Disney Parks Releases (and Pulls) ‘Disney Memories’ App

Yesterday, Disney Parks released its first official app for Apple iOS devices, titled ‘Disney Memories.’ Inspired by the ‘Let the Memories Begin‘ campaign, the free, well-intended app was practically imperfect in every way and was consequently ill-received by every one we asked in an informal poll. The description for the app was as follows:

Make your pictures come to life with Disney magic.

Plus, with the help of Disney Parks magic, some of your favorite Disney Characters might be even closer than you think. Whether you just met Mickey at a Disney Park, or you are dreaming of meeting Mickey for the very first time, this app will let you transform your pictures into very special Disney Memories you will want to share.

The first problem with the photo app was that it was only available for devices with cameras (iPhone, iPad 2), despite having the ability to modify images in the camera roll, which immediately alienated many Disney fans. Ironically enough, even though it was able to modify photos from the camera roll of those able to use the device, it was unable to actually save to the camera roll, another huge oversight on the side of the developers, designers and quality assurance.

For those that were able to actually use the app, the promise of ‘Disney Magic’ and the appearance of Disney characters left fans feeling empty. Instead, users of the iPhone and iPad 2 app had limited choices in enhancing photos with little icons and a few frames, pushing the Disney Memories campaign. Of the icons that were available, many were generic, although some were Disney specific, like park icons. In either case, the small icon choice appeared on the photo in a pre-determined location, blatantly ignoring the potential of the Apple iOS interface and laughing in the face of what dozens of apps had been able to do before it.

To add insult to injury, the app further teased Disney characters by offering the ability to ‘unlock’ additional options by visiting ‘your local cinema or Disney Store Times Square,’ but reports on this functionality have not been found online, so there’s no telling if the app could deliver on the promise.

Less than 24 hours later, the app has been pulled from the App Store. Perhaps to revamp it enough to be able to present something that might actually be worth downloading and using it, perhaps to avoid further embarrassment of releasing such an inadequate product from a company that has produced so many apps of infinitely better quality.

This latest botched gesture by Disney Parks to promote its memory campaign is just the latest in a series of moves that suggests its 2011 campaign to harvest guests’ private moments for its advertising stockpile is losing steam. It was recently revealed that the tagline ‘One More Disney Day‘ was nothing more than another way of soliciting material from guests while trying to convince them to add another day to their vacations.

UPDATE #1: 11/15/11 – Disney Parks has activated one of two domains it registered for the Disney Memories app since its recall. DPARKAPP.COM now forwards to a page promoting the app and promising an Android version in addition to the Apple iOS version. The link for the Droid version currently links to the Radio Disney app in the Market, however.