Disney park guide maps get a makeover – New design aligns with official app
Mar 22013 Filed under: Disney, Walt Disney World Posted by: Matt Roseboom
All of Disney World’s theme park guide maps, plus Downtown Disney, Disney’s water parks and ESPN Wide World of Sports, are getting a new design tomorrow. The new design is meant to closely match with what guests may be used to seeing when they use the “My Disney Experience” app or Disney website to plan their vacations before their visit.
The new guides also feature a QR code, which smart phone users can scan to easily download the My Disney Experience app if they don’t already have it. The app provides updated wait and show times, an interactive map, and once launched later this year, the ability book and change FastPass+ reservations.
Other new features on the guides are:
• New numbering scheme.
• Newly added store locations.
• Map is now drawn to scale.
• Listing of different ways to get to the other parks and WDW locations.
• New true north to south orientation.
• Animal locator added to Animal Kingdom guide.
Here’s a look at each Disney park map. Click to see them larger.
The Times Guide also has a new look:
Lee Stone
March 2nd, 2013 at 11:20 am
I think the North to South orientation of the maps will help people who fire up maps in applications on phones where the orientation is likely to default to that before they orient it themselves.
It does, however, mean that the entrances are at different sides of the map (some top, some bottom, some to the side) and I think because this isn’t consistent that it will make using it slightly more difficult for first time guests.
Logan
March 4th, 2013 at 10:19 am
I agree with Lee. I love the new design, but why are the entrances to the parks all over the place? Hollywood Studios is going to throw a lot of first timers off because of the new orientation. I like the new EPCOT map though, I think that’s better than the older layout.
Amy
March 7th, 2013 at 3:32 pm
I agree! I’m a former cast member (Guest Svcs – Yacht and Beach Clubs, Disney Rep – Swan and Dolphin) and yesterday we went to Epcot (for probably the millionth time) to see the opening day of this year’s Flower & Garden. When I opened the new map, I was like WHAT!?! It was even hard for ME to orient myself, though I obviously don’t need a map at this point.
I do NOT understand the strategy of the map almost appearing “upside-down” when you first walk into the park (Hollywood Studios seems to be like this too). Also, the font size of the bulk of the map is smaller and the colors just don’t seem as vibrant as the most recent maps they used. Not really happy with these changes!
Tim
March 7th, 2013 at 3:49 pm
All I can say is that this will really help me out when I’m trying to figure out which part of Innoventions is “East” and “West”!
Natalie
March 9th, 2013 at 3:55 pm
I HATE these new maps. I cannot wrap my head around Disney’s new need to embrace ALL things technology-based. I’m the type of visitor that’s irked to see everyone walking around the parks with their faces glued to their smartphones. I’m disappointed that Disney continues to cater to the technological aspect so much. What happened to magic and surprise? Later this year, the app will “help guests book their fastpasses”….REALLY?!