Disneyland quietly pulls the plug on a popular service | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

Walt Disney once said, “Disneyland will never be completed as long as there is imagination left in the world.” His words remain true, as Disneyland continues to evolve with the times.

Disney’s Experiences division remains successful, drawing millions of guests to parks each year, according to data from Magic Guides.

The company is often praised for its professional approach to delivering positive customer experiences. Writing for Forbes, Blake Morgan highlights five lessons every company can learn from Disney:

Create immersive experiences
Take out the trash
Involve every employee
Focus on personalization
Leverage unobtrusive technology

In this day and age, technology is crucially important, which Disney knows very well. The majority of its customers access data on the go, so it provides apps and mobile connectivity, including free Wi-Fi, in all of its parks and hotels.

“The key to Disney’s successful use of technology is that it seamlessly integrates into the overall experience. It isn’t cumbersome for guests to download an app or wear a wristband because it adds to the convenience and magic of the trip,” writes Morgan.

Sometimes, technical glitches occur, or Disney discontinues a service. Most recently, one technology-based convenience was removed, frustrating many guests.

Disneyland, Disney California Adventure remove mobile ordering for 5 treat shops

In Disneyland Resort there are five treat shops selling candy and handmade specialty sweets:

Candy Palace and Candy Kitchen in Disneyland
Pooh Corner in Disneyland
Trolley Treats in Disney California Adventure
Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff in Disney California Adventure
Disney Wonderful World of Sweets in Downtown Disney (at Disneyland)

Up until Nov. 21, these shops were taking mobile orders, but that option has been quietly removed from the Disneyland app, according to Mickey Visit.

Candy fans who tried to order sweets using the app couldn’t find that menu option anymore. Without mobile ordering, there were longer lines at the parks’ candy shops, as guests had to order on the spot.

Some Disney fans confirmed that mobile ordering has been unavailable for longer than a few days. Specifically, user ray_ofsunshines said on Reddit, “These candy shops all have been unavailable to mobile order at for at least a week (if not longer). Even though- up until today they would show as mobile order locations on the map, there were never any times available.”

As of this writing, there are no official announcements regarding why the option was removed, or indicating whether this is a temporary or permanent change. Possible reasons for removal include: a testing phase, an app update, low usage, or an attempt to streamline the in-person experience.

What removal of mobile ordering means for guests

Although mobile ordering has been removed only for these five candy shops, it represents one less convenience for guests. This option helped minimize wait times, and now guests should plan extra time for visiting sweet shops.

For some guests, mobile ordering was more than a simple convenience; it “was part of the Disneyland experience itself,” writes Inside The Magic. It enabled guests to plan their day, allowing more time for favorite rides or attractions.

Disney fans are frustrated and confused by mobile ordering removal

The news quickly reached various social media networks, where Disney fans expressed their thoughts. It appears that the news had mixed reactions from guests, spreading from those that commonly relied on mobile ordering to those who never used it.

Those who are frustrated with the removal most commonly worried about the impact on already long lines.

Facebook user Mike Hebdon argued that mobile ordering is not necessary for candy shops, because people prefer to look at the offering before choosing the treat. “Nobody was stunned at all. It turned out it wasn’t good for candy shops because people want to come look at the choices,” Hebdon commented on the post sharing the news.

Erika Wilson Matney seconded that opinion, saying “I never use mobile ordering for the candy shops. I’m sure some people did, but I would imagine it wasn’t many, hence the removal.”

Another user, Linda Marek, suggested a possible explanation for removing the mobile ordering option, “I’m thinking, they would run out of popular items with mobile orders so that standby guests would miss out. They are probably trying to be “ fair.”

A number of comments on Instagram reveal frustration from people who commonly ordered their candy through mobile.

User cbugrad2002 said, “I love using mobile order,” and tiffniff45 echoed the sentiment writing “Ahhhhh nooooo.”

User roxybaby528 explained how important the service was for them. “Nooo 😭 this is the only way I get stuff from candy palace, the lines are always crazy and people get rude because no one understands how the lines work in there 😭”

Many users were puzzled because the removal seems sudden and was done without explanation, making them wonder whether this is a temporary technical issue, a permanent decision to address low usage, or something else.