Why some don't like to mobile order?

[disneydreamer1980]

I love mobile ordering! As the mom of a family of 7 (and I usually order for my tech inept parents also) I always felt bad for the people behind us because we had so many people to order for. Even though I made sure everyone knew what they wanted before we got to the front (I hate when people wait to get up there to decide) it still took a while to order for 7-9 people. With mobile ordering I don’t have to worry about that. I usually do it while waiting in a line. I love it

 

[jo-jo]

I love mobile ordering! As the mom of a family of 7 (and I usually order for my tech inept parents also) I always felt bad for the people behind us because we had so many people to order for. Even though I made sure everyone knew what they wanted before we got to the front (I hate when people wait to get up there to decide) it still took a while to order for 7-9 people. With mobile ordering I don’t have to worry about that. I usually do it while waiting in a line. I love it

We had a party of 12. Half kids. It was so much better having the kids outside jumping around, than standing inside waiting for food.

I'd never remember who wants what, by the time I'd get to a line.

 

[OhDannyBoy]

We had a party of 12. Half kids. It was so much better having the kids outside jumping around, than standing inside waiting for food.

I'd never remember who wants what, by the time I'd get to a line.

That's how it went our last trip. We had 9 including 4 kids under 5 and one 8 year old.

I just passed my phone around and let the adults plug in what they and their kids wanted. Then they gave me cash. Worked great for the most part

 

[Pyxie]

I guess it may be harder to special order and some don't like having to order hours in advance (though that is rare and happens more at very busy places like Woody's Lunchbox). Personally, I love it covid or not.

 

[deedeetoo]

I haven’t read the whole thread, but I hate having to do anything like ordering on my phone, anywhere. I am not young, and phone menus are not easy for me and I never can figure out how to find something and select things. Last time we went I handed my phone to a cast member and told them what I wanted so that they could type it in for me. Yeah I’m old and have not adapted well.

 

[mistysue]

We have too many allergies and CAN'T use mobile ordering. Because it's there, we had places in February try to not let us order (Captain Cook's was the biggest offender, we spent up to 45 minutes waiting to order on various occasions) Then mobile ordering breakfast.... can't order until they open, but first available might be 45 minutes out, and rope drop is in an hour, and it's not allergy noted so you have to hope nobody got creative this morning or we'll be in the ER. I would rather be waiting when the place opens than in the room frantically trying to order quickly enough.

On that same trip we did run into places where the soonest time was 2-3 hours out to get a drink or a snack, a great example is my daughter wanted to try those gross milks in Star wars and it was a 2 hour wait and mobile order only... so now we were supposed to order it, go on with our day and trek all the way back there to pick up her drink hours later? That's stupid. The same thing happened when we wanted to get dole whip. We had a MK lunch day where we all had popcorn because mobile order was too backed up.

Mobile order would work if the times came our reasonably close, and I'm happy for some people that that was their experience, but we got stupid bad time offerings. When you have an ADR for dinner at 5, you don't want to pick up lunch at 2:30! When you ordered in person, you stood in line for 10 minutes- not half the day. If they can get pick up times under 30-45 minutes, ok.

 

[Pooh's World]

I hope it is okay for me to ask this question. I am not trying to create an argument. I just cannot help but wonder why the thought of mobile ordering would turn some people off. Instead of having my own assumptions, I would like to pose the question here to get some real feedback. Moderator, if this post is not appropriate or too controversial, please feel free to delete the post.

For me, I would mobile order whenever I can. The pressure of having the cashier and people waiting behind me all waiting for me to place my order and to get out of their way is too much for me to handle. I would rather stay in my hotel room or a quiet corner in the park to place my order on the app and pick it up when it is ready. During my recent trip, I would order my family's breakfast when I wake up. Then I brush my teeth, wash my face, get changed, and leisurely walked down to the cafeteria where my breakfast is already waiting for me. Same thing for my orders at Ronto Roaster and at Docking Bay 7. I ordered at 9am for a pickup time between 12pm-12:30pm. I rode my rides, walked over to the restaurants while bypassing all people who were trying to order their lunch but had to wait for a long time. Once I stood in line for the Joffery's coffee cart at DHS. There were 8 people in front of me and there was no shade. I really wished that mobile order was available for that location so I could wait in the shade instead of under the sun..

That's just my take on the mobile order. I hope the mobile order is here to stay.

Eventually everyone will be mobil ordering and it's going to take a long time for you to get your things.
Or the freebies and discounts that mobil ordering have right now will go away.

At that point you will probably wish everybody wasn't mobile ordering.

 

[Lilsia]

Disney is using it to eliminate jobs and make more money. I refuse to use self checkout at grocery stores, etc. We need more jobs and fewer unemployed people, not the opposite. Below 5 opened a store 2 miles from my home, and both my wife and I walked out when we realized that it is all self checkout. Employee was flabbergasted until we told her why.

They have taken the cast members that were at the registers and move them to other areas of the restaurant that they did not have before. Now there are several cast members right outside the door checking people's order status to let them in, some are inside directing people where to go. A few of the restaurants have cast members assigning tables to people.

 

[Lilsia]

Saying something that's untrue in order to cause angst or fear of mobile ordering is fear mongering.

I have experienced long wait times when ordering at prime lunch time. I had a 70 minute wait at Docking Bay 7. I am not saying that all of the restaurants, all day have hours long wait. But it does happen. No one is lying about that, why would they? I did just end up ordering ahead of time the next time that I went there. As a rule, I try to order at least an hour ahead of time, just in case there is a wait. It's not a big deal for me since I know what foods I like to get at each park and I rather have it ready, then wait a long time when I get hungry.

 

[freshmanjs]

I have experienced long wait times when ordering at prime lunch time. I had a 70 minute wait at Docking Bay 7. I am not saying that all of the restaurants, all day have hours long wait. But it does happen. No one is lying about that, why would they? I did just end up ordering ahead of time the next time that I went there. As a rule, I try to order at least an hour ahead of time, just in case there is a wait. It's not a big deal for me since I know what foods I like to get at each park and I rather have it ready, then wait a long time when I get hungry.

Again confirming that it is a lie that you have to order lunch at 7am. Thanks for confirming! As to why people lie about that…I have no clue

 

[Lilsia]

I like mobile order because I no longer have to stand behind large clueless parties in the queue while they all decide what they want to eat. That is the biggest positive for me.

This should be the #1 reason why everyone loves mobile order. Unless, of course, they are THAT family that holds everyone up. LOL

 

[Lilsia]

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?

Ordering at the register is fine, just as long as you are put in the queue just like those who mobile order. If I go on and mobile order, and it says that the fastest they can serve me is in 40 minutes, I expect anyone that walks up to the register to be given that same time frame. I think one of the biggest reasons why they do have the mobile order is to limit the amount of people inside the restaurant at any given time. This was, of course, because of Covid. I am sure that they have increased internal capacity since and that should help with order times. But I really do not want to go back to the days where anyone could just walk in, grab a table, and hog it while people are walking around with food trying to find a seat. The restaurants run so much smoother now with just a steady, paced ordering system. And not having to wait in line is a bonus too.

 

[Lilsia]

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.

You should turn this into a sitcom. LOL The trials and tribulations of feeding your kids at WDW.

 

[Lilsia]

Oh, gosh that is awful! I'm so sorry!

I've definitely faced the frustration of searching and searching for a table to no avail, even just as a solo visitor - I can't imagine trying to figure it out with little ones in tow.

This is and has been a serious issue and I really wish Disney would have CMs stationed to help find seating when it gets crowded like that, the same way they direct parking. It's fine to have a choose-your-own-seat option when there are plenty of choices, but when it's packed to the gills, they should figure out a more systematic approach. Especially right now while they have everything on mobile order, meaning that they can control how many people are in the restaurant at a given time - if they don't have enough tables, they need to adjust the available time slots on the app accordingly.

I have gone 3 times since reopening for a total of 4 1/2 weeks spent at WDW strictly on property. Not once did I encounter a time where there were no seats when I mobile ordered. The whole point of it was that they could limit who could come in, that's why waits got a bit long. At some restaurants, they even had someone escort you to a table. The only way I can see this system not working is if too many people lingered long after they finished eating(which is kind of rude during limited capacity). Which is probably what happened and they really should have shooed people out. Or that they were letting people that had to order at the register in immediately without putting them in the order queue.

 

[Lilsia]

Again confirming that it is a lie that you have to order lunch at 7am. Thanks for confirming! As to why people lie about that…I have no clue

I guess I had not heard anyone at all saying that you have to order at 7am. Who is saying this? I think what people are saying is that you CAN order early but I doubt it is a 7 since the system won't even allow that until the park opens, sooo?. I am all for ordering early and I think that at the busier places it is necessary to not have a long wait. Again, who is saying this?

 

[luv2cheer92]

I guess I had not heard anyone at all saying that you have to order at 7am. Who is saying this? I think what people are saying is that you CAN order early but I doubt it is a 7 since the system won't even allow that until the park opens, sooo?. I am all for ordering early and I think that at the busier places it is necessary to not have a long wait. Again, who is saying this?

There have been plenty of people saying this, though I also disagree that it is needed. But you can definitely order before the parks open. I can order right now at 6AM.

 

[monarchsfan16]

The beauty of counter service used to be that you didn't have to plan ahead. I don't want to, but it definitely is sounding like some lead time is necessary.

Disney technology is clunky. I don't want to navigate it when hungry. I just want to eat.

I used mobile order once pre-covid. I was told it would be faster than the in-person line. It was not.

Not really a fan of standing around with my credit card out in the middle of the park.

Sometimes I just want the entree part of a meal (i.e., just the pizza not the pizza and salad). As far as I know you can't go a la carte on mobile order.

I shouldn't have to worry about phone battery power to be able to eat.

I'm a school speech pathologist. I've spent the last year plus being forced to use glitchy technology when I just wanted to do my job in person. I'm tired go being tied to technology. I want to use it when I want to, not because I have to.

In short, I'm cool with mobile order being an option, but I don't like being forced to use it. I've planned eating in August that focuses primarily on snack carts to minimize mobile ordering.

 

[mhochman]

To clarify, can I now pay with a Disney gift card when using mobile order?

 

[DisBuckMan]

To clarify, can I now pay with a Disney gift card when using mobile order?

Yes, you can. You just have to manually re-enter your gc number every time you place a mobile number, as MDE does not have the capability to save gc's. I found what works easiest is that I texted the gc number to myself, then just copied and pasted it into MDE when I ordered.

 

[Jmljasmine]

I don't have an Apple phone...and I don't really want to get educated on Google Pay. My card always works...my phone is frequently dead. Yup, I'm not in my 20's...maybe if I was attached to my phone 24-7, I'd get on board Google Pay (although I doubt it), but I use my phone about once a week in normal life. This amuses my teens...but I like to see and talk to people, so if I'm not on my laptop, I'm not on the internet - I'm looking at faces and interacting with who is in front of me...

I'm in my 30's and I really wish the world would go back to this.