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

[Goofyernmost]

The problem of course is that Disney made it 'worth it' for a guest to GO to publix or Wally World to buy a case or two of their favorite beverages.

Disneys greed is now costing them money

I have to sort of disagree with that. I don't think that Disney is getting hurt at all. Drinks at WDW have always been much more expensive then outside at Publix or Wally World. What was hurting them was the conflict between honest people and thieves. Those that bring their own in now were more then likely doing it before.

People that justify it, like some of our more renowned posters, are just throwing crap into the wind and seeing how far it blows. I don't care if it only costs Disney a penny per hundred gallons, it is still stealing. All the, oh, it's only a small amount talk in the world does not make it any less wrong. But, I don't worry about that stuff except for myself. I won't do it and I don't care how many people say, it's OK, or I paid a lot they can afford it. If they wanted people to just take it, there would be signs up saying... take as much as you like... it's FREE. I know that I feel better now that they have made it more difficult to just take stuff. Now, if you're going to do it, you have to be more clever or, at the very least, put more effort in it. If nothing else you can watch them trying to make it work with last years mug and get a chuckle out of it.

 

[larryz]

To disney credit, the popcorn bucket refill for $2 is pretty impressive.

They're still making $1.75 on it.

 

[ford91exploder]

I have to sort of disagree with that. I don't think that Disney is getting hurt at all. Drinks at WDW have always been much more expensive then outside at Publix or Wally World. What was hurting them was the conflict between honest people and thieves. Those that bring their own in now were more then likely doing it before.

People that justify it, like some of our more renowned posters, are just throwing crap into the wind and seeing how far it blows. I don't care if it only costs Disney a penny per hundred gallons, it is still stealing. All the, oh, it's only a small amount talk in the world does not make it any less wrong. But, I don't worry about that stuff except for myself. I won't do it and I don't care how many people say, it's OK, or I paid a lot they can afford it. If they wanted people to just take it, there would be signs up saying... take as much as you like... it's FREE. I know that I feel better now that they have made it more difficult to just take stuff. Now, if you're going to do it, you have to be more clever or, at the very least, put more effort in it. If nothing else you can watch them trying to make it work with last years mug and get a chuckle out of it.

Not quite what I meant with a refill mug now being $18 it's more sensible to go to publix and grab a few cases of ones favorite beverages.

That was not the case when the mugs were $7-8 dollars each which ironically was the peak soda theft time.

The point being it's not worth buying a mug any longer

You are correct in that theft is theft. But I also DO have a couple of the resort specific 'soda for life' mugs but let's face it the last one of those was sold in 1998! Stopped bringing them to resort years ago as value of memento outweighed 'free soda' and simply bought mugs which were used as Disney intended and reused as coffee mugs after return home.

 

[R W B]

The only reason Ive gotten a mug recently is because it came free with the dining plan. Id never spend $18 on a mug that I only use in the morning and especially now that most food courts use the horrible freestyle machines. Id rather spend $4 on a 12pck of coke cans for the week and be good.

Here's a thread I made a when I was there last December about the Freestyle machine and the rfid cups and my great experience...
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/rfid-mugs-coke-freestyle-worst-ever.922970/#post-7503840

 

[R W B]

Honest Question: I've always assumed the water for the machines is plumbed in (I expect as much), but what I really want to know is whether that is the reason the soda tastes off, due to the treated water in Florida (which generally tastes horrible in my opinion).

No, has nothing to do with Florida. I've tried the Coke Freestyle machines in different states and they all taste like garbage. (Personal opinion)

 

[Jon81uk]

But my issue is the cartridges. The syrup packs in these machines are much smaller than the normal ones. Keeping the popular drinks filled is going to be a challenge.

The Freestyle syrups are also much more concentrated so should last longer than the same volume of old style syrup.

I also learnt when talking to the Coke engineer fixing a machine at my local Five Guys that the Freestyle syrups don't contain sugar, that is mixed in later for the drinks that need it and the sugar syrup is fed in from outside the machine. So each time the machine dispenses a drink there are three to six different lines dispensing into your cup, they all need water, CO2 gas and basic syrup (Coke, Sprite etc). Then full sugar drinks (not diet or zero) also used sugar (or HFCS) syrup and then there are the second (and maybe third or more) flavour syrups such as cherry, vanilla, lime).

 

[Jon81uk]

Next soda in 4 minutes and 19 seconds. They should have fast-passed it.

Only Disney could incorporate extended wait lines with getting a soda.

That picture was actually from Universal

Disney at the current machines only make you wait 3 minutes between fills. I think Universal set it longer as many of their machines are in open areas in the theme park (Disney of course don't offer refills in the parks).

 

[Goofyernmost]

Not quite what I meant with a refill mug now being $18 it's more sensible to go to publix and grab a few cases of ones favorite beverages.

That was not the case when the mugs were $7-8 dollars each which ironically was the peak soda theft time.

The point being it's not worth buying a mug any longer

You are correct in that theft is theft. But I also DO have a couple of the resort specific 'soda for life' mugs but let's face it the last one of those was sold in 1998! Stopped bringing them to resort years ago as value of memento outweighed 'free soda' and simply bought mugs which were used as Disney intended and reused as coffee mugs after return home.

Not to mention that after 19 years, if they were used a lot, have worn out, have enough bacteria in every crack and crevice to bring down a small country and other problems that boggle the mind. The one thing that I have found out about Disney's expensive items is that the quality usually sucks. I hate to imagine how cheaply put together those "cheap" ones were made. Everyone seems to forget that price does not guarantee good quality. I doubt that there are more then a handful of those mugs left that are usable or not lining some landfill someplace.

 

[jaklgreen]

Not to mention that after 19 years, if they were used a lot, have worn out, have enough bacteria in every crack and crevice to bring down a small country and other problems that boggle the mind. The one thing that I have found out about Disney's expensive items is that the quality usually sucks. I hate to imagine how cheaply put together those "cheap" ones were made. Everyone seems to forget that price does not guarantee good quality. I doubt that there are more then a handful of those mugs left that are usable or not lining some landfill someplace.

Oh, we have one from the contemporary. It is really sturdy. It is much thicker then the ones they have now because they had an air gap for the insulation. The bottom does pop off so you can clean it everywhere.

 

[jaklgreen]

Sorry, can't figure out how to rotate it. The unlimited refill cup from the Contemporary circa 1996. It's still like new since we really do not use it but it is sentimental. Edit, we actually have 2 of these. We got them on my husband and my first trip to WDW and I know we took them back for a few years.

 

[Todd H]

No, has nothing to do with Florida. I've tried the Coke Freestyle machines in different states and they all taste like garbage. (Personal opinion)

I agree. I never found one where the Coke actually tastes like Coke. It always has this weird taste as if whatever the previous person had is mixed in. I don't drink much soda any longer since I started eating better and running a lot but if I did I'd avoid the Freestyle machines every chance I had.

 

[deeevo]

I always wondered why they did not have individual character mugs or Star Wars mugs and Princess mugs. Seems such a simple way to generate a few extra dollars with kids wanting there own individual mug. I know my girls would want one.

 

[ford91exploder]

Not to mention that after 19 years, if they were used a lot, have worn out, have enough bacteria in every crack and crevice to bring down a small country and other problems that boggle the mind. The one thing that I have found out about Disney's expensive items is that the quality usually sucks. I hate to imagine how cheaply put together those "cheap" ones were made. Everyone seems to forget that price does not guarantee good quality. I doubt that there are more then a handful of those mugs left that are usable or not lining some landfill someplace.

The interesting thing about Disney mugs is that one they are made in the US and they are virtually indestructible and a periodic bleach treatment keeps them shiny inside the only one I've ever had broken was done by the TSA in MCO when it was clipped to my backpack go figure.

Disney mugs are incredibly high quality and durability and they've lasted longer than any travel cup I've ever bought.

We have about 30 and we use them as travel mugs and outdoor drink holders and anytime drink holders for the younger relatives

 

[ford91exploder]

I always wondered why they did not have individual character mugs or Star Wars mugs and Princess mugs. Seems such a simple way to generate a few extra dollars with kids wanting there own individual mug. I know my girls would want one.

I think it's once again Disney doing the volume pricing thing also if you examine some closely they have coke logos so there is some advertising subsidy in there as well

I think they would be popular but I think once again it's risk avoidance

 

[Laketravis]

WDW gives me plenty of reasons to just drink water.

 

[ford91exploder]

I agree. I never found one where the Coke actually tastes like Coke. It always has this weird taste as if whatever the previous person had is mixed in. I don't drink much soda any longer since I started eating better and running a lot but if I did I'd avoid the Freestyle machines every chance I had.

The freestyle machines really need to do a water purge of the mixing chamber after each cycle but the enviro-nuts would go crazy if they did so.

 

[Jon81uk]

I always wondered why they did not have individual character mugs or Star Wars mugs and Princess mugs. Seems such a simple way to generate a few extra dollars with kids wanting there own individual mug. I know my girls would want one.

they sell them in the parks but they aren't refillable, you can get a BB8 Sipper, and a Chewbacca stein. This way they can sell you a souveneer mug in the park and still make you pay for soda in the resorts.

 

[jaklgreen]

I really don't understand the mentality of some people who think Disney should just give it away. Why should they? What are they doing so horribly wrong by charging for soft drinks? Their prices are in line with most other amusement parks/hotels, etc. Where else are you going to go that lets you have unlimited soda(that does not market themselves as all-inclusive)? You go to a restaurant and purchase a drink for around $2, you don't get refills into perpetuity. They offer the refill mugs that you can buy and it can be a big savings. If you don't want to pay for the soda then you have other options like getting some from the store, or drinking free tap water, etc. But don't act like Disney is doing something wrong by selling soda just like everyone else does.

 

[ford91exploder]

I really don't understand the mentality of some people who think Disney should just give it away. Why should they? What are they doing so horribly wrong by charging for soft drinks? Their prices are in line with most other amusement parks/hotels, etc. Where else are you going to go that lets you have unlimited soda(that does not market themselves as all-inclusive)? You go to a restaurant and purchase a drink for around $2, you don't get refills into perpetuity. They offer the refill mugs that you can buy and it can be a big savings. If you don't want to pay for the soda then you have other options like getting some from the store, or drinking free tap water, etc. But don't act like Disney is doing something wrong by selling soda just like everyone else does.

The issue is not Disney selling soda but rather that their prices now border on gouging.

With the most recent exemplar being the removal of the Large drink cup at MK and price increase on the small cup.

Yet at universal one can buy a mug and drink all day for the price of a couple bottles of soda at MK

 

[jaklgreen]

The issue is not Disney selling soda but rather that their prices now border on gouging.

With the most recent exemplar being the removal of the Large drink cup at MK and price increase on the small cup.

Yet at universal one can buy a mug and drink all day for the price of a couple bottles of soda at MK

Their soda and water prices are in line with Disney's. They don't get nearly as many visitors as Disney does, so if they want to use that as one of their incentives for you to go to the park, then good for them but make no mistake they make up that money somewhere else. That does not mean that Disney should do the same thing. They are doing nothing wrong. Prices are getting high, but not just at WDW but everywhere. Maybe I see it from the other perspective of someone who works in food. That soda is paying my wages. Yes there is a high markup for it but that off sets the other ways that they do not make much money or none at all. That cost is not just for some coke, its for the cup, the straw, the ice, the electricity to keep it cold, the labor, etc. The food court gets thousands of guest that go through them every day and they keep it looking amazing considering how people are such pigs. So I see is as my $3 is paying for that employee to constantly clean up our messes and dump the trash and keep the machines full and running.