Disney’s Animal Kingdom is preparing to open its biggest expansion yet. Pandora- The Land of Avatar opens on May 27th, 2017 and with it, a quick-service dining establishment called Satu’li Canteen.
Notably, the Satu’li Canteen will be the only location in Disney World to accept mobile ordering via smartphones.
Guests will be able to order and prepay on the MyDisneyExperience app using a credit card. Satu’li will accept the Disney Dining Plan, but that will not be an option for mobile ordering – at least not yet- nor will the mobile app accept any other discounts. Also, special dietary requests must be made with a live cashier.
When Disney rolled out the $1 billion MyMagic+ project, the MyDisneyExperience app became invaluable to tech-savvy Disney World guests. For the first time, visitors could make and change their FastPass+ selections and Advanced Dining Reservations, access your digital photo album from your PhotoPass photos, and find out the wait times for attractions among other important options like finding the closest restroom.
While MyDisneyExperience is already a pretty heavy hitter, Disney really needs to get the most financial gain out of it. Introducing mobile ordering helps make that happen.
Satu’li Canteen will have some unusual meal options with their signature dish being a customizable bowl with a grain or vegetable base plus proteins and toppings. This may deter those who look for more familiar dishes. However, you’ll get a real treat when you see the beautiful, colorful Na’vi décor inside the museum-like dining room.
Mobile Perks
The mobile ordering function has some nice perks.
First, it’s really easy to customize your meal since the app will ask you everything about your order and it isn’t subject to human impatience or forgetfulness. It will also reduce the amount of time that you’ll have to wait in line.
You can order your meal from anywhere on property and simply tap “I’m Here” when you arrive at the restaurant. The kitchen will then prepare your meal, and the app will notify you when your order and ready and tell you where to pick it up.
Since you don’t have to wait in line to order and then again to pick up, you can spend more time enjoying attractions and get out faster than at other quick-service establishments, but it’s possible that ordering and receiving your meal will be slow at first at least until the restaurant gets used to the new way of doing things.
Financial Impact
Guests aren’t the only ones looking forward to the benefits of mobile ordering, though. Shareholders will benefit as well. It’s already been proven at other restaurants that people tend to order more when they place their order on an app than when they order at a counter with a cashier. What’s more, since the app will remember prior orders and store your credit card, you’ll be reminded of what you ordered and liked in the past and make it quick and easy to pay with very little effort.
While this sounds pretty forward thinking, Satu’li is not the first Disney World Restaurant to try mobile ordering. The Backlot Express at Disney’s Hollywood Studios tried it as did Be Our Guest at Magic Kingdom. Satu’li will be the first quick-service restaurant to offer mobile ordering all the time though.
Will you try the Disney mobile ordering at Satu’li Canteen in Pandora?