Disney to reinvent the theme park shopping experience with new mobile app

Aug 10, 2015 in "MyMagic+"

Posted: Monday August 10, 2015 7:46am EDT by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney is planning to introduce a new mobile app that will make finding, buying and shipping merchandise from the Walt Disney World theme parks easier and faster than ever.

Tower Gifts

Unlike the existing offerings at the DisneyStore.com site, the new app will offer nearly the full range of merchandise available in the parks, and should once-and-for-all resolve that problem of - “I wish I had bought it when I was there..”

Called ‘Shop Disney Parks,’ the app will allow guests to locate, order, and ship merchandise from any Disney operated retail store at Walt Disney World.

If you are shopping at home within the US, the app will let you browse, buy and then ship the items directly. If you are already in the parks, the app will have the capability to browse, buy and then ship to the front of park, or for resort guests, directly to the hotel.

Inside the stores, guests will be able to scan the merchandise for more information about the product.

By linking in with My Disney Experience, the app will also honor discounts, such as Annual Pass and Disney Vacation Club discounts.

The app will be launching soon, and will be available for iOS devices, such as iPhone and iPad, and Android.

Disney has recently introduced new ranges of attraction merchandise that appeal to the more dedicated fans and expected users of the new shopping app. Memento Mori at the Magic Kingdom, Tower Gifts at Disney's Hollywood Studios and The Sign Shop at Marketplace Co-Op have all recently been updated with new ranges of merchandise.

Memento Mori

The Sign Shop

Discuss on the Forums

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JahonaDec 02, 2015

Update: Finally got through. They are almost out of what I ordered and are attempting to track one down and send it to me. Decent customer service over the phone.

JahonaDec 02, 2015

I've used it half a dozen times with out any problems. They got half the order right. I'll second this. A zoom feature and more images would be nice.

JohnDDec 02, 2015

Yes. It really needs a zoom feature.

JohnDDec 02, 2015

Waiting for a Mr. Toad ornament and two mugs to arrive. I've used it before with no problems. Crossing fingers.

JahonaDec 02, 2015

So I made a few holiday purchase and they seem to have gotten my order mixed up on one of them. The box was addressed to me but the item inside and the shipping invoice had someone else's name and order. I've attempted to call their phone number but the only thing I get this morning is a busy signal. It seems that this service doesn't have an email address either to use to get in contact with.

hopemaxNov 08, 2015

Yeah, I found a Disney Parks Blog Post about the app, and commented that I couldn't get the app to work after the update, and that there were messages from other people saying the same, on the app store. After that, the next time I tried to load the app, it had a comment about IOS 7 issues, and then a couple days later it was working. So the app loads for me now, but I still have some issues, in that I'll search for something, and get like 150 results, but then it times out after only showing me 10, 20, 50 results. So if you know exactly what you want, you can search, but if you want to just browse holiday items or something, it's hard to see all of them.

Wags14Nov 08, 2015

Ya tried using this several times during our last trip a week ago and got this message repeatedly. I think it has something to do with the new iOS and the compatibility issues. Hopefully it will be fixed soon, would have loved to have used it.

FrostyNaplesOct 30, 2015

Exactly, skip the lines at the cash register, no need to waste more time filling out the green forms. It is extremely convenient for shopping, and then enjoying the parks. Plus you can sit on the purchase, and decide later, even after leaving Disney to ship to home.

G00fyDadOct 26, 2015

You can (I know it may sound silly), but this seems very convenient. No more standing in lines to buy things. Scan the barcode, purchase in the app, and pick it up at the end of the day. :)

HerahOct 26, 2015

I thought you could have things sent to the front even before the app? We've never done it because they say to allow a few hours, and we tend to shop towards the end of our day.

Cosmic CommandoOct 26, 2015

I've had some connection issues today, but I've also used the app fully since the update. It could just be a temporary problem on Disney's end. P.S. I don't remember if this has been mentioned here, but there's free shipping to home until November 22. It could be huge for families who aren't sure they'll fit everything in their luggage or car for the trip home.

hopemaxOct 26, 2015

Since the last update, I can't get the app to load. Just get a "connection failed" message, and to try again later. Anyone else experiencing this problem. I tried deleting and reinstalling the app, but that doesn't resolve the issue.

WhatJaneSaysOct 26, 2015

I will likely be testing this out a lot as a person not staying on property for my holiday shopping. If I can have things sent to the front of the park and just pick up from there that probably quarters the amount of time I need to spend finding specific items. When I start trying it out that way I’ll let everyone know.

G00fyDadOct 26, 2015

I cannot wait to use this next trip since our children are grown now (Well, our son is still 12 but not exactly a small fry anymore.) and we do not need to have everything we buy with us all day. I am going to send all of my purchases up front to be picked up later on my way out of the parks. :D