"Rapid Fill" Mugs Coming to Walt Disney World Hotels

[flynnibus]

I'm not debating that. I'm simply saying they could have made this kind of change something most people would ENJOY, and probably even justify a larger price increase... But instead they press release it and make it sound like something good for the consumer, when it's completely not. As you say, it's a lateral move for most.

You mentioned the freestyle machines... I don't know the details, but I'd wager there is a lot more vendor manipulation/costing going on with the freestyle machines that keep most locations from deploying them. I mean.. when you need a website to find your closest machine.. you know it's not aimed at universal deployment.

If Disney wanted to impress me as a customer.. they could have started with a decent size mug and better lids. I'd be happy with handing my cup to a CM if it meant good product, timely, and at a reasonable price.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

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.

Remember, if you stay one night at a Uni resort, each member of you party gets 2 days of express passes. (check-in day and check out day. )

 

[flynnibus]

Remember, if you stay one night at a Uni resort, each member of you party gets 2 days of express passes. (check-in day and check out day. )

Yes, excellent point! I originally had a two park, two day scenario in the message but deleted it. The two days of passes for one night makes it even more obvious. (and this is the scenario we used on our last trip.. tho 3 days instead of 2)

 

[PhotoDave219]

Water is still free.

 

[FigmentsFangirl]

Water is still free.

For the nonce, ice is too! So ice cold water is indeed still free for the moment. How long this will last I do not know

 

[Figments Friend]

-

Yay...the water is still free..!
Woo hoo..!

I guess i can still bring my old mugs back then after all !



Oh...wait....that free water coming out of the dispensers is free Orlando water, aka the famous *Swamp water*...aka the local tap water.

Errr...nevermind.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

You mentioned the freestyle machines... I don't know the details, but I'd wager there is a lot more vendor manipulation/costing going on with the freestyle machines that keep most locations from deploying them. I mean.. when you need a website to find your closest machine.. you know it's not aimed at universal deployment.

If Disney wanted to impress me as a customer.. they could have started with a decent size mug and better lids. I'd be happy with handing my cup to a CM if it meant good product, timely, and at a reasonable price.

I guess that, to me, would be exactly why TDO WOULD want to have the freestyle machines... Because they're not common. They're unique.

I'd agree that maintenance has to be more for them... But if marketed right, that would be paid for hundreds of time over.

Kids everywhere have used soda dispensing machines. Not many have used a freestyle machine.

And I'd imagine Coke probably would be more than willing to negotiate for a mass deployment like that.

But instead, it's more of the same.

I just think its a huge missed opportunity. But I guess we've seen a lot of those lately.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I'm confident that soda isn't a significant reason DCL is more expensive than the competition... its the whole package. There is a lot of hate towards DCL in the Disney community... the sad thing is it's closer to Disney than anything WDW offers and most are too scared to find out.

Personally, I'm not to scared to find out... DCL and I just have a huge disagreement over the value of a dollar.

 

[Maelstrom Troll]

What if I want to mix a "suicide"??? Will the computer let me mix all of the flavors?

 

[dvitali]

at least Disney trying is giving us refills, they could have us buy plastic bottles of coke. i could never understand why they put coke machines in their stairwell or in display cases if they are giving unlimited refill. Plus Disney is not the only company trying this i know a few local McDonalds is trying to limit their refill to people eating inside their resturants.

 

[cslafferty]

Wow . . . 23 pages on refillable mugs! I personally don't see the big deal. We go through lots of those mugs as DH misplaces them a lot and I run them through the dishwasher - after a while they look pretty worn. If you're not happy about it, there's always "quality H2O"!

 

[NowInc]

You mentioned the freestyle machines... I don't know the details, but I'd wager there is a lot more vendor manipulation/costing going on with the freestyle machines that keep most locations from deploying them. I mean.. when you need a website to find your closest machine.. you know it's not aimed at universal deployment.

I guess in some parts of the country this is true. Here in South Florida, they are EVERYWHERE, and are the "norm". Universal already uses them, and I think its only a matter of time before disney adopts them as well (or switches to pepsi )

 

[MickeyPeace]

True story: On out honeymoon my wife got dehydrated at Hollywood Studios. She had consumed nothing by Coke on a hot day.

Absolutely true. Coke has nothing in it, all soda in fact, that will hydrate you. Your body needs water.

 

[MickeyPeace]

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

I'm a H2-Ho!

I'm with you on that. Right down to the Ho. But I usually pay the $2.50 or whatever they're charging this year per bottle because Orlando water tastes so bad.

 

[AndyS2992]

At my adult age after seeing how soda is consumed everywhere else in the world, the idea of soda machines being unlimited fountains of free Coca Cola is simply insane. Hardly no where else on planet earth will the words "Coca Cola" and "free refills" ever be used in the same sentence other than in the USA. Maybe a few places in Singapore and UK.

Free refills in the UK are extremely rare in any restaurant. Only place that ever offered free refills is Pizza Hut which serve Pepsi products, also the price of the drink is expensive anyway. It is not self serve as you have to ask the waiter for it. There are very few self serve drink fountains in the UK, it is customary to go to the counter and pay and then the employee will pour it behind the counter for you. No refills, have to pay for another drink.

 

[dvitali]

I'm with you on that. Right down to the Ho. But I usually pay the $2.50 or whatever they're charging this year per bottle because Orlando water tastes so bad.

i never ask this question before "How many water treatment plants does Orlando country have if the water is so bad?"

 

[pheneix]

Free refills in the UK are extremely rare in any restaurant. Only place that ever offered free refills is Pizza Hut which serve Pepsi products, also the price of the drink is expensive anyway. It is not self serve as you have to ask the waiter for it. There are very few self serve drink fountains in the UK, it is customary to go to the counter and pay and then the employee will pour it behind the counter for you. No refills, have to pay for another drink.

Good times. I was actually thinking of a Pizza Hut in Singapore that offered free refills when I drew that distinction. Must be a thing for them.

 

[orky8]

You mentioned the freestyle machines... I don't know the details, but I'd wager there is a lot more vendor manipulation/costing going on with the freestyle machines that keep most locations from deploying them. I mean.. when you need a website to find your closest machine.. you know it's not aimed at universal deployment.

If Disney wanted to impress me as a customer.. they could have started with a decent size mug and better lids. I'd be happy with handing my cup to a CM if it meant good product, timely, and at a reasonable price.

Freestyle machines are also very slow because people play with them. The choices are great, but its not just walk up and push and out comes soda. I'd bet it takes at least double if not quadruple the amount of time, plus it only serves one person at a time.

 

[Minthorne]

I'm with you on that. Right down to the Ho. But I usually pay the $2.50 or whatever they're charging this year per bottle because Orlando water tastes so bad.

You know, most of the time I've found the ice water from the fountain service places in the parks tastes pretty good. It's the same filtered water used for the soda in most cases. Of course I do try to get most of my water from the ice in my mixed drinks

 

[mmouse50]

Does anyone know how the length of stay is going to be validated? I mean if you the mugs are good for all resorts and you are doing a split stay with a combine vacation of 10 days do you only have to pay for one mug?