Nowhere is the interactivity offered my mobile phones more suited than the world of outdoor entertainment. Here’s a selection of mobile applications – or “apps” – to keep your guests on the go.
Just released in version 2.0, Thrill Seeker allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to make the most out of their park visit by providing information on rides, attractions and facilities – and directions to help you find them.
“Having maps within the app is a very useful feature,” says developer Mark Locker of Theme Park Nerd, UK. “Google’s satellite imagery is 100% accurate, so we can highlight your exact position, allowing you to see everything around you in a glance. We’re even working on our own hand-drawn maps, which will be available as a free update this summer.”
Information supplied includes ride descriptions, specifications and height restriction, plus details of available on-ride photos or property storage facilities. A new feature is a collection of over 1,500 photos, which can also be used as wallpapers.
Thrill Seeker can be used at 19 parks in the UK and USA including Alton Towers and Alton Towers Waterpark, Aquatica, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island Waterpark, Chessington World of Adventures, Discovery Cove, Drayton Manor, Oakwood, SeaWorld Orlando and Discovery Cove, Thorpe Park, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Blizzard Beach, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, EPCOT, Magic Kingdom and Wet ’n Wild Orlando.
Thrill Seeker is available worldwide exclusively through the Apple App Store. Download prices include $2.99 (US), £2.99 (UK), €3.99 (Central Europe) and ¥600 (Japan).
Undercover Tourist, developed by the Florida travel agent of the same name in association with Phunware Inc, helps Walt Disney World (WDW) guests navigate the long waiting lines at the Orlando resort.
The app features accurate wait-times integrated in real-time with park maps, information about rides, attractions and restaurants. Users can also purchase attraction tickets. Maps and wait times are available for all four WDW parks: Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and EPCOT.
“The Undercover Tourist app is a unique new experience for guests of Walt Disney World,” says Phunware CEO, Alan S Knitowski. “They no longer need bulky maps and papers to find their way around the parks or search for others in their party.”
Undercover Tourist is available via Apple’s App Store or iTunes Store for $3.99 and at the time of writing was the number one paid-for travel app on iTunes.
Disney fans in the US without an iPhone may find the Mobile Magic application of interest. Real-time updates about ride wait times, FastPass distribution, character locations and events at all six of the parks at both WDW and Disneyland Resort in California. The app is available to users on the Verizon network and costs $9.99 for 180 days, available direct from Disney.
What apps are you guests using? Let us know!
Image courtesy Theme Park Nerd.
