Editor’s note: Updated as of January 2015. I originally posted this in July 2014, but edited to reflect recent updates in the apps covered in the post. Enjoy!
Every time I walk through the gates of a Walt Disney World park, I see the classic image of a family frantically scanning a park map to figure out where they should go and what they should do first.
Don’t get me wrong: WDW park maps are gorgeous! I have a bunch I plan to frame and hang on my walls. However, as an effective park touring resource–well, not so much.
Guidebook in the palm of your hand
What if I said that most of you already have access to an amazing WDW resource library in your purse or pocket? It’s your smartphone and there are a wealth of apps for a Disney World vacation that can guide everyone from first time WDW guests to the most seasoned veteran.
Need to find the best way to get to a theme park from within WDW Property? There’s an app for that! Looking for the closest restaurant or restroom in the parks? There’s an app for that, too! And, most importantly, do you want to know how long the line is for your favorite ride, attraction or when the next parade will be? There are many apps for that! With Disney’s free wi-fi, the apps are easy to access and won’t eat up your phone’s data plan.
When I find a chance to feed both my tech geek and Disney World geek personalities at the same time, well, it makes for one happy mama!
Top 5 Apps for a Disney World Vacation
I’ve compiled a Top 5 list of my favorite in-park apps you should consider downloading before your next trip to Walt Disney World.
1. Lines by TouringPlans.com: For Android (Google Play), iPhone/iPad/iTouch and mobile web; Cost: Free Download, $12.95 yearly subscription for full access. For me, this app started it all and I admit I still use it the most when I’m on vacation. The Lines app is offered by the amazing folks at TouringPlans.com, a website that specializes in helping park guests plan their vacation based on years of gathering wait time statistics as well as getting real-time data from staff and other app-users. The Lines app provides ride/attraction wait times, character meet and greet times, live show/parade times and more! Changes found in the most recent update (as of January 2015) include:
- Projected and actual wait times for each attraction at all 4 theme parks
- Full ride descriptions for each attraction
- FastPass+ availability for each ride/attraction
- Mobile versions of the Trip Dashboard. Dashboard functions include the ability to create a trip, tie it to certain dates, and see your crowd levels, touring plans, and notes for each day of that trip.
My favorite new feature is the FastPass+ availability information. On the screen, each ride or attraction has the next time available for a FastPass+ reservation. The app also has an entire section where users can see every single ride/attraction in a park and what’s available for the entire day. This is especially handy for day guests and those looking to make some last minute changes at the parks.
As a Lines app user, you can also contribute to the site by providing your own wait times from the parks. As you enter times, you earn “badges”–yeah, I’m a sucker for earning “stars”, “badges” etc. What can I say…it’s fun! The app also has park hours, restaurant lists, a chat room and more.
There is a yearly subscription fee, but in addition to the Lines app, you also get full access to the TouringPlans.com website where you can create customized “touring plans” to meet the needs of your travel group, access restaurant menus, chat rooms, blogs and more! I’m cheap when it comes to apps, but I can say this is worth every cent!
2. Skip the Lines by Undercover Tourist: For Android (Google Play), iPhone/iPad/iTouch, Blackberry and Windows Phone; Cost: Free Download, $3.99 for ad-free version. Not only is this app crammed full of helpful information, it is also gorgeous! I’m usually a more function-over-style type of girl, but Skip the Lines just may convert me! This app also provides wait times, but also has a fantastic color-code system to make the waits stand out more: green=20 minutes or less, yellow=25-55 minutes and red=60 minutes or longer. Clever! App users can also access restaurant information, including menus and reviews. Plus, you can create a favorites list for easy access and reference. All users get complete access to the apps full functionality with the free download. For $3.99, you can get the ad-free version.
3. My Disney Experience, an official Disney Parks app. For iPhone, iPad/iTouch, Android (Google Play) and Amazon apps; Cost: Free. When Disney moved to Fastpass+, their native app, My Disney Experience, had some major growing pains: error messages, broken links, and more. Today, I’m thrilled to see Disney has improved the experience immensely. This app is comprehensive: visitors can make and view dining reservations directly from the app, a GPS function helps you navigate the parks and see what is going on right where you are, the ability to share your plans with other registered family members and Fastpass+ reservations can be made or changed “on the fly.” I used it during my last trip to change my Fastpass+ options and it worked perfectly
Beyond the Parks
4. WDW Transportation Wizard by OurLaughingPlace.com, for iPhone, iPad/iTouch, Android (Google Play) and Amazon apps; Cost: Free. I stumbled across this app through one of the chat rooms I visit. My family was getting ready to stay on property for the first time and I worried about being dependent on Disney transportation. This simple, but powerful app allows you to enter two destinations on WDW resort property and shows you all of the modes of transportation you can use and how long it will take to get from one place to another. Whether it’s by monorail, boat/ferry, bus, car, taxi or walking, the WDW Transportation Wizard will show you the best way to get there. This is especially helpful if you’re looking to do some touring beyond the theme parks.
5. Disney Gift Card, an official Disney app, for iPhone, iPad/iTouch only; Cost: Free. One of the best ways my family has learned to stick to a spending budget at WDW is to give a gift card to each of my kids. Once the gift card is gone, their souvenir shopping is over. It was always hard, though, to keep track of their balance after each purchase: until this app came along. Using it is simple: enter the information for each card you have (you can distinguish each one with a special icon and label). After each purchase, the balance updates within a few minutes! I also love that it tracks individual purchases. While it won’t give you the location you bought something, it will tell you how much you spent per purchase. This app was a blessing during our last trip–no more fighting on whose card is whose and I didn’t have to do any math while on vacation!
To find more Disney park-related apps, simply visit your favorite app store and enter Disney in the search bar. Many of them are free, so you can give them a spin before you take them on the road to your Disney World trip!
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