It just has to be said.
Some of my fondest memories are waiting at the rope drop at Disney, so excited, so giddy, so early in the morning. Walking and getting our fasspass, then riding, then getting another fasspass, then riding, eating lunch, talking, laughing, walking, taking pictures with a camera, smiling.
There was no ‘technology’ apart from my dad’s camera. To out wait times you had to either walk to the ride, or walk to a specific area of the park to find out. Even when I was a teenager and I had a phone I didn’t take it to the park because I didn’t need it.
My idea of Disney is making memories with my family, it’s smelling the popcorn, experiencing a fantasy that is not reality. An escape from reality.
My phone is reality. My phone reminds me of work, emails, social media, the outside world, the life I’m not living in Disney.
The reason I love Disney is because it isn’t reality. It’s a fantasy dream world where anything is possible.
My Disney Experience App launched in 2013 along with Magic Bands (Known as My Magic+) has brought my reality into WDW. It has forced me to bring my phone along with me to the parks. Now instead of walking down main street, smelling the popcorn, seeing the smiles, experiencing the atmosphere - everyones heads are down. Trying to get the next FassPass, ordering their food, checking the wait times, finding the character locations, viewing PhotoPass photos.
It is near impossible to not look at your phone.
I understand everything is more efficient now, more intelligent, more up to date.
I do miss the days of a more relaxed, paper map, paper tickets, exploring kind of Disney.
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