No more free drinks at All Star Sports Resort

[xdan0920]

This is a smart way to increase income in the parks and resorts division. I wish that Disney would do more things like this, and less things like removing maintenance CMs to save a buck.

 

[Master Yoda]

So i wonder what that means for people who purchased their resort specific mugs back in the day when they were told that the mug would be good forever?

If I was told that back in the day (not saying if it really existed or not) and now I can't do that anymore, I would be a little upset...

the other thing I was thinking too is they don't pay for the syrup anyway...seems like a lot of time spent on chasing a minor problem when there are other things that need to be handled around the resort.

Apparently it was a bigger problem than many people realized. We all know that WDW is not going to spend a dime unless they are near certain that they will see a return.

I'm just amazed that a one-time use cup with a freakin' microchip in it to limit the amount of beverage one can get at a time or a visit is more cost effective than letting those few evil scofflaws get away with free Coke. More a comment on technology than ethics.

It also makes me wonder if it wouldn't be cheaper to just block off the dispensers and hire some soft drink stewards to refill people's beverages and tell them when their mugs are not valid to use.

And on a "boy this makes me look like a glutton" note, if these dispensers are going to limit the amount of beverage a person can get at any one time, I hope it means they will at the very least start making the mugs bigger. They don't have to be Big-Gulp size, but the size of a 20-oz bottle would be a decent size. I don't even think current mugs hold 12.

RFID chips are incredibly cheep. With the quantity that you would be looking at to take this program property wide the chips would cost less than the cup.

 

[devoy1701]

Just some quick, not founded in fact, number crunching....

Based on our visits, I would vastly underestimate 2 'stolen' soda per half hour per resort. Assuming they pay next to nothing for the syrup, water, and gas, that's $10 lost revenue per hour per resort. For the sake of easy math, I'm going with 20 resorts (yes, there are more, but I like easy round numbers). So, $200 per hour WDW wide. Again, to make round numbers, I'm going with 20 hours of usage per day (since I was under on resorts, I'll be over on hours). So, $4000 a day of lost revenue. Multiplied by 365 days a year and we have $1,460,000 per year.

Now, I have no idea how much the new machines are costing Disney, but I would assume the initial install is a cost they see as absorbed almost immediately (as the machines need to be replaced every few years regardless). If the RFID tags are really 1/20 of a cent (as someone earlier suggested) and Disney has a little over 100 million visitors a year (I know that number includes all USA parks, but I'm doing easy numbers here) who buy 2 sodas each day, we have a total annual cost for the cups of 100,000.

So, with my very horribly estimated numbers, Disney is likely looking at well over $1 million in soda profit a year that is lost due to 'stolen' sodas in old mugs. That kind of bottom line could go a long way to improving infrastructure somewhere in the parks (monorail pylons or otherwise). I think I can understand why it is a priority for them.

I have also just secured the fact that I will never be an accountant.

While it is great to think that the captured revenue would go toward infrastructure issues....I'm going give that one big not a FAT chance! Knowing their track record anyway...

 

[pianoman]

If any more proof is needed as to whether this has actually been implemented, take a look at this picture (from MiceChat):

Compare it with this picture from the "Accessories" portion of the ValidFill website:

 

[Computer Magic]

The policy certainly at one stage was mugs for life - certainly in 1996 when we got ours. That's been confirmed to us over the years by numerous management CMs and even other guests who in our case are still using the Dixie Landings mugs which were for life.

Bring the mug and proof, bring up to CM and see if they will issue a new RFID mug for the duration of your visit.

Or buy a dining plan and get one for free.

Which makes since why Disney is implementing the system now with all those free mugs being given out.

I wonder if I can fill my new RFID mug, poor half into a old mug to share with my wife and then go back for a RFID refill :lookaroun

 

[Computer Magic]

While the idea is fine, I think that it is going to be in Disney's best interest to offer some sort of additional buy in plan after you have gotten a mug. Ethics of the situation aside, I would venture to guess that the majority of mug reusers are AP holders and DVC members who they expect to visit multiple times per year and likely in shorter visits. I think that people who already own the current mug should be able to just add time as opposed to having to pay another 15 dollars a mug each time they visit for just two or three days. Either that or offer some sort of annual pass/DVC member mug good for a year.

I think resetting the RFID chip for a lower price is a good idea. This will keep help the enviornment by keeping all these same mugs out of the land fill. and lower the cost of people making multiple visits.

Who wants the same looking mug :shrug:

 

[Cosmic Commando]

The only thing I don't like is the supposed five minute wait between fills. If I'm headed back to the room, I usually get one fill, drink it in a minute or two, and then get a new fill to carry back to the room. Nothing "illegal", but now it seems I won't be allowed to do this. Five minutes is really a long time to wait! I think even two minutes would sufficiently discourage people from using one mug for their whole family.

On the plus side (working from Pop experience here), the tea and hot chocolate machines are very different from a standard soda fountain. I wonder if they will be on the new system?

 

[notnothin]

They obviously have to be using at least a basic server-style backend to track the mugs being used at the fountains (and yes, you can be sure that if they can attach a name and resort info to a mug purchase for data mining and analysis, they likely will. That's just good business to know exactly what your customers are doing/buying). I can't wait for the inevitable time when the specialized fountains are down. And since these fountains are now networked in some way, that means they also have a better than average chance of bugging out as well. Oh the fun that should ensue from that. :drevil:

Speaking of the computer systems, that would be one gigantic monster of an additional info system to set up across the resort. I sure wouldn't want the god-awful task of setting up/managing that. Depending on how long they might be interested in storing and mining guests' data, you could be looking at Google/Apple-sized database operations*...geeez. Yeah, I wouldn't want to be involved in those logistics.

*I'm talking single-site server/database operations. I've got to imagine that storing and tracking the info of...let's say 20 million individual guests each year (You don't combine the park attendances, you take the highest attended park that the highest percentage of guests visit at least once (the MK) and then add in some wiggle room) would require some serious space for all the equipment that would take. Probably not the best idea to farm it out across the resort, so you find a place to centrally locate those.

Oh come on. It's not like they are storing BLOBS in the database. This is atomic information of almost no size at all. Very much blown out of proportion here, and I don't see it as being difficult to implement and maintain. You don't think they have sufficient network infrastructure to support a few additional IPs per resort? LOL.....

 

[Mr. I. Crane]

Hip, Hip, Hooray! Quit bringing your ratty old mugs to the resorts. I do like that they will be included in the dining plan because they are getting pricey.

 

[menamechris]

This is a smart way to increase income in the parks and resorts division. I wish that Disney would do more things like this, and less things like removing maintenance CMs to save a buck.

I agree with this completely. Soda/mug sales are a cash cow. This is a clever way for Disney to let technology say "you can't do that" as opposed to a cast member putting themselves in an awkward and possibly confrontational situation. To those who don't like it - well, Disney still gives out cups of water for free. I personally do that more often than not now.

 

[DDuckFan130]

I know someone mentioned this, but what about the ones who take 5-6 trips a year? I don't bring back old mugs, and buy them whenever they change. But do they want me to buy like 25 cups a year now? :shrug:

I understand people cheat the system. People come to Pop Century with the original fat Pop Century mugs. Last week I saw two girls refilling their water bottles at the soda fountain. So yes I get it. But I don't want to go back and buy the same mug for 5 people 5 times during the same year! That's a lot of mugs.

If it comes down to buying a voucher or whatever you guys are talking about in order to use the mugs on subsequent trips, then fine. But if not, I guess I'll buy the paper cups :lol:

 

[SorcererMickey]

This move seems to be perfect for the company to get info on what beverages are being drank the most. Probably help to streamline ordering of the syrups/carbonation. I'm sure there are several reasons behind making this change. Doesn't bother me too much, I've only ever used the mug once when I paid up for the Deluxe Plan. It's just too much of a pain to go all the way to the food court to get such a small amount to drink.

 

[Uncle Lupe]

RFID chips are cheap...really cheap now. I don't know what the cost of a softdrink is (syrup, water, ice, electricity, etc.). Last I saw about 4 years ago, RFID chips were $0.25. I thought they are now under $0.05 each. Many major retail outlets have them embedded in shipping labels to track every box coming and going from their warehouses and stores (not individual items, but boxes and pallets). Wal-Mart is one huge RFID user for their back-end inventory control. Even some airports such as McCarran in Vegas use it for tracking luggage, that is one chip in the printed luggage tag for the automated handling system.

They are using the passive system to help track items on the sales floor. Look under stickers on the paper tags of jeans, that's where they are starting. It is suppose to help keep items stocked. However this could be used for anti-theft of many items..
Theft in my area is out of control, so getting people to stop cheating the system is a great idea. Cheaters gonna cheat no matter the situation or how trivial the gain.

They also started selling the Alumma Wallet,.. just putting that out there for those anti big brother types. You might need one for your KTTW card in the new Fantasyland. Looks like RFID proliferation begins today.

 

[kangaand2roos]

This change doesn't bother me too much. We buy the mugs on our trips. We also have life cups from the French Quarter that we had bought years back. I do think that Disney should come up with something for guests that visit the resorts more than once within a year, seems wasteful to keep having to buy more and more cups.

 

[menamechris]

This move seems to be perfect for the company to get info on what beverages are being drank the most. Probably help to streamline ordering of the syrups/carbonation. I'm sure there are several reasons behind making this change.

There are so many easier- and cheaper - ways to do that. They could just look at and analyze receipts at QS restaurants. Not to mention Coke should be able to give them very detailed information about their ordering history. But I think you may have given a PR person a great line!

 

[Computer Magic]

It's just too much of a pain to go all the way to the food court to get such a small amount to drink.

That is why I stopped purchasing the mug. Also the snack on the Dining Plan takes away the need to purchase a mug.

 

[lbrad]

How does it know when the mug is full & to stop dispensing soda???

Weight???

 

[notnothin]

There are so many easier- and cheaper - ways to do that. They could just look at and analyze receipts at QS restaurants.

Umm no. That receipt would only track the original purchase, not all of the 'abuse' that this system is in place to correct.

 

[menamechris]

Umm no. That receipt would only track the original purchase, not all of the 'abuse' that this system is in place to correct.

Umm..did you bother to read the comment I was replying to?

 

[Pioneer Hall]

How does it know when the mug is full & to stop dispensing soda???

Weight???

My guess is that you will make that determination. You probably just pull the mug away when it is full and it will stop pouring.