A Review Of Mobile Food Ordering

On this trip (which we are still on for at least another couple of days), we used the mobile food ordering service that is inside the My Disney Experience App. This feature allows you to preorder and pay for food at various counter services at the 4 theme parks, and one in DS. Supposedly, it will expand even more as they add more counter service.

The take home review of this feature is: IT IS FREAKING AWESOME!

Say you want to order food from Flame Tree BBQ. You tap on "Order Food" section in the App. It will then list all the quick service restaurants that are able to prepare your order. Under Animal Kingdom theme park, you'll find Flame Tree BBQ. Tap on that, and you will be shown the menu that are available for mobile app ordering (for Flame Tree, it is identical to the one you get standing in line at the counter. For Sunshine Season, there are items that are not listed in the current menu list for that establishment).

You then pick the item you want, ADD to your selection, and add as many as you want. Also note that you may have the ability to customize, as in the type of side dishes if the item comes with it. So you may want to keep the default fries, or maybe change it to a fruit cup.

You also may add drinks, desserts, side dishes, etc., anything that is on the listed menu.

Then, once you are done with your selection, you place your order. This is where it will be processed to be paid. Then you will be presented with a button that said "I"m here, process my order now", or something to that effect. It is only THEN will they start preparing your order. Once your order is ready, the app will refresh that page and will tell you that your order is ready to be picked up.

Picking up the order is simple. You either give the name of the person who ordered it, or the order number that is displayed on your app. At each counter service that accept mobile order, there is a location denoted by a sign on where you should go to pick it up.

Having used it MANY times on this trip, this is one of the most convenient feature that we have come across with. It saves time standing in line, or the aggravation of standing behind a group of people who seem to only start to figure out what they want when they get to the cashier. Many times, we often start the order even before we got to the place we want to eat. When we get there, I would indicate that they should start the order while we look for a place to sit. Often times, it takes less than 5 minutes before we get the notice that our order is ready.

From what I can see, there are still not many guests who are making use of this feature, so the efficiency of this service may change as more and more people use it. But as of now, I can't think of any sane reason for anyone not to use this. Unless of course, you enjoy standing in long lines that crawl.

Zz.

Dolls for dis de los Muertos

At the Mexican pavilion at EPCOT

Dior de Muertos

Exhibit in the Nexican pavilion at EPCOT.

Quiz for the day

Where in WDW is this?

Gifts from the D23 event at DHS

A blanket, lanyard and tag, ornament and chocolate bar. For attendees at the Holidays at Hollywood Studios event.

The Christmas tree at DHS

The tree is on Echo Lake with lighted ornaments on the water. Gertie the dinosaur is in the background.

Donald at DHS for Christmas

Donald looks out over Echo Lake where the Christmas tree is located this year.

The Tower Hotel at Christmas

There are 4 different stories that use the Tower to project holiday themed images

D23 holiday event.

A scene from the dinner party. Later we all went to Sunset Blvd to watch the holiday projections on the "Tower Hotel ". This was followed by a dessert party at Grauman's theater.

D23 holiday event at DHS

The beginning of the D23 Holidays in Hollywood Studios. The event started with a dinner party and presentations about this year's Christmas shows revolving around the Hollywood Tower Hotel, renamed from Tower of Terror for the Christmas season.

Kermit and Donald

The frog and the duck talk about- what? A CM tries to help.

George and Don

George has made a famous friend

Donald at the Christmas party

Don watches the official start of MVMCP, he
Was having a cookie at Star Traders when the sign went on

Donald’s lunch

Decision made. Most ducks don't like spaghetti but Don is not ordinary.

Donald’s lunch

Don is studying the menu at Tony's Town Square. What will I have? Soon a CM will ask the same question,

Don and the castle at Christmas

Don likes the wreath that gives the castle a Christmas feel

Donald in ToylLand

Don is checking out a toy soldier in Town Square. during the Christmas celebration.

Friends from Festival of Fantasy parade, at Moonlight Magic.

Horace and Clarabell at the DVC Moonlight Magic. Rare to see these two together for photo ops.

2017 DVC Moonlight Magic

This sign marks the various events and character photo ops at the EPCOT DVC Moonlight Magic. Extra magic hours for DVC members.

Disney To Remove "Frozen" Short From "Coco" Screenings

Considering that they should have had an inkling that this would happen after the earlier screenings in Mexico, Disney is kinda slow to react. Still, they have instructed movie theaters to remove the LONG 22-minute "Olaf's Frozen Adventure" before the screening of "Coco".

The Frozen short has been especially problematic for a number of reasons. Length is the biggest issue, of course, since the actual movie doesn't start until 40 minutes after the advertised time, between trailers, ads, and Olaf. That's a lot of extra sitting around for an audience comprised primarily of kids expecting a story about music and family, set against the backdrop of Mexico's Dia de los Muertos.

Hopefully, Disney won't try this again anytime soon, especially considering that this could easily ruin the masterpiece that is "Coco".

Zz.

DVC Moonlight Magic 2018

I'm posting this here more for my own benefit, so that I don't have to hunt around for the info or trying to find the DVC e-mail containing this.

DVC has announced the dates and location of the Moonlight Magic for 2018. They are;

	•	Jan. 11 and 28, and Feb. 6 at Magic Kingdom Park (Booking begins for Members with Resort reservations on the event dates Dec 7. Pending availability, booking opens for all Members on Dec 21.)
	•	March 21, April 17 and May 16 at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park (Booking begins for Members with Resort reservations on the event dates Feb 8. Pending availability, booking opens for all Members on Feb 22.)
	•	May 30 and June 11 at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park (Booking begins for Members with Resort reservations on the event dates April 19. Pending availability, booking opens for all Members on May 3.)
	•	July 16 and Aug. 13 at Epcot (Booking begins for Members with Resort reservations on the event dates June 6. Pending availability, booking opens for all Members on June 20.)
	•	Sept. 19 and 26, and Oct. 3 at Disney's Hollywood Studios (Booking begins for Members with Resort reservations on the event dates Aug 30. Pending availability, booking opens for all Members on Sept. 13.)
	•	Nov. 15 at Disney California Adventure Park (Booking begins for all Members on Oct. 4.)