Question about Mobile Ordering

[CableKC]

I love that Disneyland came up with this idea. Has anyone used it yet?

When it comes to all things related to my Disney vacation, I'm all about planning everything out. I love that I can order my lunch/dinner and have it ready for me to pick up at a certain time. This makes EVERYTHING easier when it comes to cutting down waiting time in line for ordering food.

I would assume that when it is busier, the amount of lead time that you need is larger. But I'm wondering if a 15 or 30 minute lead time is sufficient to pre-order most food at most of the mobile order restaurants.

Does anyone know how much lead time that you need before ordering?

 

[mentos]

I use it all the time - big time saver!

The pickup lead times vary, but 9 out of 10 times, it's a 0-30 minute lead time. I've literally stood outside a restaurant, punched in a mobile order, and immediately clicked "I'm here."

Actually that might be 10 out of 10 times I've ordered. YMMV based on crowds that day and how big your order is (my order is usually for 2 people).

 

[caylene44]

I used it for the first time on my trip in October, it's awesome! We went to get dole whip and the lines were LONG (easily 20-30 people). I remembered DL has mobile ordering now so I quickly whipped out my phone and put an order in (took maybe 2 minutes since it was my first time). Walked right past the line and picked up our order immediately. Obviously dole whip is easy to churn out but I was amazed at how much time we saved. Definitely planing on utilizing it again for our trip next month.

To save yourself even more time, I'd make sure your card is in the app/play around with ordering food (just don't press confirm!).

 

[RobertaMomof2]

We loved it. I was in line for a ride put our order in and picked a pickup window maybe 30-60 minutes later. Found a table then said I am here, and got our food. Will always use it now. Oh and as we were going to walk past Tiki Bar we would stop and grab something too, did that maybe 3 or 4 times HA HA HA love that feature so much! This was last December, I dont think many people used it at that time. I wonder if it will be more popular once SWGE opens...

 

[TinkSassy]

Can you load a gift card on the Disneyland app? Not available at WDW - but we also don't get our passholder discounts through mobile

 

[bethwc101]

Can you load a gift card on the Disneyland app? Not available at WDW - but we also don't get our passholder discounts through mobile

As of Monday you still could not. That was the biggest disappointment for us as we tend to prepay for our trips using disney gift cards to save the 5% from target. So we would have to choose between getting our 5% discount on food or not standing in those ridiculous lines.

 

[RobertaMomof2]

No, no gift cards in the app (as of this past December). It had to be a credit card.

 

[TinkSassy]

Thanks - I like to buy them up front too so I don't overspend.

 

[RobertaMomof2]

I am the same way. We did a couple counter service restaurants (Plaza Inn and such) for dinner so I used them there.

 

[Diszona]

We used it a bunch the last trip and loved it. We just ordered when we got to the restaurant and found a table and waited. We didn’t wait for more than 5 minutes any time we used it.

 

[DizMe]

You could get around the gift card issue if you were staying on site by charging to your room and then paying with a gift card.

 

[DLgal]

The lead time is usually immediately, except on very crowded days, and then you might not get a window until 30-120 minutes later. Bengal BBQ, Jolly Holiday, and Flos tend to get backed up on busy days and so if you want to eat at one of those, I highly suggest placing your mobile order well ahead of when you actually want to eat. If the window when you want to eat is open, take it and place the orde, then come back in the window to finish the process.

 

[twodogs]

You can try it out (but don’t obviously place the order) in the app any time. You can see the available return windows for the different restaurants. You will see some of the popular ones do not have an immediate window to choose at busy times. You can see the menus also.

 

[CableKC]

Thanks to all that have responded.

It sounds like there is a window of availability depending on various factors ( size of crowd, popularity of restaurant, etc. ). Does that mean that once you pick the window, you arrive at that time; once you get there you just click the "I'm here" button and you can then go up to the window and pick up the food?

For example:

1 ) Window is 30 minutes from now.
2 ) I place the order on the app and ( I assume ) confirm / pay for the order.
3 ) At the end of 30 minutes; I can find my table, go over to the pick up window, then click the "I'm here" button and then go pick up the food.

Does that sound right?

 

[IAmDis]

Thanks to all that have responded.

It sounds like there is a window of availability depending on various factors ( size of crowd, popularity of restaurant, etc. ). Does that mean that once you pick the window, you arrive at that time; once you get there you just click the "I'm here" button and you can then go up to the window and pick up the food?

For example:

1 ) Window is 30 minutes from now.
2 ) I place the order on the app and ( I assume ) confirm / pay for the order.
3 ) At the end of 30 minutes; I can find my table, go over to the pick up window, then click the "I'm here" button and then go pick up the food.

Does that sound right?

All mobile ordering is, is having the advantage of not waiting in line by paying Disney upfront for it. When you arrive during your arrival window, they make the food as if you just stood 30 minutes in line and ordered it. As long as you arrive during your window, you'll get the food asap. It won't be made before you get there, only when you let them know you're there to pick up a mobile order.

The real reason why Disney does this is to hopefully cut the lines down, so guests do not get turned off by waiting in line (therefore, don't spend money) and do something else, get a lower-priced product, or possibly leave the resort area. Their goal is to have you walk by your favorite spot and say, "hey, lets get some food, the line isn't long". Studies have shown that when guests see long lines for food, they will most likely keep walking and not spend the $60-$100 on a meal and instead opt for a cart product (between $3-$10).

By Disney offering Mobile Ordering, they're trading off you waiting in line so you give them the appearance of shorter lines, which in turn makes families want to get in line and unknowingly want to pay $60-$100 for a family of 4 for a meal. It's part of Disney's brilliance. Also, it gets people to use the app, plan their day better and ease congestion for everyone... and down the rabbit hole it goes...

 

[geminimagk]

I am a huge fan of pre or mobile ordering anything and everything. That being said, I was in DL last week, and the mobile ordering service was very hit or miss. Some places could have your order ready in a couple minutes. Others, Whitewater Cafe and Award-Winning Wieners in particular, were extremely slow and I couldn't understand why. For Whitewater, I pressed "I am here" as I exited the Frozen show. I was pushing a double stroller so I didn't even walk that fast, and after actually arriving at Whitewater, it still took an extra TWENTY minutes to make me one cheeseburger! They also messed it up (which I didn't realize until I got up to my room to eat it) but by that point I was so aggravated that I didn't ask them to redo it.

The 2 plain hot dogs I ordered also took a long time. I pressed "I am here" as I left Guardians, and I still waited 10 minutes after actually arriving.

So, it was very hit or miss.

 

[linky208]

Do they let you know what your pick up time will be before you place the order?

 

[twodogs]

You pick the pick up window time when you order. So you can see what is available before you order. You can go on the app right now, and try it out (just don’t actually order anything!). It will be clear if you do that.

 

[B3rlingirl]

Mobile ordering sounds quite helpful...

But can you order a free cup of ice water along a „real“ order? (Those free cups of water were a real live saver on our last trip!) if you have to wait in line to order those cups of water it doesn’t save much time for us I guess...(apart from dole whips of course...)

 

[Malcon10t]

You could get around the gift card issue if you were staying on site by charging to your room and then paying with a gift card.

Cool! I didn't know you could mobile order and charge it to your room!!!