Questions about Star Wars: Datapad

[SpringBreak]

I'm looking for info on the Star Wars Datapad. What is it exactly? In what ways is it interactive? Is it like the Agent P game at WDW where you make things move and happen in the physical space? Or is it all digital? Are there missions/games with definite endings, or do you just play continuously until you feel like stopping?

 

[starlite_]

You can make things move and happen in Galaxy's Edge. "Hack" into antennas, droids, etc. You can also scan codes thru the lines and get items. There is also a plot mini game for Millennium Falcon where you have to for example count the number of vents on the top. It's meant to help pass the time in the line.

Edit to add: You also get "credits" from the Millennium Falcon depending on how well you do, I've always liked that part.

 

[Ladyslug]

I'm not an expert at it, so I can't tell you the details about completing missions to level up your character and follow one of the Resistance/First Order/Scoundrel paths, but I know there are things you can do that affect the physical space at Galaxy's Edge. You can "hack" droids/panels/ships (read: solve a little puzzle game) to do things like activate the Dianoga near the drinking fountain, make the Ronto Roaster droid talk, and vent the Millennium Falcon. My 6-year-old son had a blast using an iPod to hack things and scan crates all around the land, even without doing any actual "missions."

 

[SpringBreak]

Thanks for the details. DH and OS are big into SW and I can see them going "rogue" with the app. LOL.

 

[gelatoni fan]

The app is Play Disney. Inside, you can get to the Datapad.
You can earn credits from riding Smugglers Run and doing jobs in the app. There is currently nothing you can buy with credits since it seems like Disney got lazy and didn't finish thinking this through.

Rise of the Resistance has 2 jobs for when you are in line: one for Resistance and one for the First Order. Smugglers Run has one. There's also many others around the land. As you interact with stuff, you'll also get achievements, equipment (to change your outfit in your profile) and other stuff. The jobs you complete will affect your reputation in the app with the First Order, Resistance and Scoundrels. Disney promised that reputation would lead to something in the land but doesn't currently and it seems like Disney just forgot about it.

There's some minor interaction with stuff but there isn't much of an end goal unlike Agent P.

 

[CodeGoddess]

You can earn credits from riding Smugglers Run and doing jobs in the app. There is currently nothing you can buy with credits since it seems like Disney got lazy and didn't finish thinking this through.

I was talking to someone at WDW staying in the star wars hotel and they mentioned something about the credits and having to go back to actual cast members in the hotel to turn in missions.

 

[starlite_]

The app is Play Disney. Inside, you can get to the Datapad.
You can earn credits from riding Smugglers Run and doing jobs in the app. There is currently nothing you can buy with credits since it seems like Disney got lazy and didn't finish thinking this through.

Rise of the Resistance has 2 jobs for when you are in line: one for Resistance and one for the First Order. Smugglers Run has one. There's also many others around the land. As you interact with stuff, you'll also get achievements, equipment (to change your outfit in your profile) and other stuff. The jobs you complete will affect your reputation in the app with the First Order, Resistance and Scoundrels. Disney promised that reputation would lead to something in the land but doesn't currently and it seems like Disney just forgot about it.

There's some minor interaction with stuff but there isn't much of an end goal unlike Agent P.

I'm hoping that the magicband+ interactions will expand on it a bit. I so wanna do something with the credits.

 

[bwvBound]

Edit to add: You also get "credits" from the Millennium Falcon depending on how well you do, I've always liked that part.

You can earn credits from riding Smugglers Run and doing jobs in the app.

FWIW, I haven't received payment from Hondo Ohnaka since DLR reopened. I spoke with CMs and they agreed ... seems that feature is broken/sidelined.

Disney promised that reputation would lead to something in the land but doesn't currently and it seems like Disney just forgot about it.

I sure wish Disney would circle back on this topic and continue what they had started!

 

[ironband74]

Hopefully by the time you go they have fixed some things. When I went in 2019 it was pretty cool - lots of real world effects for hacking ships and whatnot, and yeah, it would pick up credits from flying the Millennium Falcon and stuff.

When we went in April, I'd say about half of the real world hacks didn't seem to be working (I couldn't get the Dianoga to pop up in the water fountain tank, couldn't get any response from the x-wing, etc.) The only thing that seemed to be working consistently was the droids. Additionally, the beacons in MFSR appear to have been down since reopening - no one I've talked to has gotten their payout to show up on the datapad lately. Of course, I don't talk to that many people...

It is fun and if you don't know what's supposed to happen, I guess you wouldn't miss it. You still can get all the collectables and there are missions you can complete to gain faction points. But I did feel pretty silly since I had someone with me who hadn't been to GE yet and I was all like "WATCH THIS!" (fiddle with datapad...friend looks at me..."WATCH WHAT?"...I look at friend "It's not my fault!")

I agree with @CodeGoddess that Disney seemed to have a lot more planned for this, but decided to stop developing it and stop maintaining the interactivity within the land. Probably another casualty of the GSC paywall (I mean, why would we develop it if it isn't making us more money, right?)

 

[bwvBound]

But I did feel pretty silly since I had someone with me who hadn't been to GE yet and I was all like "WATCH THIS!" (fiddle with datapad...friend looks at me..."WATCH WHAT?"...I look at friend "It's not my fault!")

It is still fun to hack the Millennium Falcon when Chewbacca is out. A successful hack will trigger steam to be released from some part of the MF's undercarriage; Chewie will race over to "fix" the problem. Fun!

It is also fun to trigger the droids when younglings are around. Nobody but you will know why the droid started chatting ... and the kids get really excited.

 

[Ladyslug]

Thanks for the details. DH and OS are big into SW and I can see them going "rogue" with the app. LOL.

Do note that using the Play Disney Parks app really burns though batteries, though -- at one point we had to recharge the iPod with a portable battery pack.

 

[Kit Jackson]

The jobs you complete will affect your reputation in the app with the First Order, Resistance and Scoundrels. Disney promised that reputation would lead to something in the land but doesn't currently and it seems like Disney just forgot about it.

@gelatoni fan-This a mini-rant inspired by your comment and is not aimed at you personally in any way shape or form. My anger is not directed at you. I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at Disney and especially Bob Chapek. (Just thought it was worth clarifying)

MINI-RANT: Disney promised that how you did on on Smuggler's Run and interacted with other parts of the land would impact how characters treated you (as a potential ally or foe depending on your allegiance). This was totally abandoned at Disneyland and is really only available at WDW to people staying at Galactic Starcruiser. In other words, they took the human element that would you make you feel more like you were actually in the universe of Star Wars and put it behind a $6,000 paywall.

 

[SpringBreak]

Hopefully by the time you go they have fixed some things. When I went in 2019 it was pretty cool - lots of real world effects for hacking ships and whatnot, and yeah, it would pick up credits from flying the Millennium Falcon and stuff.

When we went in April, I'd say about half of the real world hacks didn't seem to be working (I couldn't get the Dianoga to pop up in the water fountain tank, couldn't get any response from the x-wing, etc.) The only thing that seemed to be working consistently was the droids. Additionally, the beacons in MFSR appear to have been down since reopening - no one I've talked to has gotten their payout to show up on the datapad lately. Of course, I don't talk to that many people...

It is fun and if you don't know what's supposed to happen, I guess you wouldn't miss it. You still can get all the collectables and there are missions you can complete to gain faction points. But I did feel pretty silly since I had someone with me who hadn't been to GE yet and I was all like "WATCH THIS!" (fiddle with datapad...friend looks at me..."WATCH WHAT?"...I look at friend "It's not my fault!")

I agree with @CodeGoddess that Disney seemed to have a lot more planned for this, but decided to stop developing it and stop maintaining the interactivity within the land. Probably another casualty of the GSC paywall (I mean, why would we develop it if it isn't making us more money, right?)

Thanks for the heads up. I hope they at minimum get the real-world hacks working. Those are the kind of magical touches that can be enjoyed by everyone, even the youngest visitors.

 

[SpringBreak]

The app is Play Disney. Inside, you can get to the Datapad.
You can earn credits from riding Smugglers Run and doing jobs in the app. There is currently nothing you can buy with credits since it seems like Disney got lazy and didn't finish thinking this through.

Rise of the Resistance has 2 jobs for when you are in line: one for Resistance and one for the First Order. Smugglers Run has one. There's also many others around the land. As you interact with stuff, you'll also get achievements, equipment (to change your outfit in your profile) and other stuff. The jobs you complete will affect your reputation in the app with the First Order, Resistance and Scoundrels. Disney promised that reputation would lead to something in the land but doesn't currently and it seems like Disney just forgot about it.

There's some minor interaction with stuff but there isn't much of an end goal unlike Agent P.

My older teens ( who unfortunately won't be joining us on our June DL trip) *loved* Agent P when they were tweens. It was their favorite part of Epcot hands down. They loved all the little gags and feeling like they were in on a secret that few people in the park knew about. I liked the game because it required kids to walk around the WS and really interact with it. I also liked that there was a definite ending to the game, so my kids had a clear signal as to when to stop playing (helpful when trying to make an ADR -LOL).

My son (age 10) loves Star Wars and uses any excuse he can to play with my phone, so I'm a bit worried he'll want to just bury into the app in GE. I'm going to have to set some limits. Either that, or leave him and DH there and take little brother to Fantasyland. LOL

I'm someone who appreciates the utility of having a phone, but do not want to spend my vacation staring at it.

 

[Nonsuch]

Do note that using the Play Disney Parks app really burns though batteries, though -- at one point we had to recharge the iPod with a portable battery pack.

Some early versions of Play Disney would quickly drain the battery and create issues with the Disneyland App. I deleted the app, and will likely never reload it

 

[figment_jii]

I'm looking for info on the Star Wars Datapad. What is it exactly? In what ways is it interactive? Is it like the Agent P game at WDW where you make things move and happen in the physical space? Or is it all digital? Are there missions/games with definite endings, or do you just play continuously until you feel like stopping?

I didn't think it was as interactive as the Agent P game in Epcot. Mostly, it triggered sound effects and only a few visible effects. Still it was fun to run around Batuu and complete missions and collect "stuff". It did (and still does) drain the battery of my phone. You use the same datapad account at both WDW and DLR (at least I was able to) and, for the most part, things seemed the same. I don't think you actually need to visit both Batuus to finish the missions or collect everything.

 

[ktlm]

My DD loved Agent P too- I would say she was totally obsessed with it on our WDW trips. Didn't matter how many times she had done it either- she wanted to make all they stuff trigger and move again. It was so great back when they gave you a communicator to use- not so great once they made you use your phone as it caused major battery drain, and a lot of kids didn't even have their own phones so they wanted to use their parents' phones. We went from seeing a ton of people running around playing to just a few. Disney makes you use your phone for so much now, that it drains fast anyway.

We've heard the battery drain on Play Disney is bad. Be sure you have a portable charger if you plan to use it--- maybe 2, if you know you typically have to charge your phone because of watching wait times, Genie + etc and you use all or most of your portable charge. DD is a teen with her own phone now, and as much as she is a huge Star Wars fan and really wants to play, she won't play because she doesn't want her phone drained. As a teen, she always has this fear in the park that even with a portable charger she will run out of power. LOL.

 

[MonocularVision]

Looks like more is coming when the MagicBands make their way to Disneyland.

 

[julesann]

I'm not an expert at it, so I can't tell you the details about completing missions to level up your character and follow one of the Resistance/First Order/Scoundrel paths, but I know there are things you can do that affect the physical space at Galaxy's Edge. You can "hack" droids/panels/ships (read: solve a little puzzle game) to do things like activate the Dianoga near the drinking fountain, make the Ronto Roaster droid talk, and vent the Millennium Falcon. My 6-year-old son had a blast using an iPod to hack things and scan crates all around the land, even without doing any actual "missions."

My 57 year old db had a blast doing the same as your 6 year old last month