Since Disney World reopened last summer, we’ve seen a LOT of changes. There have been updates on masks, park hours, park hopping, and maybe most relevant to us: dining.
Underrated Castle View
Due to capacity limits and health and safety measures, the way a lot of Disney restaurants function has changed — and some still haven’t reopened since the closure over a year ago. Quick Service restaurants became almost exclusively available on Mobile Order, and we’ve gotta be real with you…that hasn’t exactly worked out as conveniently as advertised.
Ordering via Mobile Order on the My Disney Experience app has long been one of our favorite tips to give our readers. Pre-closure, it was an under-used feature that could get you your food faster, or at a scheduled time that worked for you, without having to stand in long lines.
Mobile Order Pick Up
Now, however, Mobile Order is the status quo for eating at Quick Service restaurants in Disney World. You’ll be expected to utilize this feature pretty much all the time. And while you can technically go up to the counter and order (for example, if you have an allergy or need to pay with cash), that is no longer the norm.
Step by step on how to Mobile Order!
But lately, we’ve noticed a few issues with the system! First of all, Mobile Order can be one of the longest waits in Disney. If you’re hoping to hop on My Disney Experience right at noon to grab a lunch order, you might end up sorely disappointed. Nowadays, lunchtime is one of the most bogged-down periods for Mobile Order, and you could end up not getting to eat for hours if time slots are already full!
Kona Cafe Mobile Order To Go Status
You definitely don’t want to be stranded without a meal — plus, it can be really disappointing if you don’t get to eat where you planned! So here’s a NEW tip: open up Mobile Order a couple of hours before you actually want to eat. Plan ahead and schedule a spot before everyone else does, and you’ll be sitting down with your favorite meal exactly when ya want to be.
Mobile Order Arrival Window
The restaurant won’t start preparing your food until you tell them you’re there, so your 9AM fries won’t be soggy by your 12PM arrival time!
We’re here, where’s the food?
However, this is another Mobile Order perk that has gone a little sour. Since you don’t actually hit “Prepare My Order” until you get to the restaurant, there’s a lot of backup in the kitchen during busy times of day! Even if you can get a time slot for lunch and show up on time, you might be waiting well past your arrival window to actually receive your food.
Preparing your food!
While you’re waiting, you are may not be allowed to enter the restaurant, so you may find yourself standing outside. Suddenly, what’s supposed to be fast and easy has now become a major hassle! So what can you do about it?
Waiting for Mobile Orders at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
Plan ahead. We like to hit “Prepare My Order” when we first start walking over to the restaurant. That gives the kitchen time to get a head start on our order, so there’s a better chance it’s actually ready when we arrive.
Yum!
And to be EXTRA prepared, we’ve got a few other backup plans for ya! Pack some snacks to tide you over just in case you miss out on a prime meal time window or get caught waiting for a while. And remember to check Mobile Order availability and schedule your meal as soon as you get to the park — or at least once you’ve solidified your plans. This is especially true if there’s a particular Quick Service spot you don’t want to miss out on.
Mobile Order Line at Animal Kingdom
While this is a not-so-glamourous side of Disney, it’s our job here at DFB to give you a heads-up, so you can avoid any hiccups! We’ll keep you posted with plenty more Disney tips and tricks, so stay tuned to DFB.
You’ll Need to Know This if You Mobile Order!
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Have you tried to Mobile Order lately? Let us know how it went in the comments!
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Helpful ideas but going to WDW has just gotten to complicated and uncertain. Park reservations. Mobile orders. Limited choices. Limited entertainment. Reduced hours. Higher prices. We will just wait till things get back to normal before even considering planning a trip….
I always wondered how mobile order worked. being from Canada we would pay sooooo much in exchange rates to pay with our credit card for food. Getting another credit card ( especially and American one) isn’t something that’s an option.
I noticed you said you can pay with cash? How does that work exactly? Do you order on the app first and select to pay with cash or do you just head to a kiosk and order at the QS restaurant and pay like you would before Covid?
I can’t wait until we, as Canadians , can travel again. 😔
I was actually really disappointed last week. I tried to pay cash at Woodys Lunch box and they wouldn’t let me. They told me If I had the capability to mobile order then I HAD to use that option. I really hope some flexibility comes back with the new safety measures in place. They shouldn’t prohibit ppl from using cash.
Another problem with mobile order is that you can’t really customize. For example, if you are ordering a burger served with fries but really didn’t want the fries, in times past you could ask for the burger without fries. As an added bonus you’d save a dollar or two.
In my experience, you cannot do that with mobile order. And by the way, last time I was in DHS, mobile order was *required*. You could not order at the window.
Sara, typically, you’ll explain to a Cast Member outside the restaurant that you need to pay in cash (probably helps to mention the reason, in your case), and you will order inside. Perhaps another option for you could be to purchase Disney gift cards and add them to My Disney Experience so you can use Mobile Order that way.
My group of 7 were in Disney last week and didn’t have any problems with mobile ordering. The ordering windows were great during lunch time, so we pretty much ordered when we were starting to get hungry and never waited longer than 30 minutes for our food to be prepared. We had more issues when we ordered in person. Our orders were always wrong.
I hate mobile ordering! It is a hassle and ends up taking way longer with crowds congregating outside the restaurant waiting for their food. Ugh! I just don’t do it. I tell the cast member I’m unable to do it . They haven’t questioned me as to why I can’t, so far, and let me in to order the old fashioned way. MUCH faster!! Now that physical distancing is down to 3 feet and and you should still wear a mask indoors there, the parks need to bring back the choice of regular in line ordering or mobile ordering, the sooner the better!
I must say that Universal is doing the mobile ordering correctly. You get in line for the restaurant, get seated, order from your table and they bring it to you! It’s no hassle and we were seated quickly. Only problem places were the Harry Potter restaurants.
What if one doesn’t have a smartphone?
On one of my last trips, I was allowed to order from Woody’s Lunchbox as a “takeout” order, as there were no open times. The cast member took my order and walked it out to me. They do not advertise that, but it is an option.
Well it is horrible. My son and his family did not even get to eat at all the last time they went.
Where did you get that Greek salad pictures in the article? It looks delicious
I really wish they’d allow you to customize. Like Bill said above, you used to be able to remove the side dish. Or, in my diabetic husband’s case, get an alternative side dish or get a bun less burger.
You seem to be unable to cancel your mobile order once you hit “I’m Here”. At Animal Kingdom (Satuli) recently I had to leave before food was ready. The cast member told us it would be refunded if the food is not picked up at the counter. However, it was charged to my card and I had to go to guest relations twice to have it resolved.
Nicole, it’s from ABC Commissary at Hollywood Studios.
Gitta, you can speak to a Cast Member outside the restaurant and explain your situation. They’ll likely have you go inside to order.
Aj. Thanks so much for your blog and the great suggestions. I’m 65 and because of your suggestions ordering and reservations were a breeze. We are having a great week
Pk, that’s fantastic news! I’ll share this with the team.
I hate onions, no allergy just cannot abide them in any form. However,I will eat chive , leeks and shallots. Onions, and the previously mention replacements, are often
not listed in many salads, sauces and meals. I always ask if an item has onions in it and ask if it can be served without. I’ m a lost as how to do this if we mobile order. I really don’ t want my family waiting around for me if my order has onions in it and i don’t want to leave a meal i couldn’ t eat . What is my alternative other than eating all meals at a table service restaurant ?
Elizabeth, I think your best bet would be speaking to a Cast Member at the restaurant’s entrance to see what they suggest. In some cases they may be able to access your order and manually enter your request. In other cases, you may be told to order inside to be sure they get your request.
Sounds like a hassle. Disney world is saving more money by not hiring people to do this job. More cuts more profit.
Going with HS Seniors this Wednesday and they have Disney dining cards. Do they put them in the credit card area for payment or do they have to go inside and order?
Hi, Traci. As a former teacher who brought seniors several years back, I hope the planning is going well. 🙂 If the dining card functions as a gift card, they should be able to add them to My Disney Experience for Mobile Order. I’m not 100% sure, but it could be worth trying.
We are going in a few weeks! Do you have to use mobile order for snack carts or Starbucks locations?
Kristin, my understanding is that Mobile Order is not possible for Starbucks in the Parks, but it is available at the Starbucks in Disney Springs using the Starbucks app (not My Disney Experience). As for the snack kiosks, I don’t believe you’ll use Mobile Order. If you have specific spots you’re curious about, you can find Disney’s official list here.
Last October at Woody’s QS, my husband and I ordered a regular meal and a Gluten free meal at 9 am for lunch. At lunchtime, we hit the ‘prepare the meal’ button when we were about 10 minutes away but when we got there, we had to wait an extra 10 – 15 minutes for the Gluten Free meal to be prepared. If I had known this, I would have hit the ‘prepare my order’ much earlier.
My question is: can I make 2 separate orders at about the same time—1) Gluten Free for me and 2) one for my husband. Then hit ‘prepare my (GF) order’ ten minutes before I order his? Would this work? Can you see any benefits of doing it this way? We go again in September this year.
Cyndi, I would guess it’ll all come down to timing. If the GF options always take extra time, I think you could make your order in MDE, then start over and make the second order for your husband. Then, like you said, click “Prepare my order” for yours a bit before you click it for his. Whether this will work in terms of timing, I don’t think we could say for sure. Might be worth it to experiment and see how it goes.
We just came back after a week at the parks and we didn’t have that issue. We did tend to eat a bit later than usual peak meal times (2ish for lunch) but we were always able to grab an immediate pick up time at the place we wanted to eat. This worked in all parks. The wait after we hit “I’m here” was a bit long but we caught on and did exactly what you suggested: hit the button on our way there. We usually placed the order while in line, then hit the “I’m here” button when off the ride and on the way to grab the meal. We occasionally had to wait 5-10mins but that was doable. I can imagine this is a much bigger issue if you are trying to grab lunch at noon-1pm. I’m sure this isn’t ideal for everyone, but if you can shift your meal times a bit, you may be able to avoid the lunch rush. What we did run into was a delay to our dinner reservation. I checked in as soon as the window opened and they didn’t seat until 20mins AFTER our reservation time (so a total of a 40min wait with a reservation!!) . We had lucked out and arrived early at the resort to walk around, so I was able to check in as soon as check in was allowed but our table took forever to be ready.