Disney announced today that they are shutting down their Disney Mobile phone service. According to Disney, current Disney Mobile customers will receive service and support until Dec. 31, 2007. Current customers may qualify for a reimbursement program but details of the reimbursement program were not immediately available. Customers should check on the Disney Mobile Web and that they will announce the programs details no later than October 8th. Also something to note is that if you plan on moving your service to another provider and you want to port (keep your Disney number) then you should do it before November 30th to insure number portability.
What Disney brought to the table was not a bad feature to have if you are a parent with younger children. I assume that the service will eventually make it to one of the major carriers (probably Sprint; because Disney Mobile used their networks) as an add on service much like the ESPN service now on Verizon Wireless.
The service that Disney provided was a family oriented GPS tracking system that allowed parents to “see” where their children are through a web based portal or on their cell phones GPS system. All in all, the idea is a great one for families who are always on the go. With the hectic schedules that Americans have these days, it is a great feature to calm worried parents who want to know where their children are.
