BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 From WDWMagic... Later this week the Magic Kingdom will be testing mobile phone charging lockers for guests use. The secure lockers will be located in Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe and the Tomorrowland Light and Power Company, and will be available for use free of charge.To use the charger, guests will swipe a credit card, which acts as an ID for the locker. The chamber door opens, and inside are a number of charger cables. The phone gets hooked up, and the door closed. On completed charging, the door glows green. To open the chamber, the same credit is used again.Charging station are already available in the Magic Kingdom, but they require the guest to remain in place as there is no method of leaving the phone unattended. The increased use of My Disney Experience and reliance on guests own smartphones as park of the park experience appears to be driving Disney to helping guests remain powered up.You can see the system in action at the manufacturers website. http://www.wdwmagic.com/other/mymagicplus/news/21apr2014-magic-kingdom-to-test-mobile-phone-charging-lockers-for-guest-use.htm Quote Link to post Share on other sites
h2odivers...Ray 952 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 It's actually not a bad idea. I guess we will eat lunch more often at Cosmic Me'sMDE seems to really run your battery down. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 MDE seems to really run your battery down. It's a battery KILLER! This is actually a pretty cool idea. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Laura 17 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Can you fit a Tablet in there? For all the dorks who like to take video in front of me at the parade? I hope not. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AuburnJen 771 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 how about a laptop? :rofl2: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Pretty high tech. I've seen these really cool things that aren't as high tech, but Disney could install more of them around the parks, including at each table in restaurants. They look like this. Only problem is....Disney wouldn't make any money off of these. And they probably figure that if they had outlets at each table in restaurants, people would linger longer at the tables and it would hurt the turnover rate. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted April 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Shhh... don't tell anyone but there's a table in the back right corner of Liberty Tree Tavern that has one of these newfangled contraptions right next to it. I recommend eating slow... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Retired and Happy (Ken) 101 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Let 'em lock up all the phones and such. My grandkids can't sit or stand up straight without something like that in their hands. Dang! Now I'm starting to sound like Lou. :rofl3: Mtnmanky...aka Leon 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Memphis 105 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 These things could be a con mans dream. Swipe your card I have your CC info, plug in your phone I have all your info from phone: numbers, pictures, email, call log, passwords to anything your phone has passwords to like email accounts, Facebook and dozens of other accounts.. and who knows what else. But it would be nice for people that don't carry their chargers. I would have a hard time making myself pay to charge my phone. I'm just too cheap. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
h2odivers...Ray 952 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Pretty high tech. I've seen these really cool things that aren't as high tech, but Disney could install more of them around the parks, including at each table in restaurants. They look like this. Only problem is....Disney wouldn't make any money off of these. And they probably figure that if they had outlets at each table in restaurants, people would linger longer at the tables and it would hurt the turnover rate. These things could be a con mans dream. Swipe your card I have your CC info, plug in your phone I have all your info from phone: numbers, pictures, email, call log, passwords to anything your phone has passwords to like email accounts, Facebook and dozens of other accounts.. and who knows what else. But it would be nice for people that don't carry their chargers. I would have a hard time making myself pay to charge my phone. I'm just too cheap.In my best Lou voice...Did you two knuckleheads not read the article. The charging lockers are free. Your CC is only used to open the locker. Kind of like a key. Disney isn't going to make any money off of you charging your phone. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mtnmanky...aka Leon 72 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Let 'em lock up all the phones and such. My grandkids can't sit or stand up straight without something like that in their hands. Dang! Now I'm starting to sound like Lou. :rofl3: What you said! x 100!it's vacation...get off the cell phones, kids! and let work function without me for a few days! (unless of course I am using the Disney apps!) :rofl2: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted April 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 ...Disney isn't going to make any money off of you charging your phone. Yet. No go practice chasing kids off your lawn. You're not quite Snarky enough yet... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 In my best Lou voice...Did you two knuckleheads not read the article. The charging lockers are free. Your CC is only used to open the locker. Kind of like a key. Disney isn't going to make any money off of you charging your phone. It's Disney....there has to be a money making side motive to this. Malware perhaps? Data mining? Maybe they will hold the phones ransom until you spend $5 at Starbucks? Which would really only take buying one crappy cup of the muck they call coffee. Which reminds me....anyone up for a nice, warm ooey gooey MSB cinnamon roll? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted April 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 :poke3: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 :raspberry2: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lou... 3,118 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Let 'em lock up all the phones and such. My grandkids can't sit or stand up straight without something like that in their hands. Dang! Now I'm starting to sound like Lou. Dang, I make a lot of sense. In my best Lou voice...Did you two knuckleheads not read the article. The charging lockers are free. Your CC is only used to open the locker. Kind of like a key. Disney isn't going to make any money off of you charging your phone. If I close my eyes, I'd think it was me. No go practice chasing kids off your lawn. You're not quite Snarky enough yet... Chasing, that's too much work, just yell at them. Here's me, yes those are plugs, they were on sale, and my snazzy new-ish cell phone. I wonder if it will fit in the lockers?One question though, what's a credit card? BradyBzLyn...Mo 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 One question though, what's a credit card? It's this new fangled thing you use with one of these. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LONE-STAR 370 Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 It's this new fangled thing you use with one of these. Wow flashback I forgot about those Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 My guess is they're doing it to make people happier about MDE. It's a battery hog. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted May 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 Article with photos has been posted to The Disney Blog...http://thedisneyblog.com/2014/04/28/new-magic-kingdom-cell-phone-charging-locker/ A new service offering free unattended smartphone charging is available at the Magic Kingdom. With families having an increasing dependence on cell phones, not just to say in contact with each other, but to use Disney’s new MyMagic+ reservation system and to make and change Fastpass+ plans via the My Disney Experience app, there has been an increased demand for places to charge those mobile devices. Disney first added locations with banks of plugs and USB ports near the Tangled restrooms, the yellow Fastpass tent in Storybook Circus, and in the back of the Space Mountain store near the arcade. However, guests have to stay with their devices to charge them, and two of the locations don’t really work if its raining. What might work better is if you could drop your mobile phone off, let it charge for a bit while you go on a ride or have a meal, then come back and retrieve it. It would be even better if this was handled in a secure location. That’s what Disney has done with two sets of charging lockers now in testing at the Magic Kingdom. You activate an available locker with a credit card (although we tested it with a gift card and that worked too) then tell the locker what type of device will be charged (Apple Lightning, Apple 30pin, or the new ‘standard’ micro USB). It will then provide a bay for your phone that contains the three connectors. Plug in to the correct one and close the door. The light will turn red to indicate the device is charging. The light turns green when its fully charged. An empty chamber is blue. So you can look at the station and know whether it has availability. Right now there are a set of 6 lockers in the Space Mountain exit store and 12 lockers in Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe. Both are locations where a guest might spend some extended time (dining or in queue). Right now the service is free. Disneyland offers something similar, but does charge for it. This current setup is a test. So if it works out, I hope they will bring these, and more regular plug-in and USB stations, to the other parks (water parks too) in a hurry. Please note, these charging station lockers are small and only fit a mobile phone sized device. If you have a larger item, you can still use the other charging locations. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 Any the important wording.... Disneyland does charge for it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beckers 1,136 Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 I wonder if it would help your battery by turning the locator off in settings after using the MDE app? If that is part of what is killing it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 What kills it is that it's not text based and you have to start from the first screen every time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted May 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 What kills it is that it's not text based and you have to start from the first screen every time. BINGO! People ask why anyone would use the Touring Plans app or the AllEars site when Disney has official info on their app? This is exactly why. The Disney app is slow, cumbersome to navigate and a huge battery hog. The other 2 things I mentioned are text based, easy to navigate, load quickly, and don't suck the life out of your phone. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 That's really surprising. I thought Disney was known for their technical prowess. :rofl2: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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