Privacy Policy

RideAlert is a theme-park wait-time alert app. This policy explains exactly what we collect, what we don't collect, and what we do with it. The short version: we collect little, we sell none of it, and everything we do collect is listed on this page.

What we collect

Device identifier

When you open the app for the first time, we generate a random identifier (a UUID) and store it on your device. This identifier lets our backend remember your pass balance, active monitoring sessions, and notification settings. It is not tied to your Apple ID, Google account, email address, or name.

Push notification token

If you enable notifications, the platform's push service — Apple (APNs) on iOS, Google (Firebase Cloud Messaging) on Android — issues us a push notification token so we can send alerts to your device. This token is managed by Apple or Google and expires/rotates automatically. We store the current token on our servers so we know where to send your alerts.

Purchase records

When you buy a day pass or subscription, the purchase goes through Apple's in-app purchase system on iOS, or Google Play billing on Android (when the Android app is available). We receive a transaction identifier and record which product you purchased and how many passes you have remaining. We do not receive your credit card number, billing address, or any other payment details — those stay with Apple or Google.

Your monitoring configuration

We store the parks you've selected, the rides you've chosen to watch, and the thresholds you've set, so the backend knows when to send you alerts.

App version and platform

We record the app version number and platform (iOS or Android) so we can diagnose issues and know which builds are in active use.

Trip dates (optional)

If you tell us the dates of an upcoming trip — for example, by responding to our trip-date prompt or entering them in Settings — we record the start and end dates so we can time follow-up reminders appropriately and grant related bonus trial passes. Sharing your dates is optional and dismissing the prompt does not affect your access to the app or your existing passes.

Your current trip dates are stored on our backend. We also retain a history of trip dates you've previously set, edited, cleared, or that have automatically expired after your trip ended. This history helps us understand patterns in app usage and improve our re-engagement features. None of this information is shared with anyone outside our own infrastructure.

You can update or clear your trip dates at any time from the Settings page. To request deletion of your trip date history, contact support@ridealertapp.com.

Approximate location (metro-level)

When the app checks in with our servers (typically when you open it), our network provider (Cloudflare) estimates an approximate location from your IP address — the same way any website can — and passes that estimate to our server. We record a broad area label from it — typically a city or metro area, like "Orlando" or "Boston, MA" — along with a first-seen and most-recent date, alongside your device identifier. If the estimate falls near one of the theme-park areas we cover (the Orlando, Anaheim, or Hollywood areas), we also note that the device was seen near that park area, with the same two dates.

To be clear about what this is not: we never request your device's location permission, the app has no access to GPS, and there is no tracking of where you go. The estimate comes from the network connection, identifies a broad area rather than a place, and is often imprecise — a cellular connection can resolve to a city far from where you actually are. We keep only those area labels and dates: not the coordinates, and not a movement history — a newer sighting simply replaces the older one.

Why we collect it: to understand where RideAlert's users are located, and to recognize when a device appears to travel to one of the park areas we cover, so we can improve the product and better time what we show. It is never sold or shared with anyone, and it never affects what you pay or which features you get.

What we don't collect

• Your name, email, phone number, or any other contact information
• Your precise location — the app never requests the device location permission and has no access to GPS. The only location-related data we handle is the approximate, metro-level estimate described above
• Your contacts, photos, calendar, camera, or microphone
• Browsing activity, device advertising identifier (IDFA), or fingerprinting data
• Credit card or payment details (those stay with Apple or Google)
• Analytics from third-party ad or tracking networks

How we use what we collect

• To send you alerts. Your device identifier, push token, and monitoring configuration together let us know who to ping and about what.
• To process purchases. Transaction records let us credit your account with passes you've bought and prevent duplicate charges.
• To operate the service. We run a backend that polls wait-time data from public sources and sends you notifications when your thresholds trigger.
• To improve the app. We record aggregate usage patterns (e.g., which rides are most commonly watched) to inform product decisions. This data is not tied to individual users.
• To understand where the app is being used. The approximate, metro-level location described above tells us where our users are located and whether they're near the parks we cover, which informs product decisions. It never affects what any individual user pays.
• To time reminders. If you've shared the dates of an upcoming trip, we use them to schedule appropriately-timed reminder pushes and to grant any related bonus trial passes.

Wait-time data

The ride wait-time information shown in the app is provided by ThemeParks.wiki, a public third-party data source. We don't receive any data from Disney, Universal, or other park operators directly, and we have no affiliation with them.

Who we share with

We do not sell, rent, or trade your data. We share data only with:

• Apple — for push notification delivery (APNs) and purchase validation (StoreKit) on iOS.
• Google — for push notification delivery (Firebase Cloud Messaging) and purchase validation (Google Play) on Android, when the Android app is available.
• Cloudflare — our network provider. API traffic passes through Cloudflare's network, which is where the approximate location estimate described above is derived from your IP address before being passed to our server.
• ThemeParks.wiki — we fetch wait-time data from them but we do not send them any user information.
• Our hosting provider — the backend runs on infrastructure we control; standard hosting logs (IP addresses, request paths) are retained for operational purposes and rotated regularly.

Data retention

We retain your device identifier and associated data for as long as the app is installed and used. If you delete the app, your data remains on our servers until you request deletion (see below). Purchase records are retained as required by applicable tax and consumer protection laws.

Your rights

You can request to delete all data associated with your device at any time by emailing us at support@ridealertapp.com with your device ID (available in the app's Settings screen). We will delete your data within 30 days of receiving the request.

Children's privacy

RideAlert is not directed to children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has provided us data, please contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We recommend checking back occasionally.

Contact

Questions about this policy or your data? Email support@ridealertapp.com.

RideAlert is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios, or any theme park operator.