My Disney Experience VS Mobile Magic Apps

[Amy]

I wonder, since the apps only report times, do they have any meaningful impact on the visit? If a person just went from ride to ride as they pleased and the other went off of information provided by the app, would the one who used more data be benefited with more rides or would it all just cancel out?

I would be willing to volunteer for the study! I would guess it would probably be about equal, because the person trying to maximize the times might be criss-crossing the park more often negating the times savings of not waiting in the queues...

[cy1229]

I wonder, since the apps only report times, do they have any meaningful impact on the visit? If a person just went from ride to ride as they pleased and the other went off of information provided by the app, would the one who used more data be benefited with more rides or would it all just cancel out?

I would be willing to volunteer for the study! I would guess it would probably be about equal, because the person trying to maximize the times might be criss-crossing the park more often negating the times savings of not waiting in the queues...

In order to be a true scientific study, we need more than one sample for each condition. The control is using mobile data or not, so would we then want to exclude the use of posted wait times? And, we would have to sample multiple people, on multiple days, to really know statistically whether using mobile data is useful.

And, how would you measure the experience? Number of attractions experienced in a day? Actual amount of time waiting in queue?

Nerding out designing an experiment on this one now. Sorry for the geekfest.

[Amy]

I wonder, since the apps only report times, do they have any meaningful impact on the visit? If a person just went from ride to ride as they pleased and the other went off of information provided by the app, would the one who used more data be benefited with more rides or would it all just cancel out?

I would be willing to volunteer for the study! I would guess it would probably be about equal, because the person trying to maximize the times might be criss-crossing the park more often negating the times savings of not waiting in the queues...

In order to be a true scientific study, we need more than one sample for each condition. The control is using mobile data or not, so would we then want to exclude the use of posted wait times? And, we would have to sample multiple people, on multiple days, to really know statistically whether using mobile data is useful.

And, how would you measure the experience? Number of attractions experienced in a day? Actual amount of time waiting in queue?

Nerding out designing an experiment on this one now. Sorry for the geekfest.

You work out the logistics ~ and the funding for volunteers and I am still willing to be one of the test subjects!

[cy1229]

We should apply for a government grant. I wonder if one from NIH would apply. Could we make an argument for good mental health using the apps? Then it would be a potential NIMH project.

[Wizzard419]

Considering both people would be in the park for the same span of time, on the same day, the actual time spent waiting wouldn't be the key measure but rather the total number of rides or the time it takes to complete a specific set of rides.

It reminds me a little of traffic sites/apps, outside of the immediate area the data is almost worthless since a free-flowing section can become tangled up quickly.

[Amy]

We should apply for a government grant. I wonder if one from NIH would apply. Could we make an argument for good mental health using the apps? Then it would be a potential NIMH project.

Can you take care that too? I'm sure you've written up grants before right?!

[Amy]

Considering both people would be in the park for the same span of time, on the same day, the actual time spent waiting wouldn't be the key measure but rather the total number of rides or the time it takes to complete a specific set of rides.

It reminds me a little of traffic sites/apps, outside of the immediate area the data is almost worthless since a free-flowing section can become tangled up quickly.

Well, we are looking at a specific place, so that wouldn't matter so much. We would have to find someone else with fairly short legs so they don't outrun me from attraction to attraction though

[JenMuse]

But the value of the app is in the eye of beholder.

Do you want to know when and where the parade routes are so you can avoid them or be super strategic about getting the perfect viewing spot?

If it's all about minimizing queuing, how do we factor in that all queues are not equal. In WDW, the queue for Peter Pan is pretty terrible with very narrow, very long, slow moving, not conducive to conversation, knitting or interaction--it's very straightforward waiting with awesome music, but the queue for Winnie the Pooh is kinda wonderful with interactive elements and the wider aisles. The queue for Soarin' I find to be far too wide (making estimating the wait incredibly difficult), but the crowd style games are super fun when you can get the entire crowd involved and then there's the weather factor. I would totally understand people wanting to queue for Soarin' in mid summer to maximize air conditioning access.

As a knitter, I typically don't mind queues because I can knit, people watch, and listen to great music. I consider moderate wait times of under 20 mins the norm for Disney since I go during off season only.

And there's the experience factor. For someone like me who has spent 100+ days in the Magic Kingdom, the ap didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know. But my time spent in the Animal Kingdom is much lower (5 days I calculate), and I found the app most helpful there (well, really the map and show times).

Ooooh, I see another test level: Park Expert vs app to see which one can maximize attraction experiences and minimize queuing?

[Wizzard419]

Parade routes/times would not be a function exclusive to the app as a paper map provides the same details.

As the apps do not actually impact wait times only report them, the characteristics of said waiting areas are not relevant, only the raw wait time. It doesn't matter if you are entertained or being beaten with sticks since the app does not provide distractions while in line. For that you start playing candy crush.

I regard the app similar to the time boards they have/had at the parks where they are probably unable to deliver an accurate snapshot of that moment but rather of past and sometimes suffer from being inaccurate. Even going off of the wait time posted at the ride entry points isn't accurate since they don't take into account the present volume. One nice feature of the mousewait app was that it allows for posted and actual wait times.

[JenMuse]

Paper? How quaint.

[Wizzard419]

Very, it's just like much of the entertainment, stale.

[cy1229]

Very, it's just like much of the entertainment, stale.

You're not supposed to eat them, Wiz.

We should apply for a government grant. I wonder if one from NIH would apply. Could we make an argument for good mental health using the apps? Then it would be a potential NIMH project.

Can you take care that too? I'm sure you've written up grants before right?!

I might have written a few in my time.

[Amy]

Paper? How quaint.

Now you sound like my engineer brother!

Very, it's just like much of the entertainment, stale.

You're not supposed to eat them, Wiz.

Ahahahahaha!!!

[Wizzard419]

It would be more entertaining to send some of the shows through a meat grinder ala Fargo.

A stage show based off of a 20 year old film adaptation of a story about bestiality? Really?

[SorcererDonald16]

I wonder, since the apps only report times, do they have any meaningful impact on the visit? If a person just went from ride to ride as they pleased and the other went off of information provided by the app, would the one who used more data be benefited with more rides or would it all just cancel out?

I've used the mobile magic app since it came out on my Verizon non-smart phone. By and large I found it helpful. When my schedule was flexible, I did use it to see what rides had lower wait times. Helps when you're not near the wait times tip board. Whether it actually helped me see more, hard to say.

I just finally got an IPhone yesterday, and the mobile magic app on this phone looks different but only thing I've noticed so far that's actually different is I can make ADRs now.

I don't know if I need the other app too or not. I leave for wdw next week.