Originally Posted By utahjosh Next weekend will be my first trip to DL with an iPod Touch. I would LOVE to be able to use the fun new apps related to Disneyland. Is there fee WiFi in the parks? Anyplace near the parks?
Originally Posted By Darkbeer In the parks, no. But you can find it in the Disney owned Hotel common areas, such as Lobbies and Bars.
Originally Posted By utahjosh Thanks, Darkbeer. Are the signals in the hotel areas free and easy to pick up? We need to get Disneyland parks with the times. I wonder why they don't have an available network in the parks. Anyone else been lucky in picking up perhaps an outside signal when you are near the edges of the parks?
Originally Posted By ecdc Gonna be a long shot, especially since the radio in the touch is smaller. You might find one with a laptop, but probably no such luck with a touch. DB's right, the hotel properties have them and they are easy to find and join. The network will come up as a pretty obvious name (disneyresort, paradisepier, etc) No password or anything that you'd have to get from the front desk, unless they've changed something recently.
Originally Posted By Roger55 Disney Parks has a deal with Verizon for "in park" connectivity called "Mobile Magic". I'm pretty sure they want you to use Verizon 3G service, so I doubt they would look to provide "free" connectivity. Here is the link. <a href="http://disneyparksmobile.com/" target="_blank">http://disneyparksmobile.com/</a> Note at the bottom that if you are a Verizon customer and use the system, you will be charged $9.99.
Originally Posted By ecdc From the looks of it, "Mobile Magic" as a Verizon app designed for Verizon phones, and doesn't give you any additional access to a wifi or 3G network.
Originally Posted By Roger55 I'm pretty sure that it is completly intentional. Verizon wants you to use their mobile plan, their phone, their network AND pay $9.99 for their exclusive app. Personally, I would not choose or change to Verizon just so I could use this app. Maybe they are hoping others would?
Originally Posted By ecdc >>I'm pretty sure that it is completly intentional. Verizon wants you to use their mobile plan, their phone, their network AND pay $9.99 for their exclusive app.<< Welcome to the cell phone industry All the carriers are like that. Thank goodness for Apple and Google, whose popularity finally broke the closed barrier. Now you've got the iTunes App Store, Android Marketplace, and now Blackberry App World. Sure, the iPhone is only on AT&T, but that'll change soon enough.
Originally Posted By superstrikertwo >>ure, the iPhone is only on AT&T, but that'll change soon enough.<< Don't count on it.
Originally Posted By ecdc >>Don't count on it.<< Oh, it will. Apple will want to expand their market. It may not happen until a widespread deployment of LTE networks in a couple of years, but it'll happen.
Originally Posted By superstrikertwo That's not really soon then Apple will switch to Verizon once they have their 4G network up and running. That isn't for at least 2 years.
Originally Posted By ecdc Well fair enough, it does depend on your definition of "soon." As it pertains to this thread, here's hoping we see more open-network development and availability of apps like the theme park mobile on multiple networks instead of "exclusives" locked into specific carriers. (And I do think it's possible - not likely, but possible - that Apple will unveil a Verizon iPhone this summer when their exclusivity agreement with AT&T is up.)
Originally Posted By superstrikertwo I wish Disney would add WiFi for the public to the parks I know for big media events they have it. At least add a few hotspots around dinning areas. Having an iPhone though this doesn't affect me much but my battery would last longer if I was on WiFi. (I would say very very unlikely as Apple would have to create a new device to work with Verizon. AT&T = GSM Verizon = CDMA. CDMA will be dead in a 2 or so years so why would Apple redesign the iPhone to include a dying tech. it's like the whole Floppy disk thing all over again.)
Originally Posted By poohbear14 I have a Touch but I don’t have any Disney related apps on it. I don’t think there’s any wi-fi access inside the park. It would be nice if there were hot spots inside the parks. You can get free wi-fi in all 3 hotels and at WhiteWater Snacks. Sometimes it’s a little slow. It’s easy to use. A Disneyland Hotels wi-fi access screen pops up, you touch the pop-up screen and you’re in! Note: The Disney website Disney.go.com doesn’t work with the Touch because they use Flash media and Apple products don't support Flash. You’re better off picking up a brochure when you go through the turnstiles. I tried to pick up a signal outside of LaBrea Bakery but it’s so weak it’ll suck the life out of your battery. Not worth it in my opinion.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<<(I would say very very unlikely as Apple would have to create a new device to work with Verizon. AT&T = GSM Verizon = CDMA. CDMA will be dead in a 2 or so years so why would Apple redesign the iPhone to include a dying tech. it's like the whole Floppy disk thing all over again.) >>> Rumor has it that a newer version of the iPhone will support all bands that the current 3GS does, *PLUS* CDMA for Verizon and Sprint. For those customers that aren't on Verizon or Sprint, the CDMA functionality would sit dormant (much like the 3G roaming functions for certain Sprint and Verizon phones are never used for customers that never leave the US). I think Apple has been smart so far in selling only a single model at a time in all markets worldwide (well, multiple models if you count color and storage size). All indications are that they'll continue with this notion when they add CDMA.
Originally Posted By mapleservo We used to park ourselves on the benches in DCA right by the Grand Californian entrance - that's the only place I found that I could pick up wi-fi in the parks.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< As it pertains to this thread, here's hoping we see more open-network development and availability of apps like the theme park mobile on multiple networks instead of "exclusives" locked into specific carriers. >>> Don't hold your breath. That was the original plan, and Disney had a technology team dedicated to just that. Then a few years ago when drastic personnel cuts were made in most off-stage departments, it was difficult to justify keeping the funding going to develop these features that had no short-term revenue model that could be directly measured, and a difficult one long-term. Then someone figured out that if they partnered with a carrier on a semi-exclusive basis, they could get that carrier to take over most of the development costs in exchange for exclusivity. And that's how we got to where we are. So, I wouldn't expect it to change to a truly open model until a) whatever exclusivity contract terms with Verizon expire, and b) Disney feels there's a direct revenue model (or indirect demand that forces their hand) that justifies doing it all in-house (or paid outsourced work that belongs to Disney).
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 As to the iPhone on other carriers. I don't expect it to happen unless the fix the iPhone. The reason no one wants to pick them up now is that the antenna inside isn't powerful enough to get great 3g signal, and people are starting to get off the iPhone bandwagon for just that reason.
Originally Posted By KittyPrincess1206 I have a Veriszon Droid, and don't have the Disneyland apps. There are some fun Disney games though and "Disneyisms"!
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< I don't expect it to happen unless the fix the iPhone. The reason no one wants to pick them up now is that the antenna inside isn't powerful enough to get great 3g signal, and people are starting to get off the iPhone bandwagon for just that reason. >>> What in the world are you talking about? Here the the facts from the 4th quarter of 2009 (the latest complete quarter): <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2010/01/25/technology/apple/" target="_blank">http://money.cnn.com/2010/01/2...y/apple/</a> "100% year-over-year rise in iPhone sales ... The company said it sold a record 8.7 million iPhones in the quarter. That's up 17.6% from the 7.4 million it sold in the previous quarter and double what it sold during the same quarter a year ago." That would appear to be just the opposite of your claim of "nobody wants to pick them up now."
