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

[HauntedPirate]

Disney has never met a problem they couldn't solve by raising the price.

 

[Rodan75]

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)

The Freestyle machines take a crazy amount of time to get rid of 'machine taste', but once that is gone, I've noticed that Freestyle machines taste pretty much the same as other fountain drinks.

 

[Rich T]

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).

I've bee trying to give up sodas completely for a year now. This post sealed the deal. I'm just drinking water from here on out. Thank you!

 

[ford91exploder]

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.

The only problem with this line of reasoning is Disney food courts are filthy and the outdoor machines are frequently overrun by yellow jackets and I've never had that problem at UNI, While UNI's food courts are obsessively clean (as Disney's once were). As I've frequently said I don't mind PAYING for service, The inner HULK comes out when I pay for service and don't get it which is my main problem with Disney these days the price increases coupled with service and quality cuts.

 

[ford91exploder]

The Freestyle machines take a crazy amount of time to get rid of 'machine taste', but once that is gone, I've noticed that Freestyle machines taste pretty much the same as other fountain drinks.

Agree when the ones at the local 5 Guys was new the taste was off somehow but once the machines are dialed in everything tastes ok, To the poster who says Mickey D's Coke is the best I'd have to agree it tastes better than the stuff in the bottles (with the exception of REAL coke from Mexico which wally world sells).

 

[GoofGoof]

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

I agree the prices are high compared to buying soda at a supermarket , but they really always have been. These mugs have been around since the early 90s and were once $8 to $9 to buy but that was 25 years ago. Using a standard inflation calculator you would get a 2017 value between $15 and $17. Not all that far off from the $18 charged. Don't even ask me how much more park tickets, other food and hotel rooms have jumped in that time. The drink mugs may be the best bargain at WDW when you look at it that way

I think you just perceive it was a better deal in the past because you were hooked on the dust back then

 

[ford91exploder]

I agree the prices are high compared to buying soda at a supermarket , but they really always have been. These mugs have been around since the early 90s and were once $8 to $9 to buy but that was 25 years ago. Using a standard inflation calculator you would get a 2017 value between $15 and $17. Not all that far off from the $18 charged. Don't even ask me how much more park tickets, other food and hotel rooms have jumped in that time. The drink mugs may be the best bargain at WDW when you look at it that way

I think you just perceive it was a better deal in the past because you were hooked on the dust back then

Yes I was a duster back then as were all of us.

The problem is that a mug was 8.99 back in 2008 as I recall so a 100+ percentage increase in price over a 7 year period does not seem reasonable or supportable.

 

[GoofGoof]

Yes I was a duster back then as were all of us.

The problem is that a mug was 8.99 back in 2008 as I recall so a 100+ percentage increase in price over a 7 year period does not seem reasonable or supportable.

In 2008 when they got rid of the resort specific mugs they were $13. A $5 increase in 9 years is still much higher than inflation but much less than other stuff at WDW.

 

[ford91exploder]

In 2008 when they got rid of the resort specific mugs they were $13. A $5 increase in 9 years is still much higher than inflation but much less than other stuff at WDW.

I don't remember them breaking 10 bucks till 2010 I'll have to go dig up some receipts.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I wish I could remember how much I paid for a small cup of butter-beer at Universal, but, it was so shocking that I apparently pushed it out of my mind. Nothing more then flat creme soda and some creme like stuff floating on top. Doesn't taste awful, but, once and done for me. It was not that great. High prices are generic to theme parks. We have two choices don't buy any or buy some. Simple really!

 

[flynnibus]

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.

- There are places that offer free soda (including theme parks)
- There are places that offer free refills during a visit

I don't think anyone questions Disney charging... what they challenge is the price point and the challenges Disney puts on you to use it, even after you bought it. Rapidfill is a great example of Disney putting the burden on the customer instead of addressing problems themselves and how far people will go to cheat a system because Disney's prices can be so absurd.

 

[Todd H]

The Freestyle machines take a crazy amount of time to get rid of 'machine taste', but once that is gone, I've noticed that Freestyle machines taste pretty much the same as other fountain drinks.

A number of the restaurants I frequent have had them for a few years now and Coke still tastes like crap from these machines. Surprisingly enough, on the rare occasion I want a Coke the best restaurant I've found to get one is McDonald's. There's just something about a McDonald's fountain drink.

 

[jaklgreen]

The only problem with this line of reasoning is Disney food courts are filthy and the outdoor machines are frequently overrun by yellow jackets and I've never had that problem at UNI, While UNI's food courts are obsessively clean (as Disney's once were). As I've frequently said I don't mind PAYING for service, The inner HULK comes out when I pay for service and don't get it which is my main problem with Disney these days the price increases coupled with service and quality cuts.

The food courts are not filthy. I look for those things at any food establishment that I go to. It might get messy during busy times of the day because it is impossible to clean things the instant they get messy. To say they are filthy is gross exaggeration. If they were that bad then everyone here would be screaming about it. I think Disney is just getting too big. There are so many people that come through there on a daily basis that I am amazed at how much they get done.

 

[jaklgreen]

- There are places that offer free soda (including theme parks)
- There are places that offer free refills during a visit

I don't think anyone questions Disney charging... what they challenge is the price point and the challenges Disney puts on you to use it, even after you bought it. Rapidfill is a great example of Disney putting the burden on the customer instead of addressing problems themselves and how far people will go to cheat a system because Disney's prices can be so absurd.

I don't think they put the burden on the customers. You can still get your soda. Short of having a security guard at every soda fountain watching to make sure someone does not bring their giant thermoses to get filled, I don't know what they are supposed to do to stop the thieves. Oh, maybe make them RFID. I am sure they went over various options and thought this one was the best at the time. What do you suggest they do to stop all of those people from bringing their own cups and filling up for free?

 

[George]

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.

I agree with you in general, but the mugs from the "refills for life era" seem capable of surviving thermonuclear war which would also sterilize them.

 

[G8rchamps]

A number of the restaurants I frequent have had them for a few years now and Coke still tastes like crap from these machines. Surprisingly enough, on the rare occasion I want a Coke the best restaurant I've found to get one is McDonald's. There's just something about a McDonald's fountain drink.

Urban legend has it that MCD has their own special formula... I agree though, the coke is good there.

 

[Rodan75]

A number of the restaurants I frequent have had them for a few years now and Coke still tastes like crap from these machines. Surprisingly enough, on the rare occasion I want a Coke the best restaurant I've found to get one is McDonald's. There's just something about a McDonald's fountain drink.

McDonald's definitely uses a different ratio of syrup to carbonation than other restaurants. But I wonder if some places are either not breaking in their Freestyle machines or correctly or not cleaning them correctly. Because I had the same issue with them when they first came out and now I rarely get a bad drink from the restaurants I use them at and I don't think it is just that I got used to it.

 

[ford91exploder]

I don't think they put the burden on the customers. You can still get your soda. Short of having a security guard at every soda fountain watching to make sure someone does not bring their giant thermoses to get filled, I don't know what they are supposed to do to stop the thieves. Oh, maybe make them RFID. I am sure they went over various options and thought this one was the best at the time. What do you suggest they do to stop all of those people from bringing their own cups and filling up for free?

Tie the refills to the Magic Band not the container, Problem solved.

 

[ford91exploder]

The food courts are not filthy. I look for those things at any food establishment that I go to. It might get messy during busy times of the day because it is impossible to clean things the instant they get messy. To say they are filthy is gross exaggeration. If they were that bad then everyone here would be screaming about it. I think Disney is just getting too big. There are so many people that come through there on a daily basis that I am amazed at how much they get done.

I'm not talking about RESORT. food courts. I'm talking about the QS venues in the parks

The tables are not cleaned, there is food on the ground and the trash cans are overflowing what does one call that other than filthy

 

[Minthorne]

Urban legend has it that MCD has their own special formula... I agree though, the coke is good there.

http://totallythebomb.com/did-you-know-theres-a-reason-mcdonalds-coke-tastes-better