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We love the free Disney World app called My Disney Experience. This is an incredible planning tool for your vacation. We share 8 cool things that you can do with the My Disney Experience app!
As I mentioned above, the Disney app is free. You can add this app right to your smartphone. The My Disney Experience app has been steadily increasing in capabilities. You can do some pretty cool things from your phone nowadays.
We share 8 of our favorite things you can do on the My Disney Experience app for your Disney World theme park vacation!
Unlock Your Resort Room Door
Unlocking your resort hotel room door with your cell phone is becoming more widely available at many large hotels around the world. The Walt Disney World Resorts are finally offering this option.
You can now use the My Disney Experience app to unlock your room door.
Here a video when we first used the My Disney Experience App to open our door.
You may still use active MagicBands and Key to the World Cards to unlock doors at your Disney Resort hotel, too, but being able to use the app gives you another option.
When you use Online Check-In service and the unlock door feature, you may be able to skip the Front Desk at your Disney Resort hotel and proceed straight to your room. If you don’t know your room number, just view your hotel reservations in the app and tap “Show Room Number.” This also comes in handy if you’ve forgotten your room number!
Be sure you add your Disney hotel reservation to your My Disney Experience, before you leave for Disney. This will save you some time, once you arrive to the hotel.
View Wait Times and Book Disney Genie+ Reservations
These features have been around awhile now, but they’re still worth pointing out because they are so valuable! Being able to see wait times right on your phone is very helpful for choosing your next show or attraction.
It’s also helpful when your park tickets have the Park Hopping option. You can open the app to see the wait times for all parks (rides, showtimes, and character greetings) regardless of which park you are standing in. You can also verify park hours, just to make sure you have plenty of time to play.
The newest feature for a Disney World vacation is Disney Genie+. You can watch this video to learn all about Disney Genie+.
You can book Disney Genie+ reservations right from the My Disney Experience.
Get Directions
Let’s face it, Walt Disney World is enormous! It’s bigger than some cities!
Finding your way around the parks, between parks and between parks and resorts can be tricky. There’s a lot to know, but thankfully, you don’t have to memorize it all because My Disney Experience can give you directions to anywhere you want to go. The GPS navigational tool delivers turn-by-turn walking directions and valuable transportation information right to your mobile device.
This will help you navigate Disney World or just fine restrooms. You can also create an itinerary for your vacation using my plans. That will help you navigate your day at the Disney Parks (all from your phone).
View Menus and Make Dining Reservations
Menus for nearly all of Walt Disney World’s dining locations, including snack locations, are available on the My Disney Experience app. Many of the menus also include the prices for each item. You can browse menu items and use the app to help you decide where you might like to eat your next meal.
Once you have decided, you can search for available reservation times and and book dining reservations right there from the app using Mobile Ordering.
Order Food and Beverages
You can now order at select Walt Disney World quick-service restaurants and snack locations using the My Disney Experience app on your mobile device. Instead of waiting in line, you can save time by ordering from wherever you are. Simply review the menu and make your selections while you’re waiting for an attraction.
Once you’ve added everything that your family wants, you can review your order and purchase it right from the app. Payment methods include credit cards, debit cards and Disney dining plans.
When you arrive at the restaurant, all you have to do is open the app, tap on the image of your character and press the “I’m Here, Prepare My Order” button. Your food will be prepared and when it’s ready, you will receive a notification from the app to pick up your meal at the “Mobile Order Pick Up” sign. It’s so convenient and a big time saver! We especially love to pre-order our Dole Whip for a fast pick up on a hot day!
On the opening weekend of Toy Story Land, we used the Mobile Order Pick Up. Here is a video from our day at Toy Story Land and using this amazing timesaver.
Download Vacation Photos
We love using the Disney PhotoPass photographers at the parks. You can get pictures with the whole family, including special MagicShots. One of the best values for Disney PhotoPass is the Memory Maker. You pay one fee and get access to all of your pictures from your entire vacation.
If you have purchased Memory Maker and linked it to your My Disney Experience account, you will be able to download your Disney PhotoPass photos and on-ride photos almost instantly! The app will give you a notification when you have new photos available in your account, so you can download them to your phone. You’ll have an option for the original size or a smaller file size version, which is handy to post right away on social media.
We love this option! You can share your vacation pictures immediately with your family & friends at home.
Shop and Send Items to Your Hotel or the Front of the Park
The Shop Disney Parks app offers a ton of shopping conveniences in the palm of your hand. Not only can you shop for park merchandise on the app from home, but you can use it to locate specific items you are seeking in the shops at Walt Disney World while you are there! There’s no more going from shop to shop looking for a specific size or item because the app will allow you to search (or scan a product’s barcode) and show you which locations have the item/size in stock at Walt Disney World.
Mobile Check Out
A new feature on the My Disney Experience is the Mobile Check Out. In select stores at Disney World, you can actually pay for items (right on your phone using Mobile Check Out). You then show your receipt at the Mobile Check Out Desk and you get a bag. That is it. Super easy and HUGE timesaver.
Be sure you download the My Disney Experience app for your next Disney vacation in Orlando. It is our #1 favorite resource at Disney World! If you have any challenges with your app during your vacation. be sure you stop by Guest Services for help. They are happy to help you!
Did you know you could do all these things right from your phone? Which feature are you most excited to use?
