Six Flags has released their "Six Flags Fun Finder" app for the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad today, and we have a quick review of it for you! Oh, did I mention it's free?
I'm typing this up as I try it, so if it's not completely coherent that's my excuse!
For starters, when you first open the App it asks if you want to allow Push notifications. Not sure what exactly it'll notify me about but sure!
Next you need to pick a park, so let's pick Six Flags Great Adventure. It has to load the park info when you choose it.
Once you're on the park you have a few options:
On the upper-right you have a Settings button, that let's you:
Change Parks, Become a Funatic (I submitted this and it just says thanks for registering, it doesn't seem to recognize on the App if you are a Funatic or not), Change Push settings, Give Feedback on the App, Log out/In to Facebook and Revoke Facebook Permissions (I have no idea what this does with Facebook?)
When you go to Park Pal you get a main screen with a map of the park you can move around, a location button to find your current location, and options at the bottom.
"Hours" lets you view park hours for the entire season.
"Friend Finder" lets you see what your Facebook friends are doing in the park (so that explains the Facebook connection). You can allow the app to post Status Updates to your wall. It looks like you can make the app tell your Facebook friends where you are in the park (although I just did it outside the park and it put on my wall "Join me in Six Flags iPhone Application"). You can also type and send an update to Facebook, not sure what it does since it says I have to be in the park.
"Rides" lets you view, well, all the rides in the park, their height requirements, thrill rating, location, and additional information. I can't really tell how it's sorted, though, and there's no search option, so it's a big list to go through. Hopefully that functionality gets added in the future.
"Events" lets you see everything going on at the park, and getting more information will fill you in on it and let you set a Phone Reminder for when it's going to happen. Basically when you hit that you can set a date and time, and the App will send you a push notification at that time to remind you about the event.
"More Fun" lets you look up everything else in the park. Food, Retail, Games, Character Locations, Flash pass, ATMs, Strollers, Lockers, Bathrooms. It will show you where they are in the park on a map you can move around and zoom and everything. It looks pretty detailed, and even has some of the smaller food locations on it.
So let's go back to the main page to the Fun Wheel, which seems to have games. With the Big Scream it will load up the park and let you spin a wheel, and give you a random thing in the park. It looks like if you're in the park you can hit "Show Me" and it will show you where you are vs. the place in question. It also might keep track of where you go?
There is also the Social Club, which says it will keep you connected to friends. It also has a wheel to spin and looks like it just tells you different things to go do?
So what do I think? It's a pretty nice app, and has more information on it than the website that's for sure. It has a few quirks that can be worked out, but not bad for an initial effort.
BUT, it's missing anything like wait times, ride status (open, closed), stuff that a lot of people would find really useful. Even park hours - if the park closes because it's terrible out, will the app show that? If not, I hope it can in the future. And I hope it can show at least ride status (is Ka open or closed?), and wait times (although that might be asking a bit much).
One thing is for sure: This definitely needs to be tried out in the park! The fact that it can tell where you are and get you places is pretty neat. I will have to stop by the park soon and try it out.
What else would you guys like to see in this App?
You can download it via the App Store on your iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad, or
click here to view it online and download it via iTunes!
UPDATE: Here are
photos of the app!
Topic: Six Flags iPhone App Released! (Read 3361 times)