People visit Disney World from all over the world, and everyone has their own unique preferences for touring. Some want a detailed itinerary that helps them avoid lines and pack as much as possible into their day, while others prefer to wing it and take the day as it comes. No matter which type of theme park visitor you are, there are numerous apps that can help make your trip smooth. Let’s take a look at the top 10.
1. My Disney Experience
The purpose:
This is Disney’s official app and it gives you a wealth of information, including maps of the parks, wait times for rides in real-time, and dining reservation information.
The pros:
There may be no better source for constantly updated Disney information. The GPS-enabled “Here and Now” app gives you attractions, services, and restaurants near you, and you can even filter by height requirements for rides, types of food, and other factors.
The cons:
The biggest complaint visitors have is that this app can be incredibly slow. You’ll have access to free WiFi in the parks, which can speed it up a little, but don’t expect instant information.
2. Live Airport – Orlando (MCO Airport) Lite
The purpose:
Keep up on your flight out of Orlando’s most popular airport.
The pros:
You can set up alerts so it’ll automatically notify you if there’s a change in your departure time or gate. This app is especially good for groups that are traveling separately and have numerous flight times with several airlines.
The cons:
The terminal maps are a great addition if you’re looking for a place to eat or a restroom to use, but they don’t specify which airlines fly out of which terminals.
3. Cozi
The purpose:
This app allows you to create a central calendar and share it between several users. You can even send reminders automatically via text or email.
The pros:
There are a ton of uses for this app, including getting packing lists together, importing your calendar info, and keeping track of flight information. You can even sync it with your Microsoft Outlook calendar.
The cons:
To get the most use out of this app, you’ll need the gold upgrade – which runs $30+.
4. Disney World Wait Times
The purpose:
Similar to the My Disney Experience app, this one gives you all the information on park hours, maps, and menus, plus added bonuses like ride ratings.
The pros:
An ingenious “Traffic Light System” shows rides with the longest wait times in red, while those with short wait times are in green. You can take a look at the GPS-enabled map and instantly know which rides near you have the lowest ride times.
The cons:
Some users have noted that the planning section is rather hard to use, and you can’t make dining reservations on this app.
5. Disney Memories
The purpose:
This scrapbook-inspired app lets you decorate photos with Disney character, themes, and filters.
The pros:
Add images of your favorite characters into pictures, or spice up your photos with stickers and boarders. The results can be shared on text, email, Twitter, and Facebook.
The cons:
This app doesn’t allow you to access Disney’s PhotoPass pictures you’ve purchased, so it’s really only suited for those who’ve taken their own photos on their smart phones.
6. Story by Disney
The purpose:
This adorable, easy-to-use app lets you tell stories from your trip in a unique storybook format. Automatically arrange your photos and videos on your camera roll based on the time and location they were taken, and then build and edit your store.
The pros:
Stories can be personalized by adding pages of text, layouts, themes, and captions. The FAQs are comprehensive and make it easy for those who aren’t tech savvy.
The cons:
There aren’t very many themes available – in fact there’s only one Disney theme.
7. Lines by Touringplans.com
The purpose:
Get instant answers to questions from people who know their Disney stuff. Updated wait times include both the wait Disney has posted as well as real wait times submitted by users. The crowd calendar function lets you see how busy the parks will be for the next 10 days.
The pros:
Those who frequent the app, who call themselves Liners, post constantly, so if you have a question all you have to do is post your own and it’ll be answered within moments. It’s a great resource for planning and for deciding what the next move is if your plan gets derailed.
The cons:
Using this app requires a yearly subscription to Touringplans.com. It’s likely well worth the investment for those who like to plan every aspect of their trip.
8. WDW Dining
The purpose:
Get detailed menus of every restaurant in Disney World, including snack carts. Check out prices and dishes before you settle on the right spot.
The pros:
The map feature lets you see what’s nearby at any given moment, and the user reviews offer helpful points and tips.
The cons:
You can’t make dining reservations or even see which restaurants have availability. It’s great for slow times of the year, or if you’re planning to dine at counter service restaurants, but it’s not a great option for those who want a sit down meal on the fly.
9. While You Wait – Disney World
The purpose:
Make the most of your time in line with this interactive app that gives you fun guides to every attraction queue at Walt Disney World.
The pros:
Find the “hidden mickeys” the imagineers have placed all over the parks, and discover little known trivia behind the rides.
The cons:
There is a limited amount of information available on this app. It’s great for a line or two, but don’t plan to use it for every line your entire trip, or you’ll quickly run out of information.
10. Disney World Maps
The purpose:
Always know where you are and where you are going while you are enjoying Disney World. This is especially helpful if your party splits up and all agrees to meet back at a specific location.
The pros:
Park maps with wait times, GPS, compass, zoom search and photos make it easy to navigate the Disney World Parks and find restaurants, bathrooms and attractions.
The cons:
Sometimes reception isn’t the best while you are inside Disney World, so make sure this isn’t your only way to figure out where you are going.
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