We’ve had some exciting Disney news for ya today!
Cinderella Castle
For one, Bob Chapek spoke about the future of The Walt Disney Company at the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media, and Communications Conference. As park capacity increases and health and safety measures shift, the company’s continuing to look ahead. And today, Chapek took a look at how certain shifts in “guest experience” may stick around.
Although features like virtual queues and Mobile Order were a thing before the parks shut down last year, we saw them become a much bigger part of the experience upon reopening. Mobile Order is used almost exclusively at Quick Service locations now, and virtual queues have expanded from Galaxy’s Edge to Gideon’s Bakehouse in Disney Springs and Indiana Jones Adventure on the west coast.
Gideon’s Bakehouse Virtual Queue
And according to Chapek, these features just may be here to stay. He stated that they are “likely to impact their [Disney’s] prospects going into the future,” which is kinda vague but could mean we’ll see virtual queues, Mobile Order, contactless hotel check-in, and more in the long-term.
PizzeRizzo Mobile Order Sign
Chapek explained that virtual queues, specifically, are a “guest experience lever” that can help with long lines for attractions with higher demand. Just today, Disney California Adventure announced that a virtual queue system would be in place for WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure. This further expansion of the feature could be indication that it’s not going away anytime soon.
Avengers Campus Concept Art ©Disney
The three features Chapek mentioned in particular were virtual queues, Mobile Order, and contactless hotel check-in. We’ll be sure to keep a close eye on things and keep ya posted if we learn anything else about their future. Stay tuned to DFB!
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Mobile Order? Fine. Quick Service Exclusively Mobile Order? Not happy about it. The idea of HAVING to wait HOURS for a QUICK service meal just doesn’t sit right with me. During the pandemic, it’s understandable. But as a continual thing going forward, somethings gotta change.
We used Mobile Ordering on our trip 3 weeks ago. We found the experience varied. It was not good at our hotel,Pop. The first time we were not notified that our food was ready and finally after checking with management found it sitting in the counter. Also at Pop orders were just placed on the counter with no one monitoring who picked up the order. We used it at the Magic Kingdom with no problem but did not have to wait long. It wasn’t a busy day. I would not want to have to decide at 9am when and what I want for lunch, or where I was getting it for counter service. We enjoyed Table Service in the other parks to avoid mobile ordering.
What about those of us with allergy? Mobile Order, last I looked, didn’t even give you the option of ordering something with the indication that you are gluten free. If it is exclusively Mobile Order that scares me. We are supposed to be going next year and this will be the first time we will be going since we starting having to worry about such things. I have always heard that Disney is good about allergies, but how would this work with that????
Not happy with mobile order service. Not ALL people pay with a credit card!
Mobile order was pretty great during our trip in early March. I can easily see that sticking around with the smaller kiosks and other places being more “grab and go”. Now when we had to mobile order at the Milk Stand in Galaxy’s Edge and I was the only person in line, that was very odd.
I agree with KC. Mobile order is awful. You wait for your food in a crowded area, which I didn’t understand last year at the height of the pandemic. The food comes out cold, wrong order. I hope it is an option to use not a mandate.
I agree with KC. I don’t like mobile order and don’t use it. I find it dehumanizing and irritating to try to decide where, when, and what I want to eat at a “quick” service hours in advance and then have to hang around waiting as long or longer for food ordered at the register. I won’t even get into the draining battery life and non-secure wi-fi for financial transactions.
All of these things are fine in theory but the real issue is implementation. Disney has a ways to go to make these things more efficient . No one wants to miss an opportunity to try the newest attractions because all the boarding passes were booked before you could get MDE to work nor do they want to have to think about Mobile Ordering lunch at 8 am when they don’t know where they’ll be at noon
I’ve got mixed feelings about this.
Mobile ordering is great, but they need to have the capacity to handle popular times. Ordering my lunch or dinner when I first come into the park so I can get a time slot that’s reasonable? That’s not cool. Heck, I can’t predict where in the park I’m going to be at those times!
Contactless check-in can be ok. But one of the things I used to love was arriving at my hotel after a long flight and getting that first real dose of Disney magic from the folks at the front desk. Also, there’ve been a few times that the front desk jiggled some things around to get us a room with a better view or even an upgrade, just because! Disney needs to be careful that that don’t lose the personal touch that their incredible cast members provide to us guests.
Virtual queues. Hmmm. Disney needs to seriously upgrade the tech for this. If they’re going to rely on this for the busiest attractions then we need to be able to schedule multiple, overlapping attractions. Also, every VQ needs to have a waiting list so that if I can’t get a slot, but one opens up, I get notification and a chance to grab it. And seriously upgrade their cellular and WIFI infrastructure. Every inch needs to be 5G (I know they’ve been working at that) but their WIFI can still be clunky. Particularly when you’re trying to get Rise of the Resistance VQ slots.
But there have been times where I’ve visited a park and there’s one ride I absolutely, positively want to do. Even if it means waiting 90 minutes in the queue. I remember when Disneyland went from ticket books to day pass tickets and the freedom that came with that. I can recall being in line for even a couple of hours, with the line snaking all the way around the mountain, because Matterhorn was all that mattered! When I read about how guests can’t get on an attraction at all because the VQ is full, that doesn’t sound good to me at all. Maybe as capacity opens up in the attractions themselves this will get better?
I understand the motivation for their Park Pass approach. In general, I plan which days we are going to be at which parks well in advance. But every now and again something changes and we want to change our park destination for the day at the last minute. Disney needs a way to at least make this possible. If the park I want to change to is already fully booked, that’s understandable. But if we had a park pass for Magic Kingdom and we found out at the last minute some friends just came to WDW and we’d like to switch to Animal Kingdom so we could have a day with them (this happened once!), would like to be able to at least try.
Stepping off my soapbox now…
I feel like we are leaving behind a few people that may not have the newest technology or are older or are of limited means. and that is disparate treatment that benefits younger and wealthier guests vs not. If they want all of it to be mobile order, they need to install tablets or have stations people can order from and do a much better job at turnaround times. As far as the virtual queues they give me extreme anxiety …
Lynn, if you’re unable to indicate allergies in the app, you’ll talk to a Cast Member outside the restaurant and explain the situation. They may be able to amend your order for you in the system, or they may send you inside to order in person.
I agree with most everyone here that this whole system is mess and Disney is alienating their guests!
Not even allowed to go in and get food anymore when your a paying guest if you dont use their precious messed up app? Forget it, the whole place is just not enjoyable anymore. this is nothing big brother control (in this case big brother being Disney). its really killing the enjoyability of the parks. too complicated, too many problems, it causes horrible lines and the list goes on. Lets see big dumb chapek in the park trying to make it work and see how he feels as a guest.