McDonald's pre order and app help needed!

[middleager]

I've been promising my teens a McDonald's this week.

My SIL went to hers and was straight in and out, but she lives is a less densely populated area, where there was no queue for IKEA either!

I live in a big city and am expecting queues. Somebody suggested the McDonald's app to save time so that I could pre-order, which I've downloaded.

I'm just not sure how far ahead to pre-order or how it works. Do I pre-order before we set out (the McDs is 5-10 min drive) then tap something to say we've arrived in the queue? But what if the queue is an hour?

Any advice welcomed, to avoid disappointing cold fries!

Oh and if anybody lives near a busy McDs, do you have any recommendations on the best time to go?

You won’t be able to use the app at the moment , go as early as possible I would probably go from when it opens I went at 5pm and waited for 45 mins

Ah thanks! I was wondering how it would work with the current wait times.

Trouble is, my teens don't surface before 11 most weekends, so will have to grin and bear it later.

Hope you enjoyed yr food!

You wont be able to use the app.
Just wait in the queue @middleager
Can you get me a McChicken sandwich meal and large coke please.

Thanks. Will do my best Park
but I think my teens may exceed the £25 limit just on their own

I went to one (that’s usually really busy) and I waited for 40 minutes. To be fair it was fine, the queue was moving constantly, I had the radio on and everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Pain in the arse queuing but it was nothing like what the pictures in the media have shown. My friends went to 2 different McDonald’s (but in the same city) one queued for 5 minutes, the other 15.

At our's even if you have pre ordered you still have to queue in exact same queue as the drive thru so no quicker you may as well just order on arrival. I caved and got one yesterday but it didn't take too long the queue moves quickly.

I used the app a couple of days ago. You can submit your order whenever you want, it doesn't ping through to the restaurant until the app recognises your location as having arrived or you tell the app "I'm here". I had to queue for around 15 mins, food was hot as I presume they don't actually make up your order until you get to the order point where you tell them your order reference number.

Love this
In the Queue at McDonald's in a toy car🤣🤣🤣

It's not quicker to use the app as you still have to queue, it probably shaves off half a minute of waiting time as you literally drive up to the order point and say your order number rather than reeling off your order then waiting whilst it's confirmed back to you. You also don't have to stop at the payment hatch as you've already paid via the app. So quicker and more efficient yes, but only marginally.

Use the app to order (also lets you go over the £25 in store limit) then let the app know when you arrive, get in the queue + collect.