Skipping Lines | Pre-Order Starbucks

My dad and I recently had an in depth discussion about our frustration with Starbucks and the relative fraud behind "gold level." Other than a free drink every 12 purchased and "the prestige of a gold Starbucks card," what are the perks? After finding that these were basically the perks...we began to rant and rave about how frustrating this new pre-order above must be. 

Will it save time? 

Will our drink be cold? If it's a cold drink, will my drink now be warm and watered down? 

Can anyone just grab my pre-paid drink?

How can it possibly be quicker than the drive through? 

Today,  with some time to spare on my lunch break AND a desperate need for a Venti Passion Iced Tea 1/2 sweetened, I decided to take the plunge and try this new Starbucks perk. 

I carefully selected my drink and planned my departure time from the office to the Starbucks with my order time accordingly. I ordered my typical passion tea afternoon treat. When I arrived my drink was perfectly made and behind the counter with the barista. The drink was still cold and my ice cubes were still intact. All of my concerns were squashed. 

Also, the drive through line was 6 cars deep...the total time required for me to retrieve my drink from parking to pulling off was less than 2 minutes. Please tell me the last time a Starbucks pit stop took less 7 minutes (I'm being generous here)! 

REMIND ME WHY I HAVEN'T ALREADY TRIED THIS?! I'm a convert and commend Starbucks on officially implementing this well oiled, perfectly coordinated pre-order drink service. 

Oh... Just an update. I earned my 30th Starbucks star with today's pre-order. I'm now "someone" in the eye of my barista!