We have mentioned the Play Disney Parks app in several articles on MouseBrief. We recommend downloading it before your Disney visit, because it offers fresh ways to explore Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and is a fun way to pass the time in line. But, our favorite use of the Play Disney Parks app—and the reason I am writing this article—is the way it allows you to interact with the queue area for Peter Pan’s Flight at Disneyland Park. So today, we are sharing why we think you should get the free Play Disney Parks app before soaring with Peter Pan at Disneyland.
Now, the Play Disney Parks app is not going to allow you to skip the perpetually long line at Peter Pan’s Flight or pilot your flying pirate ship to another dimension. This queue interaction falls more into the category of a little pixie dust or hidden Disney parks magic. The reasons for downloading the Play Disney Parks app before you experience Peter Pan are small but delightful. For that reason, I am going to try to keep this post free of spoilers while sharing enough to encourage you to follow our advice, so here we go with… why you should get the Play Disney Parks app before riding Peter Pan’s Flight in Fantasyland at Disneyland Park.
The Peter Pan’s Flight Queue is (Almost) Always Long
If you have not yet been to Disneyland, you night be surprised that a seventy-year-old ride with no drops and low-speed boasts consistently long waits. But if you have had the pleasure of riding Peter Pan’s Flight, you know there is a sweetness and magic to it that goes beyond thrills and special effects. You also know that this is a low-capacity ride.
So, the combination of Peter Pan’s Flight being both popular and low-capacity results in a relatively long and slow-moving line. We regularly recommend visiting popular rides just as the parks open, but we actually do NOT advise doing this with Peter Pan’s Flight (unless you are absolutely at the front of the rope-drop pack). Peter Pan’s Flight also does not offer any kind of Lightning Lane at this time, so that wait-cutting service is not an option. Lines for Peter Pan’s Flight start long and remain long throughout the day, so usually the best you can do is hop in line minutes before Disneyland Park closes (to avoid “wasting” park time in a queue) or you can make the best of it by finding ways to enjoy the queue.
The Peter Pan’s Flight Queue is Boring
Of course, the biggest obstacle to enjoying your time in line is that the Peter Pan’s Flight queue area is decidedly boring. Perhaps that’s a bit dramatic: after all, you are in the heart of Disneyland. But as Disney queues go, this one is pretty bland. It consists of partially covered switchbacks in front of the ride. The view into beautiful Fantasyland is mostly blocked by crowds, and there is no real view of the ride itself aside from the loading area.
That’s why we recommend turning to the Play Disney Parks app for this queue. We often advocate for turning-off screens and just enjoying Disneyland. The wonderful thing about using the Play Disney Parks app in the Peter Pan’s Flight queue is that it actually helps you see (and activate) parts of the queue you might not have experienced otherwise. Again, we do not want to spoil it for you, so we will preview the Play Disney Parks app features in the next few sections while trying not to give too much away.
Play Disney Parks Plus Peter Pan Helps You Bond
The Peter Pan’s Flight queue often extends out past the ride building and into the adjacent Fantasyland walkway, where the queue is organized by chains and stanchions. You can open the Play Disney Parks app right after you get in line: select the option called “Off to Never Land”. In this uncovered portion of the Peter Pan’s Flight queue, you will be prompted to ask and answer questions aloud with your travel party. These are not trivia questions, but they are about things like your favorite part of Never Land, and—according to the app—they are meant to help you “share your happy thoughts.” To that end, there are also some jokes mixed into the activity as well.
(Note that you will also be prompted to indicate the entrance you are using, this is to accommodate folks who may be entering another way for accessibility accomodations.)
We love the idea of using reflection and discussion prompts to draw closer to loved ones. That’s why we even created our own Fun Questions for Connection While Waiting in Disneyland, and we put a whole lot of effort into our discussion guides for Disney Sunday Night Movies. The neat thing about using these questions and jokes as supplied by the Play Disney Parks app is that they relate to the movie Peter Pan and the attraction you are about to experience.
Flying Solo or With a Big Crew?
We think these ”happy thoughts” questions in the first part of the activity are the reason that “Off to Never Land” is marked as being for two to five players. If you are visiting by yourself or with more than five people—do not let go of those “happy thoughts—we still suggest you do this activity. You should be able to easily adapt it for your group size with some creative adjustments, and we would not want you to miss out on what comes next.
Find Some Hidden Treasures with the Play Disney Parks App
At some point during the “Off to Never Land” game, you will be prompted to indicate whether you have entered the covered portion of the queue. Once you have entered this wooden-railing part of the queue with a roof overhead, you will start a new portion of the game. There is no use switching to this part of the game early, because you will not be able to play well until you have a good view of the surrounding queue structure.
That is because you will be searching for “Tinker Bell’s Trinkets” around and overhead. These trinkets are objects molded into the structures of the queue (not the loading area for the ride). You will know what to search for, because the objects’ outlines are shown in the app. Once you have spotted a hidden trinket, you will select its outline in the app to check it off of your list.
We think it is fun to see how many of these objects we can find together. They are significant to the film Peter Pan and help us remember parts of the story as we prepare for the attraction. Plus, it encourages us to appreciate the queue area and have some fun with one another. It is kind of like a game of “I Spy” but with Imagineered pixie dust: simple but engaging.
One Final Pixie-Dusted Surprise
The best part of the Play Disney Parks app’s interactivity comes at the very end. It is also a sweet little surprise, so we have no intention of ruining it for you in this post. Just make sure you alert the app to when you are within site of the lantern placed in the queue. You should find it on the south side of the queue structure as you are nearing the end of the switchbacks and approaching the loading area.
Once you have indicated that you are within site of the lantern, the game will end, but the finale is the best part. So time this for when you are done searching for hidden trinkets but still have an excellent view of the lantern.
Incidentally, I hope that I have not built this up too much. Do not look for this lantern with the thought that you will be awarded $200 or discover the secret to never growing-up. This is just one of those little hidden surprises that we think comes together with lots of other little things to give Disneyland its ineffable magic. It’s not a thrill ride, but getting to activate this bit of pixie dust yourself really adds to the fun (as does getting to see the reactions of the people around you who did not know about this hidden gem).
FAQs for the Play Disney Parks App and Peter Pan’s Flight
What is the Play Disney Parks app?
Play Disney Parks is a mobile app from the Walt Disney Company that features games, trivia and other amusements. It is a different app from the Disneyland mobile app and can be used at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World; some features, mostly trivia, can also be used away from the parks. Certain offerings in the app are triggered when you are in the proximity of specific rides: “Off to Never Land” is one of these.
How much does it cost to use the Play Disney Parks app in the Peter Pan queue?
The Play Disney Parks mobile app is free. Now… you will need to pay for admission to Disneyland, but the app itself is free and free to use in the parks. You do not need to purchase Lightning Lane or any other kind of service to use Play Disney Parks, and some games (not “Off to Never Land”) are accessible outside the Disney parks.
How do I get the Play Disney Parks app?
You can download the Play Disney Parks app for free to your mobile device. We suggest doing this before you get to Disneyland and playing around with it a bit before your visit.
Do I need two to five people to play the Peter Pan game on the Play Disney Parks app?
No. You do not need two to five people to play the ”Off to Never Land” game while waiting for Peter Pan’s Flight. The activity selection screen indicates two to five as the recommended number of players. But, I have played this by myself by just reflecting on the questions quietly, and I have adapted this for large groups by having everyone take turns (or opening the app simultaneously on another device). The “hidden trinkets” and lantern surprise part of the game especially do not require a certain number of players to be enjoyed.
Can I use the Play Disney Parks app for Peter Pan’s Flight at Walt Disney World too?
Yep. The Play Disney Parks app functions at both Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida (plus there are some at-home games). There is a Magic Kingdom (that’s in Walt Disney World) version of the game in addition to the Disneyland version, and you can use the same app.
Thank you for reading this post on why you should get the Play Disney Parks app before riding Peter Pan’s Flight at Disneyland.
For a free and complete approach to planning your Disneyland visit, please check-out our Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep. And for more fun questions to discuss while you wait in line at the Disney parks, see Fun Questions for Connection While Waiting in Disneyland. Finally, please consider subscribing to our free newsletter. Thanks again for reading!
