Rapid Fill Mug Program Fails (at more ways than you might think)

G00fyDad

G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
Bandini said:
Back to the topic, I used the mugs on several trips with free dining. Just like others have said, morning Nescafe (blech) was the primary use. I'm glad the RFID is biting Disney in the butt, because I don't think Disney ever lost money on their resort soda fountains, they were just trying to squeeze more money out of the guests.
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However small it may have been it had a little to do with perception as well. What food service company wants guests walking up and taking advantage of the system like people were doing? If I was running a fast food place and someone walked in with empty milk jugs and 2-liter bottles and started to fill up the bottles I'd be hacked off too. Of course Disney wasn't going to catch all of these people (It happens a lot more than you might realize) and their only other option was to install the drink machines behind a counter and hire someone to operate this for guests.

For the most part though this was a money grab. I seriously doubt this had anything to do with losing a profit and more to do with losing a "potential" profit.
 
Jon81uk

Jon81uk

Well-Known Member
Bandini said:
Back to the topic, I used the mugs on several trips with free dining. Just like others have said, morning Nescafe (blech) was the primary use. I'm glad the RFID is biting Disney in the butt, because I don't think Disney ever lost money on their resort soda fountains, they were just trying to squeeze more money out of the guests.
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You know the coffee switched from Nescafe to Joffrey's in 2013? All standard coffee at WDW is Joffreys, the only exception is if you are at a Starbucks location.
 
Laketravis

Laketravis

Well-Known Member
We never purchase the mugs. We've accumulated dozens of them thru FD, though, but typically only used them once each day. Carrying them around and/or making the trip to QS (especially at CSR) for a single refill was easily rationalized as not being worth the effort.
 
L.C. Clench

L.C. Clench

Well-Known Member
We will occasionally buy 1 mug depending on our length of stay. The move to the generic mug over the resort mug was a far bigger driver for us than the RFID implementation. Oddly though as the cost increased it may have driven us to get more soda now.

I found myself last time filling it up on the way into the food court and then heading back out to refill it again while my wife waited in the food lines then filling it up again after we paid and then filling it up at least once while we ate and once as we left. Previously I'm not sure I did it more than twice when we ate but last year I probably used it 8 to 10 times a day.
 
B

Bandini

Well-Known Member
Jon81uk said:
You know the coffee switched from Nescafe to Joffrey's in 2013? All standard coffee at WDW is Joffreys, the only exception is if you are at a Starbucks location.
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I am aware of that, but even the Joffrey's that I drank in 2015 was about as tasty as the Nescafe.
 
B

Bandini

Well-Known Member
L.C. Clench said:
We will occasionally buy 1 mug depending on our length of stay. The move to the generic mug over the resort mug was a far bigger driver for us than the RFID implementation. Oddly though as the cost increased it may have driven us to get more soda now.

I found myself last time filling it up on the way into the food court and then heading back out to refill it again while my wife waited in the food lines then filling it up again after we paid and then filling it up at least once while we ate and once as we left. Previously I'm not sure I did it more than twice when we ate but last year I probably used it 8 to 10 times a day.
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I wonder how many guests have the same mindset as you are describing because of the RFID chip reader. I think I would do exactly as you describe since I'd have the "I'm going to get my money's worth" mindset. I would also be using my mug to get hot chocolate and juice because it wasn't connected to the system.
 
ford91exploder

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
Bandini said:
I wonder how many guests have the same mindset as you are describing because of the RFID chip reader. I think I would do exactly as you describe since I'd have the "I'm going to get my money's worth" mindset. I would also be using my mug to get hot chocolate and juice because it wasn't connected to the system.
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You need to use the mug 10 time's to 'break even' For me that was never a problem as long as the walk was reasonable and at BLT never a problem, AKL - depends where I was if close to lobby not a problem,

In my case my preferred beverages were Coffee and Iced tea so most of the time I avoided the interaction with the RabidFill system, And yes I BOUGHT new mugs because to do otherwise is basically SHOPLIFTING sorry can't put a nicer frame on it. Yes Disney may be the poster child for unfriendly and sometimes outright deceptive business practices but two wrongs never make a right.
 
RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
HauntedPirate said:
I'm still wondering why the old FP system "needed updating'? It worked just fine for us. It continues to work just fine in CA.

They implemented FastPass with the stated purpose of getting people out of lines and into shops and restaurants. It allowed them to put off increasing attraction capacity. Then, years later, they started introducing the interactive queues to entertain people... because people were waiting in longer and longer lines, because there was no increase in attraction capacity. Then they roll out FP+, which has made standby lines... even longer... with no real purpose other than removing 90% of the FP distribution machines and confusing people while limiting the flexibility that the old FP system had. And still no increase in attraction capacity. Hmmm... you know, there may be a pattern here.

One other thing I was thinking about: Where in the blue blazes do The Weatherman get off calling these additions "lands", especially "Toy Story Land"? 2 attractions a land does not make. Think about it for a minute and you'll see what I'm talking about - Imagine opening MK with 5 lands, but only 10 attractions.

Edit: Realized that this really has nothing to do with the VapidFill program. My apologies.
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The digitized version is something that I absolutely welcome. What I wish they would do away with is the advanced booking. Having said that, those that understand it can exploit it even more than the previous one.
 
ford91exploder

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
Nubs70 said:
Metal in RFID acts as a capacitor. It stores a bunch of energy then flashes it off frying the power control of the microwave. Afterwards your microwave will be at 100% power all the time.
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The interaction is a bit more complex, Dr Maxwell is deeply involved there, The RFID appears as a complex non-linear impedance which alternately absorbs and reflects the 2.4 Ghz energy and as you note fries the power controller which is designed to deal with low level reflected energy (VSWR). As the microwave is tuned to excite the hydrogen atoms in water meaning that the load impedance (your food) is matched to the source impedance (magnetron). Metal screws this relationship up!
 
Gringrinngghost

Gringrinngghost

Well-Known Member
A Little update to my post here. The 3.29 Paper cups no longer offer 5 refills for an hour window. It's now 1 initial fill and then 3 additional refills for a new 2 hour window. So you've lost 2 pours but gained an hour. So you went from a pour every 10 minutes to a pour every half hour if you wanted to stretch it as long as possible. If Memory recalls, still a 5min in between window.

Also how RFID works:
 
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G00fyDad

G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
Bocabear said:
the whole thing is stupid... Soda costs a fraction of a penny...
it is chasing down a less than a penny loss
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I have heard that before as well but I have also heard that was a myth and it costs far more than that. Someone once said that Coke makes their money at Disney through advertising and the cost of the cups. That never made any sense to me though. I am sure the soda costs more than $0.01 per cup. I'd like to see real data showing one way or the other though.
 
LuvtheGoof

LuvtheGoof

Grill Master
Premium Member
Bocabear said:
the whole thing is stupid... Soda costs a fraction of a penny...
it is chasing down a less than a penny loss
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Do you honestly believe that Disney spent literally hundreds of thousands of dollars to implement this to stop less than a penny loss? I mean, you are one of the people that claim Disney is cheaping out on everything, so if it really is that little of a loss, why would they spend that much to stop it? If what you say is true, it will take them decades to recover the cost of implementation. While we may not agree with everything that TWDC does, they aren't stupid.
 

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