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Enjoying a quick service meal at Walt Disney World is different now than ever before. Practically all of Walt Disney World’s owned and operated quick service dining restaurants utilize mobile ordering exclusively. As a COVID-19 safety precaution, guests must now use the mobile ordering function in the MyDisneyExperience app in order to dine at a many quick service locations (with a few exceptions). Our team figured it would be a good idea to review the process of how to use Disney’s mobile ordering.

Quick steps for Disney’s mobile ordering

1. Select the (+) sign when you first open MyDisneyExperience
2. Select “Order Food”
3. Select the restaurant
4. Select your Arrival Window
5. Select your food and beverage items
6. Provide payment to complete the order
7. Check in for your order when your Arrival Window is ready
8. Watch the app to update and give you the window number to retrieve your food

Most likely you’ve already done so, but you will need to download and sign into My Disney Experience. This smartphone app is a necessary tool to help you plan your Disney World vacation. Once you have the app open, select the plus (+) sign located at the bottom of the screen, then a menu will pop up. Select “Order Food”. Here the entire list of all quick service locations that offer mobile ordering will appear.

This list is organized by location, with Magic Kingdom coming first, followed by the rest of the theme parks, then Disney Springs, and, lastly, the on-site hotels. Select your desired restaurant, then you’ll need to select your arrival window. If you’re looking to eat soon you’ll want to select the first available window. Otherwise, if you’re planning ahead, you can select “More Times.” You can order food and browse menus no matter if you’re standing in front of Cinderella Castle or back home in Poughkeepsie, New York.

If you’re not sure where you want to eat, you can use the app to view the menus, you’ll need to tap the restaurant’s name, which will switch the window to that restaurant’s individual listing. Then select “View Menu.” Better than this option, however, we’d like to suggest our Lines app which not only shows you the menus, but also the ratings and rankings of every restaurant. So if you’re not sure where to spend your vacation dollars and get the best meal, our Lines app will show you.

In the MyDisneyExperience app when you view the menu it will be one long menu. To actually select items and place an order you’ll need to have selected an arrival window first. Once you select an arrival window the menu will be displayed in categories like “Plant-Based” and “Dessert” and so on. Some entrees can be customized, such as removing toppings or sauces. Look for the “Customize Your Selection” option at the bottom of that item’s listing on the app before you select “Add.”

Once you have added all your items Disney will offer additional items like desserts and drinks. You can select “Modify Menu” or proceed to “Review Order Summary.” You’ll need a form of payment to complete the order which can be a Disney gift card, Disney Visa Rewards Redemption Card, or a major credit or debit card. Once you complete the order you can go about your day. Then when your Arrival Window comes up you can select “I’m Here – Prepare My Order.” in the app.

If you close out of the app and need to retrieve your order so you can check in for it, just look for the three horizontal lines in the bottom right of the app’s menu. Then select “Mobile Food Orders” to pull up your order and check in for it. Once you’ve checked in it takes anywhere from five to ten minutes for your order to be ready. Keep the app open so you can see which pickup window to go to. Each window is numbered and the app will give you the number of the window where your food is waiting.

What do you think about Disney’s mobile ordering? What’s your favorite quick service location at Walt Disney World?

The post How to Use Disney’s Mobile Ordering appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Dining, Dos and Don’ts, Trip Planning, disney dining, disney mobile order, walt disney world restaurants

Move over pumpkin spice, the winter holidays are moving in at Walt Disney World. While the festivities officially kick off on November 6, 2020, a few Holiday Exclusive treats have appeared early. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom we tried the new Autumn Tree of Life Cupcake. Now, we’ve headed to Disney’s Contemporary Resort for three Christmas cookies that just debuted.

Disney’s Contemporary has long been a front runner for holiday treats thanks to their fantastic winter holiday and Christmas cookies. This year three favorites return to the Contempo Cafe–and you can even order then through mobile ordering at MyDisneyExperience! It’s great to get a little holiday cheer when you’re on the run, run Rudolph.

• Linzer Cookie – Hazelnut Cookie filled with Raspberry Jam – $6.50
• Gingerbread Boy Cookie – $6.25
• Chocolate-Peppermint Cookie – $5.50

Each cookie is a returning favorite. In years past Disney’s Contemporary had one of the largest assortment of holiday treats at a little holiday market stand near its gingerbread display. In the interest of not drawing a crowd, the gingerbread displays will not happen at any of the resorts this year. But it is nice to be able to simply place a mobile order for the festive treats.

It’s hard to choose a favorite among this trio. The Linzer perhaps has a slight edge thanks to its glistening and chewy raspberry jam and delightful snow fall of powdered sugar. It’s hard for me to resist anything chocolate-peppermint, and the gingerbread cookie has great traditional flavor.

Also at the Contempo Cafe we were pleasantly surprised to come across a gingerbread kit for sale. It seems since the Contemporary won’t have a display this year they are giving you the chance to make your own. When our field team showed me the photos of this kit I couldn’t stop the “OMG” that exclaimed out of my mouth.

They definitely pulled on the heartstrings of Disney fans with this one, giving us a chance to build our own little Contemporary with fresh made gingerbread and lots of candy decorations with great detail, including a Santa and a snowman. The best part of all is there are two mini monorails made of white chocolate. The $35.00 price tag is a little hefty, but everything is made in-house.

Do you have a favorite part of the holidays at Disney’s Contemporary? Are you tempted to make your own Contemporary out of gingerbread?

The post REVIEW – Holiday Exclusive Cookies and a Gingerbread Kit You Have GOT to see at Disney’s Contemporary appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Christmas, Dining, Holidays, Snacks, Trip Planning, disney christmas 2020, disney cookies, disney desserts, disney’s contemporary

It’s been a few years since PizzeRizzo took over for Pizza Planet at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Pizza Planet was a disappointment, when you think about how fleshed out it could have been to resemble Pizza Planet in the original Toy Story movie. PizzeRizzo offers nearly the exact seem menu as its predecessor and has fun décor and theming for The Muppets. It’s decent choice and is popular for fans of The Muppets. Still, it’s one of the lowest rated quick service locations at Walt Disney World, and I believe The Muppets deserve better. Ivonne on our team paid Rizzo and pals a visit for lunch and tried something a little different.

PizzeRizzo is located in the Grand Avenue area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It is right across from MuppetVision 3-D. Mobile ordering is available, and because it is one of the least popular quick service locations at Hollywood Studios mobile pick-up windows are usually easy to get here. There is outside seating as well as multiple themed dining rooms both upstairs and downstairs. The upstairs is not always open, but if you like the weird, zany humor of The Muppets then upstairs dining is a great choice with a private party room theme, complete with party lighting and party music.

During Ivonne’s visit she decided to try something other than pizza. There are four different kinds of pizza on the menu at PizzeRizzo. There’s also two subs, and a salad. Ivonne went with the classic Meatball Sub. For $9.99 it is lower priced than the average Disney Quick Service meal. The Meatball Sub was flavorful and a nice alternative to pizza. It could have filled out the sub roll a little more, perhaps with one more meatball, or more sauce and cheese. This Meatball Sub won’t compete with your local favorite Italian deli back home, but it is satisfying.

Our readers give PizzeRizzo a 76% thumbs up rating, and rank it as number 99 out of 107 quick service options. So as you can see, there are many higher rated options at Walt Disney World. If you’re looking for other quick service options at Hollywood Studios you’ll most likely have a better dining experience at ABC Commissary or Backlot Express.

Have you dined at PizzeRizzo before? What did you think of it?

The post REVIEW – PizzeRizzo Offers Quick Pizza and Italian Options, But The Muppets Deserve Better appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Dining, Hollywood Studios, Trip Planning, disney dining, disney pizza, hollywood studios dining, hollywood studios restaurants, the muppets

Aloha!

This week, Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa began welcoming guests once again to our vacation paradise in beautiful Ko Olina, Hawai’i. As guests begin floating along the Waikolohoe Valley lazy river we are reminiscing about how Aulani Resort became a magical destination.

In honor of the resort’s reopening, check out the video below where Jeanette Lomboy, Creative Executive for Aulani Resort for Walt Disney Imagineering and Shelby Jiggetts-Tivony, Vice President of Creative and Advanced Development for Disney Parks and Entertainment takes us back to the creation of a resort that combines the wonder of Disney with the beauty of Hawai’i in one legendary vacation destination.

You will hear first-hand details about how they worked closely with the community to learn about Hawaii’s rich cultural heritage and incorporated elements important to the Hawaiian people including ‘ohana (family), storytelling and magic into the planning. They describe the legend of the Menehune, secrets to discover at the resort, the role of Aunty and Uncle and much more that you will discover at Aulani Resort.

For more on the reopening of Aulani Resort, visit Aulani.com, and for more #DisneyMagicMoments like this one, be sure to keep checking with us here at the Disney Parks Blog.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com

Filed Under: Aulani, Behind the Scenes, BtS, Imagineers, Video