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7/20/2009 || Moving Forward
Well, last week was a long one...my "real" job was crazy with several rush jobs for clients, and on top of that at the end of the week my MacBook Pro's video card went out. But, I made it through, with the only real casualty the timeliness of my WDWmobile updates. :)
I do have some updates to share, though, that I am really excited about. So, let's get to them!
First of all, I have introduced a new logo for WDWmobile. Since it is growing so fast, I decided the safe play would be to remove the Disney script from the logo. The last thing I want--or need--is a letter from Disney's well-retained lawyers. Let me know what you think!
Secondly, I am still introducing new features. I know that there are several wait time systems out there, with all of them, except this one, made for the iPhone or other smartphones. The beauty of this site is that it works on any mobile phone with a web browser. This opens it up to a exponentially larger audience, which means that as the user base grows, so will the prevalence of wait times, dining reviews, and more. Speaking of dining reviews, be sure to submit yours by clicking Park Data above! This Dining Reviews feature is one of several features that I am launching to set this system apart from the other options you have. Plus, it's free!
The newest feature is Twitter integration. Effective tomorrow (Tues.) morning, each time you post a wait time or news item from the parks, you have the option of having that same data automatically posted as a tweet from your Twitter account. Cool, huh?! I'm really excited about this, as many people are already posting times to Twitter. This will allow you to accomplish two tasks at the same time. To activate this feature, you will need to (starting tomorrow), login from your mobile phone and select Account Profile. You'll see the Twitter settings near the bottom. Again, this feature is optional.
To grow the user base, I will be implementing several marketing efforts over the next week or so. I can't talk about them, but trust me when I say that WDWmobile should be exposed to thousands of potential users very soon.
That's about it around here...please take a few moments to tell people you know about WDWmobile.com. I, and the other users, would really appreciate it. I hate to sound like a broken record, but I know that time postings are still light. The user base is growing steadily, so we just have to be patient. However, I would like to ask that if you are in the parks, and no one else has yet to post a time for that day, go ahead and be the first! Don't think that no one else is using the site...I have stats and evidence that there are people accessing WDWmobile on their mobile phones everyday! I think a lot of people, though, are just not posting times since it appears no one else is using the site. Every day, someone has to be the first person in each park to post times. Who knows, there might be some kind of contest down the road for people that use the site the most...
Keep your suggestions coming in! I have a big announcement coming soon that I can't wait to tell you about. Thanks, as always, for visiting, and take care!
7/6/2009 || New Developments!
I've been very busy lately working on improving WDWmobile.com, and I am excited to make a few more announcements tonight!
Over the weekend I launched the Dining Reviews feature. This new feature, like other features of WDWmobile, is free to use. However, unlike most other features, it can be fully utilized both on the non-mobile, "remote" site, and the mobile site. You can even enter your own dining reviews on both sites! This means that whether you are in the parks looking for a last-minute reservation, or are simply planning your trip and need to see what has been well-liked lately, this Dining Reviews feature is for you. All park and resort restaurants are covered!
Currently, only reviews for dining experiences that occurred within the past 3 months are permitted. This ensures that all reviews are "fresh," as restaurants can change over time, for better or worse. You are able to rate 5 key ares of your experience, and are able to optionally provide a written review. I encourage you to take advantage of this written review option and let everyone know what exactly you had, and how it was.
This feature is now online here on the remote site, so check it out! Simply go to Park Data. Please feel free to begin entering your own dining reviews when you get a chance to. The feature will be implemented into the mobile version within the next few days. Mobile users will be able to view reviews and enter their own reviews, right from their mobile phone.
Another new feature I am really excited about is the new WDWmobile Weekly Planner Newsletter.
This free, weekly e-mail newsletter is going to offer original and exclusive tips and information based upon the data gathered by WDWmobile users. I promise to be a great steward of your time. You'll learn when the best times of the day are to ride your favorite attractions, what restaurants in the parks and at the resorts are rating the best over the past week, and much more. Plus, I am working with some partners to offer subscribers exclusive deals and special offers.
You can subscribe and learn more about this newsletter here. I hope you give it a shot; I am confident that everyone will benefit from it!
Well, that about wraps up today's update. Registrations are still steady for the WDWmobile service. Over the next few weeks I'll be unveiling new efforts to recruit more members beyond the Internet, as the bulk of WDW guests aren't engaged within the online WDW fan community. This will be great for all of us, as the more people using the system in the parks, the more we all benefit!
Take care, and have a great week!
7/2/2009 || Good News & Updates
Hello again everyone, and thanks for visiting!
It's been just over a week since WDWmobile.com launched, and things are going great. Let me get you up to speed:
- WDWmobile has now been used by users in the parks. User WDWJill was the first, so if your paths cross, be sure to thank her!
- Traffic to WDWmobile is steadily increasing. I've said this before, but it is true and worth repeating: it will take time for the user base to grow enough so that there are always up-to-date times posted for all four parks. This is to be expected! But, with attention paid to WDWmobile increasing daily, and this being busy season at WDW, things are looking great! The best way for WDWmobile to grow is for you to tell your friends and people you see in the parks. Every time that someone uses the site, everyone benefits! I know that the idea of posting wait times for the park you are in can seem odd when hardly anyone else is posting. However, I know for a fact that people are continuously checking the site, including people in the parks, so using the site will only encourage others to do the same.
- I updated the home page of WDWmobile.com to detect whether you are on a mobile phone or desktop computer. If you are on a desktop, it will send you to the page you are currently viewing. So, regardless of what type of device you are using, just go to WDWmobile.com and it should take you to the appropriate page.
- I updated the Park Data page (desktop version) so you can quickly see which attractions have data posted for them instead of having to click each attraction individually.
- I will be launching a new feature over the holiday weekend, so keep checking back for an announcement, or follow me on Twitter (@wdwblog).
6/28/2009 || WDWmobile Updates & Questions Answered
Hello everyone!
The WDWmobile.com site has now been open for ~5 days, and so far the response has been great. Registrations are still steady, and we have several registered users that are going to be in the parks over the coming days and weeks. Use of the site by people in the parks is still light, but that is to be expected. Our user base is growing and growing, so, as time goes on, the prevalence of wait time data will only increase. Thanks for your support and patience!
I have received a lot of suggestions, comments, and questions, and that's great! I urge you to use the e-mail link to your left to let me know what you think. Several of the suggestions are actually currently in development, so stay tuned. Once I am able to announce those features, I'll be sure to give credit where credit is due!
One new feature that launched today is the News Feed. I'm really excited about this one, as I feel its potential is great and it can benefit everyone. Everyday, unexpected and unplanned magical events take place in the parks that only a lucky few get to witness, such as the opportunity to ride Space Mountain with the lights on, for example. With the WDWmobile.com News Feed, if you come across this type of event, you can now quickly and easily make a post to the feed that is visible by all other users of the site, sharing the magic! Each park has its own feed that shows the most recent news posts. To learn more about this great new feature, head over to the About WDWmobile.com page.
I also want to quickly address several of the questions I've gotten. I'm leaving names off of these as I didn't ask for permission, but in the future, if you ask a question, let me know if you want to be credited and I'll give you a shout-out and link, if you like!
Can there be a password retrieval function?
Yes, there will be soon! It's been on my to-do list, and will be launched soon.
Can you make this into a iPhone/BlackBerry/Android app?
For the time being, WDWmobile.com will be a site only. However, I am looking into taking the next step towards an actual app. I myself am an iPhone user, and would love to have this as an app. The possibilities of the touch interface really excite me! My first priority, though, is to make WDWmobile.com as great as possible for all mobile devices, and then, after that, move toward making phone-specific apps. If the demand is there, then I will likely move forward. Hang in there for now! :) It's not that I don't care, it's just that I don't want to spread WDWmobile.com too thin, without making sure everything is as good as it could be first.
I don't like using SMS/Text Messages. Can you keep it from being required?
Actually, text messaging is not required to use the WDWmobile.com site. When registering, simply don't enter your mobile number. If you have already registered and want to remove your mobile number to keep from participating in text-based services, simply login and, at the bottom of the main page, select the modify profile link.
Currently, text messages are sent only when the following happens, and only if you have entered your mobile number in your account:
- You are giving away FastPasses with the PassPass system. When someone claims them, you are sent a message to notify you. You are then both able to send messages to each other through the site, with the site shielding your mobile number from the other user.
- You subscribe to update notifications for an attraction or attractions. If you subscribe, each time the data (wait times) is updated for that attraction, you are sent a text message with that data. You can cancel this at any time, but it automatically expires at the end of that day.
Well, that will do it for today. Thanks for coming by! If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please let me know. I love hearing from you!
6/25/2009 || WDWmobile.com opened to public
On Tuesday evening WDWmobile.com was opened for registrations. Registration was and is absolutely free. For the most part, initial promotion for the service has come from people spreading the word via Twitter, for which I am very appreciative.
The vast majority of registrants have enabled text messaging, which is great, as this adds to the benefit of the site. The last thing you want to do while in Walt Disney World is waste precious time on a phone. I made the site as easy and quick to use as possible, but enabling text alerts saves even more time, and gives you only the information you want. Please remember, though, that enabling text messaging is not required.
Registrations so far are steady. I want to remind people, though, that until the user base grows, wait time data and available FastPasses will be hit or miss. There is just no way around it, so please be patient and give the site time to grow. The features sell itself, so to speak, so I am confident that the site will have enough of a user base soon so that there will be consistent data and FastPasses available.
Lastly, I want to quickly address advertising on the site. Currently, there are no ads on the mobile site. However, as I stated at the beginning, the site will be ad-supported in the future. I've invested a lot of time into this project, and web servers aren't free, so I have incurred some cost. In addition, though, I also partly started this site to hopefully generate a little bit of income. I suffer from severe rheumatoid arthritis, which, for someone my age (25), is fairly rare. It can be debilitating at times, which means I'm not always able to work every day (I'm a freelance web & graphic designer). I hope that at some point in the future, this service can help plug in those holes of lost income.
That may be too much information, but I just wanted everyone to know where I'm coming from, and that I'm not greedy and in this to just make a quick buck. I honestly want this service to help visitors to WDW, and I think it can. While we all can benefit from up-to-date wait times, the idea of a family in the parks for their last day, and getting some desperately needed FastPasses through the PassPass feature really appeals to me. While I'm sure some people will abuse the PassPass system, those are the types of situations that I hope come to fruition.
Well, that's about it for today. I'm currently working on the next version of WDWmobile.com. It will include the refining of some existing features, and the addition of some more features. One of the new features could very well be as popular as the Wait Times service! I'm even implementing some ideas recommended on Twitter and from volunteer Testers, so I'll be sure to give credit and shout-outs when I am able to make said changes public.
Thanks for taking a few minutes to stop by, and thanks again for using WDWmobile.com!