How to Minimize Time on Your Phone at Disney Parks

Updated June 8, 2024

When discussing Disneyland and Walt Disney World, I consistently hear the same frustration from guests.

They’re on their phone too much.

While the world is certainly moving in a direction that will continue to tie us to our phones, I understand this isn’t exactly appealing to people who want to disconnect from the madness of everyday life while at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Or the Most Magical.

Let’s take a look at how you can stay on task during your visit, but keep screen time to a minimum.

Basic Scoop

Your phone will be a key part of your experience at a Disney Park, but it doesn’t have to consume your day.

With a little bit of preparation, you can avoid being strapped to your device….or at least narrow down the number of people on their phones at one time.

Teenagers and Snapchat? I got nothing. Good luck.

Get Organized

Assign one person in your group to be the leader. The leader will manage park tickets, Genie+, Mobile Ordering, etc, etc. Allowing one person to take charge should give others the chance to stay off their devices.

Do all of this before you arrive at the park:

Start by tallying the number of people in your party. I recommend one person manage up to 5-6 people at a time. If your crew is larger than 6, split it into 2 or 3 groups, depending on your total group size.

Next, attach everyone’s tickets to the device held by the group leader. If you’re at Disneyland, you’ll need to manually add each guest’s tickets to one person’s account in the My Disneyland app. At WDW, go to your Friends and Family list and click “Add a New Guest”, then follow the prompts.

The leader of each group will be in charge of Genie+ selections and monitoring the app during your day. This not only allows the rest of your group to be off their phones, but it also keeps y’all in sync.

For example: If 5 guests visited Disneyland together, but used their own apps to manage Genie+, they’re at risk for not receiving return windows that match up. With one person managing everyone’s day, you’ll be in sync. If you have a large group with more than one leader, be sure those leaders select attractions via Disney Genie+ at roughly the same time. That way, all guests in your larger group can ride together.

A few notes:

• Your theme park ticket *can* be attached to more than one app/account at Disneyland. This won’t allow you to beat the system and go crazy with Genie+ selections, so slow your roll. Everything lives on the barcode attached to your theme park ticket or annual pass.
• When it’s time to scan your app to enter a Lightning Lane using Genie+, have the leader scan for everyone in the group. This is MUCH quicker than everyone scrambling for their phones in line. Some queues require two scans – at the beginning and then just before you board the attraction. Again, having one person do this for everyone will help.
• When it comes time to Mobile Order, the leader can put an order in for everyone in the group. Or, if you want to order individually so people can pay their own way, no problem. Have everyone use their own phone to order. Again, it does not matter if your ticket (at Disneyland) is attached to more than one app/account.

Need help with Genie+? This post details everything you need to know to get the most out of your investment.

Mobile Ordering

Mobile Ordering is an excellent tool and I encourage you to use it. If you don’t want to plan your meals well in advance (several hours ahead) by ordering while you’re waiting at Rope Drop, start looking at your app about an hour prior to when you want to dine. Most often, this will suffice.

For everything you need to know about Mobile Ordering, go here.

When Disney Parks reopened during Covid, Mobile Ordering was Disney’s solution to keeping guests safely distanced. They pushed it heavily at pretty much all dining locations by eliminating many of the traditional standby lines. Disney guests were not ready for this and quickly grew frustrated with the situation. Since then, more standby lines are available.

Don’t want to use it? No worries. March right up to the counter and order your food. It’s entirely possible!

Note: When considering super popular items (for example: the coveted Raspberry Macaron at Disneyland’s Jolly Holiday runs out every day), use Mobile Ordering. When I know I want one while I’m in the park, I mobile order it for later in the day. If you do this, they’ll hold your purchase for you, even after they sell out. Love this!

MagicBand+

MagicBand+ can certainly help you stay off your phone, but one person will still need to be the leader, choosing Genie+ selections and managing overall.

MagicBand+, now available at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, allows you to scan your band instead of the app when entering the park as well as when you scan in for a Genie+ attraction.

They also coordinate with entertainment inside the parks.

Only problem? They’re an additional cost per guest.

But, they can be used at both Disneyland and WDW, so that’s helpful.

This post has all the scoop.

Additional Tips

• Don’t Want to Use Your Phone At All? Print out the strategy that works for you from this post and use standby lines only. No additional charge and your phone isn’t required!
• Taking a large group to the parks and need help getting organized? Check out this post.