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

[flynnibus]

Since a guest already has a profile built in a back end system, would it not make more sense to use non programmable RFID transponders with a unique identifier? The unique identifier is saved in your profile at the POS. Or is it cheaper to allow the drink stations to operate autonomously? If backend is used, could not drink preference data be sold to beverage companies for targeted marketing.

These are design considerations.. trade offs include connectivity, processing time, resiliency, double checks, etc. The 'right' answer includes fitting your design requirements/constraints.. which we really don't know for Disney.

A justification for more advanced tags is anti-counterfeiting measures. But what they have implemented we don't know..

I would speculate the drink stations are dumb.. and don't do things like write back usage to the cup and things like refill limits are enforced in the backend. But if you had a design where the drink stands had to work in isolation from each other... writing usage back to the cup would be a way to do it.

Maybe someone can find the old threads where it's referenced who the vendor is.. I think its Validfill but am not certain. Any tips about working in isolation would point that direction.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I honestly don't believe people bring these mugs back 20 years later... I'd wager most of the time it's more of "well, I bought this other mug to replace the mug I had that had lifetime refills... so I should still get the same thing"

If Disney just charged reasonable prices people wouldn't be so stingy.

and I totally agree on the 'redemption rate' comment. I don't think it is as much 'dumb people now..' but 'dumb people then' that offered lifetime anything.

I agree, to an extent. High prices are not, I repeat, not, an excuse for stealing. Would any of us want to be continuously held to a promise made to only a few back 20 years ago. Should they when saying that "this" mug is refillable for life, mean you can just use anything available? Should Disney have anticipated the absolute dishonesty of people? Maybe, but all of us would like to think differently about humanity. Is that a reason to say things like 'they charge to much anyway' to justify stealing? I certainly hope not!

 

[JimboJones123]

I honestly don't believe people bring these mugs back 20 years later... I'd wager most of the time it's more of "well, I bought this other mug to replace the mug I had that had lifetime refills... so I should still get the same thing"

If Disney just charged reasonable prices people wouldn't be so stingy.

and I totally agree on the 'redemption rate' comment. I don't think it is as much 'dumb people now..' but 'dumb people then' that offered lifetime anything.

We always bought the new ones when they had new designs. Honestly, even doing that, we still had a few dozen. What was the point?

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

Does anyone have any photos of these lifetime refillable mugs? I tried a search here but didn't find any... I'm just curious what they look like. And what kind of plastic they're made of.... Mainly to determine a general "lifetime" of said mug with wear and tear.

My refillable mug, bought in May 2013, looks like total hell already. :/

 

[ford91exploder]

These are design considerations.. trade offs include connectivity, processing time, resiliency, double checks, etc. The 'right' answer includes fitting your design requirements/constraints.. which we really don't know for Disney.

A justification for more advanced tags is anti-counterfeiting measures. But what they have implemented we don't know..

I would speculate the drink stations are dumb.. and don't do things like write back usage to the cup and things like refill limits are enforced in the backend. But if you had a design where the drink stands had to work in isolation from each other... writing usage back to the cup would be a way to do it.

Maybe someone can find the old threads where it's referenced who the vendor is.. I think its Validfill but am not certain. Any tips about working in isolation would point that direction.

Flynn, It is indeed ValidFill, ValidFill also uses the re-writable chips so that machine can determine how many drinks are left.

 

[flynnibus]

We always bought the new ones when they had new designs. Honestly, even doing that, we still had a few dozen. What was the point?

The entitlement followed the mug - not the user. So the fact you bought a mug in 98 doesn't entitle a mug bought in 2008... That was the point

 

[alissafalco]

So, do we have any updates from anyone staying on property? Are the machines shut off?

 

[xdan0920]

Does anyone have any photos of these lifetime refillable mugs? I tried a search here but didn't find any... I'm just curious what they look like. And what kind of plastic they're made of.... Mainly to determine a general "lifetime" of said mug with wear and tear.

My refillable mug, bought in May 2013, looks like total hell already. :/

Nope. Lifetime Mugs = Sasquatch. Though, you have a better chance of seeing Bigfoot then of seeing a picture of a lifetime mug.

 

[fillerup]

I never thought I'd have any reason to contribute to this thread since bev refills and resort stays aren't part of what I do. That being said......

We were over at Beach Club this afternoon killing a couple of hours and went to their little food store for a drink. Lo and behold, I saw a woman refill her mug at the soda machine. It was a SunTrust Bank mug. So, there ya' go.....

 

[luv]

So, do we have any updates from anyone staying on property? Are the machines shut off?

"Turn those machines back on! Turn those machines back on!"

 

[CDavid]

I never thought I'd have any reason to contribute to this thread since bev refills and resort stays aren't part of what I do. That being said......

We were over at Beach Club this afternoon killing a couple of hours and went to their little food store for a drink. Lo and behold, I saw a woman refill her mug at the soda machine. It was a SunTrust Bank mug. So, there ya' go.....

Well, now nobody can say Rapid Fill wasn't a wise investment...

 

[flynnibus]

Well, now nobody can say Rapid Fill wasn't a wise investment...

Well they don't exist at the deluxe resorts....

 

[unkadug]

Well they don't exist at the deluxe resorts....

Yet

 

[JimboJones123]

The entitlement followed the mug - not the user. So the fact you bought a mug in 98 doesn't entitle a mug bought in 2008... That was the point

Sorry, what was the point of my family continuing to collect tons of mugs. Sorry I stated that wrong.

 

[JimboJones123]

Well they don't exist at the deluxe resorts....

Poly has them.

 

[CDavid]

Well they don't exist at the deluxe resorts....

I thought it was reported that many deluxe resort managers had turned them off, not that they hadn't been installed there?

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.

 

[asianway]

I never thought I'd have any reason to contribute to this thread since bev refills and resort stays aren't part of what I do. That being said......

We were over at Beach Club this afternoon killing a couple of hours and went to their little food store for a drink. Lo and behold, I saw a woman refill her mug at the soda machine. It was a SunTrust Bank mug. So, there ya' go.....

Flight booked

 

[GoofGoof]

Does anyone have any photos of these lifetime refillable mugs? I tried a search here but didn't find any... I'm just curious what they look like. And what kind of plastic they're made of.... Mainly to determine a general "lifetime" of said mug with wear and tear.

My refillable mug, bought in May 2013, looks like total hell already. :/

I'm really curious to see them too. I have several refillable mugs from the 90s into early 2000s (multiple All Stars, Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs) but none that say lifetime refills on them. I had to cross the period when these were sold, but never came across the mugs. For the people who had these mugs if you don't have a picture do you at least have a ballpark year when they were sold?

 

[jdmdisney99]

So they just spent billions on My Magic+ yet they failed to collaborate and integrate RapidFill? Epic fail. They could have guests just scan their MagicBand when they purchase a drink and then you must scan it on the machine. The chip can know what kind/size of drink you got and only allow that much. If one has no RFID enabled ticket/band/ have some cheap paper cards to scan like Test Track. Problem solved.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I'm really curious to see them too. I have several refillable mugs from the 90s into early 2000s (multiple All Stars, Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs) but none that say lifetime refills on them. I had to cross the period when these were sold, but never came across the mugs. For the people who had these mugs if you don't have a picture do you at least have a ballpark year when they were sold?

The great mystery of the phantom life time refillable mugs. Makes one wonder if they ever really existed or not doesn't it? A lot of people say they did, but, absolutely no solid evidence, that I have seen, verifies that.