new blog: The Rapid Fill Mug program debuts at Walt Disney World

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

I wonder if/when the coffee and hot chocolate machines get changed

Probably never as people don't really abuse those as much as the soda machines

 

[kbelle8995]

Mugs are like tickets the longer you have them for the more they save. I think that the one day purchase is too much for me at least. I try not to drink soda at every meal. And I am probably in the park for most of the day. When you get to two days it seems more reasonable.

It is beginning to feel like Disney is nickel and diming me. I didn't think that the mugs are worth it. I just buy a paper cup and use it for a meal and then forget it. I buy juice for my breakfast.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

I Have four mugs from different stays, 2 POR/FQ ones from 2006, a year of a million dreams one from 2007 and a celebrate one from 2009 all of them have next to the handle something saying to the effect "only good at the resort purchased and for the stay it was purchased in." When I bought them I never saw any sign nor was told by any CM that they were good beyond my stay.

 

[SkaGoat]

I'm wondering if this is just a pre-curser to adding Rapid Fill machines to the parks themselves.

 

[doconeill]

I'm wondering if this is just a pre-curser to adding Rapid Fill machines to the parks themselves.

I have heard buzz that they do intend to somehow extend this to the parks in some capacity. I've also heard that somehow the MagicBands might also be involved, but I'm not sure how they'd resolve the two since they didn't decide to use MagicBands on the existing systems.

 

[SkaGoat]

they can't provide publicly accessible machines to refill their mugs right now, or just any guest would be able to fill anything they wanted. The RapidFill system would prevent this.

 

[doconeill]

they can't provide publicly accessible machines to refill their mugs right now, or just any guest would be able to fill anything they wanted. The RapidFill system would prevent this.

Obviously...but the mechanism doesn't necessarily need to be in the cup (although all VersaFill implementation currently do - RapidFill being an implementation of VersaFill's technology). But for some reason Disney didn't want to add this as another feature of MagicBands (which would have easily extended it to parks, etc.) I'm still wondering if they need to enforce the containers being used for some reason, perhaps for sanitary regulations.

Incidentally, there ARE public fill stations in a couple park locations. They aren't supposed to be used for refills, but they definitely get used for them...you may see RapidFill show up at those locations at least for the "limited use" paper cups after they've worked it out at other locations.

 

[vwlfan]

I haven't read every post re this but after we were listening to Kathy describe the roll out my wife wondered re what it would mean if you were on a split stay as we are going to do next summer? Does that mean I'd have to buy two mugs?

 

[doconeill]

I haven't read every post re this but after we were listening to Kathy describe the roll out my wife wondered re what it would mean if you were on a split stay as we are going to do next summer? Does that mean I'd have to buy two mugs?

No. Actually, BEFORE they added this system, you were technically required to purchase two mugs, as it was stated that the mugs were only good at the resort you purchased it at (at least on the mugs - some signs had different language that was more vague).

Now, it is stated that the mugs are good at ANY resort, for the length of time purchased (1, 2 and 3 days or "length of stay")

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

I wonder if Disney and Coke would ever consider putting in Coke Freestyle machines into the food courts? They could probably fit two or three of them on each side of the current beverage islands.

 

[doconeill]

I wonder if Disney and Coke would ever consider putting in Coke Freestyle machines into the food courts? They could probably fit two or three of them on each side of the current beverage islands.

I would love it - but I wonder if volume can be a bit of a problem with them. They need not just all those different soda syrups, but all the flavor syrups as well. Might require more regular maintenance.

Universal does it (and it uses the same RFID technology) in the parks, but I don't know what kind of volume they do in comparison.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

I would love it - but I wonder if volume can be a bit of a problem with them. They need not just all those different soda syrups, but all the flavor syrups as well. Might require more regular maintenance.

Universal does it (and it uses the same RFID technology) in the parks, but I don't know what kind of volume they do in comparison.

I'm sure if Disney and Coke decided to use them they would figure something out. Who know they could even build a large warehouse on property just to run them.

 

[doconeill]

I'm sure if Disney and Coke decided to use them they would figure something out. Who know they could even build a large warehouse on property just to run them.

Disney can't even be bothered to do something about the bees around the fill station at the SSR Paddock pool (even though they manage it at Blizzard Beach)...seems unlikely to me that they'd bother with the Freestyles and the additional maintenance they likely would have to take on...

 

[disney david]

I would love it - but I wonder if volume can be a bit of a problem with them. They need not just all those different soda syrups, but all the flavor syrups as well. Might require more regular maintenance.

Universal does it (and it uses the same RFID technology) in the parks, but I don't know what kind of volume they do in comparison.

The free style machine uses new technology unlike the old machines that use big boxes of syrup they use small ones like print cartridges while they would need to refilled more often. But they could be put place regular dispenser couldn't in smaller spaces and might just need access to power and co2 so Disney could put them in certain restaurants in parks.

The only real problem is their go from having to just change the one big box to know having to change smaller ones and maybe more often unless them and coke scale down the choices. Not sure if coke destiny them to modify the choices but if Disney wants something coke will build it.



http://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/everything-you-need-to-know-about-coca-cola-freestyle

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Disney can't even be bothered to do something about the bees around the fill station at the SSR Paddock pool (even though they manage it at Blizzard Beach)...seems unlikely to me that they'd bother with the Freestyles and the additional maintenance they likely would have to take on...

Who says Disney would be the one's responsible for maintaining them? I think Coke does most of the stuff with the freestyle ones themselves. They apparently conet right to Coca Cola and reorder what the machine si running out of automatically.

 

[doconeill]

Who says Disney would be the one's responsible for maintaining them? I think Coke does most of the stuff with the freestyle ones themselves. They apparently conet right to Coca Cola and reorder what the machine si running out of automatically.

I don't know who would be, but with the volume the Disney fill stations do, the cost has got to be higher...and I'm not aware of Coke maintenance people hanging around the fill stations.

From what I understand Coke did bring in VersaFill to talk to Disney. VersaFill did the RFID tech on the Freestyle machine already for Universal and Royal Caribbean, so they COULD have brought them in to Disney as well.

Obviously, they didn't. Someone must not have wanted them.

 

[disney david]

Who says Disney would be the one's responsible for maintaining them? I think Coke does most of the stuff with the freestyle ones themselves. They apparently conet right to Coca Cola and reorder what the machine si running out of automatically.

Your right it coke response ability to fix their machines it in their contract just like any restaurant it up to them to fix the machines and coke makes them to be put in fast food so they have to be able to operate a low maintenance. Because no place will accept them if they became a hassle they go back to the old machines coke wants these to be the new soda machines.

 

[doconeill]

Your right it coke response ability to fix their machines it in their contract just like any restaurant it up to them to fix the machines and coke makes them to be put in fast food so they have to be able to operate a low maintenance. Because no place will accept them if they became a hassle they go back to the old machines coke wants these to be the new soda machines.

Let me clarify that when I was talking maintenance, I'm not just talking about broken machines, but regular maintenance (cleaning, etc., preventative maintenance), and also syrup refills, etc. (I'm actually not sure how they fit it all in to the Freestyles as it is, unless it's SUPER concentrated...)

 

[disney david]

I don't know who would be, but with the volume the Disney fill stations do, the cost has got to be higher...and I'm not aware of Coke maintenance people hanging around the fill stations.

From what I understand Coke did bring in VersaFill to talk to Disney. VersaFill did the RFID tech on the Freestyle machine already for Universal and Royal Caribbean, so they COULD have brought them in to Disney as well.

Obviously, they didn't. Someone must not have wanted them.

Daily maintenance like cleaning is done by Disney but if one breaks then Disney can have their guys look at it but coke still has to be the one to fix the machines and Disney has to get coke on board with the new machines because they are the ones who install the machines. Tey had to use a company for RFID that coke was okay with and worked with before because it still their name at stake. If Disney used a company that never worked with coke and they made the soda taste different or kept breaking it makes coke look bad.

 

[doconeill]

Daily maintenance like cleaning is done by Disney but if one breaks then Disney can have their guys look at it but coke still has to be the one to fix the machines and Disney has to get coke on board with the new machines because they are the ones who install the machines. Tey had to use a company for RFID that coke was okay with and worked with before because it still their name at stake. If Disney used a company that never worked with coke and they made the soda taste different or kept breaking it makes coke look bad.

I actually don't know if Coke or VersaFill is responsible for the maintenance on the machines. VersaFill has their own dispenser station line, and the ones in place look like theirs. But VersaFill and Coke have an exclusive partnership, so unless Disney went with their own tech, VersaFill was the only choice - unless they didn't want RFID at all.

But in the end, what I'm saying is that they COULD have brought in the Freestyles, which are becoming quite popular elsewhere. They didn't, because someone - Disney, Coke or VersaFill, did not want to provide it, at least under the terms of the contract. Why, we don't know, but I wonder if overall the maintenance requirements may have been a factor.