Pre order counter service?

[Moose66]

In the most recent Birnbaums guide they highly recommended pre-ordering counter service at the parks due to reduced staffing. Is this still true or is it somewhat dated info?

 

[DisneyHardin]

Yes, you can mobile order at most Counter service places.

 

[drenalin'junkie]

Worked well for us, most of the folks we go with are used to using aps to preorder coffee or fast food and it was pretty hassle free in not as simple as Starbucks etc.

 

[Pens Fan]

When the parks reopened after the Covid shut down most required you to use the mobile order feature. While that is no longer the case, we use it everywhere we can. Most of the time, it's much faster than waiting in line to order.

 

[shu24]

I wish every counter service had mobile order. My best advice it to locate the table you are going to sit at before hitting the 'I'm here" notification on your phone. I learned the hard way that it can be a challenge to balance a full tray and locate an open table at the same time. The only QS location that would not allow us to do this was Sutuli Canteen in AK. The cast members cleaning tables are pretty strict about sitting at a table without food in front of you.

 

[tguz]

Loved the mobile ordering back in Dec of 2021. It was very fast and efficient. They had a cast member at the door verifying you had a mobile order to (I think) prevent people from cherry picking the tables before they even ordered. I am not sure if they are still doing this at the door or not.

 

[shu24]

Loved the mobile ordering back in Dec of 2021. It was very fast and efficient. They had a cast member at the door verifying you had a mobile order to (I think) prevent people from cherry picking the tables before they even ordered. I am not sure if they are still doing this at the door or not.

When we went in 2020 every QS seemed to have cast members preventing people from sitting down unless they had a tray of food in their hands. I didn't care for that since there were several times that no tables were available to sit at (some being blocked off for social distancing measures). That was not a fun time having to leave with a tray of food to eat at a garbage can or sit on the hot ground picnic style. During out trip last year the 'table police' were less likely except for Sutuli Canteen. I can see not permitting people to sit without eating, but if you have a mobile order placed and are waiting for your food, I think you should be allowed to take a table.

 

[Stacybaeasm]

I love to use mobile order when the parks are super busy (Like Thanksgiving last year.) I was able to decide where to eat and when as I was on transportation to the park in the morning. I would select my time and place my order for lunch by about 8 or 8:30 am each day. Then, as I was headed to the restaurant at my appointed time, I would hit the "I'm here" button so it would be ready by the time I got to the restaurant. If I was also doing quick service for dinner, I would select my time slot and place my order as I finished lunch. This way, no matter how busy the parks were - I almost always got my desired time slot to eat.

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

You can, but also keep an eye on the lines. A few places we walked up and it was faster.