Apple’s latest version of its Maps application allows us to take an aerial trip over Disneyland Paris from the comfort of an easychair. Alain Littaye of the Disney and more blog shares some tips on how to maximize your enjoyment of this technological wonder. ~~Rick
Those of you who own an iPhone or iPad are in luck today as Apple has updated its Maps App with new HD satellite pictures of Paris AND Disneyland Paris, and the “fly over” function is working on both! The result is stunning views of the park that you can discover from any angle. All you have to do is open the “Maps” application, enter the keyword “Disneyland Paris”, choose the satellite view, and then the 3D view.
Not only can you have a full view of the park but also you can zoom wherever you want! The first picture below shows Disneyland Paris hotel and the Fantasia Gardens.
From there you’ll have a great view of Main Street U.S.A from above…
…then of Sleeping Beauty Castle and Central Plaza…
Let’s fly over Frontierland Thunder Mesa and the Rivers of the Far West!
From that point you can zoom on Big Thunder Mountain island for a great view of it and Phantom Manor…
The great thing is that the multi touch function offers the ability to “turn” around and change the angles at will…
Let’s fly over the jungles of Adventureland!
A great view of DLP Fantasyland…
…and over Discoveryland’s Space Mountain and Autopia…
These great aerial views also allow you to discover things that you can’t see from the ground. For instance, we can see here how close the small cars of Autopia are from the “real” ones parked in the Disneyland Paris hotel parking lot…
Note how close the entrance of DLP Magic Kingdom is from the entrance of the Walt Disney Studios park.
And look how close the future Ratatouille ride – on the bottom, still in construction – will be from Frontierland river and the geysers. Something you will never know when you’re in the parks.
Another thing, even more interesting, the app reveals where land is still available for future expansions. For instance, flying over the WDS, you can see this big piece of land in the back of the park. This will surely be used in the future for new rides or mini lands to be added to the WDS.
At Disneyland Park, between Indiana Jones Temple of Peril and the Pirates of the Caribbean show building, you can see the land where DLP Imagineers will eventually build the long awaited Indiana Jones Adventure…
…and behind the Fantasyland train station, note the land that they intend to use if the Little Mermaid ride comes to DLP Fantasyland.
You can also see the land available behind Space Mountain and in back of Discoveryland on which will be built the upcoming Star Wars land. You can be sure that this one is coming. Maybe not before 2016, but it’s coming. The big white tent on the bottom right is the VIP tent used during DLP special events which is easily removed.
And if they decide to build over the road, they have even more land available.
So, is this Maps App perfect? Let’s say that it is very good as long as you don’t zoom too much inside a view. If you do that, you’ll reach a point where the buildings will start to distort. This is a result of algorithm used to extrapolate the 3D view from the original “flat” view in the photo. Nevertheless, it’s a great way to prepare for your next trip to DLP, and thanks to the App, you’ll be able to visualize the distances between DLP hotels and different areas.
Let’s end with a direct vertical view of Disneyland park…
We’ll have more for you from Disneyland Paris very soon.