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[The Butlin Boy]

I've found this from Orlando Attractions Magazine:

Disney to begin testing wireless device for use in the parks

A limited number of families visiting the Magic Kingdom next week will be selected to help test a new service called Disney Magic Connection.

Disney Magic Connection is actually a special Nintendo DS the family keeps with them for the day at the park. Through the wireless connection they'll be able to:

• See interactive maps of the park.
• Find out wait times and Fastpass availability.
• Find out what characters are in the park and where to find them.
• Enter the attractions and shows they'd like to see and have the device organize their day.
• Play games themed to the attraction they're visiting.

Guests will have to leave a credit card number as a deposit, and of course, must return the Nintendo before leaving the park.

This sounds really cool. I hope the test is a success.

There's no word as to whether this is just something that guests can rent, if they can buy their own, use their own Nintendo DS, or what the costs will be.

Please send us a report if you get chosen to test the Disney Magic Connection.

I think this sounds like quite a good idea, and if successful, I would expect we could see it being introduced at DLRP as well

[Javey74]

Yes a really good idea Butlin Boy

This sounds right up my street, it could open the doors to having information at your fingertips at any location within the park. When we go we always get the times leaflet and try and balance the day on getting the times right between the attractions, the shows and the parades, which can get hectic if you are like us and strive to get the most out of each day you spend.

I hope it's right and DLRP in time gets the chance to try this technology, it may not suit ever goer, but it would suit my family.

Thanks for sharing that info =D>

 [-o<  /

[-breeno-]

That idea is so cool

I'd love to see DLRP get this someday, i can see it come in handy for fastpass   Even if it was a case of having to buy it as a game for the DS i'm happy, i have an orginal DS somewhere (i think hiding behind the DVD player :lol: ) with a dead battery and a lost charger, but DS chargers aren't expensive so thats fine

[Masamune]

That sounds fantastic! I'd love something like that for when I visit.

[Remco K.]

Hey everyone!

SewIn2Disney got the chance to check out this new feature and wrote an extensive review on the forum of WDWMagic.com.

Also read the review by SewIn2Disney below!

Ok---here we go.  A little background info first-----I personally was not chosen to test this.  My boyfriend and I were in the MK, and my bf's relatives (Aunt, Uncle and two young cousins) were meeting us in the MK later on Wednesday morning.  On their way in they were chosen to test this (a CM just walked up to them and asked if they would like to participate).

Here is the area in the back of Exposition Hall where you are taken to set up your DS


When you get it, you enter in all names and "general ages" (it asks you if your very young, young, child, teen, adult, etc) This comes in later with the games.  As far as we could tell, it seemed to be a cartridge, but if you turned it off and turned it back on, the game just came right up, and didn't go to the normal DS screen where you could choose to play a DS game, Advance game, pictochat, etc.  They just tell people to open and shut the lid, not turn it off and on (the DS goes into Hibernate mode, and when you open it, it comes back to where you left it.

Here you can sort of see the grey padding that surrounds the DS


This is the main screen.  It is GPS enabled, so it always shows right where you are standing.  I don't know why it's not showing in this screen, but there are four buttons from here that you could press, one each on the top and bottom, and one each on left and right.
[img src="http://inlinethumb26.webshots.com/40729/2651028720077976460S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]


Each of those buttons brings you someplace different: information, characters, rides, and games.

Information Button brings you to a menu where you can select from a menu of items to locate such as ATM's, bathrooms, lockers, etc.



When you select an item, it brings you back to the main overview screen, and gives you a dotted line from where you are to the closest location of whatever you are looking for.  In this case, the closest bathroom from where we were:


If you hit the Mickey shaped button, that brings you to a character menu.  Here, it lists all MK characters, and allows you to check off which ones you would like to visit.  But as stated before, the info here is incomplete.  It just lists every character as always being around, and tells you to seek the nearest CM for details on where to find them


If you pick the attractions button, you get a list of the attractions.  This list can be broken down by shows and rides, and then each individual list can be shown in either alphabetical order, or wait time order.  If you hilight an individual attraction, you get a page that gives you a description of the attraction, the current wait time, and the current fast pass distribution for the ride.  You can also get to this page by clicking on the attraction from the main map page.

Here's alphabetical ride order:


Alphabetical show order
[img src="http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/42633/2457653950077976460S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]

Here's Big Thunder Mtn.s page


We tried to trick it by picking Splash Mtn (which is down for refurbishment)


And last is the game feature.  The fantasyland game comes "unlocked" then to unlock the different games, you have to stand outside of the attraction.  (Or it can be done while waiting in its line).  In the beginning, you entered each persons name and age range, so the DS asks age-appropriate questions.  The kid questions (the kids we were with were between 7-10) were mostly about movies, while the adult questions were def. harder and about movies and the parks.  It tells which person is to read the question to which other person, and keeps track of all scoring.  (This is good to ensure that everyone gets a turn)


The fantasyland trivia game


A sample question
[img src="http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/29505/2904831970077976460S600x600Q85.jpg[/img]

And the last picture is a not-so-great pic of the whole system on the main page


Here you can see the whole park on the top screen, and the touch screen close up area on the bottom.  The red rectangle on the top shows the highlighted area below.  You can use the cursor or the touch pad to move around.  From here you can also click on the resturants and attractions.

Overall, we loved the DS, and it was sorly missed the next day.  Knowing the wait times of all the attractions was great----that way we knew which way to go, and if walking over to a certain fast pass was worth it (would it be during dinner time?  Too late in the day? etc).  The trivia was awesome for waiting in line, and the questions were very age appropriate.  As far as I could tell, there was no sound for the game, and like I said we didn't witness the game shutoff on a attraction.  (Now that I think about it though, the young girl we were with turned it on inside SM while riding on the TTA because she was afraid of the dark, and from what I could tell, it did work, but she just used it for light)

Other notes:
-On the menu of attractions, you can check off attractions you want to ride.  As you are walking past them, a banner runs across the bottom of the top screen that states "an attraction on your wish list is nearby".  But, one would have to be walking around with it open to see this.
-No one knows if it'll be for sale or rent yet, but I'm hoping for sale.
-Even I learned something from the trivia game (how many gargoyles are on Cinderella Castle?  13----we actually had to go look after that to go find them!)
-The GPS doesn't quite work perfectly yet.  We were eating lunch in the Crystal Palace, and it said we were next to the partners statue, and one other time we were one "land" off.  But on other occasions, we saw it pause and reposition itself to our current location.  I don't know if it's satellite or anything, but there was heavy clouds that day, so it could have thrown it off.
-While at the Crystal Palace, Eeyore had a blast playing with it.  It was cute.
-In retrospect, I have more suggestions for the DS---I wish you could check off the attractions you already visited, and possibly have it "unlock" more features based on how many attractions you've been on.  Maybe more games or something.  It allows you to check off a wish list of characters and attractions, but never really does anything with it later.

Our suggestions at the end of the day:
-The character application needs to be better, and have better directions as to where to find the character.
-Add menus to the resturant page
-Have a fastpass reminder.  Something to the effect of an area where you can type in your times, and the DS dings or something to alert you.
-Have the game for sale, and have additional games that can be played when you get home
-Develop this software for all parks, possibly for the entire resort. (water parks, dtd, hotels, etc)
-Have a Hidden Mickey feature.  Maybe it could tell you a list of HM's in the attraction, that way you could read up on it while waiting in line and then look for them on the attraction
-Something needs to be done about the battery life.  Maybe dimming the screen or something, but our battery died in about 6 hours, and considering the average person spends probably 8+ hours in the park, this wouldn't work.  When the battery died, we brought it back and they gave us a new one, but then we had to unlock all the games we had unlocked previously.

I think we had a few other suggestions.  I'll have to ask my bf and get back to you.  Other then our suggestions, we loved the DS, and I think it is great!  The touch screen works great with this, and while the DS lite is still on the larger side, I wouldn't mind carrying it around during the day, if only for the current wait time and fast pass distribution of all attractions, and for the games to play while in line, waiting for food, etc.  I hope they keep going with this, and cant wait to use it again!

Thanks for bearing with me through all of this.

I think this would make a great feature for DLRP as well!

[Soap]

Thanks for sharing Remco! What a great piece 21th century coming to the Disney Parcs!!  

[Masamune]

:shock: AWESOME.

I have to say though, 6 hours battery life is great. My DS Lite only goes for about 4 hours before it needs recharging. I would be so happy if all this was available when we go in April.

[The Butlin Boy]

It sounds and looks like a fantastic addition to WDW, which if successful will hopefully cross seas Paris :wink:

[swity]

As I also own a Nintendo DS and I LOVE it I think this is a really great idea.
I hope they will try something like this in Paris too but it might by too expensive to purchase??

[Owain]

As I also own a Nintendo DS and I LOVE it I think this is a really great idea.
I hope they will try something like this in Paris too but it might by too expensive to purchase??

You dont no they could rent it, i think if it did get released it would only be average ds game price  

This is very promising for the furture of all Disneyparks, great idea !  =D>

[Remco K.]

In one of Joel's last updates, there are 3 pictures showing some not so hidden antennas in Adventureland.

Now, these antennas could basically be for anything, and perhaps I'm being a little bit over excited about the whole Nintendo DS-stuff... :lol: Here are the pics anyway:







DLRP maps coming to Nintendo DS in the near future?

[SMCD]

This is a fantastic idea.    Would love to have something like this with me in the parks.