Latest My Disney Experience Upgrade: "Get Directions"

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

On July 22, the Disney Parks Blog announced the newest feature available on the much maligned My Disney Experience App that Disney spent over $2 billion dollars on:

My Disney Experience ‘Get Directions’ Launches; Helps You Navigate Walt Disney World Resort

by Thomas Smith, Editorial Content Director, Disney Parks

We’ve just launched a new My Disney Experience feature called “Get Directions” that makes getting around the Walt Disney World Resort a snap. The new GPS navigational tool delivers turn-by-turn walking directions and valuable transportation information right to your mobile device. Here’s how it works.

The new “Get Directions” button, now available on the My Disney Experience mobile app, offers guidance to important locations anywhere on property. For example, if you’re visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park and select Expedition Everest, the “Get Directions” button will bring up clear step-by-step walking directions to the attraction from wherever you are in the park.

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Awesome!

Right?

They wouldn't release something like this before it was ready, would they?

I decided to take it for a test run this morning.

I plugged in a request for Directions from the Fort to the Magic Kingdom.  It gave me two options: 1. Go to the Outpost and take a bus to the MK; or 2.  Go to the Outpost and take a bus to Epcot, then monorail to TTC, then monorail to the MK.  No suggestion of boats and no directions to take an internal bus at the Fort.

Oh well, that might just be a bug that needs to be worked out.

Plus, everyone knows how to get to the MK.  No one needs an app for that.

Let's try something more challenging.

Like, what if you would like to head to the Polynesian Village Resort for a Dole Whip or Lapu Lapu?

The App has your back.

Look- a nice map:

And easy step-by-step directions:

In case you need help comprehending that- it is telling me to go to the Outpost and take a bus from there to Wilderness Lodge, and then to walk from there to the Polynesian resort.

What?

Just to make sure it's not a glitch, I asked for directions from the Fort to the Grand Floridian.  The App responded right away with a map:

And step by step directions:

Same deal- walk to the Outpost and catch a Wilderness Lodge bus from there, then walk to the Grand Floridian.  According to the App, that's my only choice.

Seriously?

The good news is that no one will be killed trying to cross World Drive while walking from the Wilderness Lodge, because a bus marked Wilderness Lodge will never show up to pick them up at the Outpost.

I would like to say that I'm shocked by how awful this addition to the app is, but I'm not.

The thing is that this is beyond useless.  It's harmful.

Telling a guest to walk from Wilderness Lodge to the Grand Floridian?

How could anyone have signed off on this?

TCD

[Memphis 105]

It is shocking that the people at Disney would recommend walking between resorts.  Not only is it dangerous, but what I would have thought they would  object to is how long you will be without options to spend money.  I would expect it to send you through every shop and restaurant within 1/2 mile of your route. It is truly amazing how unDisney the My Disney Experience is.   

[Cortezcapt (Derek) 156]

Wow, there are going to be a lot of lost people wondering around looking at their phones (ok a lot more than before).

I just played around with it some, From the MK to Poly it's gave 3 options bus, monorail, or boat. However the boat was the main ferry and then walking and not the resort launch. Is there even a bus to the Poly or is it like the Fort and only runs when monorail and boats are down?

Another major MDE fail.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[caveat lector 181]

We all have the benefit of past experiences. Can you imagine how bad the first experience for someone who relied on this for guidance on their initial visit. Epic fail

[Helmsey......Todd 134]

One thing I wondered when I first saw this "feature" is if they will incorporate any sort of people patters into the directions, specifically in the parks. Lets say that someone is at Space Mountain and decides they'd like directions over to Big Thunder Mountain. I'm going to assume that the mouse is following my every move in the parks with my magic band, so with that people tracking info could they tell that one land has a ton of people in it and route you via a less busy route? Or, what if MRFF is about to kick off, would the directions take in to account all the kids on the shoulders in front of the castle and give directions to avoid that?

I'm likely giving them too much credit here...but it's nice to think it might have crossed someone's mind to try and integrate that into that directions.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

3 minutes ago, Helmsey......Todd said:

One thing I wondered when I first saw this "feature" is if they will incorporate any sort of people patters into the directions, specifically in the parks. Lets say that someone is at Space Mountain and decides they'd like directions over to Big Thunder Mountain. I'm going to assume that the mouse is following my every move in the parks with my magic band, so with that people tracking info could they tell that one land has a ton of people in it and route you via a less busy route? Or, what if MRFF is about to kick off, would the directions take in to account all the kids on the shoulders in front of the castle and give directions to avoid that?

I'm likely giving them too much credit here...but it's nice to think it might have crossed someone's mind to try and integrate that into that directions.

You are giving them way, way too much credit.

They can't even tell you how to get from a resort to, say, the HDDR.  You really need to try out the app to see how bad it is.  From POFQ to the HDDR, it tells me to take the bus from POFQ to Wilderness Lodge.  First problem is that there isn't a bus that runs from POFQ to Wilderness Lodge.  Second problem is that it tells me to walk a mile from there when there's a boat and a bus that run that route.  But wait, it gets better:  From the Contemporary Resort to HDDR, it tells me to take the resort monorail to the TTC and walk from there.  Never mind that boat that will take me directly there.

How in the world did someone think it was OK to release this mess on the public?

TCD

[Helmsey......Todd 134]

6 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

You are giving them way, way too much credit.

 

Oh I figured I was.

I looked at it for less than 10 seconds when it was first released, just to check it out. As you have noted, getting around from resort to resort is less than useful.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

4 minutes ago, Helmsey......Todd said:

Oh I figured I was.

I looked at it for less than 10 seconds when it was first released, just to check it out. As you have noted, getting around from resort to resort is less than useful.

I plan to field test it the next time I'm there.

On the video posted on the Disney Parks Blog, they show that it will provide live navigation on your phone screen.  That might be useful, but the step by step directions aren't real helpful.  They use north/south/east/west and left/right, but don't give distances.  I don't see how that's going to work in a theme park setting.  Following a line might work, though.

TCD

[keith_h 420]

If it isn't able to tell you how to avoid bottle necks, backups or flat our stalled foot traffic such as when the parade is in progress it would be of little help in IMO.