Today I set up a simple project to test iCloud with Core Data sync (the last time I worked with iCloud+CoreData was back in iOS 5, and I wasted months an indie developer can't afford to waste). I ran into some issues and couldn't get anything to sync. The iCloud debug gauge continually reported a status of Disabled, so clearly something was amiss.
After several hours of playing with provisioning profiles and resetting my iCloud documents and data for the test app, I took a break and started trying to fix the latch on our Accord's glovebox. When Curry Honda did some recall repairs for the airbags, they didn't attach the pneumatic latch and the plastic hinge cracked. I didn't notice for months as we hardly open it. The result is that the glovebox closes awkwardly. I used some superglue and, later, Bondo and found a dubious solution.
Once I was done with that I sat back down to work on the sync project. I started the Simulator and logged into my iCloud account. Previously I had been testing on actual devices. After logging into iClound in the simulator, I saw some records appear. Things seemed to be working, for some reason.
I ran the app on my devices and saw the records appear. Logging into iCloud on the simulator spurred the system into action. Or maybe it was the huge delay from my earlier testing.
Even so, the iCloud debug gauge continued to report Status: Disabled.
Eventually I found a post on the developer forums dated August 2014 that mentioned a bug with the gauge.
Please ignore the 'Disabled' status, it is a bug that is being tracked.
I put too much faith in the tools. Ideally I'd have done a better job investigating log messages (or found the forum post earlier!) and realized the status couldn't be correct.