DCL Navigator App - Tech for the sake of tech?

[olafLover]

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[lilsonicfan]

I don't know if it's tech for the sake of tech. Information has to be provided somehow, and the app ostensibly allows for more information than the Navigator (e.g. menus, future events) while also allowing you to "favourite" events and add them to your plans. It has a lot of potential. It has a lot of glitches. But is the alternative really no app at all?

 

[darnheather]

I was so skeptical at first but now I love it and wouldn't have it any other way. I take my iPad so I can read it without glasses. Whatever we think of it it isn't going away.

 

[ember1205]

I don't know if it's tech for the sake of tech. Information has to be provided somehow, and the app ostensibly allows for more information than the Navigator (e.g. menus, future events) while also allowing you to "favourite" events and add them to your plans. It has a lot of potential. It has a lot of glitches. But is the alternative really no app at all?

I would prefer either no app at all or an app on a Disney device. I do not want to have my phone out and with me while I'm meandering around the boat. And the fact that the app is completely useless when you're off the boat means that it's just taking up space on my device 99.999% of the time.

 

[lilsonicfan]

I would prefer either no app at all or an app on a Disney device. I do not want to have my phone out and with me while I'm meandering around the boat. And the fact that the app is completely useless when you're off the boat means that it's just taking up space on my device 99.999% of the time.

Interesting, I would never want to carry around a Disney device (I don't carry the wave phones either) - I do think cruise lines are moving toward better and more comprehensive apps. I just delete the app when the cruise is done, unless I really want it for the countdown aspect.

 

[ember1205]

Interesting, I would never want to carry around a Disney device (I don't carry the wave phones either) - I do think cruise lines are moving toward better and more comprehensive apps. I just delete the app when the cruise is done, unless I really want it for the countdown aspect.

With all of the "spying" that apps do on your personal devices, I would prefer a device that Disney owns and maintains over using my own device.

 

[VTNuke]

You know, for a HUGE company that does a ton of technologically advanced things, they really aren't focused on technology for their guests.

It hasn't been too long since their wifi became somewhat efficient at most of their resorts. They don't have an app for say, DVC membership. Their in-park apps can often have wrong wait times or other information listed, to the point where some of the non-official apps can be much better. It really hasn't been that long since you could book things like dining directly from your phone, or even with a computer.

I think the DCL App will be fine once they fine tune it more. You know, around the same time as it becomes obsolete and should be replaced by a VR device, or something along those lines. They've definitely focused their surveys on it recently, so maybe there's improvements in the near future.

 

[EllieBride]

We just got off of the Wonder yesterday and I found that the app worked pretty well for the most part. I think the one thing that I would have liked to see added more than anything else is a comprehensive weather forecast (more than just the current day's high/low temp). At least for the next day, even if not an entire extended forecast. Being on the Alaska cruise, the weather info was critical and it would have been really helpful to have that at your fingertips.

 

[lilsonicfan]

And the fact that the app is completely useless when you're off the boat means that it's just taking up space on my device 99.999% of the time.

So I hadn't updated my apps since our cruise started a few weeks ago and I noticed that the DCL app needed updating. It looks like now, the app will let you look at your reservation and modify it, use online check-in, explore activities etc. That's handy. I might still delete it as I don't have a cruise booked, but nice to know it's not completely useless now.

 

[mmouse37]

On the Fantasy last month our lovely room host (Sharonet) actually left a paper copy in our cabin each night without prompting. I was very surprised! I always liked the paper navigators much better but this cruise I actually used the app more. I would look at the paper one at night before bed but during the day I just carried my phone and would check the app for the things we wanted to do.

MJ

 

[ember1205]

On the Fantasy last month our lovely room host (Sharonet) actually left a paper copy in our cabin each night without prompting. I was very surprised! I always liked the paper navigators much better but this cruise I actually used the app more. I would look at the paper one at night before bed but during the day I just carried my phone and would check the app for the things we wanted to do.

MJ

Last month when? I thought I had read that the 5/11 sailing that I was on was the first one where the paper Navigators were not going to be left automatically. It's possible that your host didn't get the memo.

 

[bjt]

Love the Navigator app. It has come a long way from it's first introduction and has a long way to go, but for the most part it gives me the information I need, when I need it. During our last cruise on the Wonder last fall, notifications worked well, even on my Apple Watch. Looks like there is some instability in messaging they need to work out. I only keep the apps on my phone that I am using at the time, so I download the app right before the cruise and delete it when we are home, so space is never an issue. Personally, I'm glad Disney is pushing into this space and continuing to improve on the product. I freely admit that Disney's IT department leaves a lot to be desired, especially on their web platforms, but given where things where when the Magic first launched, things have improved every year! Now I wish I could put my key to the world card on my phone and watch and eliminate the card all together!

 

[darnheather]

I would prefer either no app at all or an app on a Disney device. I do not want to have my phone out and with me while I'm meandering around the boat. And the fact that the app is completely useless when you're off the boat means that it's just taking up space on my device 99.999% of the time.

I don't think it takes up much space and there is no way I would want to pay DCL for a device my children lost or broke. I hated carrying the wave phone the one trip my daughter was in the little kid's club. I mean if the dirty clothes bag costs $10 what would a device like that cost? My devices are all insured.

 

[ember1205]

I don't think it takes up much space and there is no way I would want to pay DCL for a device my children lost or broke. I hated carrying the wave phone the one trip my daughter was in the little kid's club. I mean if the dirty clothes bag costs $10 what would a device like that cost? My devices are all insured.

The phones cost either $200 or $250 if you lose or damage it.

What's the point in NOT carrying the phone if the kid's club can't reach you through the app? There's no calling in the app, and notifications of messages is not reliable.

Don't get me wrong - I understand your point about not wanting to carry the phone. But, the app is not a suitable replacement is all I'm saying. I feel that they rolled out the app "because they could" and then passed it off as a way to replace the paper Navigators even though there is so much wrong with the app.

 

[Tasmen]

My only complaint with the app is one I had pre the update. We found that we were not always getting messages in a timely manner. We'd have to restart the app sometimes to see if we missed a message. This was especially important when the child was off on her own with a rule she couldn't change location with sending us a message AND hearing a reply 'ok' from us.

So, if the updates mean they fixed the issues with messaging, I'll throw all the sparkle fingers in the air the next time we cruise.

 

[Mark D.]

Looks like there is some instability in messaging they need to work out.

I feel like this is why they've started iMessage trials on the ships. Disney has finally figured out that real-time messaging is hard. Hopefully they'll realize that allowing access for iMessage and others will not use that much bandwidth (especially if they can restrict it to text only - no voice or video messaging), and they will open it up permanently. Then they can drop that function from the app and focus on improving the rest of it.

My wife and I are split -- I like the app, but she wants paper. The only time I want paper is if I'm off the ship and need to see the schedule of activities.

 

[lilsonicfan]

I feel like this is why they've started iMessage trials on the ships. Disney has finally figured out that real-time messaging is hard. Hopefully they'll realize that allowing access for iMessage and others will not use that much bandwidth (especially if they can restrict it to text only - no voice or video messaging), and they will open it up permanently. Then they can drop that function from the app and focus on improving the rest of it.

I'm not sure that that is really WHY they have started it; many people don't have iphones so it would be odd to take the chat function away entirely rather than fix it.

 

[ember1205]

Disney openly acknowledges problems with message notifications which are likely due in large part to how Apple clamps down the operating system.

Trialing access to iMessage makes no sense unless they are planning on providing iOS devices in place of the phones. An iPod touch would work well for this.

If they're planning on using an app for messaging, they need to be testing something that's cross platform (which iMessage will never be).

 

[Mark D.]

I'm not sure that that is really WHY they have started it; many people don't have iphones so it would be odd to take the chat function away entirely rather than fix it.

Disney openly acknowledges problems with message notifications which are likely due in large part to how Apple clamps down the operating system.

Trialing access to iMessage makes no sense unless they are planning on providing iOS devices in place of the phones. An iPod touch would work well for this.

If they're planning on using an app for messaging, they need to be testing something that's cross platform (which iMessage will never be).

It’s possible that they could be moving to an iOS-based device, but I don’t see them doing that for guests. I could see them doing that for the crew, though.

If they are going to open up messaging, I believe that iMessage is just the start, and eventually they will open other platforms like WhatsApp and whatever Google uses (and others). If you wanted to run a limited beta to test network impact, picking a platform that would have a relatively small user base and a known firewall configuration, like iMessage, is the way to go.

The other option that comes to mind is that they are internally testing changes to the messaging portion of the DCL app before a public release, and iMessage access is a just side effect. That would be similar to the RCCL app. That app is cross platform, but on an iOS device once you pay for messaging in the app, iMessage starts working too.

 

[mmouse37]

Last month when? I thought I had read that the 5/11 sailing that I was on was the first one where the paper Navigators were not going to be left automatically. It's possible that your host didn't get the memo.

We were on the May 18th sailing of the Fantasy.

MJ