Hello, Leah!
Thank you very much for visiting planDisney with this great question. Let me see if I can help you!
I often use
Mobile Order, but I'm glad to share that it's not required if you're uncomfortable with it. You can still buy food in person, so there's no need to worry about that if you don't feel like using it all the time.
I find it very convenient, so I encourage you to try it. The first thing to do is open your
Disneyland Mobile App and tap the plus sign at the bottom of the screen. Then you'll choose "Order Food" and select a dining location. You will then choose an Arrival Window, which means the window of time when you plan to pick up your food.
I love to order coffee and pastries from
Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe in the morning as I walk into Disneyland Park, for example. In this case, I'd choose a 9:00 a.m. arrival window for this meal.
After selecting an Arrival Window, you'll see the whole menu for that venue, and you'll be able to add food and drinks to your order. Just tap the "Add" buttons to build your order. When you're ready to finalize your Mobile Order, tap the blue bag on the top right or the "View My Order" blue button on the bottom of the screen.
Finally, click "Review Order Summary" and checkout with your preferred payment method. After paying, you will wait until your Arrival Window and open your app again. You will go to the menu on the bottom right of the screen (the three stacked lines) and select "Mobile Food Orders" to click on "I'm Here, Prepare My Order." The app will let the restaurant know you're there and notify you when your food is ready!
I promise it's very intuitive. You'll get the hang of it in one order or two!
May the magic be with you,
Julie