WiFi In The Parks

[Jerryp49]

MousePlanet this morning posted this article about WiFi in DL and DCA :

Disneyland rolls out the WiFi
Finally following in the technological footsteps of Walt Disney World, the Disneyland Resort has rolled out WiFi service in both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, as well as the esplanade between the parks. This is great news for Disneyland visitors, but don't expect to be able to roam the parks while connected to Disney's network. For the moment, WiFi is only available in specific areas in each park, as indicated by symbols on the guide maps available at the main entrance gates. The network is called "Disney Guest."

Based on the maps distributed this past week, here's where to find WiFi in the parks:

Disneyland

• Main Entrance Esplanade
• Main Street – Guest Relations Kiosk / Wait Time Board
• Main Street – Partners Statue / Hub
• Tomorrowland – outside Star Wars Launch Bay
• Fantasyland – between Matterhorn and Tomorrowland Terrace seating area
• Fantasyland – Fantasia Gardens, near Edelweiss Snacks
• Frontierland – Rancho del Zocalo seating area / Zocalo Park
• New Orleans Square – edge of Rivers of America, near raft docks

There is currently no WiFi offered in Adventureland, Critter Country or Mickey's Toontown

Surprisingly, there seem to be more hot spots offered in Disney California Adventure, which already had a few areas of unplanned WiFi access thanks to the network at the nearby Grand Californian Hotel.

Disney California Adventure

• Main Entrance Esplanade
• Buena Vista Street – Guest Relations Kiosk / Wait Time Board
• Grizzly Peak – Outside Soarin'
• Grizzly Peak – Near rest rooms at border of Paradise Pier section
• Paradise Pier – Paradise Gardens seating area
• Paradise Pier – Cove Bar and adjacent boardwalk
• Pacific Wharf – outside Ghirardelli Soda Fountain
• Cars Land – Flo's V-8 Cafe north seating area
• Cars Land – Flo's V-8 Cafe south seating area
• Hollywood Land – between Backlot Stage and rest rooms

There is currently no WiFi offered in a bug's land, or the south end of Hollywood Land near the Guardians of the Galaxy ride.

This new WiFi network debuts as Disney prepares to roll out Disney's MaxPass, a new digital offering announced in January. MaxPass bundles the existing PhotoPass product with a not-yet-released digital Fastpass tool in the Disneyland mobile application.

MaxPass includes unlimited downloads of PhotoPass photos taken for each day that the entitlement is valid. It also allows visitors to collect and redeem Fastpass tickets using the app, instead of collecting paper Fastpass tickets.

Visitors can add Disney's MaxPass to their theme park tickets for $10 per ticket, per day. Users can choose to purchase the MaxPass for their entire length of stay, or for one or more days. Annual passholders will also be able to purchase MaxPass by the day, or add it to their pass for the year, though pricing has not yet been finalized.

The standard Fastpass system will still be available at no charge to visitors who do not purchase the MaxPass product.

Disney has not yet said when MaxPass will debut, and there are still details to be released. However, we see this new in-park WiFi as a sign that MaxPass is almost ready for showtime.

 

[Linkura]

Thank you for posting! Good news- fingers crossed that we hear more about MaxPass soon!

 

[hjgaus]

Can anyone give there best guess as to when MaxPass will begin due to this current information?

 

[Jerryp49]

No firm date. From another blog site :

For those of you interested in the MaxPass, it will be offered to guests in July when the AP blockouts are in full effect. Cast Members are being scheduled training classes on this feature in June.

 

[felice]

It'll be interesting to hear whether the MaxPass app, once it is enabled, will work for those of us based normally in the UK, Canada and elsewhere and roaming within the US during our visit to DLR & DCA. It will be a bit of a pain if, when it is rolled out fully, that it would only work with mobile phones connected to domestic (US) networks only.

 

[Disney_Alli]

Should work fine on phones from other countries like MDE and the current Disneyland app do.

 

[agamble]

No firm date. From another blog site :

For those of you interested in the MaxPass, it will be offered to guests in July when the AP blockouts are in full effect. Cast Members are being scheduled training classes on this feature in June.

I was hoping for June...

 

[Linkura]

No firm date. From another blog site :

For those of you interested in the MaxPass, it will be offered to guests in July when the AP blockouts are in full effect. Cast Members are being scheduled training classes on this feature in June.

That works for me as my trip isn't until September. Thanks.

 

[SMD]

Deluxe AP and above aren't blocked in July. There's no "full effect" on AP blockouts except for I guess basically the Christmas blockout now.

 

[BriannaRuth]

Hmmm ... sounds like we may expect large crowds of guests standing around blocking pathways in those areas while trying to access WiFi for MaxPass or just checking their email .... one can only wonder how many people will try to crowd into these areas first thing in the morning to get FPs online.

 

[alvernon90]

Hmmm ... sounds like we may expect large crowds of guests standing around blocking pathways in those areas while trying to access WiFi for MaxPass or just checking their email .... one can only wonder how many people will try to crowd into these areas first thing in the morning to get FPs online.

It seems like only a small percentage of visitors would be reliant on wifi to connect to the DL app. People do it all the time today. In fact, I would rather skip Disney wifi and just keep wifi turned off on my phone. Free wifi in crowded areas (like parks and stadiums) almost always sucks.

Or are you saying that only people connected to Disneyland wifi will be able to use MaxPass? That would be surprising, because it would be an incredibly stupid design choice. I have a hard time believing Disney would do that, when they can just rely on GPS to make sure people are actually in the parks when using MaxPass.

 

[BriannaRuth]

I'd be tempted to use my data as well, but know a lot of people don't have that option. We don't have unlimited data on our plan so I always use WiFi if possible. No idea how they will handle the Max Pass thing, but I would certainly hope you could use it via data as you say.

 

[carnival kid]

For those of us travelling from overseas we rely heavily on free WiFi so i hope this will eventually spread through the whole park.

 

[ezonline]

Heading there in August. If you use the wifi before then, please report!

 

[Mrs. W]

It seems like only a small percentage of visitors would be reliant on wifi to connect to the DL app. People do it all the time today. In fact, I would rather skip Disney wifi and just keep wifi turned off on my phone. Free wifi in crowded areas (like parks and stadiums) almost always sucks.

Or are you saying that only people connected to Disneyland wifi will be able to use MaxPass? That would be surprising, because it would be an incredibly stupid design choice. I have a hard time believing Disney would do that, when they can just rely on GPS to make sure people are actually in the parks when using MaxPass.

I've found the bolded to be true as well.

We visit Disneyland pretty regularly and we always use data to access the app. We're going in October so I'm looking forward to hearing the early reports about the wifi, before then.