Why some don't like to mobile order?

[HopperFan]

What if the folks who want to mobile order continue to mobile order, and the folks who don't want to mobile order continue to order at the register? Why is it so important that everyone mobile order?

It just baffles me how everyone cares so much about how others do things.

OP is asking why others don't do it. If the OP didn't care, they wouldn't have asked the question.

THIS^

In this thread and others there are posts that try to negate others concerns, dislikes and even insulting their level and method of tech use. We get it - you love mobile ordering, think everyone should do it and seem to hope that it will be the only way in the future. Stop caring how others would like to order their food, how they want to pay for their food and how they want to customize their food. How they order doesn't impact anyone else, only them.

Mobile started a few years ago, it's always been glitchy sometimes and has worked great at times. It is another perfect example of Disney IT trying to offer a seamless product but it's not. Great for those who have never had an issue with it, not so great for those who have issues with it. The push to mobile only is due to low staffing and social distancing. Having just got back social distancing DOES NOT EXIST at Disney World, no where, they are actively "filling all available space". And if they want to up capacity and open all these hotels they better get the staff back. Because if everyone has to mobile order we will be right back where we were when they started it ..... LONG lines waiting for their food to come up or guests being told mobile order is full at that location and hopefully they'll have enough GR CMs to handle the complaints.

The questions could be ...
"Have you had issues with mobile pay?, I'm trying to avoid before I go."
"What payment methods can you use on mobile pay?"
"Did any locations mobile pay work better than others?"
"What snack locations work with mobile pay?"

Instead we get ...
"Why don't you like mobile pay? Its the only way for me."
"It is amazing, I don't know why anyone wouldn't use it."
"The problem isn't mobile order, it is you and your phone."
"Your complaint isn't valid because ..."

Hopefully as Disney gets park operations back to normal they leave all options open for people to feed their families. Then hopefully everyone can get a chance to eat in a timely fashion, ordering in a way that works for their family. So much planning already, this is one area that doesn't need that as the only option.

 

[freshmanjs]

THIS^

In this thread and others there are posts that try to negate others concerns, dislikes and even insulting their level and method of tech use. We get it - you love mobile ordering, think everyone should do it and seem to hope that it will be the only way in the future. Stop caring how others would like to order their food, how they want to pay for their food and how they want to customize their food. How they order doesn't impact anyone else, only them.

Mobile started a few years ago, it's always been glitchy sometimes and has worked great at times. It's is another perfect example of Disney IT trying to offer a seamless product but it's not. Great for those who have never had an issue with it, not so great for those who have issues with it. The push to mobile only is due to low staffing and social distancing. Having just got back social distancing DOES NOT EXIST at Disney World, no where, they are actively "filling all available space". And if they want to up capacity and open all these hotels they better get the staff back. Because if everyone has to mobile order we will be right back where we were when they started it ..... LONG lines waiting for their food to come up or guests being told mobile order is full at that location and hopefully they'll have enough GR CMs to handle the complaints.

The questions could be ...
"Have you had issues with mobile pay?, I'm trying to avoid before I go."
"What payment methods can you use on mobile pay?"
"Did any locations mobile pay work better than others?"
"What snack locations work with mobile pay?"

Instead we get ...
"Why don't you like mobile pay? Its the only way for me."
"It is amazing, I don't know why anyone wouldn't use it."
"The problem isn't mobile order, it is you and your phone."
"Your complaint isn't valid because ..."

Hopefully as Disney gets park operations back to normal they leave all options open for people to feed their families. Then hopefully everyone can get a chance to eat in a timely fashion, ordering in a way that works for their family. So much planning already, this is one area that doesn't need that as the only option.

Personally, I don't care how anyone orders and I'm quite sure in person ordering will remain an option for the foreseeable future. I do have a problem with people spreading false information about mobile ordering (and other topics) and will speak up when I see that. For example, people saying "You have to order lunch hours ahead if you mobile order" or "credit card on phone is less secure" -- these things are just false. Many valid reasons for in person ordering have been raised in this thread without objection (prefer to use cash, difficulty using app, no phone or old phone, prefer something about the in-person ordering experience, etc.) No one has invalidated those at all. Only the false / made up reasons.

 

[mom2rtk]

THIS^

In this thread and others there are posts that try to negate others concerns, dislikes and even insulting their level and method of tech use. We get it - you love mobile ordering, think everyone should do it and seem to hope that it will be the only way in the future. Stop caring how others would like to order their food, how they want to pay for their food and how they want to customize their food. How they order doesn't impact anyone else, only them.

Mobile started a few years ago, it's always been glitchy sometimes and has worked great at times. It's is another perfect example of Disney IT trying to offer a seamless product but it's not. Great for those who have never had an issue with it, not so great for those who have issues with it. The push to mobile only is due to low staffing and social distancing. Having just got back social distancing DOES NOT EXIST at Disney World, no where, they are actively "filling all available space". And if they want to up capacity and open all these hotels they better get the staff back. Because if everyone has to mobile order we will be right back where we were when they started it ..... LONG lines waiting for their food to come up or guests being told mobile order is full at that location and hopefully they'll have enough GR CMs to handle the complaints.

The questions could be ...
"Have you had issues with mobile pay?, I'm trying to avoid before I go."
"What payment methods can you use on mobile pay?"
"Did any locations mobile pay work better than others?"
"What snack locations work with mobile pay?"

Instead we get ...
"Why don't you like mobile pay? Its the only way for me."
"It is amazing, I don't know why anyone wouldn't use it."
"The problem isn't mobile order, it is you and your phone."
"Your complaint isn't valid because ..."

Hopefully as Disney gets park operations back to normal they leave all options open for people to feed their families. Then hopefully everyone can get a chance to eat in a timely fashion, ordering in a way that works for their family. So much planning already, this is one area that doesn't need that as the only option.

Nailed it.

 

[shawthorne44]

I like looking at the big shiny pictures of the food with a descriptions and nutrition info behind the counter.

Me, too! I'm not opposed to mobile ordering, but I like selecting my food when I can look at all options at once. This is why I hate and despise the no-menu-use-your-phone-and-QR-code thing at Table Service Restaurants. I'm not talking about Disney but many restaurants.

Once I already know what I'll want to order, I'm fine with Mobile Ordering.

On the discussion though about people being forced into mobile ordering, when all the time slots are taken up by mobile ordering, then yes, people are forced into it.

There is an easy fix for people with allergy, etc. a text box for special requests.

 

[sssteele]

Me, too! I'm not opposed to mobile ordering, but I like selecting my food when I can look at all options at once. This is why I hate and despise the no-menu-use-your-phone-and-QR-code thing at Table Service Restaurants. I'm not talking about Disney but many restaurants.

Once I already know what I'll want to order, I'm fine with Mobile Ordering.

On the discussion though about people being forced into mobile ordering, when all the time slots are taken up by mobile ordering, then yes, people are forced into it.

There is an easy fix for people with allergy, etc. a text box for special requests.

When we travel to places other than WDW, and are presented with a QR code for a menu, we ask for a physical menu. If told that it's not available, we take our business elsewhere.

 

[yaya74]

OP here.

First of all, I apologize if my question has offended anyone and everyone. I only asked the question out of curiosity. I learn new things every day by asking questions, especially everything about Disney!! I really don't care if people use mobile ordering or not as it is not my business. I only care to know what it is about mobile ordering that is turning people off. After reading almost five pages of comments and suggestions, I come to understand that mobile ordering though convenient for folks like me could become problematic when it comes to ordering the meals due to various issues from food allergies to personal confidential information.

So once again, thank you all for your time and consideration in regards to my silly little question. I just want to wish you all a wonderful summer and a magical trip to any Disney park!!

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

To my knowledge you can't order just an entree. I was there in June and there were many times I would have wanted to do that. I started eating low-carb this year and my experience with mobile order is that you could only order as shown - you could not delete the included side. In my case that would have meant that I would have been ordering a meal where I would have thrown away part of it. I was disappointed about this, and remember many times in the past where I could have just ordered the entree by itself. In my particular case this cost Disney money as I ordered less in the parks than I normally would have.

YOu used to be able to order entree without included side, but I think they haven't allowed that for a few years now. I really wish they would bring that back. I agree it is wasteful. Without fries for instance, may be $2 less. But no option, throw the fries away. Or get a 1 ounce bag of apple slices. Enough fries to choke a horse, or 4 or 5 apples slices. Nor really an even exchange.

 

[MomOTwins]

OP here.

First of all, I apologize if my question has offended anyone and everyone. I only asked the question out of curiosity. I learn new things every day by asking questions, especially everything about Disney!! I really don't care if people use mobile ordering or not as it is not my business. I only care to know what it is about mobile ordering that is turning people off. After reading almost five pages of comments and suggestions, I come to understand that mobile ordering though convenient for folks like me could become problematic when it comes to ordering the meals due to various issues from food allergies to personal confidential information.

So once again, thank you all for your time and consideration in regards to my silly little question. I just want to wish you all a wonderful summer and a magical trip to any Disney park!!

I don't think the question is offensive at all. I'll share my experience since it is different from others reported here. The thing that made me HATE it was they won't let you in the restaurant until your order is ready. This means that instead of our usual practice going in, getting the kids settled in the AC at a table with my husband, then having me go order the food and bring it back one tray at a time to the table, this is what happened:

• 7am in the hotel room discuss the menu with my family and place the Pecos Bill order for a noon pickup time. Kind of annoying to navigate the menu and put in all our picky kids' special orders, but not minding it all so far.
• 12pm, having read online that you need to press "I'm here" a little while before heading to the restaurant, I did so waiting in line at magic carpets in Adventureland. 15 minutes later, we arrive in front of Pecos Bills, only to see what looks like a mosh pit at a concert. Except angrier.
• I fight through the sea of shoulder to shoulder people bunched up at the restaurant entrance dragging three small kids in tow. No line, no waiting area, just people blocking my way to get to the door. I wait while the CMs argue with frustrated guests until I get a chance to talk to one and show my mobile app showing they are preparing my food. No go, have to wait outside until food is ready. Now I understand why the mosh pit is so angry.
• It's 90 degrees, no shade available, no seating available. We walk away a bit back into frontierland and find a spot to sit on the street curb in the hot sun (all the shade was taken). Then we wait, and wait.
• At one point, I go battle my way back to my way to the entrance to find out if they have an updated ETA. Nope, I just have to wait, ended up waiting around 45 mins.
• Finally, our order dings, and we again have to squeeze through to the entrance, wait for a CM to finish turning away all angry customers trying to talk to them at once, and then finally show our app and gain precious admittance to the AC. I start to walk off toward the tables and a CM snaps at me I need to pick up my food first. Okay... I guess. We go to the pickup area where, HAHAHA my food is not actually ready after all. We wait there with the kids, eventually get our food, then go to try to find a table in the packed restaurant.
• Rooms are all completely full after a first pass through so DH and I split up to stalk different seating areas and hope something opens. I'm holding a tray packed to the brim with food and drink so can't hold my youngest son's hand or carry him--he's holding on to my legs because it's crowded and noisy and wants to be carried. My husband calls, presumably to tell me he found a table and I realize I have nowhere to set to the tray to take the call. I find a trash can, set the tray down on it, call my husband back, play a game of "WHAAT? I CAN"T HEAR YOU! WHERE ARE YOU?" In the noisy restaurant, I finally figure out he is saying he's upstairs, hang up the phone, and then realize my young son is nowhere in sight.
• I start to half run around the different rooms of the restaurant, trying to balance the tray of wobbly drinks with no lids, sloshing drink on the food (WHY no lids?!?!?!) but I don't see him. So now I'm yelling his name in a panicked voice at the top of my lungs begging him to come to mommy (he is autistic so doesn't always follow instructions) literally sobbing and hyperventilating. NO-ONE comes to help (I'm shocked that happened Disney World as I've seen "lost parent" protocols before the pandemic-- guess the CMs are just so dang overworked apparently that a missing child is not a priority, and the guests are probably unwilling to get up after waiting ages for their food). My older son who was with me (and is heroically carrying a tray of his own despite it being about as wide as his arm span) is doing the same thing, and finds my youngest first.
• Of course, by this point, our food is cold and splashed with soda from those dang unlidded cups, we're all too miserable to enjoy a bite, and our kids are whining they want something different to eat because it was so long ago when we ordered and they changed their minds.

Never again.

 

[freshmanjs]

I don't think the question is offensive at all. I'll share my experience since it is different from others reported here. The thing that made me HATE it was they won't let you in the restaurant until your order is ready. This means that instead of our usual practice going in, getting the kids settled in the AC at a table with my husband, then having me go order the food and bring it back one tray at a time to the table, this is what happened:

• 7am in the hotel room discuss the menu with my family and place the Pecos Bill order for a noon pickup time. Kind of annoying to navigate the menu and put in all our picky kids' special orders, but not minding it all so far.
• 12pm, having read online that you need to press "I'm here" a little while before heading to the restaurant, I did so waiting in line at magic carpets in Adventureland. 15 minutes later, we arrive in front of Pecos Bills, only to see what looks like a mosh pit at a concert. Except angrier.
• I fight through the sea of shoulder to shoulder people bunched up at the restaurant entrance dragging three small kids in tow. No line, no waiting area, just people blocking my way to get to the door. I wait while the CMs argue with frustrated guests until I get a chance to talk to one and show my mobile app showing they are preparing my food. No go, have to wait outside until food is ready. Now I understand why the mosh pit is so angry.
• It's 90 degrees, no shade available, no seating available. We walk away a bit back into frontierland and find a spot to sit on the street curb in the hot sun (all the shade was taken). Then we wait, and wait.
• At one point, I go battle my way back to my way to the entrance to find out if they have an updated ETA. Nope, I just have to wait, ended up waiting around 45 mins.
• Finally, our order dings, and we again have to squeeze through to the entrance, wait for a CM to finish turning away all angry customers trying to talk to them at once, and then finally show our app and gain precious admittance to the AC. I start to walk off toward the tables and a CM snaps at me I need to pick up my food first. Okay... I guess. We go to the pickup area where, HAHAHA my food is not actually ready after all. We wait there with the kids, eventually get our food, then go to try to find a table in the packed restaurant.
• Rooms are all completely full after a first pass through so DH and I split up to stalk different seating areas and hope something opens. I'm holding a tray packed to the brim with food and drink so can't hold my youngest son's hand or carry him--he's holding on to my legs because it's crowded and noisy and wants to be carried. My husband calls, presumably to tell me he found a table and I realize I have nowhere to set to the tray to take the call. I find a trash can, set the tray down on it, call my husband back, play a game of "WHAAT? I CAN"T HEAR YOU! WHERE ARE YOU?" In the noisy restaurant, I finally figure out he is saying he's upstairs, hang up the phone, and then realize my young son is nowhere in sight.
• I start to half run around the different rooms of the restaurant, trying to balance the tray of wobbly drinks with no lids, sloshing drink on the food (WHY no lids?!?!?!) but I don't see him. So now I'm yelling his name in a panicked voice at the top of my lungs begging him to come to mommy (he is autistic so doesn't always follow instructions) literally sobbing and hyperventilating. NO-ONE comes to help (I'm shocked that happened Disney World as I've seen "lost parent" protocols before the pandemic-- guess the CMs are just so dang overworked apparently that a missing child is not a priority, and the guests are probably unwilling to get up after waiting ages for their food). My older son who was with me (and is heroically carrying a tray of his own despite it being about as wide as his arm span) is doing the same thing, and finds my youngest first.
• Of course, by this point, our food is cold and splashed with soda from those dang unlidded cups, we're all too miserable to enjoy a bite, and our kids are whining they want something different to eat because it was so long ago when we ordered and they changed their minds.

Never again.

How does avoiding mobile order help you with this? They still won't let you get a table until you have your food even if you order in person. Seems to me, this issue is the same either way.

 

[Meglen]

How does avoiding mobile order help you with this? They still won't let you get a table until you have your food even if you order in person. Seems to me, this issue is the same either way.

Yea I believe most places are using the Satuli Canteen type seating where you need the food to sit or your kicked out. Funny enough what @momoftwins used to do (find a spot than get food) is what caused all this to happen with the needing food to sit because folks with food had no where to sit to eat.

 

[Meglen]

I don't think the question is offensive at all. I'll share my experience since it is different from others reported here. The thing that made me HATE it was they won't let you in the restaurant until your order is ready. This means that instead of our usual practice going in, getting the kids settled in the AC at a table with my husband, then having me go order the food and bring it back one tray at a time to the table, this is what happened:

• 7am in the hotel room discuss the menu with my family and place the Pecos Bill order for a noon pickup time. Kind of annoying to navigate the menu and put in all our picky kids' special orders, but not minding it all so far.
• 12pm, having read online that you need to press "I'm here" a little while before heading to the restaurant, I did so waiting in line at magic carpets in Adventureland. 15 minutes later, we arrive in front of Pecos Bills, only to see what looks like a mosh pit at a concert. Except angrier.
• I fight through the sea of shoulder to shoulder people bunched up at the restaurant entrance dragging three small kids in tow. No line, no waiting area, just people blocking my way to get to the door. I wait while the CMs argue with frustrated guests until I get a chance to talk to one and show my mobile app showing they are preparing my food. No go, have to wait outside until food is ready. Now I understand why the mosh pit is so angry.
• It's 90 degrees, no shade available, no seating available. We walk away a bit back into frontierland and find a spot to sit on the street curb in the hot sun (all the shade was taken). Then we wait, and wait.
• At one point, I go battle my way back to my way to the entrance to find out if they have an updated ETA. Nope, I just have to wait, ended up waiting around 45 mins.
• Finally, our order dings, and we again have to squeeze through to the entrance, wait for a CM to finish turning away all angry customers trying to talk to them at once, and then finally show our app and gain precious admittance to the AC. I start to walk off toward the tables and a CM snaps at me I need to pick up my food first. Okay... I guess. We go to the pickup area where, HAHAHA my food is not actually ready after all. We wait there with the kids, eventually get our food, then go to try to find a table in the packed restaurant.
• Rooms are all completely full after a first pass through so DH and I split up to stalk different seating areas and hope something opens. I'm holding a tray packed to the brim with food and drink so can't hold my youngest son's hand or carry him--he's holding on to my legs because it's crowded and noisy and wants to be carried. My husband calls, presumably to tell me he found a table and I realize I have nowhere to set to the tray to take the call. I find a trash can, set the tray down on it, call my husband back, play a game of "WHAAT? I CAN"T HEAR YOU! WHERE ARE YOU?" In the noisy restaurant, I finally figure out he is saying he's upstairs, hang up the phone, and then realize my young son is nowhere in sight.
• I start to half run around the different rooms of the restaurant, trying to balance the tray of wobbly drinks with no lids, sloshing drink on the food (WHY no lids?!?!?!) but I don't see him. So now I'm yelling his name in a panicked voice at the top of my lungs begging him to come to mommy (he is autistic so doesn't always follow instructions) literally sobbing and hyperventilating. NO-ONE comes to help (I'm shocked that happened Disney World as I've seen "lost parent" protocols before the pandemic-- guess the CMs are just so dang overworked apparently that a missing child is not a priority, and the guests are probably unwilling to get up after waiting ages for their food). My older son who was with me (and is heroically carrying a tray of his own despite it being about as wide as his arm span) is doing the same thing, and finds my youngest first.
• Of course, by this point, our food is cold and splashed with soda from those dang unlidded cups, we're all too miserable to enjoy a bite, and our kids are whining they want something different to eat because it was so long ago when we ordered and they changed their minds.

Never again.

This sounds like a nighmare! I am really glad you found your youngest. Saddly the seating issue wont go away if mobile order goes back to what it was. The mob will jsut be moved to the cashiers. I hope they figure out a better way so this kinda stuff wont happen.

 

[Disneylover99]

This sounds like a nighmare! I am really glad you found your youngest. Saddly the seating issue wont go away if mobile order goes back to what it was. The mob will jsut be moved to the cashiers. I hope they figure out a better way so this kinda stuff wont happen.

I think the best you can do to avoid these problems whether you use mobile order or order in person is to plan to eat lunch as soon as a place opens for the day and/or eat an early dinner around 4 pm.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

My DH hates mobile ordering anything... even at home.
He eats his burgers plain sometimes has strange request and it takes longer to remove things then walk in and order.
Just to put in perspective he also hates the self checkout . He believes we are taking jobs away from people and diminishing customer service.

 

[kc51570]

I definitely think staffing is one of the reasons they are encouraging more mobile orders. We had to place orders in person at the resorts because of allergies. The parks had those menus loaded. Gasparilla grill at GF had one person working the register, everyone else was packing up mobile orders. They weren’t enforcing mobile order or they just have too many entrances and had only door with a person asking if you had mobile ordered. The line at that one register was very long. They definitely aren’t staffed for the capacity they ramped up to. And the pictures others have posted of crowds of people waiting for their food now is crazy and further demonstrates this.

 

[MomOTwins]

How does avoiding mobile order help you with this? They still won't let you get a table until you have your food even if you order in person. Seems to me, this issue is the same either way.

Yea I believe most places are using the Satuli Canteen type seating where you need the food to sit or your kicked out. Funny enough what @momoftwins used to do (find a spot than get food) is what caused all this to happen with the needing food to sit because folks with food had no where to sit to eat.

We have eaten QS on MANY disney world trips, including four times at Satuli Canteen in the past few years before covid, and every single time my husband would find a table with the kids while I got the food, or vice versa. It also looked like most other people did the same thing, based on the fact that usually it is only teens and adults waiting at food pickup, not a bunch of toddlers and babies crawling around. Not once (pre-mobile order) have we been told we needed to have our food to sit down, nor have we ever been asked to vacate a table we occupied while waiting for the food.

Edited to add: I realized after posting I was misreading your question a bit. What mobile order specifically does to make this worse it is locks guests in to a miserable situation that they won't find out until it's too late. Before, crowds could self regulate. Before mobile order, there were several times we walked into a QS restaurant, saw the size of the line and the lack of empty tables, and left to try somewhere else, or shoot for a same-day TS ADR (which used to be much easier too). Now, you can't even see the inside of a QS restaurant until you've bought and paid for an (expensive for a family of 5) meal. Not to mention, I'm sure part of the reason my youngest ran away is that he was tired and hungry and hot and overwhelmed from being forced to wait a long time outside in a crowd--exactly the reasons we have a DAS pass for him, but that doesn't do any good for mobile orders.

I think the best you can do to avoid these problems whether you use mobile order or order in person is to plan to eat lunch as soon as a place opens for the day and/or eat an early dinner around 4 pm.

If that is the case, then I think I'd have an equally valid complaint to levy against mobile order. Eating at 4pm is not something I would enjoy--and I can tell you right now my kids would pick at their food and be hungry again at 7pm. If it works for you great, but going from being able to eat at normal times to being locked into "rope dropping" restaurants does not sound like an improvement to me.

 

[freshmanjs]

We have eaten QS on MANY disney world trips, including four times at Satuli Canteen in the past few years before covid, and every single time my husband would find a table with the kids while I got the food, or vice versa. It also looked like most other people did the same thing, based on the fact that usually it is only teens and adults waiting at food pickup, not a bunch of toddlers and babies crawling around. Not once (pre-mobile order) have we been told we needed to have our food to sit down, nor have we ever been asked to vacate a table we occupied while waiting for the food.

Yes, but the point is this is not allowed anymore, regardless of mobile ordering. These are separate issues a) WDW is no longer allowing people to get seats before they get food and b) mobile ordering is encouraged.

BTW - WDW went through phases of experimenting with not allowing this at certain eateries long before mobile ordering became widely used.

 

[kc51570]

We have eaten QS on MANY disney world trips, including four times at Satuli Canteen in the past few years before covid, and every single time my husband would find a table with the kids while I got the food, or vice versa. It also looked like most other people did the same thing, based on the fact that usually it is only teens and adults waiting at food pickup, not a bunch of toddlers and babies crawling around. Not once (pre-mobile order) have we been told we needed to have our food to sit down, nor have we ever been asked to vacate a table we occupied while waiting for the food.


If that is the case, then I think I'd have an equally valid complaint to levy against mobile order. Eating at 4pm is not something I would enjoy--and I can tell you right now my kids would pick at their food and be hungry again at 7pm. If it works for you great, but going from being able to eat at normal times to being locked into "rope dropping" restaurants does not sound like an improvement to me.

I’m sorry-that whole experience sounds horrific.

 

[kc51570]

Yes, but the point is this is not allowed anymore, regardless of mobile ordering. These are separate issues a) WDW is no longer allowing people to get seats before they get food and b) mobile ordering is encouraged.

BTW - WDW went through phases of experimenting with not allowing this at certain eateries long before mobile ordering became widely used.

I’m not sure they are applying that policy consistently. We weren’t allowed in until we showed the your food is ready message. But once we got in, I picked up the food while my teenager or husband found the table. I think we only used mobile order in the parks for meals 3x and not once at MK other than Aloha Aisle.

 

[freshmanjs]

I’m not sure they are applying that policy consistently. We weren’t allowed in until we showed the your food is ready message. But once we got in, I picked up the food while my teenager or husband found the table. I think we only used mobile order in the parks for meals 3x and not once at MK other than Aloha Aisle.

I agree it's inconsistent. But the application has nothing to do with mobile order or not. When they are enforcing the "no tables until you have food" policy, that applies to guests using mobile order and guests using conventional ordering. When they are not enforcing it, that also applies to both types of ordering. I'm not sure why this has gotten confused with mobile ordering.

 

[MomOTwins]

I agree it's inconsistent. But the application has nothing to do with mobile order or not. When they are enforcing the "no tables until you have food" policy, that applies to guests using mobile order and guests using conventional ordering. When they are not enforcing it, that also applies to both types of ordering. I'm not sure why this has gotten confused with mobile ordering.

Sorry, this crossed paths with some edits I was making to my post above because I realized after I posted you were talking about mobile order specifically, rather than pre versus post covid. To summarize: once you mobile order and click "prepare my food" (which happens before you're allowed to enter the restaurant), you're stuck. This not only is problem at a personal level (since it's pre-paid and there is no way to cancel after you select prepare order, you'd be out a lot of money if you cancel), it's a problem because crowds can't self-regulate. If the line to order is going out the door, people see that and switch plans, and the lines even out around the park at QS (just like with attractions--that's why you never see a 4 hour wait for Splash and a 10 minute wait for big thunder--the wait times even out because people can see and adjust). Once everyone has paid for a mobile order, they aren't going to do that.
.