How Video Games Are Helping Out With Walt Disney World's Insane Wait Times

Everybody loves Walt Disney World, but nobody loves standing in line. Now, Disney Parks have found an all-new way to make the worst part of the trip a little less awful. Disney Parks have unveiled the Play Disney Parks app which is now available for download that will give guests at both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California the opportunity to play unique games and engage in other activities while standing in line for some of their favorite attractions.

The Play Disney Parks app launched on June 30 alongside the opening of the new Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios and it was likely useful for a lot of guests who withstood absolutely insane wait times to check out the new attractions like the Slinky Dog Dash roller coaster. Disney was ready for that, however, as guests waiting in line for the coaster had the ability to play a game called Andy's Board Game Blast, which Andy has created in his backyard, a perfect setting since the entirety of Toy Story Land is meant to evoke an image of the guests existing at the size of toys in Andy's backyard.

Guests on both coasts can enjoy the app while standing in line for the Toy Story Mania ride, one attraction both parks have in common. That line has a different activity, Playset Party, where guests actually can build the Toy Story Mania playset.

In addition to the in-line games, the Play Disney Parks app also links to Apple Music to give you access to curated Disney music playlists as well as play Disney trivia games. The app also has an achievement system for those gamers who enjoy those in-game rewards.

While Play Disney Parks seems a little bare bones at the moment, the Disney Parks announcement promises that will expand over time, including adding new activities when Star Wars Galaxy's Edge opens in both theme parks next year. The more it adds, and the faster it adds it, the better. Nobody likes standing in line and while tools like the FastPass system have helped reduce wait times, and attraction queues are always integrated into the storytelling in ways to try and keep things entertaining, there's only so much you can do. People already spend long periods of time on their phones while standing in line surfing social media or whatever. This app will allow Disney fans to keep in the immersive Disney experience while still keeping themselves entertained. The fact that these games can be played by multiple people also means you won't alienate your friends and family by staring at your phone the whole time you're on vacation.

I'll take whatever Disney Parks can figure out to make standing in line less dull. Being in a short line is no big deal and can actually be nice as it lets you see the way Disney created these attractions in exacting detail, but when you're staring down the barrel of a two-hour-plus wait time for one of the newest rides, there's just nothing fun about that.

Image Courtesy WDWNews.com/Disney