The Play Disney Parks mobile app was released last summer to give Walt Disney World and Disneyland guests something to do while they waited in lines for their favorite attractions. Featuring mini-games and trivia challenges, it aimed to enhance their visit, while hopefully making those 90+ minute queues a bit more bearable.
With the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in both parks, the app’s received a major update, most notably a dedicated mode designed specifically to immerse you in the Outer Rim planet of Batuu. More than offering a few time-killing activities, however, it features a ton of varied interactions and experiences that support the expansion’s ambitious, in-universe approach to storytelling.
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Because the Star Wars content was built and integrated right alongside the creation of Galaxy’s Edge, it truly feels like an organic part of the experience rather than a shoehorned afterthought. The digital nature of the platform also allows it to change and evolve over time, delivering fresh content to support new rides and events. The recently opened Rise of the Resistance ride (read our review here), for example, has seen the app enhanced with story-based missions and tasks that specifically tie to the epic conflict at the center of the attraction.
Upon downloading Play Disney Parks and selecting Galaxy’s Edge on its virtual map, your device is transformed into a Star Wars “datapad,” complete with a user interface that wouldn’t look out of place on a Death Star station computer terminal. It contains four main tools – hacking, scanning, tuning, and translation – all of which let you interact with everything from ships and droids to door panels and cargo crates in the park.
Player participation is flexible, as it provides both quick-hit games and lengthier, objective-based quests. During our full day on Batuu, we found ourselves surprisingly glued to the gadget, chasing down every glowing icon that popped up on our display, and unraveling side stories that made us feel like part of the Resistance…or a First Order supporter.
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Our datapad first led us to messages scrawled in Aurebesh – the land’s native language – which we deciphered with its scanner. The translated texts yielded additional Batuu backstories, outpost rules, and other Star Wars-flavored intel. Discovering that Oga’s Cantina enforces a two-drink maximum for Wookiees was a highlight.
Deeper, more interactive activities include hacking the various ships, antennae, and droids encountered throughout the land. Upon solving simple, touch-screen puzzles on the device, you bring these items to life in various ways, from activating the glowing red eye on a seemingly offline Imperial Probe droid to unscrambling secret, static-y radio transmissions, and even messing with Kylo Ren’s TIE Echelon.
Accepting faction-based jobs further ratchets the immersion, allowing you to take part in secretive missions unfolding all over Batuu’s Black Spire Outpost. Completing these multi-part, story-based tasks for the First Order, Resistance, or yourself – as a smuggler – gains you reputation with your preferred faction.
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During our stint working undercover for the good guys, we tracked down a number of cargo containers while hunting for a coveted jet-pack. By scanning QR-like codes on the inconspicuous crates, we could spy their contents; after acquiring a number of digital goods – including a Jawa cloak for our in-game avatar – we finally located the critical objective and gained favor with Rey’s freedom fighters.
We also enhanced our Rise of the Resistance experience by helping Finn navigate the attraction’s massive Star Destroyer and assist in freeing prisoners. Of course, on our second run, we decided to dance on the dark side, using the datapad to help the First Order. This involved leveraging the gadget’s various functions to intercept transmissions, scan supplies, and even plant tracking devices. Turning traitor is fun, but don’t be surprised if you feel a bit guilty while sharing the queue with a group of Resistance recruits.
If you’re craving more friendly competition, you can also take part in Outpost Control. The land-spanning game sees all participating park-goers hacking door panels – which activate with lights when breached – all over Batuu. You’re free to side with the First Order or Resistance, but the team with the most hacked doors claims control of the Outpost.
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Regardless of how much you engage with the app, your progress is tracked and rewarded with various achievements, rankings, and credits that can be used to purchase in-game items. Your profile is also saved between park visits, and even carries over to the opposite coast’s Galaxy’s Edge.
The app’s a bit of a hidden gem at the moment, taking a back-seat to flashier attractions like Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. It’s well worth seeking out, though, if you want to make the most of your visit and dive deeper into the land’s lore. Young Padawans will especially dig its role-playing and video game-like elements, while parents might appreciate not spending a penny on an experience that provides a surprising amount of entertaining content.
Source: IGN.com How Disney Is Gamifying Your Theme Park Experience