Navigating Parks without a Smartphone

[Maleficent53]

I need help from all you experts. My sisters and I are of the "older generation". We do have cell phones, just not the smart ones. With the demise of fastpass and the rise of Genie, will we be able to get into any line that is faster than the standby line? My biggest question, I guess, is Star Wars and boarding groups. Is there any way we will be able to do that? And if not, is it still possible to ride the SWGE attractions standby?

We broke down and booked a week starting on Monday 13SEP because I was seeing all the posts and pics of how empty the parks are right now.
Suggestions for us???

 

[Skippyboo]

Do you have a person at home with a smartphone that could log into MDE and do your Virtual Queue at 7am? I don’t think you can access the virtual queue from the WDW website. You can see if MDE app is available for a Kindle if you have one of those.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

WDW has made it nearly impossible to do the parks without a smartphone All their newer rides pretty much requires them, plus Genie etc. I am not a fan of this and I work in IT.

 

[_19disnA]

Even with FastPass, Disney still had kiosks around the parks for those who didn't have smartphones. I would imagine you aren't the only ones going to Disney who don't have one. I suspect Disney will continue to have kiosks for Genie once it gets launched.

 

[Marionnette]

I need help from all you experts. My sisters and I are of the "older generation". We do have cell phones, just not the smart ones. With the demise of fastpass and the rise of Genie, will we be able to get into any line that is faster than the standby line? My biggest question, I guess, is Star Wars and boarding groups. Is there any way we will be able to do that? And if not, is it still possible to ride the SWGE attractions standby?

We broke down and booked a week starting on Monday 13SEP because I was seeing all the posts and pics of how empty the parks are right now.
Suggestions for us???

Genie+ won't be in place by the time you visit. It looks like it will be rolling out a week or two after Oct. 1. All attractions with the exception of ROTR are standby line only. No FP or Genie+ line skipping.

Getting a boarding pass for ROTR is the only challenge you will have. During normal times, getting one even with a smartphone is hit or miss. Given that people have been reporting success in getting BPs late into the day recently, you might want to approach one of the CMs with an iPad stationed near ROTR to see if they can assist you in getting a BP. But even if you're lucky enough to get one, knowing when that BP is called will be the next challenge.

 

[gharter]

Without a smartphone, Disney has become a very difficult place to navigate. Especially when Genie comes online. Plus, mobile ordering requires a smartphone. You should be able to walk up to order after explaining that you don't have a smartphone.

 

[mdmost]

I believe you're able to get a boarding group without a phone but you'll need to go to guest relations at Hollywood Studios around 1pm when the afternoon queue comes up. You definitely will miss out on the 7am queue.

If you're okay with standby, you can ride most everything this way. You can still order at quick service restaurants, you'll just have to wait a bit versus the mobile ordering option.

Genie+ won't be up till October 4th anyway.

 

[Maleficent53]

So I just chatted with a cast member asking if they had any "workarounds" in place for people like us. She kept saying the only way to ride is using the app and getting a boarding number. If this is true, I am very disappointed with Disney. For what we all pay to visit their parks, we should all be able to access any attraction. I guess this is our "You must be this tall to ride" and we need to grow a little.....

 

[reddog21]

You may have a harder time getting an actual menu from a restaurant then getting a boarding group at ROR

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

Sadly this is the future of Disney. As someone mentioned even with a smartphone there is no guarantee that you will get a BG . You might want check cell companies for an inexpensive smartphone and a pay as you go plan.

 

[Turksmom]

You can even get an older smartphone without a plan and use wi-fi.

 

[Flagondry]

Ask around for a spare. We have two sitting in our house as back ups for breaks. You may have a friend or family with an extra phone without a plan.

 

[reddog21]

Sadly this is the future of Disney. As someone mentioned even with a smartphone there is no guarantee that you will get a BG . You might want check cell companies for an inexpensive smartphone and a pay as you go plan.

Sorry but this isn't a future of Disney thing this is the future for everything.

 

[mbcary]

As @mdmost said, you can go to Guest Relations. They had those Guest Experience Team Kiosk for a while, but I don't know if they still have those. Those were in the park and multiple locations.

 

[glocon]

Agree with Skippyboo. See if a friend or family member at home would log into mde for you and try to get a BG for you. They could text you on your flip phone to let you know if they did get you one. And you can periodically throughout the day ask a cm what boarding group is loading and the estimated time til your BG to know when to show up at Rise.

 

[Miffy]

There are other things you need--or would want--a smartphone for at WDW:

(1) Mobile ordering--impossible to do w/o smartphone and many QS places are not too thrilled with people who don't/can't mobile order

(2) Seeing ADR availability. Sure, you can call, but with a smartphone, you can open the app and see right there what's currently available. Much easier.

(3) Wait times at a glance--on MDX it shows a map of the park and the current wait times for every attraction. Super convenient.

(4) Photos. Smartphones are great for taking pictures. Perhaps you bring a camera or don't care about photos, though. That's possible.

(5) Menus at TS restaurants. No TS restaurant we went to in May had physical menus. They all had scan codes so you could bring up the menu on your smartphone.

Come on, one of you just purchase a cheap smartphone and a cheap pay-as-you-go plan. You are taking an expensive vacation, even if you're staying off-site and eating PB&J you made yourself at every meal. There's no getting around the cost of park tickets, which are pretty pricey. Spend another hundred bucks or so and get a smartphone. You'll be glad to have it. Extremely glad.

PS: They're very easy to learn how to use and there's every likelihood that you'll actually enjoy having it and using it, not just at WDW.

 

[OhDannyBoy]

You can even get an older smartphone without a plan and use wi-fi.

Cheap small Android tablets can be had for like $70 and sometimes cheaper on Amazon. I just found one for $52.99. Those will work fine. You don't need a plan.

We actually use old phones with no plan and wifi to occupy our toddlers in long lines at Disney.

You obviously aren't completely gun shy on all technology as we are on a discussion board on the internet, so you must have at least rudimentary computer knowledge. tablets aren't super complicated.

 

[DisneyPanthersFan]

You can ask for physical menus and they will generally bring at least 1 for your group. At least, that has been my experience at Disney World this summer.

 

[DVC92]

Same here. I still use a flip phone but that looks it is coming to an end since it is 3G. Since I have been on every ride many times, just strolling around or jumping in a short standby works for me. I don't like the virtual queues where you can't even get in a standby. They should at least offer a standby for REMY during EEH instead of closing it completely.

 

[2Lunds]

Ask around for a spare. We have two sitting in our house as back ups for breaks. You may have a friend or family with an extra phone without a plan.

This is my suggestion as well. Ask some nieces/nephews/grandkids. Just taking a quick glance in our own "tech drawer" we have 5 old phones here ranging from a 12yr old Blackberry all the way up to a 2.5yr old Google Pixel. I would be more than happy to give a phone to a relative/friend who needed one for something like this.

Bribe them for "smartphone lessons" by offering to pick up some coveted 50th merch for them