 DISNEY MOBILE,
DISNEY LAUNCHES THE FIRST WIRELESS SERVICE
SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR FAMILIES
Delivering the first comprehensive mobile phone service specifically
developed to meet the needs of parents and their kids, The Walt Disney
Company (NYSE:DIS) today launched Disney Mobile
www.disneymobile.com in the U.S. with innovative features that, for
the first time, allow parents to directly manage their family's wireless
experience. The company also announced pricing plans and sales channels.
"Families have clearly told us that they have different needs than
the average mobile phone user," said George Grobar, senior vice
president and general manager of Disney Mobile. "We built a complete
mobile experience that is specifically designed to meet their needs and
is uniquely Disney from end-to-end. Disney Mobile will allow parents to
manage their family's phone use and help teach kids responsible use."
At the core of Disney Mobile's family plans are the Family CenterTM
features, which allow parents to:
set spending allowances and track usage for voice minutes, text
messaging, picture messaging and downloadable content, receiving alerts
when allowances have been reached;
determine the hours of the day and days of the week when kids can
use their phones;
program restricted and always-on phone numbers to manage with whom
kids may communicate;
prioritize important family messages; and
locate kids' phones with GPS capabilities
"Parents and young people have both been looking for more control in
their mobile phone service," noted Parry Aftab, a leading Internet
security and privacy lawyer, and founder of WiredSafety.org. "After
seeking control over such things as who can call or text them,
unexpected charges and high-monthly bills, and access to content, they
now have the answer in Disney Mobile, which has delivered on all of
these desired features."
Disney Mobile offers consumers a range of competitive individual and
family plans. Individual plans start at $39.99 per month and range up to
$169.99 per month. Family plans, all inclusive of two lines, start at
$59.99 per month and range up to $249.99 per month. Additional lines can
be added to any Family Plan for $9.99 per month. All plans include
Disney Mobile's innovative Family Center features, a bundle of daytime
minutes, unlimited nights and weekends (Mon - Thurs: 9pm-5:59am and Fri
9pm-Mon 5:59am), unlimited nationwide long distance and unlimited
mobile-to-mobile family calling. The plan benefits apply only on the
Disney Mobile network and may not be available while roaming. Beyond the
Family Center features, Disney Mobile will offer wireless voice service,
text and picture messaging, and a broad range of entertainment and
content that will appeal to Disney fans of all ages. Handset pricing
will start at $59.99, when purchased with a two-year service agreement.
"Since we know that many parents may already be under contract with
another carrier, we are making it easy for them to sign up their
children for Disney Mobile and, as the Family Manager, use all of the
Family Center features from the web at disneymobile.com," noted Grobar.
"This enables them to enjoy the benefits and ease of use of managing
their family's mobile phone experience online from home or office."
Consumers can purchase Disney Mobile by going to
www.disneymobile.com or calling 1-866-DISNEY2.
As part of a phased retail roll-out, freestanding kiosks managed by
authorized Disney Mobile dealers are planned to open in shopping malls
across the country. Co-branded with Mobile ESPN, the first kiosks are
open in the following locations:
Roosevelt Field, Garden City, NY
Crystal Mall, Waterford, CT
Auburn Mall, Auburn, MA
The Hanover Mall, Hanover, MA
Meriden Mall, Meriden, CT
Stonebriar Centre, Frisco, TX
Mall of Georgia, Buford, GA
Tuttle Crossing, Dublin, OH
"Our retail footprint will continue to expand rapidly over the
summer," noted Grobar. "Our goal is to make it easy and simple for
consumers to sign up for Disney Mobile at places that are convenient and
already a part of their daily lives."
The centerpiece of the Disney Mobile experience is its innovative
Family Center features, which include:
Family MonitorTM
Disney Mobile's Family Monitor feature can help make surprise cell phone
bills a thing of the past by giving parents the ability to manage their
kids' cell phone use real-time. A parent can set monthly allowances for
each kid for key aspects of cell phone use, including voice minutes,
text and picture messages, and downloadable content such as ringtones,
wallpapers and background themes. Summary usage for the entire family
and each kid's individual usage can be tracked, and once a monthly
allowance is reached, both the parent and the kid receive an alert on
their phone. The parent can then decide whether to increase the
allowance to receive an alert at a higher allowance, ignore the alert,
or restrict the phone's functionality through Call Control. The Family
Monitor feature is accessible through Disney Mobile phones and
www.disneymobile.com with unlimited use included in all Disney Mobile
calling plans.
Call Control
Disney Mobile's Call Control feature allows the Family Manager to use an
online tool to designate when kids can use their cell phones, as well as
whom they can and cannot call. The Family Manager can choose the day of
week or even the time of day they will allow their kids to use their
phones, eliminating use at inappropriate times such as during school
hours or late at night. Call Control also gives the Family Manger the
flexibility of programming "Always On" and prohibited numbers for added
peace of mind. Even when phone use is restricted, kids will be able to
call with family members on the same Disney Mobile family plan and
"Always On" numbers and make emergency calls to 911. Unlimited use of
Call Control is included in all Disney Mobile calling plans.
Family LocatorTM
The Family Locator feature allows parents to locate their kids' phones
using advanced Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. Parents can
access the Family Locator feature from their phones or from
www.disneymobile.com by entering a PIN which each parent personally
selects. Once access is authorized, parents can locate their kid's phone
by selecting "locate" through the feature. When the phone's location has
been found, the location and a map of the location including an
indication of accuracy are available.
Parents can use this feature at those times when it is inconvenient
to call or when they know the child will be unable to answer their phone
– such as during school hours or sports practices. Five shared Family
Locator searches are included in every Disney Mobile calling plan each
month, and subscribers can upgrade to unlimited Family Locator searches
for an additional fee.
Family Alert!
Family Alert! allows family members on the same Disney Mobile family
plan to send each other prioritized messages so the messages are less
likely to be missed. Family Alert! messages prominently appear on the
handset screen whenever the phone is idle, causing family members to
acknowledge messages before using the phone for other services. For
instance, at the end of a school day, parents can send a quick alert
about a change of plans that will appear as soon as kids open their
phones. Family Alert! can either be sent to an individual family member
or all family members concurrently
Disney Mobile has also simplified messaging for parents by offering a
menu of preset, common family messages such as "Where RU?" and "Running
late. Be there soon!" Of course, family members can also create their
own unique messages. Unlimited intra-family messaging is included with
the service.
ENTERTAINMENT
In addition to its Family Center features, Disney Mobile will also offer
parents, tweens and Disney fans of all ages a wide variety of Disney and
other family-appropriate content to personalize and customize their
Disney Mobile phones. The "Theme-It" function will allow multiple
screens of the phone to be re-themed with a selection of related content
chosen by the subscriber.
Given Disney's rich entertainment heritage, Disney Mobile subscribers
will enjoy a broad offering of Disney content. The Disney ZoneTM
includes exclusive Vault DisneyTM content only available to Disney
Mobile subscribers and applications that will extend many of the online
and offline worlds of Disney. At launch it will include a Radio Disney
application that will allow direct interaction with Radio Disney itself
as well as Trivial Pursuit® Disney Mobile Edition, where players can
test their Disney trivia knowledge or compete against other Disney
Mobile players across the country. They can even track their progress
and ranking through multiple skill levels on a real-time leader board.
There also will be a broad assortment of general entertainment
content to complement the service's Disney offerings.
Disney Mobile will operate as a mobile virtual network operator
(MVNO) utilizing the enhanced Sprint Nationwide PCS Network. Family
Center Features may not function when roaming or as a result of other
network or system limitations. Kids can access the Family Monitor and
Family Alert! features on their Disney Mobile phones. Online access by
kids to these features will be available soon.
About Disney Mobile
Disney Mobile is the first national wireless phone service built to meet
the unique communication needs of today's family. It provides wireless
voice and data services and custom handsets. In addition, Disney Mobile
offers a package of features and applications tailored to meet the
unique communication needs of families. The Family CenterTM suite, with
four innovative services, enables parents to directly manage their
families' wireless experience, including controlling when and how often
kids use their phones; locating kids' handsets using GPS technology;
helping to protect their kids from unwanted calls and messages; and
sending priority text messages to all Disney Mobile family plan members
simultaneously. Disney Mobile offers an array of content that parents
trust and kids enjoy drawn from the rich entertainment heritage of
Disney.
George Grobar is senior vice president and general manager of Disney
Mobile, part of the Walt Disney Internet Group, which is headquartered
in North Hollywood. |
