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

[JenniferS]

Why are you assuming everyone is drinking sugar? They have the light lemonades in all of the machines

You are entirely correct. There is unsweetened ice tea too.

 

[carolina_yankee]

As a matter of fact we usually drink water with meals at my house. In the morning juice or milk but pretty much we only drink sodas if we go out to eat, the kids actually order lemon aid most of the time. Just added useless calories with every meal, that's why many in the US are fat with diabetes.

We drink diet soda, but we've made the switch to water because of the studies showing diet stuff can be triggers (not to mention concerns about artificial sweeteners), and we've learned we like the fresh taste better. We still do refillable mugs when they make sense (long enough trip, close enough to refill stations - which isn't always the case at some resorts), but our consumption has definitely decreased.

So, are people moving from soda consumption to free water, or bottled water? I'm not sure how the cup of ice/water works at the drink stations. Is it free? If so, then I can see guests making a decision that the cost of soda just isn't worth it.

I'm not sure that a limit to 3 refills on a single purchase, or the 3 minute wait for refills would dramatically reduce soda purchases though, without seeing numbers from the company. It might among those who read boards like this, but there are an awful lot of first-timers and sheeple who go to Disney and just chalk it up to "When at Disney . . ."

Dirk

 

[JimboJones123]

Not a problem for me. A little defensive?

Then you must surely gets your money's worth from the refillable mug.

Canadians, apparently drink half the soda/pop of our American friends. Perhaps I am speaking from a North of the Border bias.

I personally have never downed 3 sodas in 1/2 hour. Too much sugar. Too much carbonation. Too much bloat.

Or a bit too judgemental. Yikes.

 

[JenniferS]

Or a bit too judgemental. Yikes.

Yikes! is my favourite word.

 

[xdan0920]

You are entirely correct. There is unsweetened ice tea too.

Sooo, they have brown, bad tasting, water?


As to the debate as a whole.....


I have never had a cup of soda, pop, cola, whatever, in my life. Not a can, or a bottle, or a glass. Nothing. So this debate is academic to me. I don't get worked up either way. I would say that if people weren't so entitled this wouldn't even be an issue.

As for the Lifetime mugs. I'll concede they probably existed. What I won't concede is that there is any more then 100 of them on property at any given time. The problem with people stealing is, them just using any cup they dang well please. And why not? They paid for this vacation, they are "owed" this soder.

As for Disney, they seem to have used a Tactical Nuke rather then a Taser. As @englanddg has pointed out, simply monitoring the machines would solve the problem much more efficiently.

 

[ford91exploder]

Sooo, they have brown, bad tasting, water?

I have never had a cup of soda, pop, cola, whatever, in my life. Not a can, or a bottle, or a glass. Nothing. So this debate is academic to me. I don't get worked up either way. I would say that if people weren't so entitled this wouldn't even be an issue.

As for the Lifetime mugs. I'll concede they probably existed. What I won't concede is that there is any more then 100 of them on property at any given time. The problem with people stealing is, them just using any cup they dang well please. And why not? They paid for this vacation, they are "owed" this soder.

As for Disney, they seem to have used a Tactical Nuke rather then a Taser. As @englanddg has pointed out, simply monitoring the machines would solve the problem much more efficiently.

Yes @englanddg solution would have worked but it requires actual management something that Disney has not had in a long time they have people called managers but they have no authority to deviate from a policy manual.

 

[Florida_is_hot]

They should get rid of the self serve fountains altogether.
Do like they used order food and a drink no refills either.

I am so sick of cheap people ripping off the system.
Also self serve areas are always disgusting because of people spilling and not caring less.

I know I spend $6000 for my vacation !!! I PAID FOR IT !!!!

Do not bother quoting me I know most people do not think like me and that is good.
Quoting me will not change my mind.

 

[George]

All I know is that the I had a studio at the far end of the impossibly long, WL DVC hallway and once I posted my "Dr. Thunder, Mountain Lightning, and Sam's Club Cola - $1.50/can" sign on my door, sales were brisk and 133% higher than Thanksgiving of 2012. 156% higher once I corrected for the seasonal attendance variation as derived from my "webcams in resort rooms" sampling methodology.

 

[Hot Lava]

I'm gonna guess that you're originally from the Midwest.

Not just the Midwest. People further out west also call it pop, as do people in Pittsburgh. It use to annoy me to no end when in DC someone would get a smug look, turn up their nose, and state, "Pop?! What is pop?!?! Do you mean soda (or whatever they called it - soda dominates in DC)?

 

[ABQ]

Here you go.

What the heck is "other" as apparently, that's where I fall out here in the Land o' Enchantment. However, I call it coke, as blasphemous as it may be, and I'm originally from Boston. I guess very few are originally from Albuquerque and hence the "other".

 

[ford91exploder]

They should get rid of the self serve fountains altogether.
Do like they used order food and a drink no refills either.

I am so sick of cheap people ripping off the system.
Also self serve areas are always disgusting because of people spilling and not caring less.

I know I spend $6000 for my vacation !!! I PAID FOR IT !!!!

Do not bother quoting me I know most people do not think like me and that is good.
Quoting me will not change my mind.

That approach works as well and then Disney could just go back to selling souvenir mugs for use at the resorts where one provides one's own beverages and prefers not to drink them out of can/bottle and reduce the price to the in park price of about 7 bucks.

 

[Lucky]

Not just the Midwest. People further out west also call it pop, as do people in Pittsburgh. It use to annoy me to no end when in DC someone would get a smug look, turn up their nose, and state, "Pop?! What is pop?!?! Do you mean soda (or whatever they called it - soda dominates in DC)?

People here feel superior to Midwesterners (and Southerners) about everything else, so that's to be expected.

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

I took my brita filtered water bottle and used that much more than the refillable mug last May- every service counter will gladly give you ice if you hand them your bottle (but they wont give you a cup of ice, you gotta give them your bottle...) and you can fill up with water at any sink, water fountain... It cost me $8 at Target. Best $8 I spent in a while.

I don't drink soda (but I did use the mug a lot for iced coffee and tea and lemonade) so it really wasn't something I couldn't live without. However if I were a pop/soda/soft drink drinker, it would have probably been used more.

Not just the Midwest. People further out west also call it pop, as do people in Pittsburgh. It use to annoy me to no end when in DC someone would get a smug look, turn up their nose, and state, "Pop?! What is pop?!?! Do you mean soda (or whatever they called it - soda dominates in DC)?

Yes Pittsburghers call it "Pop" "paahhhhhhp".

 

[Lucky]

What the heck is "other" as apparently, that's where I fall out here in the Land o' Enchantment. However, I call it coke, as blasphemous as it may be, and I'm originally from Boston. I guess very few are originally from Albuquerque and hence the "other".

"Other" must include "soft drinks."

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

People here feel superior to Midwesterners (and Southerners) about everything else, so that's to be expected.

Did you seriously just change your signature THAT quick? Dude just posted that, no? LOL

<3

 

[Hot Lava]

Second, at the deluxe resorts, many managers have gotten so fed-up with the system that they just turn it off. This means that Disney paid for the system to be installed, but it works so badly that the managers don't want to deal with it. The system is actually costing them money.

What?!?! Will Iger be down immediately to personally oversee tht these machines are turned back on, or just send some minions? Oh, sorry, WDW is probably not allowed to legally use minions anymore. Lackeys? In any case, there will be no allowances for losing money!!!!

This has been an interesting thread. I see some potentially good topics for thesis papers in economics, psych, or hotel/restaurant management.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Here you go.

There is a memorial in central Missouri, just north of the Arkansas state line, commemorating the fallen in the 3-way civil war that tenuously divided the nation into South, North, and...other North. Families were divided, and much fizzy drink was spilled, with no consensus on what to call it. It was finally here that an armistice was signed, and an uneasy peace reached...the seeming calm perpetually one small shake away from bubbling over, getting all over your shirt, and making a big sticky mess of people's lives. At night, when it's especially calm, the quiet will occasionally be punctured by a can being opened, and one of the old-timers who remembers will bolt from sleep and instinctually reach for his weapon, before returning to an uneasy slumber.

 

[JerseyDad]

People here feel superior to Midwesterners (and Southerners) about everything else, so that's to be expected.

.....that's because we can spell and say a four letter word for a fizzy beverage ....and they can only muster the ability for a three letter one

 

[George]

.....that's because we can spell and say a four letter word for a fizzy beverage ....and they can only muster the ability for a three letter one

Four letter words don't have the best rep.

 

[TubaGeek]

People here feel superior to Midwesterners (and Southerners) about everything else, so that's to be expected.

I AM from the Midwest! I wasn't saying one was superior, just that it's defining trait.