Need maps, wait times for rides and restaurant tips for Walt Disney World and other central Florida attractions? There’s an app for that.
Plenty of them, actually. And they could prove useful for visitors heading to Orlando for Presidents Day week (beginning Feb. 24), traditionally one of the busiest times for theme parks, with many kids off from school.
Software developers started tapping into smart-phone users’ zeal for theme parks a couple years ago, and dozens of applications are now available for iPhones, Droids and other handheld devices that can make park visits more efficient and fun. A few can be downloaded free, but most cost a few dollars.
Most of the apps available currently are geared toward Walt Disney World, including Disney’s own app for Verizon phones, but a handful are available for other attractions, too. For instance a free iPhone app called Universal Wait Times (VersaEdge Software) did exactly what it promised when tested recently: provided accurate wait times for rides inside the two Universal Orlando parks. The app proved to be particularly useful during a visit to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at Islands of Adventure, where wait times for the signature ride tend to be much longer than in other areas of the Universal parks.
There are apps with park maps, some of which work with the phone’s GPS function to show your exact location and what’s nearby. There are apps for park times and to help visitors choose a restaurant by cuisine and price. Others can research and compare resort hotels, help plan the trip and count down the days, find the right shuttle bus routes and entertain the kids when you get there.
Disney is rolling out its newest version of a “know-it-all” app exclusively for Verizon Wireless phones, called “Disney Mobile…