Doing a 'no apps' day! Random thoughts and a few questions

[emtink]

Back in ye olden days of the 80's and 90's, I went to the park a lot with my sister, grandma, and great aunt. Our time in the park never felt rushed. Other than a dinner reservation at BB, there was never an agenda or trip plan. My great aunt walked with a cane, so we moved at her pace. There were frequent breaks on benches, for rest and smoking. There was A LOT of admiring the trees and flowers. It was a completely different way of doing the park and I want to see if it can still be done. So I'll be doing a no phone day with my daughter in late September. Paper tickets, no DL app, no genie beanie, no mobile order.

The 'No Plan' Plan
We will probably be there for rope drop or soon after, since we're both early risers. I think we'll do HM first, that's my #1 ride pick. Then probably the other NOS/Adventureland/Frontierland stuff. Then we let the Disney winds lead us. I think we take advantage of any ride that has a 20 minute or less wait time. I also think we take advantage of any empty bench in the shade. We'll try to eat at off times, maybe do a late breakfast around 10. I'm sure my kid will want a churro from every cart. We'll do Main St window shopping in the afternoon when everything is crowded. I love looking at all of the pumpkin faces! We'll probably stay for the night time projection thing, then bail out. There's no Fantasmic or fireworks on the night we will be there.

Questions...
We have reservations at Cafe Orleans for dinner (hoping to get BB instead!). Do we just show up a little before our reservation time to check in?
Is there any possibility of getting a walk up reservation at BB?
Are there any QS food options that don't have mobile order? I feel like Rancho del Zocalo was the last one, but now it has mobile order too. Does the corn dog cart have mobile order when its open?
Best places for disneybounding ideas? Pinterest? Never done it before, and thought it might be fun to try.
Can we do photos without a photopass? Will CMs take photos with my camera?

 

[pennym]

I like this idea! I believe Plaza Inn has no mobile order. Interested to see how this goes.

 

[monkeypat83]

I was there last week and the corn dog cart does have mobile order. I walked by many times to get to the baby care center and the "special toilets" for my almost 3 year old

 

[lindyv321]

I miss the old days of no plans! I would research a little to verify which QS places are mobile order only but off the top of my head it’s only Cozy Cone and Tiki Juice Bar.

You can do walk up for BB but will need the app to request I think… sorry we never like to schedule meals! I hope someone else will know for sure.

As for bounding there are a lot of fun ideas on Pinterest and there is a FB group.

Have an amazing trip!

 

[emtink]

I miss the old days of no plans! I would research a little to verify which QS places are mobile order only but off the top of my head it’s only Cozy Cone and Tiki Juice Bar.

You can do walk up for BB but will need the app to request I think… sorry we never like to schedule meals! I hope someone else will know for sure.

As for bounding there are a lot of fun ideas on Pinterest and there is a FB group.

Have an amazing trip!

Thanks! Are you allowed to name the FB group? If not, could you message it to me?

 

[IsleofDisney]

Back in ye olden days of the 80's and 90's, I went to the park a lot with my sister, grandma, and great aunt. Our time in the park never felt rushed. Other than a dinner reservation at BB, there was never an agenda or trip plan. My great aunt walked with a cane, so we moved at her pace. There were frequent breaks on benches, for rest and smoking. There was A LOT of admiring the trees and flowers. It was a completely different way of doing the park and I want to see if it can still be done. So I'll be doing a no phone day with my daughter in late September. Paper tickets, no DL app, no genie beanie, no mobile order.

The 'No Plan' Plan
We will probably be there for rope drop or soon after, since we're both early risers. I think we'll do HM first, that's my #1 ride pick. Then probably the other NOS/Adventureland/Frontierland stuff. Then we let the Disney winds lead us. I think we take advantage of any ride that has a 20 minute or less wait time. I also think we take advantage of any empty bench in the shade. We'll try to eat at off times, maybe do a late breakfast around 10. I'm sure my kid will want a churro from every cart. We'll do Main St window shopping in the afternoon when everything is crowded. I love looking at all of the pumpkin faces! We'll probably stay for the night time projection thing, then bail out. There's no Fantasmic or fireworks on the night we will be there.

Questions...
We have reservations at Cafe Orleans for dinner (hoping to get BB instead!). Do we just show up a little before our reservation time to check in?
Is there any possibility of getting a walk up reservation at BB?
Are there any QS food options that don't have mobile order? I feel like Rancho del Zocalo was the last one, but now it has mobile order too. Does the corn dog cart have mobile order when its open?
Best places for disneybounding ideas? Pinterest? Never done it before, and thought it might be fun to try.
Can we do photos without a photopass? Will CMs take photos with my camera?

Tropical Hideaway tucked behind the Enchanted Tiki Room also is not mobile order. They have delicious steam buns! Or Siao Bao as we like to call it

 

[Malcon10t]

<deleted>

<whew>. I was thinking the same thing.

I get not wanting to be on your phone all day. But by relying on hard tickets, you are hoping you don't drop/leave one somewhere. For reservations, you will need to go to the podium to check in and explain you can't check in online. Blue Bayou - Walk up reservations are done via the phone now primarily. Otherwise you will need to keep checking in there to see if a walk up opens up. As for walk up for quick service, many places do offer walk up. Example, Jolly Holiday, Plaza, Pizza Port, etc... Corndog cart does have walk up, just expect a wait. I get wanting to go old school, but somethings are there to make your trip more enjoyable and easier.

As for taking advantage of 20 min wait times, is your plan to just wander around until you find a ride with a 20 min wait time?

 

[emtink]

As for taking advantage of 20 min wait times, is your plan to just wander around until you find a ride with a 20 min wait time?

no, i meant if we see a ride with a shorter line, we ride it. even if its not something we'd usually do. but wandering around also sounds fine to me.

 

[Malcon10t]

no, i meant if we see a ride with a shorter line, we ride it. even if its not something we'd usually do. but wandering around also sounds fine to me.

My daughters and I frequently do this. We enjoy shows and shopping. But the app comes in handy for food.

 

[heathpack]

I have to say: I sympathize with you. Maybe not to the extent of not using the app.

But: being continually forced from the actual experience of Disneyland onto my phone is just annoying. Genie+ is the worst offender for this. Ugh.

Mobile order is actually convenient to me. Checking wait times for distant rides, or knowing that a previously closed ride is back up and operational, is an ok use of technology.

But needing to do everything on your phone is just an annoyance for me.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I have to say: I sympathize with you. Maybe not to the extent of not using the app.

But: being continually forced from the actual experience of Disneyland onto my phone is just annoying. Genie+ is the worst offender for this. Ugh.

Mobile order is actually convenient to me. Checking wait times for distant rides, or knowing that a previously closed ride is back up and operational, is an ok use of technology.

But needing to do everything on your phone is just an annoyance for me.

I also hate being on my phone so much but boy do I loooooooove mobile order! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a 20-30 minute food line and I just place a mobile order, click “I’m here” and voila.

 

[DLgal]

no, i want to have a slow, intentional day with my kid in a place i love. and thanks, i will have fun.

As long as you understand that you will be subject to very little information and very long food lines for no reason by not using the app.

I really think people overestimate how much time you NEED to spend on the phone in the parks. It's not "all day." It's 30 seconds here and there. A minute to place a mobile order. A few seconds to hit the "I'm here" button. I think in an average 8 hour park day, I'll use my phone for park related stuff a cumulative 10 minutes. If that.

 

[DLgal]

<whew>. I was thinking the same thing.

I get not wanting to be on your phone all day. But by relying on hard tickets, you are hoping you don't drop/leave one somewhere. For reservations, you will need to go to the podium to check in and explain you can't check in online. Blue Bayou - Walk up reservations are done via the phone now primarily. Otherwise you will need to keep checking in there to see if a walk up opens up. As for walk up for quick service, many places do offer walk up. Example, Jolly Holiday, Plaza, Pizza Port, etc... Corndog cart does have walk up, just expect a wait. I get wanting to go old school, but somethings are there to make your trip more enjoyable and easier.

As for taking advantage of 20 min wait times, is your plan to just wander around until you find a ride with a 20 min wait time?

Several places won't even LET you walk up to the podium. They will tell you to use the app
There may not be another option.

And yes on the ride wait times. The wait time boards in the park are often unreliable, and not always where you need them.

 

[Malcon10t]

Several places won't even LET you walk up to the podium. They will tell you to use the app
There may not be another option.

I'm going to look into this this weekend, just so we have a clue. I know I have heard "You get in line using the app" at Blue Bayou and Carthay. Will see what they say if a person doesn't have a phone.

And I agree about the amount of time we spend on the phones. I do spend more time than the others in my group, simply because I will play on it while I wait for them to come off rides. But if 2 of us are waiting, I'm not on it, unless we are ordering food!!

 

[emtink]

I feel like I need to clarify that I am doing this in the spirit of experimentation. I have absolutely used fastpass, maxpass, mobile order, etc in the past. I'm not anti-technology. I'm just curious about trying to do the parks in a different way which, for me, feels very nostalgic. If something is literally impossible for us to do without phone, we won't do it. That's the whole point of this. If this sounds like a terrible idea to you, then that's fine. My fun can be different from your fun. Part of the nostalgia for me is waiting in line. That was the time for chatting with your group and other guests, admiring your surroundings, building excitement for the attraction, people-watching, etc. We waited in line a lot in ye olden days.

 

[starlite_]

I have too much FOMO to ever do something like this, I would hate myself for wasting park time. Super curious as to how your trip goes tho.

 

[emtink]

I have too much FOMO to ever do something like this, I would hate myself for wasting park time. Super curious as to how your trip goes tho.

the FOMO is real! That was part of the idea in the first place, trying to encourage a slower pace. I will definitely post a trip report!

 

[l4dyj8]

I also hate being on my phone so much but boy do I loooooooove mobile order! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a 20-30 minute food line and I just place a mobile order, click “I’m here” and voila.

Same here. I like mobile order and seeing wait times. I do sometimes question where the mobile order line pick up is. Like I’m “cutting”. I wish there were signs. Sometimes “stand by” people are in the mobile line.

But back to the original poster, we often go with the flow. I just hate that with the Genie+ and not having it, has hurt the experience. But I love just taking it all in. Especially during any holiday overlay season. So much to see! Many of our trips aren’t heavy on the rides.

 

[Kit Jackson]

I feel like I need to clarify that I am doing this in the spirit of experimentation. I have absolutely used fastpass, maxpass, mobile order, etc in the past. I'm not anti-technology. I'm just curious about trying to do the parks in a different way which, for me, feels very nostalgic. If something is literally impossible for us to do without phone, we won't do it. That's the whole point of this. If this sounds like a terrible idea to you, then that's fine. My fun can be different from your fun. Part of the nostalgia for me is waiting in line. That was the time for chatting with your group and other guests, admiring your surroundings, building excitement for the attraction, people-watching, etc. We waited in line a lot in ye olden days.

If you want to experiment, I say go for it (not that you need anyone's permission or encouragement). If it doen't work and the day wasn't as enjoyable as it could have been, you know for next time. There may be elements that are better without the app. I am very much looking forward to reading your trip report.

As for PhotoPass, I know you can buy it seperately from Genie+. The question for you would be if you can buy it in a store the day of or online the night before. The photographers used to give out cards, but I don't know if they still do. Having the photographers scan the card might work for your plan, if they still give out cards.

I could see this no-app approach working well for locals or passholders who go to the parks frequently and if they miss something they know they can see it/do it again soon. I could see this working less well for people who are not locals and often times it is years between visits. For those people, wanting to maximize time and do as much as they can in the limited time would make the app seem more attractive. I can see both sides of the argument.

 

[emtink]

I could see this no-app approach working well for locals or passholders who go to the parks frequently and if they miss something they know they can see it/do it again soon. I could see this working less well for people who are not locals and often times it is years between visits. For those people, wanting to maximize time and do as much as they can in the limited time would make the app seem more attractive. I can see both sides of the argument.

100% agree! I'm local enough that day trips are possible. And pre-covid, we went to the parks at least once a year.