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Credit: DisneySome Guests might feel overwhelmed with Disney constantly implementing more functionalities within their mobile app. From buying tickets to using Genie and Genie+, booking dining reservations, merchandise mobile checkout, and placing mobile orders.
The mobile order system was first implemented in 2017 with the opening of Pandora — The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and gained more popularity when Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort reopened in April 2021 and July 2020, respectively, mainly to reduce contact between Guests and Cast Members while also aiming to reduce wait times to deliver food to Guests.
While the system has been around for quite some time now, many Guests refuse to make use of it, causing massive lines at the different food and beverage locations around the Park.
One Guest took to Reddit to ask why more people are not using mobile ordering, sharing his personal experience during his family’s last trip to Disneyland Resort and Disney California Adventure. Redditor u/echoes9999 comments that mobile ordering has worked wonders for him and his family, even with spontaneity. He adds that he and his family have been able to find available time windows to make mobile orders instantly and get their food in two minutes while everyone else had to wait in line. The original poster also mentions several locations where he has been able to place and receive mobile orders almost immediately while Guests wait in long queues.
My family and I have been here at the parks the last few days. Today we are in California adventure and I’m amazed at the amount of times I’ve seen people not using this great service. Between the kids wanting ice cream, my wife wanting a sourdough bowl and me wanting a beer, mobile order has worked wonders even with spontaneity. We walked up to Paradise Warf at lunch time and there was a huge line. I did mobile order and they had a time slot for right now open. I ordered and boom we had our food in two minutes while everyone else waited in line.
Huge line at Clarabelle’s ice cream in the hottest part of the day when the kids were dying from heat. Check mobile order and a time slot available right then. We had our ice cream in minutes and rolled out refreshed. I wanted beer mimosa at Pym kitchen to kick off the morning. In and out while everyone else waited in a long line. More beer later at bayside brews. Woah, big line. Mobile order was available immediately and I’m in and out before the lines moved even two people.
I just can’t believe more people don’t use this option. It’s mind boggling. What does everyone else think?
Why do more people not use mobile ordering more? from Disneyland
Some Redditors commented that they also prefer to use mobile order, but that in recent trips, they have found it hard to find available time slots right away and that they have had to wait over 20 minutes for an open window, making mobile ordering practically the same as standing and waiting in line to place their order. One even added that he would have had to wait 40 minutes to receive his mobile order, even though there was no line at the location.
Others commented that perhaps Guests were not aware of the system or didn’t know how to use it, especially if they are not used to visiting the Parks often.
Related: Disney Pushes “Frustrating” New Service, Guest Claims “It’s All About Profit”
We have also previously reported on one Guest who had trouble using the mobile order system. They had been unable to link a gift card they had previously paid for as a recurring payment method. This seems to be a common issue, as many Guests might not feel comfortable registering their credit cards to make payments through Disneyland’s app and may prefer to use gift cards or even pay in cash, forcing them to enter their information for every purchase or make a line to make their order at a register respectively.
While it is unclear why many Guests choose not to use mobile ordering or may not be aware of the service, placing mobile orders is indeed convenient to many Guests, in most cases saving them time and the hassle of waiting in line or giving them the opportunity of experiencing other offerings around the Parks while they wait for their order to be ready.
Do you use the mobile order system when you visit the Parks? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!
Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical vacation to Disneyland Resort, including Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure, and the Downtown Disney District. Or what about Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district!