Before my last trip to Walt Disney World, I was able to take a sneak peak the the Kenny the Pirate Character Locator App. With a subscription price of $6.99 (now $7.99 as of Feb 2017), the app offers a lot of information, including:
- Full park and show schedules, including crowd calendars (New! With suggestions of which park to visit each day of your trip.)
- Touring plans
- Character schedules, maps and tips for each park
- Character schedules and details on special events
- Master character list
- Trivia
- Character dining details
- Online chat (New!)
I was anxious to put the app to the test at Walt Disney World, which I was able to do in early November. I really wanted to meet as many characters as possible on my last trip and planned on using the app in my quest. I love that the Character Locator has a complete alphabetical list of characters and where and when they can be found in the parks. I especially liked that the times are available at any time. The My Disney Experience App does tell you where and when to find characters, but I was only able to find that information when the parks were open. The Character Locator maps were wonderful and I appreciate that they include potential character training locations on their maps.
To me, the $6.99 $7.99 is less than you would pay for a Disney guidebook, which I can appreciate, but I think it is still too much for a Disney app. As an avid Disney fan, I truly appreciate all of their touring plans and schedules, but I don’t feel like I need those guides. The biggest reason for me, that the Character Locator app is unique, is the timing for Characterpalooza that seems to only be available through the app. While Characterpalooza is one of my favorite experiences at Walt Disney World, I don’t want to have to pay $6.99 $7.99 each year to learn times of an experience I have once a trip. They even mention on the app not to share the times with people who have not subscribed.
For me, all I needed was character information. While I appreciated their very thorough list, Disney does offer a list of characters available. You can even walk using the My Disney Experience app and it shows your progress as your approach the characters. I used both apps during my trip, but I honestly feel I would have been fine just with the My Disney Experience app.
I do think the Character Locator app is wonderful and for a new Disney traveler interested in finding characters, I think it’s a wonderful resource. I would give it a ringing endorsement, but I have a hard time getting over the annual fee. There are a lot of wonderful Disney sites out there that make money from their advertisers. I’d love to see them bring the price down on this app.
Amy
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