Okay, so I’ve been trying to get a handle on this whole “Disney experience” thing for our upcoming trip. I heard about the Disney Parents app, figured it might be useful, you know, for planning and keeping things organized. So I dove in.
First, I grabbed my phone and headed to the app store. I typed in “Disney” and, bam, a bunch of options popped up. I think the official one is called “My Disney Experience,” so I made sure to pick that one. I downloaded it, which took just a few seconds, and then I tapped “open.”
Getting Started
The app greeted me with a splash screen – you know, the usual colorful Disney stuff. Then it asked me to either sign in or create an account. Since I already have a Disney account (from booking the trip), I just entered my email and password and hit “sign in.” Smooth sailing so far.
Figuring Things Out
Once I was in, I was faced with, like, a million options. Seriously, it’s a bit overwhelming at first! There are sections for park hours, wait times, maps, dining reservations, PhotoPass… the list goes on. I spent a good chunk of time just tapping around and exploring the different sections. It’s like a mini-Disney World on your phone!
- Park Hours: I could choose between all the parks.
- Wait Times: I could check it out.
- Maps: I could see the layout of the park.
- And more.
I started with the park maps, which are actually pretty cool. You can zoom in, see where different attractions are located, and even get walking directions. I also checked out the wait times section, though of course, those will change when we’re actually there. Still, it gave me a general idea of which rides tend to be the most popular.
Making Plans (Or Trying To)
Then I tried to tackle the dining reservations. This is where things got a little tricky. The app lets you search for restaurants, see menus, and book reservations, but it’s a bit clunky. I had to fiddle with the dates and times a few times to find something that worked. I eventually managed to snag a reservation at a place that looked good, but it definitely took some patience.
Linking Everything Up
One of the things the app prompts you to do is link your park tickets and your resort reservation. I figured this was important, so I followed the instructions. It involved entering some confirmation numbers and stuff, but it wasn’t too bad. Once everything was linked, the app seemed to know all about our trip – which is either really helpful or kinda creepy, depending on how you look at it.
Overall, I’d say the Disney Parents app (or My Disney Experience, whatever you want to call it) is… useful, but definitely has a learning curve. I’m still figuring out all the features, but I think it will be a helpful tool once we’re actually at Disney World. My main advice: download it well before your trip and give yourself plenty of time to play around with it. Don’t wait until you’re standing in line for Space Mountain to try to figure out how to make a dining reservation!
