Seriously? now I have to think about Soda refills?

[skater]

I hate the prices of the mugs. I hate the 3 minute rule. I loved the freedom of the old system - to top off if I wanted to, etc. I will have to swallow this because I love Disney World, and I love diet soda. There's nothing I can do about it, so I'm planning to put it out of my head for my upcoming trip and purchase the darn thing. But I still hate it.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

Thank you- that is my peeve also. That soda costs so LITTLE,and 18.00 for a mug....it's not the cost, it's the HASSLE! I don't want to think about how much I can get,or when or anything else, I haven't ever brought last years mug with me,and one trip when my kids were small, we bought ONE mug,for our fam of 4,and we all just drank what we wanted when we wanted. I still know we did NOT drink 14.00 worth of soda that week,so no worries. I wouldn't 'steal'...but come on!

Actually you buying ONE MUG for your FAMILY OF 4 to use is the exact problem Disney is trying to correct. Along with ppl bringing back old mugs to use over and over.

And for other PP's who said "nobody is saying they are mad because they can't steal drinks anymore" OF COURSE NOBODY IS GOING TO SAY THAT. Nobody admits to stealing. Are you kidding me? But that is what it is.

When you know you have to have a new mug each trip and you reuse one, you are stealing whatever amount a new mug costs from Disney.

When you take your one mug and keep refilling it to pour into other ppl's cups that is stealing.

I agree it is usually the ppl who are guilty of abusing the system that get the most upset about it.

I am sure they have some sort of remedy for ppl who have an issue with the cup like only carbonated water coming out with no soda. They will have someone who can assist you I'm sure.

I don't think it is unreasonable at all to make ppl wait 3 minutes in between soda refills. If you are guzzling 12 ounces of soda in 60 seconds and are standing there waiting to refill it so you can guzzle another one, you have a soda issue.

I agree that Disney is a business and if I were a stock holder I would be glad to see them taking steps to prevent theft and abuse.

And I have seen myself ppl with old mugs refilling them.

I have actually seen ppl refilling mugs IN THE PARKS in CS places where you can fill your own drink.

So they need to make sure they chip the paper cups too so nobody can abuse the drink machines in the park.

 

[skater]

Maybe New York City should force all the businesses to implement something like this .

 

[Burnedout]

We already experienced the RFID keys in March and they were fine.

Good! We were January. We were at the front desk 4 times and each time they accused us of ding something wrong and then found out their system kept canceling us!

 

[MiramarQE]

What does that have to do with anything? Stealing is stealing, no matter what the item cost that company to produce. Would you think it ok to take a pair of Levis from JCP because they cost them next to nothing, yet they charge $40 for them?

Being a resort guest does not give anyone the right to just start taking stuff they didn't pay for. If you don't want to pay for a mug, then don't pay for it. They are optional.

It always surprises me how many people think Disney should turn a blind eye to any sort of theft. I know if I owned my own business I wouldn't. It is almost disgusting that people blame Disney instead of the people who were stealing from them. Actually, it is disgusting.

If you want to be mad, be mad at the people who were stealing.

Maxiesmom - I think you missed my point - it's not about Disney taking steps to reduce shrinkage (loss of retail sales due to theft) - it's their manner of implementing it and the perception it has created:

1. The CAPITAL cost of the new program has to be paid by the users - so the cost to the users is going to go up without increasing profits a penny. More profit? More price increase
2. Someone's got to RUN this system. Putting computers in control of dispensing drinks, given the proximity of electronics and sensors to water, sugar and guests plus the proven capabilities of the Disney IT department to smoothly implement MDE, their updated website, FP+, Magic Bands, etc. ALL AT ONCE is going to result in simply incredible headaches - resort CMs are going to spend thousands of valuable man-hours just trying to placate irate guests when the system goes down - doesn't matter that it's "just an hour" - that's an hour out of a limited number of hours in a vacation - and I'm thirsty NOW!
3. Eliminating shrinkage by aiming at your high-dollar customers (the frequently returning guests "abusing" the current system) on a low-dollar item product (the drinks) just make no sense from a retail perspective.
4. The Disney "Revenue Analysts" that came up with this one apparently don't understand how poorly a complex solution like the RFID Mugs (just read the posts with the concerns so far - then WAIT for 100% implementation and some time for the sophisticated electronics that run this setup to age and see what problems they'll have) will play to their guests. You're not treating them like guests - you're telling them all you care about is maximizing your revenue (which unfortunately for Disney is NOT equal to "profit") and that you are a monopoly that doesn't care what they think.

All I said was implement differently
1. Give EVERY guest a mug (based on age - you can change size/configuration - sippy cups for toddlers - even allow they guest to pick them out at early check in and have them in the room when they get there)
2. Up the room charge to cover the cost of the mugs ($.75 - that's the mug cost I'll bet - then add a couple of dollars/day for the product - the soda, then another $ for profit). Bring last years mug (note to Disney - get a new design or two occasionally) to "beat the system"??? Go ahead! You're still billed for it with the room. Zero lost revenue!

A low tech no-RFID solution - now you don't have to change all the drink stations - the CMs don't have to deal with the problems of Disney computers in close proximity to sugary drinks, 3 minute re-fill windows, etc. ad infinitum . . . . CMs don't even need to take the time at Resort QS checkout to SELL the mugs and program them ("oops - sorry, my computer isn't working right now . . . ") or even clip off the yellow anti-theft tag on the old mugs. That's 1000s of man-hours of frustration saved all around

And EVERYBODY now has a mandatory "souvenir" of their trip whether they wanted it or not (the real purpose of Disney souvenirs - advertise Disney to your friends) - including the "water only" drinkers who may not otherwise purchase the mug.

 

[Amii]

So they need to make sure they chip the paper cups too so nobody can abuse the drink machines in the park.

They could just stop the people from stealing instead of giving everyone restrictions and chipping their mugs. Disney has allowed people to steal for a long time.

 

[Viva Las Disney]

My question is, does abuse (3) happen so often that it's worth inconveniencing the vast majority of mug users who follow the rules to just stop a small number of people who are abusing the system?

I can see certain scenarios where this will be a pain but I don't see where this will inconvenience the vast majority of users. My guess is most people currently fill their mugs and either sit down to eat or go back to their room or activity and don't get a refill or even a top off within 3 minutes, all those people won't notice any difference between the old and new mugs.

Companies spend $billions on security and anti theft measures and those of us that follow the rules always end up paying the price (literally and figuratively) for those that don't follow the rules. It sucks Disney has to inconvenience even one person with rules like this but I don't fault them for doing it.

 

[maxiesmom]

Of course there is a huge capital outlay to being with. There is with most new technology. However they then earn their cost and more back over time.

Kind of like how you upgrade to energy star appliances. They cost more, but you make it back in savings on your utilities and your taxes.

Obviously Disney sees it as a worthy cost. Only they know how much they were losing in pop theft. I'm guessing it was a lot for them to take these steps to stop it. It is their business and their decision to make. Just like it is our decision on if we want to buy the mugs or not.

I drink a lot of pop, way more that I should. Yet I rarely chug down that large a pop in 3 minutes. So waiting that amount of time is not a big deal. And if I happened to be thirsty, well, the water is unlimited. And would actually go farther in satisfying thirst.

 

[winterwhite]

They could just stop the people from stealing instead of giving everyone restrictions and chipping their mugs. Disney has allowed people to steal for a long time.

Implementing RFID machines for a company like Disney (who likely receives a subsidy from either the vendor for the machine or the soda company in order to place their product in a high-traffic area) is a trivial cost.

What is nontrivial, especially now, is the cost for a 16-24 hour a day staff in the counter service locations to police beverages. Think about how many hotels disney has. Figure they would need what works out to 1 person, 24 hours a day, at each of those locations. So that is 3 people working full time, but let's call it 6 since that's likely a part time position and they'll have to rotate out for time off.

Let's assume each works half time. Disney has 26 hotels. Plus a few other locations like the boardwalk bakery and beaches and cream-- so let's call it a round 30.

30 locations, times 6 people per location, working 1040 hours per year (20/wk). And let's say they get paid $10/hr. That is 187,200 working hours. Sure, they'll reduce some because not every location is 24 hours-- but they're pretty close.

187,200 at $10/hr is $1.87M a year, not including the cost of coverage for things like workman's comp, the value of benefits like park tickets and hotel discounts, etc, or payroll taxes which would cost about 15% more per employee-- so make that a round $2.15M a year.

I am pretty sure for that amount they can buy RFID machines, order a LOT of mugs, and use the machines to do it-- for less than half the cost. Probably more like 1/6 the cost.

Worth it, no matter how pissed off it might make you the individual consumer.

 

[luvmy3]

They could just stop the people from stealing instead of giving everyone restrictions and chipping their mugs. Disney has allowed people to steal for a long time.

And how would they do that? They could post a CM at every single soda machine but that would cost money, and guests would complain about yet another price increase. They would also complain that Disney doesnt trust then so they put soda police all over. Disney can't win because they are a big corp and everyone loves to complain when a big corp changes something that benefits themselves at a slight inconvenience to their customers. So what you have your mug chipped and so what you have to wait 3 minutes before you can guzzle down your soda. You'll live.

 

[Burnedout]

And how would they do that? They could post a CM at every single soda machine but that would cost money, and guests would complain about yet another price increase. They would also complain that Disney doesnt trust then so they put soda police all over. Disney can't win because they are a big corp and everyone loves to complain when a big corp changes something that benefits themselves at a slight inconvenience to their customers. So what you have your mug chipped and so what you have to wait 3 minutes before you can guzzle down your soda. You'll live.

Lol, it just seems right to stop the bad guys rather than make the good guys pay more and jump through hoops.

(Not arguing with you, just leaping into my "I wish life could be fair mode

 

[robinb]

I drink a lot of pop, way more that I should. Yet I rarely chug down that large a pop in 3 minutes. So waiting that amount of time is not a big deal. And if I happened to be thirsty, well, the water is unlimited. And would actually go farther in satisfying thirst.

If you *want* to drink water instead, that's fine ... but you paid for pop . They could easily solve the issue of people who drink some and top off with allowing people to fill up to twice the volume of the mug and then kick in the 3 minute lockout. Even if you are so thirsty that you gulp down a whole mug-full you will be able to refill immediately and enjoy your meal and beverage.

 

[BenandMorgsMom]

Outstanding response!

Being a Category Manager with a Fortune 500 Company....you have nailed it.

I have been a DVC member for 18 years and a 5 visits per year vacationer, we shake our heads at some of the business decisions made in terms of the "guest experience".

 

[maxiesmom]

If you *want* to drink water instead, that's fine ... but you paid for pop . They could easily solve the issue of people who drink some and top off with allowing people to fill up to twice the volume of the mug and then kick in the 3 minute lockout. Even if you are so thirsty that you gulp down a whole mug-full you will be able to refill immediately and enjoy your meal and beverage.

Who says that would solve the problem? You are bound to have someone complain that that large a pop was still not big enough. And then you have the problem of someone buying one mug and using it for 2 people. The size they give out now is more than the average person chugs down in 3 minutes. There is no one perfect size that would make everyone happy, and keep people from sharing one mug among family members.

honestly think the only way for Disney to fix the problem (if you think it is a problem) would be for them to make you go in line and get refills. Have CMs hand them out. But who really wants that?

 

[Bob NC]

Actually you buying ONE MUG for your FAMILY OF 4 to use is the exact problem Disney is trying to correct.

Yes!!!

Some folks are looking at this problem backwards.

It's not that Disney feels they are losing money because 1 person is is filling their mug enough to feed 4 people.

They feel they are losing because those other 3 people are NOT buying soda at all.

 

[luvmy3]

Lol, it just seems right to stop the bad guys rather than make the good guys pay more and jump through hoops.

(Not arguing with you, just leaping into my "I wish life could be fair mode

I agree, it would be nice if we all didn't have to "pay" literally and figuratively for what others do but unfortunately that is never the case. The bad always ruin things for the good
I guess for me its not a big enough inconvenience to complain about it. I mean its not like when I have to go get some advil sinus and now I have to wait at the pharmacy, show my ID and sign on the dotted line. If getting a refill at WDW comes to that, I'll probably join in the complaints

 

[robinb]

Who says that would solve the problem? You are bound to have someone complain that that large a pop was still not big enough. And then you have the problem of someone buying one mug and using it for 2 people. The size they give out now is more than the average person chugs down in 3 minutes. There is no one perfect size that would make everyone happy, and keep people from sharing one mug among family members.

honestly think the only way for Disney to fix the problem (if you think it is a problem) would be for them to make you go in line and get refills. Have CMs hand them out. But who really wants that?

Really? Says who? How do you know much an average person drinks in 3 minutes? 3 minutes is the number that Disney picked, but I wouldn't assume that Disney did a study to find out how much people drink over a certain amount of time or that it is based on any kind of science.

FWIW, I have never seen any signage that says that a mug must be used by only one person so I don't think that the mug sharers are breaking any official Disney policy.

 

[usd2bmd]

I know it sounds like something that is a no nothing thing since soda is "cheap" but think about this. It may cost Disney 25 cents (if that) per soda but when you multiply that by thousands of people refilling thousands of times, that mere 25 cents adds up.

And frankly, no matter how you cut it, stealing is stealing... Just say'n.

But nowhere in the OP statement doe she talk about being upset that she can't "steal" soda. She is talking about the ridiculousness of the whole premise.

Is it bad that there are people that bring back mugs and try to use them again? Yes...but not any more ridiculous than Disney putting micro chips in their drinking cups

 

[luvmy3]

But nowhere in the OP statement doe she talk about being upset that she can't "steal" soda. She is talking about the ridiculousness of the whole premise.

What I find most amusing is that she was considering a package with FD, where the mugs would be included. So the OP would get her meals for free and her beverages too, but now she has to wait 3 minutes to refill her free drinks. Really, that is worth getting upset about.

OH, and I believe a pp did point out where the OP admitted to "stealing" when she has used 1 mug for her family of 4

 

[Hipcat]

Wow, there sure is a lot of good view points on this and it sure makes you think. There are a few things I'd like to toss into this mix, as well as few answers to some issues.

The first one.

Add it to the price of the room, then there would be no more worries about who/when people are drinking soda.There are two issues with this. First most large corporations that have food service as "part" of their outfit expect that unit to run as an almost seperate entity. They want to see it as profitable on it's own. If not, they can make money by hiring a company to come in and do it for them and they take part of their proffit.

2nd. Taking soda costs out of room rates would get dicey. If you work in this field you know what I'm talking about. Then there is all the wasted product. The coke place in epcot gives away soft drinks and that place is a mess and a disaster. Imagine if you had a whole resort of that at your fountains. People filling jugs to take home, people dumping full sodas in the trash. If it's free people tend to waste a whole lot more as they view it as having little value.

As people stated earlier it's not the theft of the 5 cents worth of soda itself that hurts. It's the loss of the 3 dollars people didn't have to spend to buy the soda.

Now here is a few things to think about.

I agree with people who don't like the feeling of control over them when it comes to how much they want to drink and how often. The arguments of "drink water" or "you should drink less soda" are not relevant. What gives anyone the right to claim how much is enough for another person. I've seen big football players drink 30oz of sports drink in one go due to their size. I've seen a little kid take 2 drinks of a can of coke and call it quits. The point is one size does not fit all.

Lastly is how these cups are offered. Wording is VERY important on these cups. If disney puts things like "unlimited refills" on the cups, guess who is false advertising? If they put free refills for the "entire length of your stay", again they'll have an issue. It will be interesting to see how it works out in the end.