and many other options.
The Walt Disney World NextGen project has gone by various informal names in online discussions, including xPass, MyMagic+, and FastPass+, just to name a few. It now appears that the front-runner for the official name of NextGen is “My Disney Experience,” given the name of the iPhone, iPad, and Android app that is now available for download, and that will be a key component of the NextGen project.
The “My Disney Experience” app includes the existing functionality of Mobile Magic, along with new features that tie in with the NextGen project (now the “My Disney Experience” project?) to enhance the guest experience.
StitchKingdom.com has long been our favorite source for NextGen info, as that site’s owner scouring of the ‘net for domain registries, patents, etc., has led to many early discoveries of later-confirmed NextGen info. It should be noted that he was once again on-the-money, reporting on the name “My Disney Experience” way back in February.
Our Reaction
The most interesting tidbit of news here is the launch date for the app: August 2012. This means that, potentially, a lot of the speculation about the secretive NextGen project is about to end, as this app will answer many questions to which we’ve sought answers. Unfortunately, it will probably create just as many questions as it answers. In fact, we expect it to create more questions that it answers.
We expect that the “My Disney Experience” app will be phased in gradually, and that August 2012 will not be the start of the much-reviled “make ride reservations from home” system. While there has been in-park testing for FastPass+ and other aspects of NextGen have gone through limited testing, it seems that the permanent in-park infrastructure just isn’t there yet to support a wide-scale roll-out quite yet.
The more likely case, it seems, is that Disney is going to be putting yet another partially-realized component of the project in guests hands once the height of the summer tourist season is over for test-and-adjust. Basically, expect it to be a plussed-up version of Mobile Magic when it launches with (possibly) functionality at a handful of attractions (as suggested by this photo taken on July 30, 2012 outside Haunted Mansion, RFID readers are back!), not a groundbreaking new app. At least, that’s our expectation, which is 100% speculation. We expect this to involve more tweaking, and then, once the appropriate changes and infrastructure additions have been made, we expect to see a Walt Disney World resort-wide rollout of “My Disney Experience.”
My expectation is that this full-scale roll-out will occur in mid-January 2013.
For my full commentary on the NextGen project, please refer to this past article on FastPass+.
Sample Screenshots
What do you think about the NextGen initiative? Are you excited to use the “My Disney Experience” app in the parks? Share your thoughts in the comments!
I certainly hope they do not make any fast passes available for purchase, even a limited amount. Six Flags charges for their Flash Passes (basically same thing) and to us, it’s like teaching kids that you can pay to cut the line. I love the fact that Disney fast passes are equal opportunity for everyone. We’ll see what happens with this new app and how popular it is, if it affects things in a bad way or not.
I agree with Kris. I am not against change but this new system makes it sound like you have to plan your trip to the minute and leaves little time for adventure. I think the current system works great. If they want to change something then mayne they should make a LIMITED number of fast passes available for purchase up to 90 days out.
I’ve noticed that the FastPass times bounce back and forth from being actual times to just saying “available”. I hope all the kinks are worked out before my trip in a couple of weeks.
I will be goig in Dec. and have a samsung galaxy. But I still do not like the idea of making dates and times for rides. Traveling with kids sometimes does not follow a time table. What happen to that kid in all of us to just see something and want it now…. not at 6 o clock on Sat. Dec. 5th? No freedom.
I just pulled up the Google PlayStore (Sprint Android app market) and do not see an app titled “My Disney Experience”. They still have the Disney Mobile Magic app available. We are traveling to DW in one month, hopefully this new app is available by then!
Is this the same as the Disney Mobile Magic app?
Is this the same as the Disney Mobile Magic app?
what about disneyland? is there a separate app for that? or non such?
Tom,
Do you think there is any correlation with the rumored September 21st launch of iPhone 5 with NFC technology?
I doubt there’s any correlation. The ball has been rolling on this NextGen project for so long that this was bound to come sooner or later. I think the close timing the iPhone 5 is mere coincidence.