Why some don't like to mobile order?

[Jmljasmine]

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.

It may be rare but if you have small kids you can't risk you may end up with one of those rare times so you end up having to do it early all the time.
Also, before mobile ordering it was pretty easy to see the lines/how long you would be waiting and could easily adapt that way. Pass a place with low lines? Grab lunch now. Have one parent sit in ac with kids while other orders and grabs food. (And I agree with others, when ordering 8 people's food, it is much easier to speak it and let the expert enter it then enter it myself.)

 

[mistysue]

It may be rare but if you have small kids you can't risk you may end up with one of those rare times so you end up having to do it early all the time.
Also, before mobile ordering it was pretty easy to see the lines/how long you would be waiting and could easily adapt that way. Pass a place with low lines? Grab lunch now. Have one parent sit in ac with kids while other orders and grabs food. (And I agree with others, when ordering 8 people's food, it is much easier to speak it and let the expert enter it then enter it myself.)

You know what else worries me about mobile order with kids?
They don't like they thing you had to order an hour ago, or your accidentally order one drink short, or someone's food just wasn't enough. Now you can't just hop back in line and grab one more thing, you have to place an order for some future time, or leave lunch to go find snacks immediately.

 

[freshmanjs]

You know what else worries me about mobile order with kids?
They don't like they thing you had to order an hour ago, or your accidentally order one drink short, or someone's food just wasn't enough. Now you can't just hop back in line and grab one more thing, you have to place an order for some future time, or leave lunch to go find snacks immediately.

Except, again, it is almost always possible to order for immediate or very quick pickup. Faster than the old "just hop back in line"

 

[freshmanjs]

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.

We used counter service with no planning ahead easily and without any issues multiple times this spring. In fact, getting impromptu food from a QS is much faster now that you don't have to wait in line.

 

[robinb]

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.

That’s a great idea! I put the gift card number in a Note and copied it from there.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

We used mobile ordering at WDW during our trip a few weeks ago. I had input my credit card into my Disney account while at home, to hold reservations. When I went to order on the app, it already had my credit card information ready to use. All my mobile orders went to that particular credit card (and it was the only thing that CC was used for, so it was easy to check on usage).

We did order ahead on our MK day, as recommended by our plaid that day; simply because there were 10 of us, and as others have mentioned, getting that many people through to order is a pain in the behind. On our DS day, we did 3 separate mobile orders, so each family paid for their own, but we did our order when our plaid said it was a good time to do so. Neither time was more than an hour ahead, and we waited longer at MK at PB than we did at HS at Backlot (I think that's where we ate). We did a group order at AK at Sat'uli's, and we did it maybe 40 minutes before we wanted to eat, which gave us enough time to walk over, grab some drinks right there, and sit for about 5 minutes.

I liked being given a QR code to get the menus at our TS places! I didn't have touch a dirty menu. If you've never worked in food service, you have no idea how nasty those menus really get ; or the amount of time servers waste cleaning the darn things! Once you handle the menu, you really should wash your hands.

 

[Jmljasmine]

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.

Weither credit cards are secure or not in reality doesn't matter if someone perceives That it isn't secure. That anxiety isn't false. A lot of people distrust technology.

 

[mistysue]

Except, again, it is almost always possible to order for immediate or very quick pickup. Faster than the old "just hop back in line"

I don't know where or when you went- but we spent a week in February and a week in May. Not once did we get a choice to pick up right away. We were checking places as we went by and it was common to have pick up times an hour+ out.
I'm really happy for you if that wasn't your experience, but it is the experience that I did in fact have to live through, and it sucked.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

I liked being given a QR code to get the menus at our TS places! I didn't have touch a dirty menu. If you've never worked in food service, you have no idea how nasty those menus really get ; or the amount of time servers waste cleaning the darn things! Once you handle the menu, you really should wash your hands.

TBF your phone isn't any cleaner after constant handling in a Disney park.

 

[disneyseniors]

I thought of one more reason why we like in-person ordering. Part of why we do CS in the first place is that then we don't have to decide on just one place to eat a meal. And something my kids get a big kick out of once they get a bit older has always been being able to run off to one spot and to buy food without their parents being with them. But, again, since we're not phone people, we don't have 4 phones, so if we had to mobile order from several places at once, it might make that situation less convenient with only 2 phones between us.

Disliss, you are not alone in the "not phone people" category. I have an old flip phone which I only use if I really need it while out and about. Otherwise, it is turned off. If someone wants to talk with me they can call me at home, on my landline. I know that this is not a popular way to do it.
Not everyone has or wants a smart phone. We are "older" and aren't interested in buying a smart phone at this time. I have an Ipodtouch that I love that does everything a smart phone does, without the telephone part. I wonder if an ipod touch can be used at disney for mobile ordering? I have the disney app downloaded.
I think disney should keep the regular ordering lines open for those who can't or don't want to mobile order. Then the majority of people with smart phones can mobile order, and everyone would be happy. I know disney doesn't really care about us older folks, so I don't see that changing much.
When and if we go to disney again, we will use in person ordering as we won't have a smart phone.

 

[kylenne]

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.

It's already become this way compared to pre-Covid mobile ordering, back when nobody knew about it or used it except for people who paid attention. It was essentially FP+ for counter service back then, where it was available. Like anything else when it comes to Disney, knowledge is power and those who knew got the benefit.

I guess I will just never understand the technologically averse. I know I go to the parks a lot compared to some but my time is still too valuable to waste when I don't have to. Even at home I have every food app available around my workplace. Why on earth would I waste time in a line when I don't have to? I'm not having thrilling conversations with CMs ordering Dole Whips.

 

[HashberryOTG]

I don't know where or when you went- but we spent a week in February and a week in May. Not once did we get a choice to pick up right away. We were checking places as we went by and it was common to have pick up times an hour+ out.
I'm really happy for you if that wasn't your experience, but it is the experience that I did in fact have to live through, and it sucked.

Experience varies greatly by time and location. I've experienced both. Can always order right away, but that pick up window can sometimes be out there a bit.

 

[Jmljasmine]

Disliss, you are not alone in the "not phone people" category. I have an old flip phone which I only use if I really need it while out and about. Otherwise, it is turned off. If someone wants to talk with me they can call me at home, on my landline. I know that this is not a popular way to do it.
Not everyone has or wants a smart phone. We are "older" and aren't interested in buying a smart phone at this time. I have an Ipodtouch that I love that does everything a smart phone does, without the telephone part. I wonder if an ipod touch can be used at disney for mobile ordering? I have the disney app downloaded.
I think disney should keep the regular ordering lines open for those who can't or don't want to mobile order. Then the majority of people with smart phones can mobile order, and everyone would be happy. I know disney doesn't really care about us older folks, so I don't see that changing much.
When and if we go to disney again, we will use in person ordering as we won't have a smart phone.

I'm younger but desperately want to get to where you are. I remember the days where landline was all there was. It was more peaceful. I feel like Disney is making me use my phone more when I'm trying to break the addiction to use it less. By the way, where do you get your landline from? They are disappearing around here and I want one.

 

[disneyseniors]

It's already become this way compared to pre-Covid mobile ordering, back when nobody knew about it or used it except for people who paid attention. It was essentially FP+ for counter service back then, where it was available. Like anything else when it comes to Disney, knowledge is power and those who knew got the benefit.

I guess I will just never understand the technologically averse. I know I go to the parks a lot compared to some but my time is still too valuable to waste when I don't have to. Even at home I have every food app available around my workplace. Why on earth would I waste time in a line when I don't have to? I'm not having thrilling conversations with CMs ordering Dole Whips.
[/QUOTE

I don't think it is being against "technology" itself. I have a laptop, kindle, and Ipod touch. I love them all. I think it boils down to what you grew up with. I am from an older generation who never even thought of the technology we have now,, LOL. We grew up with 3 channels on our TV, and no internet.
So alot of this tech is overload for us. Speaking for myself, that is.
It would be great if disney kept the self order lines open for people like me who want to order as we have always done. There wouldn't be many of us, and everyone else could order how they want , as in mobile ordering. There should be a choice, I guess is what I am saying. Not all guests are capable nor want to mobile order. I'm not saying I'll never get a smart phone but for now everyone should be able to order as they want.

 

[easyas123]

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...

Not really sure this kinda thought works anymore.. people in there 40s have had cell phones since they were teenagers. Thus why Disney is going more mobile. Its the generation that is raising kids right now. 20-50 year olds are the market and most if not all are heavy mobile phone users.

For me...I don't want or like to use my phone on vacation. Or a computer. I'm there to relax, and to me it's not relaxing to pull my phone out to order. So I certainly don't have a problem with mobile ordering, I just don't want to do it myself if I don't have to. Also about 75% of the time I don't bring my phone into the parks w/ me. I am right in the demographic below, but I realize I am in the minority-

"20-50 year olds are the market and most if not all are heavy mobile phone users."

I really, really like the opportunity to unplug once in a while, and that is one of the reasons I go on vacation - to unplug. So that is why I would prefer not to mobile order if I didn't have to.

 

[disneyseniors]

I'm younger but desperately want to get to where you are. I remember the days where landline was all there was. It was more peaceful. I feel like Disney is making me use my phone more when I'm trying to break the addiction to use it less. By the way, where do you get your landline from? They are disappearing around here and I want one.

Are they really disappearing where you live? You must live in a big city?
I live in a small town. We have a great communication system for all technology and also for land lines. We have no problem that way.
I think you nailed it when you said it was a more peaceful time. I don't like to be looking at a phone all the time and have no desire to be connected at all times. But that is the minority attitude around here

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

TBF your phone isn't any cleaner after constant handling in a Disney park.

Actually, I always have Purell wipes with me and wipe down my phone and hands on a regular basis. Before we go in a restaurant, at the parks, we stop and use the restroom and wash our hands. If we are going to a restaurant outside of Disney, we'll sit and order, then take turns going to wash up. If the bathrooms are nasty, then we cancel our order, and leave (letting the manager know why). Dirty bathrooms in customer view usually mean lack of attention to detail, and things like that make me go "how bad is the back of the house?"......

 

[Gabby01]

I found mobile ordering to be way more convenient than I thought it would be. My only problem with it is it robs me of the small joy of telling another human being I’ll have the Fried Endorian Chicken Tip-Yip and not having them blink an eye, LOL!

 

[Jmljasmine]

Not really sure this kinda thought works anymore.. people in there 40s have had cell phones since they were teenagers. Thus why Disney is going more mobile. Its the generation that is raising kids right now. 20-50 year olds are the market and most if not all are heavy mobile phone users.

I'm in my 30s and definitely didn't have a cell phone in my teens. Even the first half of my 20s I only had a basic flip phone. I miss those days.

 

[Jmljasmine]

Are they really disappearing where you live? You must live in a big city?
I live in a small town. We have a great communication system for all technology and also for land lines. We have no problem that way.
I think you nailed it when you said it was a more peaceful time. I don't like to be looking at a phone all the time and have no desire to be connected at all times. But that is the minority attitude around here

Yep, DC suburbs. Another reason to move more rural. I am probably in the minority for my age bracket but I think that's a good thing for my kids.