Guidemaps Availability Reduced at Magic Kingdom Park
Since the introduction of MyMagic+ and the My Disney Experience mobile app, Guests have had the convenience of managing their entire Walt Disney World Resort visit on the go. As more Guests have begun using this powerful tool to access real time information about all of their offerings (including park maps and showtimes), The Walt Disney World Resort has an opportunity to reduce the usage of paper guidemaps and times guides throughout the park.
Beginning Sunday, May 31, guidemaps and times guides will only be available at the following locations at the Magic Kingdom Park (they will no longer be available in select indoor locations):
- Park entry
- City Hall
- All Merchandise stores
- Any outdoor cart (foods and merchandise)
As a reminder, paper guidemaps will still be available in French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish at City Hall (located on Main Street) and park entry for Guests visiting from other countries.
I'm by no means a technophobe but I'm in that minority group of people who choose not to carry a smartphone. So I hope that this isn't the beginning of the end for conventional paper guides and maps. Besides that don't you find the tactile nature of a tangible map that you can even write on easier to use and more energy efficient ?
ReplyDeleteWe all know and readily accept the benefits of using less paper but don't forget to factor in the energy used by phones and the manufacture of batteries. Just a thought.
hmmm... most people that use the system would have their smartphones with them anyway... so it's not that much 'extra energy' or extra battery manufacturing I guess. I recently used MyMagic+ and I have to say I found it very convenient. The fact that you can see the map and automatically see where your are and what's around you, makes it very usefull.
ReplyDeleteThis is just an excuse to save money by Disney. Some people on vacation actually do not want to carry a phone. It could get get, is bulky in the pocket and goes dead after a while. Park maps are a cool souvenir that people collect and cherish also.
ReplyDeleteThis is just an excuse to save money by Disney. Some people on vacation actually do not want to carry a phone. It could get get, is bulky in the pocket and goes dead after a while. Park maps are a cool souvenir that people collect and cherish also.
ReplyDeleteIf they have to throw away large amounts of maps/time guides everytime a new version is released then yeah... they probably save money by this. Good for them.
ReplyDeleteI like having the guides. I keep them as souvenirs and I like to look back on how much has changed in the parks. I am in the minority who do not own a phone, so the guide is useful. Besides, trying to read a map on a small screen(I have an IPod) is quite annoying.
ReplyDeleteThey arent gettig rid of maps, just reducing production......... Extra battery production because of less wasteful maps LOLOLOLOL
ReplyDeleteI am a guy who loves technology and embraces the changes. Since I visit the parks, I do not carry a map. I wish the daily times guide was only on the app. A good number of the shows at Hollywood Studios are timed. And if you don't grab one when you start your day, you need to visit a store or vendor to get one. I just wish they would put all of this on the app.
ReplyDeleteGood for Disney! There will still be plenty of locations with guidemaps. They are world leaders in user experience testing and I'm sure they are trying to hit a balance between having an excess of guides that are regularly thrown away and the right amount for guests who still want them.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't they "recycle" the maps? Answer, it's all about money.
ReplyDeleteThey do. They sell them back to you as jewelry in EPCOT!
DeleteThe guides are printed on recycled paper... so they already "recycle" them. actually most of the trash at the parks is recycled...
ReplyDeleteDid u know that the bins in the park are not emptied by hand but underneath every bin is a vacuum and it sucked out. It's shocking how many maps are wasted each day. We usually pick our up in the hotel
ReplyDeleteAndy hanson thanks for the good laugh hahahahahahaaha
ReplyDeleteThis is all about cost and savings nothing else anything said after that is a smoke screen, as any business it's all about taking the cost out of the business and increasing the bottom line. Start stating facts and cut the BS and people will understand and stop taking us as maroons.
ReplyDeleteIf you pay $100 plus dollars to see midgets in clown costumes you would expect to get at least a stinkin park map.
ReplyDeleteThey recycle the already recycled maps and they are made into jewelry available at a booth in Epcot.
ReplyDeleteBoth have their place, paper maps are NOT being eliminated, simply REDUCED to save on waste.
Don't over-complicate this!
BTW -- Disney is a business in the business of making money not wasting it. I find it laughable that people feel entitled to something "more than" or "in addition to" for what they pay to "do" Disney or seemingly criticize Disney for looking at ways to cut down on costs.
It's a business people.