Hi, I’m Chase.

A guest once walked up to me in a resort lobby and asked where the bathroom was. I had been at that resort for about five minutes. I said “right this way,” walked with total confidence, and found it at the same time they did.

That was a normal day for me as a resort concierge on the Disney College Program. I arrived at Walt Disney World in October 2021, a few months after the program came back from its COVID shutdown. My home base was Port Orleans French Quarter, but I didn’t stay put for long.

I picked up an extra shift at the Polynesian, spent the day out front greeting arriving guests with leis, and got hooked. Over the next nine months I worked at more than 20 resorts. Every one meant a new costume, a new layout to learn fast, and a new set of guests who expected me to know everything.

The Polynesian is still my favorite, by the way.

Across all those resorts, one question came up more than any other, and it wasn’t about bathrooms. It was about the My Disney Experience app. Genie+ and Lightning Lane launched the same month I started, and guests were overwhelmed. They didn’t know how to book a Lightning Lane, what to do first, or whether they were doing it right. I spent a lot of shifts standing next to someone, looking at their phone, walking them through a day they had spent months planning.

I realized the most useful thing I gave guests wasn’t an answer. It was the feeling that someone who knew the place had their back.

That’s what Parky is becoming. Right now it’s built for the people who already know the parks: annual passholders, DVC members, and super fans who are there often enough to want more than the official app gives them. The goal is bigger than that. I want Parky to be the app I wish I could have handed every guest who walked up to my desk, including the family on their first trip who has no idea where to start.

We’re not there yet, and that’s where you come in. If you’re a regular, download Parky and tell me what’s working and what’s missing. If you’re planning your first trip, or you remember how confusing your first one was, tell me what you wish you’d had. Email me anytime at chase@parkypass.com. I’m still happy to point you in the right direction.

— Chase