New refillable mugs "lock out" period

ninafeliz

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 30, 2001
I'm sorry if this has been covered repeatedly. I did a quick search and found one thread that might have mentioned this, but I didn't have time to read all 9 pages.

I get the new mug refill system - to stop people filling old mugs, non disney mugs, coolers, etc. But what irritates me is the lock out period. It seems like every time I take my mug to fill it I get the diet coke machine that is out of syrup, and I get essentially brown colored soda water:crazy2: I realize it isn't actually every time, but it also isn't rare. So now I guess I have to dump it and stand around for either 2.5 min, 3 min, or 5 min (I've read all 3, and am not sure which is accurate). I know this sounds kind of petty when I write it, and in the grand scheme it won't really ruin anything, but it's annoying and really does happen a fair amount as so many people use those machines. I just wanted to be sure I understood correctly.

I also wanted to add that I realize when I see old mugs that people are not doing what they should, but I do find it kind of neat to see all of the different old mugs :) Some of them go back to when they first had refillable mugs, that brings back memories :goodvibes I remember our first Dixie Landings refillable mugs, the solid yellow with only a DL logo, and black top. I miss the old resort specific mugs.
 
You describe one of the reasons for the new RFID mugs - people endlessly bringing old mugs back.
But you hit on the second issue and the reason for the "lock out period". People were repeatedly filling a refillable mug and dumping it into another container, not able to be refilled normally.
So the reason for both the new system and the lock out that annoys you is abuse by "guests".
 
Hmmm, I actually never thought of people filling their mugs and then immediately dumping them into another. I just knew of the old mugs issue. Great. I hope they are better at keeping up with the pop and hot chocolate machines than they were the last few times I stayed at POR. I think the HC was out 75% of the time (I know HC isn't on the chip yet, but it will be and I just use it as an example...)
 


I'm sorry if this has been covered repeatedly. I did a quick search and found one thread that might have mentioned this, but I didn't have time to read all 9 pages.

I get the new mug refill system - to stop people filling old mugs, non disney mugs, coolers, etc. But what irritates me is the lock out period. It seems like every time I take my mug to fill it I get the diet coke machine that is out of syrup, and I get essentially brown colored soda water:crazy2: I realize it isn't actually every time, but it also isn't rare. So now I guess I have to dump it and stand around for either 2.5 min, 3 min, or 5 min (I've read all 3, and am not sure which is accurate). I know this sounds kind of petty when I write it, and in the grand scheme it won't really ruin anything, but it's annoying and really does happen a fair amount as so many people use those machines. I just wanted to be sure I understood correctly.

I also wanted to add that I realize when I see old mugs that people are not doing what they should, but I do find it kind of neat to see all of the different old mugs :) Some of them go back to when they first had refillable mugs, that brings back memories :goodvibes I remember our first Dixie Landings refillable mugs, the solid yellow with only a DL logo, and black top. I miss the old resort specific mugs.

I'm a big diet coke drinker, and I really don't recall having a lot of problems with the "mix" at WDW.
Maybe if it happens, though, tell a CM. It would speed a fix, rather than lots of folks being unhappy with the taste of their soda.
 
We have seen our share of old mugs as well being filled too. But what really made me mad last year at All Star Music was a WHOLE family of about 20 + members were filling up 20 oz drink bottles:furious: not just one or 2 of the family members but everyone of them.
Now mind you, I have only been going to Disney since 2008 when the blue and white mugs were being used, then the red/black, and then the beach mugs. I seen lots of the blue/white mugs as well as the red/black. Beyond the blue/white mugs I have no clue and what the lifetime mugs from years past looked like so I couldn't go by that but only can go by the blue/white and red/black.
 
I never minded purchasing new mugs on each trip when they were resort specific but I'll admit it doesn't seem worth it most of the time when the mugs are always the same. I get it from a business standpoint that it's cheaper to have a ton of the same type rather than individualized ones for the resorts but I think the use of the same one's for long periods of time has led to more people cheating with the mugs. We only get them when we know we're doing at least one full resort day otherwise it just doesn't seem worth it to us. It's easier to bring bottles of water from home but we drive not fly so it's easier.
 


we always got new mugs (DDP) but I can't stand drinking hot stuff in the same mug as cold stuff. :guilty: So I usually have old mugs for hot chocolate and use the new mugs for soda. I know that I have paid for the mugs, but I am using a different container. Now I don't know what to do! :rotfl:
 
I'm SO used to seeing people filling up old water bottles, thermos bottles, tumblers, you name it. I kind of want to just sit at a table near one of the new fountains and count how many people in an hour walk up to it without a mug and become totally confused and/or angry. :lmao:
 
We will just bring two litters, put them in our fridge and fill up our mugs..We would not buy them OOP anyway as we wont be eating a lot at our resort food court..OKW
 
If we ever decide to buy mugs again, I'm glad that the lock out period is so short. I've been known to really down a drink quickly after a hot day and I'm ready to refill almost immediately.
 
I always bought new mugs because they weren't expensive, you get your money back after a few uses and they can be considered souvenirs.

I guess the people who didn't bring old mugs back are being punished.
 
I always bought new mugs because they weren't expensive, you get your money back after a few uses and they can be considered souvenirs.

I guess the people who didn't bring old mugs back are being punished.

:thumbsup2
Exactly! Now mind you we do have our share of the beach scene LOL but I look at it like this when I look in my cabinet those Disney mugs aren't the only thing I have plenty of that is alike either.
We have always even before we started going to Disney bought a souvenir mug at a park with a 1 time drink included so I feel being able to get refills at our resort and now this year being able to refill at other resorts when we visit others to eat at and fill up. We also take ours to the park and when we have leftover drinks from our QS meals, we pour the drinks from the paper cups into our mugs. With the paper cups we get from the QS if we wanted to ride something afterwards we were told to throw away our cups before getting to a certain point, with our mugs we have them on our backpacks and never have had to get rid of them.
 
I'm unhappy about the lock-out period because DH likes to mix his drinks (usually the pomegranate lemonade with Sprite). THAT won't work now. Or what about drinks like root beer that are always foamy? Unless you can fill a little, let it settle, fill a little more, you're going to be lucky to get 8 ounces of drinkable liquid per refill.

And the blogs say the 2 or 3 minute period is just a trial, and that the machines are programmable to go up to 15 minutes between refills. I may not be a total soda pop addict, but on a hot day with a mug half-full of ice I can certainly knock back that first soda in less than 15 minutes.

Also, I read on the Dis Blog that the machine will dispense an automatic 16 ounce pour. So if I did load up on the ice, the soda will just overflow my cup? Yuck. Very messy.
 
I'm unhappy about the lock-out period because DH likes to mix his drinks (usually the pomegranate lemonade with Sprite). THAT won't work now. Or what about drinks like root beer that are always foamy? Unless you can fill a little, let it settle, fill a little more, you're going to be lucky to get 8 ounces of drinkable liquid per refill.

And the blogs say the 2 or 3 minute period is just a trial, and that the machines are programmable to go up to 15 minutes between refills. I may not be a total soda pop addict, but on a hot day with a mug half-full of ice I can certainly knock back that first soda in less than 15 minutes.

Also, I read on the Dis Blog that the machine will dispense an automatic 16 ounce pour. So if I did load up on the ice, the soda will just overflow my cup? Yuck. Very messy.

It's been reported that you can mix soda. You'll get 12 oz total.
 
I'm unhappy about the lock-out period because DH likes to mix his drinks (usually the pomegranate lemonade with Sprite). THAT won't work now. Or what about drinks like root beer that are always foamy? Unless you can fill a little, let it settle, fill a little more, you're going to be lucky to get 8 ounces of drinkable liquid per refill.

And the blogs say the 2 or 3 minute period is just a trial, and that the machines are programmable to go up to 15 minutes between refills. I may not be a total soda pop addict, but on a hot day with a mug half-full of ice I can certainly knock back that first soda in less than 15 minutes.

Also, I read on the Dis Blog that the machine will dispense an automatic 16 ounce pour. So if I did load up on the ice, the soda will just overflow my cup? Yuck. Very messy.

I'm at POFQ now, which has the new RFID mugs. I'm seeing no problems at all, and always a cm nearby (not at all in a police-ing manner; to help).

The soda machine dispenses only when you push the "push" button above your choice of soda. It does not automatically dispense any amount. If you stop pushing the button, it will stop pouring soda.

If someone was insanely parched, water is on every machine and is not part of RFID. I've filled my water bottle daily, and asked for a cup for water daily, no problem. I.e., you can fill the RFID mug many times with water without a lock out period. HTH
 
PS the machine dispenses by the ounce. It dispenses the total ounces the cup holds (12? 16? I don't know) and only then does the lock out period begin. Thus, if you put ice in the up, you will not dispense the entire amount permitted. You can dispense 2 ounces from several different sodas if you want, until the max the cup holds (without ice) is dispensed.

There is a little video-ish screen above the dispensing area that shows where you are - ie you can see if you are half way full, etc. If you filled your cup with ice, and then put soda in, the level on the video would stay pretty low. You could drink that standing there and refill if you wanted to.
 
To the poster who stated, "all this is silly over soda", unfortunately Disney doesn't think it's silly. Did you see the new price of a soda? I think a small is almost $3 and a large is over $3. Add up all that money to the millions of people who visit Disney. This is being done so Disney can make ALOT more money. And, they know people can't stand the taste of that nasty sulfur water in Florida.
 
I understand the whole like cost is different and how its only for your stay. But we are getting annual passes in a couple of weeks and we already have so many of the same mugs from getting them from the free dining plan. We don't want to have to buy a new one everytime we go, has anyone heard if they will do something for those with the annual passes so we aren't spending so much money and getting so many cups?
 

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