Essential Apps For An Orlando Holiday

Until not so long ago your first stop at the Florida theme parks was always was the trusty park map. With a little navigational skill, you could find the latest and greatest attractions with ease. Those days have practically vanished now that smartphones are ubiquitous with our lifestyle. Having a smartphone is now one of the essential tips listed in my planning guidebook. While it is still possible to do Orlando’s theme parks without a smartphone, it is no longer very practical. Read on to find out the essential apps for an Orlando holiday.

This overview of theme park apps is a snapshot of their features, last checked in November 2021 when this article was published. Apps are constantly being updated so features may come and go and the app sizes will go up over time.

My Disney Experience

Description
Each of Disney’s theme park resorts worldwide has its own app. For Disney World, you will need only the My Disney Experience app. As theme park apps go this is probably the most polished and well-integrated. 

Key Features

• Attraction wait times
• In park directions
• Mobile food ordering
• Showtimes
• Virtual line access for attractions that need it
• Disney Genie suggested itineraries to make the most of your day
• Ability to purchase Lightning Lane tickets and upgrade to Disney Genie+

Good to know
With My Disney Experience so integral to your day at Disney World you will find that your phone battery will not last a full day especially if you are using it for photos as well. A power bar, like the app, has become an essential accessory for your day in The House Of The Mouse.

You don’t need the app to be able to use Disney Genie+, there are kiosks that let you book your next attraction reservation. But why fork out for Disney Genie+ then not use it to its full potential? If you are planning on purchasing Disney Genie+, the app should be an essential part of your day.

Play Disney Parks

Description
Not essential to your visit but Play Disney Parks makes your times in the infamous Disney World queues more bearable, especially with kids. The app has everything from interactive experiences and attraction specific games while in line to Disney Trivia and achievements to unlock.

Good to know
The app size is huge but it will keep data use down while in the resort. Location needs to be enabled for the app to work, seriously draining your battery at the same time. 

Star Wars fans can rejoice for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was built with this app in mind. When you enter the boundary the app transforms into a datapad allowing you to hack into droids, scan crawl and tune transmissions and a lot more. If you want to take your Batuu trip to the next level without breaking the bank and staying in the Starcruiser hotel this is it.

If you have children and worry about how to keep them occupied this is your answer. You had better have a way to recharge the phone multiple times throughout the day because this app is a power-hungry beast.

Disney Cruise Line Navigator

Description
Not strictly one you need for the resorts but many people will look to twin a Disney World visit with a Disney Cruise from Port Canaveral. If you’re going on a Disney ship then this is the app for you.

Key Features

• View reservation details before you depart and check-in before you arrive
• Explore and book and view activities and entertainment
• Keep a check on your dining seat reservations 
• Make special requests
• Onboard chat feature with friends, family and crew
• Explore your ship deck by deck
• Find Disney characters

Good to know
Not strictly needed but like so many Disney apps, Disney Cruise Line Navigator is about putting you in control. It’s a nice to have but not an essential part of your cruise experience.

Universal Orlando Resort

Description
Universal has been working hard on improving the Universal Orlando app but it still trails Disney’s by quite some margin. If you know your way around the parks this isn’t as essential as Disney’s My Disney Experience but it still can come in handy.

Key Features

• Set parking location reminder to find car by level, section and row
• Check ride wait times on an interactive map
• View restaurant menus
• Locate nearest toilets throughout the resort
• Place a mobile food order in select restaurants
• Virtual line access on select attractions 
• Universal Play interactive experiences, games & trivia 
• Set up an account and use it for contactless payments
• Create a to-do list of attractions

Good to know
With the exception of ride wait times and virtual line, I rarely found the need to open the app on my last visit. Mobile ordering can come in handy but the queues for restaurants are nowhere near as busy as Disney World queues so it’s a nice feature but not essential except when visiting on busy days.

It’s good to see Universal is expanding the appeal of the app introducing interactive fun instead of making a separate app like Play Disney Parks. You will likely get the most out of this app if it is your first visit or are on a tight timescale and want to get as much done as you can. For everyone else, it’s convenient to have but not an essential part of your day.

Seaworld

Description
Light on features but also storage, the Seaworld App is great for first-time visitors to get to know the park layout. The app is the same for all Seaworld parks in the US. When you first download it select Orlando as your park.

Key Features

• Interactive park map
• Attraction information and wait times
• Book behind the scenes tours
• Showtimes
• In park directions

Good to know
Like Universal, it’s not strictly essential, especially in its current lightweight form but a day at Seaworld usually involves several shows and the app is great for showtimes. If the shows are a priority for you, getting all of them in in a day can be challenging. Use this app to plan your show schedule.

Busch Gardens

Description
Busch Gardens has a slightly convoluted layout and so much to do you really need more than one day to experience everything. The newly updated app now lets you plan your day better with interactive features and additions to enhance your day.

Key Features

• Interactive park map
• Get directions anywhere within the park
• View attraction wait times
• Add a Quick Queue ticket to your day to get more done
• See animal experiences 
• Locate nearest toilets

Good to know
There aren’t so many shows at Busch Gardens as there used to be so showtimes really isn’t necessary at the minute. Ride wait times and directions are probably the most time-saving features especially if you haven’t been. 

The park layout is basically a circle with very few cut-throughs so getting from one attraction to another can be time-consuming. Use the app to plan your attractions near each other and work your way around to save an excessive amount of walking.

Bush Gardens has some amazing behind the scenes tours with the animals but if this is your first visit get the park done first before delving behind the scenes.

LEGOLAND Florida

Description
Like other park apps, the Legoland App is basic but functional with a layer of interactivity to help you plan your day. Standard features of other apps are present here also helping you to plan your best day at the third-largest Legoland in the world.

Key Features

• Interactive map
• Showtimes
• Attraction wait times
• In park directions with walking times
• Exclusive discounts and Legoland info

Good to know
It’s basic for sure but the park is quite sprawling and with so many attractions being able to set a personalised itinerary of attractions is great. In park directions will help save a little time and the exclusive discounts is a nice touch.

Conclusion

The My Disney Experience App should now be considered an essential part of your day in Disney World, especially if you plan on purchasing Disney Genie+ or Lightning Lane. Because the Disney Parks are so busy you can save time by picking attractions with lower wait times even without purchasing Disney Genie+. Don’t expect to get everything you want done in a day and you will be fine.

Other park apps are only essential if this is your first visit or if you really want to get everything done in as short a time as possible.

The ability to see showtimes in the Seaworld app is a real planning plus but it is doable without the app as long as you pick up a park map as you enter the parks.

Whether you decide to download all the apps or just what you need you will find they all help to some degree. Just remember, if you plan on making them an integral part of your day, don’t forget a power bar or 2. You can thank me later!