"Rapid Fill" Mugs Coming to Walt Disney World Hotels

[Mr.Skunkape]

Muskrat moonshine time.

 

[ratherbeinwdw]

I said earlier in the thread that I would love to see them have an "in park" option added on, like it sounds like are planning for the water parks. I would fully expect it to cost something like $25 or $30 for a length of stay, but I think most people who are spending their days in the parks would get a lot more use out of it.

There actually are in-park mugs, but they can only be used in the park. They have them at Restarantasarus when we were there in April. They are green and white and they are refillable. I don't know if all the parks have them. As many times as we've been, we had no idea they existed until April.

 

[WDWVolFan]

So when I buy a Dining Plan these mugs are still going to be included right?

 

[nepalostparks]

So when I buy a Dining Plan these mugs are still going to be included right?

No information to the contrary.

 

[flynnibus]

The problem is, they couldn't prove it was the results of downloading. The high cost of CDs, coupled with the presence of only one or two songs on the CD people wanted, is the widely-accepted attributed cause of the decrease in sales of music

Yet.. the album format had been around for decades. What suddenly made consumers reject that to the point of breaking the record label's model? Oh yeah.. the idea of widely accessible alacarte availability of the music. No longer being constrained to what the record label released as albums or incredibly over priced singles. This market shift was driven by the digital copies of tracks.. and then the stake was driven through the heart by Job's insistence on the 99c per track model.

And no doubt that people did see Napster and other file-sharing services as a way to get free music. However, the RIAA had no real proof that people would have purchased that music without the availablility of free downloads.

Ok, you're splitting hairs here. You're taking the RIAA's difficulty in legally pinning down what their actual damages were verse focusing on the general impact which is what is relevant here. No one argues piracy hurt the industry revenue wise - but in the court cases had to actually define a hard value and were trying to apply it universally instead of on a per incident basis. That is all more about the legal technicalities than the spirit of the discussion which is 'was there an impact'.

Yes it is. For health purposes, you shouldn't be drinking during meals anyway. But that aside, there is no law that prevents you from not purchasing a beverage with your meal, nor does Disney require the purchase of a beverage with your meal.

Now you're just being argumentative.. you know what I meant. You know.. no one is legally required to use a napkin either..

Again, those paterns would not be the same were the ability to "abuse" the system not present. Let's assume that Disney can predict that the number of people drinking a beverage with their meal are the same regardless of the availability of the current refill system. Disney does not know that person A, who used an old water bottle to get his soda, would purchase a drink because that soda now requires RFID. They have no way of knowing what they are losing, income-wise. At best it would be a wild guess, based on your speculation of Disney's analysis of crowd patterns. Regardless, over the course of the year, it's probably pretty negligible.

They most certainly have estimates far better than 'wild guesses'. Disney has the full range of dining environments which they can analyze... quick service with refill stations, quick service without, in park, out of park, destination dining, grab n go, etc etc. They can model what the typical drink sales should be based on the number of meals or types of meals they sell. Disney can also easily survey and observe actual customer behavior in the locations. Comparing this research with actual sales data and they can do statistical analysis to drive what their sales *should* be, compare with what they actually recorded, draw conclusions, and compare with observed behavior in other locations and through their observations.

Can they count every penny and guarantee it? No of course not, these are all *choices* of the customers - but statistics and analysis can be applied to customer behavior.

You're trying to say because Disney can't count on every transaction being converted.. their analysis is nothing better than wild guesses - which is complete rubbish and flies in the face of all business analysis done within the food service industry.

I don't disagree...but I think we can agree Disney is doing this to get more money from guests, and not because they want to stop "abuse" but simply because they want that money

But these are not mutually exclusive. 'abuse' directly impacts 'money' through lost sales and increased overhead. And driven by money means converting more sales opportunities, pricing, and reducing overhead (loss, overage, etc). Being 'money driven' can be reflected in several areas of gain.

Enabling a new product can also come with the benefit of combating previous problem areas impacting lost revenue opportunity and product loss. What is your motivation in that case? The answer can be more than one thing.

 

[CohibaMan]

I need a refillable mug so that I can chug down 10 cokes an hour and then go walk around all day in the punishing Florida sun. That's smart.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

You're right, why go to Disney where those paying extra to stay on property get treated to a couple of opportunities to by-pass the lines. They will be MUCH better off at Universal, where those who stay on property get to by-pass EVERY line. Wait, what, what was your point? Something about Disney actually being fair and people over-reacting, was that it? Were you using irony or sarcasm?

There is a big difference in the 2 when pre-booking comes into play.

 

[Minthorne]

I learned from this thread that a lot of people drink a lot of soda.

Glad I drink water.

And you can get water anywhere they serve fountain soda for FREE!

I'm a H2-Ho!

 

[flynnibus]

Because the "losses" are neglible. Businesses eat these kind of losses every day, and sadly, it's the cost of doing business. However, what makes it a money grab is the illogical increase in price. They aren't just eliminating abuse of the system, they are gouging customers in the process. And to be clear, this isn't some move on their part to prevent the abuse...they simply want more money...the cost increase pretty much proves it has nothing to do with abuse. It's just a convenient result.

If your postulation were true... they would just increase the price and have no motivation to include the RFID system at all. The RFID system would only eat into their potential increase in money. They aren't increasing the customer value with the new system either... so why bother? Just jack up the price and be done with it. RFID doesn't help justify the increase to the customer.

Reality is the new system is intended to REDUCE those losses you mention businesses eat all the time. Breakage, loss, theft are all costs of business every retailer deals with - it doesn't mean there is no value or motivation to keep those items in check or try to reduce them.

 

[Computer Magic]

Once upon a time no one anticipated that people would want to vacation at WDW multiple times in one year, or that locals would visit as frequently as they do. Or did, depending upon who you talk to.

exactly! Disney didn't expect people returning as often as they do. Which puzzles me because Disney created the return guest by DVC.

 

[Computer Magic]

I think it is more along the line as something that was promised, through signage and advertising, as a benefit to entice you to use a service.

I bought a car in the past at a dealership that used to provide a free loaner when your car was being worked on. Now they get you a rental at a reduced rate. I wasn't "stealing" the service while using it, but would be stealing it now if I just took a car anyway, because I was accustomed to getting one free while my car was being serviced.

That doesn't mean that I didn't tell them that I disliked the "new" policy. As many are doing here. But I would not try to circumvent it, even if I could.

I wonder if Disney will have to address the free refill policy for life? Will people complain and a CM will issue them a RFID sticker for their lenght of stay? That sticker can be placed on their Dixie Landing mug. Doesn't really matter for me since I do the DP and the mug being included. Maybe Disney should just include a mug with park tickets? AP gets 6 RFID visits per year?

 

[dreamfinder]

My question would be, if you have bought a mug and the rollout takes place midway through your vacation would they exchange your old mug you purchased earlier in the week for a new RFID one without the upcharge or will it be a "well, here's your new mug, now you buy the soda". That's ridiculous.

It's easy enough for them to do it like they have been with the RFID ticket media. Swap out the mugs on the 1st, and change over the POS system. Automatically set the chips to expire at the end of the month. Then on the 15th swap out the machines, and start actively setting the expire date on any new mugs sold. At that point any new guest will have most likely bought a new mug, and those few long term one that didn't can be handled on a case by case basis. Automatically setting the RFIDs to expire at the end of the month means that anyone that buys them on the 14th are good for the 14 days a mug purchase would have worked.

 

[MrsJackSparrow]

Okay, we know Disney loves to periodically jack up prices, so new mug, new price = no surprise there.

Mystifying to me through reading this thread is that people assume that mug holders drink only carbonated beverages and said beverages are consumed solely with meals.

 

[flynnibus]

You do know, that ANYONE can purchase that option, right? That a guest staying at the Days Inn can purchase an unlimited Express Pass for both parks? And it still comes out to be cheaper than staying at a Universal Resort (for now, anyway). But acknowledging that would ruin your self-righteous indignation.

If I pay $270 for a room for 5 people.. and get the unlimited express pass... so $54/head gets me room AND unlimited EP...

you think that is more expensive than paying

$100 for a 3rd party room and then paying $47/head (minimum child upcharge) = $335 a day

Ok..

Express Pass (and unlimited Express) are certainly available for anyone to purchase... but cheaper than the bundle? Only for those who travel alone or only as a couple. As soon as you put more people in the room.. the free service is better at Port Bay.

The upcharge for unlimited is ~$50-$90/head. The upcharge for a room at Port Bay is about ~$170-$200... do the math.

Certainly do the math before calling other people 'self-rightous'.. else one looks like an angry fool and not just a fool.

 

[lebeau]

Why? Are you really going to drink an entire mug in less than five minutes?

In all seriousness, the new mugs are rather small. I have, if there wasn't a line, filled my mug with coffee (or the nasty Disney equivalent), taken a deep gulp or two and topped it off for a full mug on the walk back to my room.

 

[George]

OK, so my Dunkin' Donuts mug will no longer work. I guess I'll have to pick a mark and do a "grab and dash" each visit with the new refillable mugs. I hope there is a way to tell how many days are left on the RFID chip because I'd hate to have to steal a mug every day or two. Disney - please put a display on the mug's surface with number of use days left. kthxbai.

 

[MOXOMUMD]

I just happen to think (and I've done this, left it in the arcade) don't forget or misplace your RFID mug. I know it sounds gross, but someone finds said "misplaced" mug and sees wow, five days left, gives it a good scrubbing and they have a new mug. (Luckily my mug was still there but that was when they really didn't have any worth to someone else. Now they will. Still gross though.)

 

[BoarderPhreak]

This is a solution looking for a problem. Unless obesity is the problem.

 

[YankeeMouse]

Water and ice still available at the RFID refilliable mug stations? A separate station? None? Anyone know?

 

[ddbowdoin]

I'll save my plate tonight from my local Chinese buffet and just use it again next week...

Trying to justify stealing, sad...