"RapidFill" RFID mugs getting rolled out...

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I'm sorry, but I still don't see the argument. You seem to be under the assumption that because you are on the DDP, you couldn't be stealing the soda for someone else. The two aren't exclusive. You COULD steal it for someone else.

Seems highly unlikely to me, but perhaps you know better. I disagree with the concept of treating every customer as if they are trying to cheat the system. Most of the cases I have seen are about allegations that people are either (1) buying one mug and filling drinks for the rest of their party with it, or (2) are using their mug to fill up some third party container. If I had a party of 6 on the DDP, I could easily rotate through all 6 mugs and fill a third party container even with the 5 minute limit. It only impacts us if we try to do the right thing and each person uses their mug appropriately. That's usually how it goes with these types of restrictions. It most often only negatively impacts legitimate users.

It still could be a limitation, as they would need to integrate with the Disney system to determine these things - which right now is in flux (to put it mildly), and they don't want to wait, for whatever reason.

If they can add days on roll out, they can probably do the others. I don't know the specifics, but seems unlikely they couldn't do it if they really wanted to. They just don't want to. This is all about trying to make it easier for Disney, not for the guest. Much like MyMagic+/MyDisneyExperience, it is all about what it can do for Disney and not for the customer.

Of COURSE it is a choice - they could have chosen not to do this yet and wait, or they could choose to use the tech out of the box - for now - and integrate it later when there is a stable interface to integrate to.

Yes, so instead of defending what sounds like a poorly implemented solution, I'm going to call it out for what it is. Disney, a company that posts massive profits, is taking a shortcut for their own benefit that has little positives to offer for the guest experience. Another example of the guest experience decline. One of the tenets of great customer service is never making it easier for yourself at the expense of your customer. A lot of the changes implemented in recent times by Disney have been all about making it easier for them to bank more cash, while making the guest experience more complicated and confusing.
 
Seems highly unlikely to me, but perhaps you know better. I disagree with the concept of treating every customer as if they are trying to cheat the system. Most of the cases I have seen are about allegations that people are either (1) buying one mug and filling drinks for the rest of their party with it, or (2) are using their mug to fill up some third party container. If I had a party of 6 on the DDP, I could easily rotate through all 6 mugs and fill a third party container even with the 5 minute limit. It only impacts us if we try to do the right thing and each person uses their mug appropriately. That's usually how it goes with these types of restrictions. It most often only negatively impacts legitimate users.

I also don't agree with treating every customer as a cheat. I'm just responding to the potential reasons and limitations.

Since you seem to like an example, here's one, and it's not unheard of...

A party of eight. They get two rooms, four and four, at the All-Stars because a suite isn't big enough and they can't afford a villa. One room is booked with the QS dining plan, with mugs. The other is not. However, they all share the credits and soda...those with the credits go up and order the food, but they bring it back and share it. For sodas, one will go up, fill their mug, then go back to the table, pour it into someone else's cup, then go up and fill it again.

Or there is also the often-mentioned "fifth person" in a four person room. They don't exist to Disney, no KTTW card, etc.

These are just examples, but examples I've heard of...but of course, this might have nothing particularly to do with Disney's decisions on this either.
 
Maybe this is really obvious, but I feel like I missing something. How will people who just purchase a soda in a paper cup in the food court be able to fill it? Will there be separate beverage stations for cups and mugs? And if that's the case, what's going to stop people with mugs from using the other station?

Also, another perspective on the 5 minute lock out that I don't think I saw mentioned: Perhaps Disney just wants to limit how much people fill their mugs to save themselves money? If people have to wait 5 minutes before refills, they're less likely to hang around and fill their cups repeatedly.
 
Maybe this is really obvious, but I feel like I missing something. How will people who just purchase a soda in a paper cup in the food court be able to fill it? Will there be separate beverage stations for cups and mugs? And if that's the case, what's going to stop people with mugs from using the other station?

Also, another perspective on the 5 minute lock out that I don't think I saw mentioned: Perhaps Disney just wants to limit how much people fill their mugs to save themselves money? If people have to wait 5 minutes before refills, they're less likely to hang around and fill their cups repeatedly.

The paper cups will have a RFID sticker which allows the cup to be filled a total of 4 times within an hour (at least that is how it was originally tested in 2011). All cups and mugs will use the same machines. The time limit could be for a number of reason, but most likely to keep people from sharing their drinks and forcing them to either buy more mugs or waste their time instead of spending their money. I am glad they are finally fixing the issue. I have been behind families cheating the system and while it certainly doesn't ruin my vacation by any means, it is annoying to see, and difficult to explain to your kids when they ask why people are stealing/taking something that they did not pay for.
 

The paper cups will have a RFID sticker which allows the cup to be filled a total of 4 times within an hour (at least that is how it was originally tested in 2011). All cups and mugs will use the same machines.

Ooooh cool! That's awesome! Does anyone know how expensive this technology is? I mean clearly Disney would not be doing it if it was not cost effective, but an RFID chip on disposable drinkware just sounds so... wasteful.
 
Ooooh cool! That's awesome! Does anyone know how expensive this technology is? I mean clearly Disney would not be doing it if it was not cost effective, but an RFID chip on disposable drinkware just sounds so... wasteful.

The chips themselves cost less than a penny each to produce.
 
The time limit could be for a number of reason, but most likely to keep people from sharing their drinks and forcing them to either buy more mugs or waste their time instead of spending their money. I am glad they are finally fixing the issue. I have been behind families cheating the system and while it certainly doesn't ruin my vacation by any means, it is annoying to see, and difficult to explain to your kids when they ask why people are stealing/taking something that they did not pay for.

I'd bet that it is the only reason for the time limit.

I don't mind explaining what people are doing, and what is ethically wrong about it. I also don't mind trying to explain why CMs stand there and have conversations with guests who are doing it. That was by far the more interesting conversation with my son. It was far more difficult for him to understand why Disney CMs observed the activity and did nothing about it than the motivation behind filling up non-Disney mugs. Partially because I had no real answer to provide him.

If we get bit by a waiting period between refills, I'll get to explain that Disney is making us wait because we might be trying to cheat them out of drinks. A nice reward, I suppose, after years of doing the right thing. We get lumped in with the cheaters anyway.
 
Is this going to include the DVC resorts outside of disney world like hilton head, very beach and aulani?
 
I'd bet that it is the only reason for the time limit.

I don't mind explaining what people are doing, and what is ethically wrong about it. I also don't mind trying to explain why CMs stand there and have conversations with guests who are doing it. That was by far the more interesting conversation with my son. It was far more difficult for him to understand why Disney CMs observed the activity and did nothing about it than the motivation behind filling up non-Disney mugs. Partially because I had no real answer to provide him.

If we get bit by a waiting period between refills, I'll get to explain that Disney is making us wait because we might be trying to cheat them out of drinks. A nice reward, I suppose, after years of doing the right thing. We get lumped in with the cheaters anyway.

The answer to that question is passive enforcement. Disney never wants to have a CM monitor and enforce policy if they don't have to. Certainly when safety is an issue, like lifeguards they must, but for soda drink they did not want to have a CM stand there and police the actions of the guests that were stealing it.

It would have turned ugly because anyone that will walk into a Disney restaurant with a huge 7-11 mug and fill it up without paying is going to put up a fight.

So yes sadly those that do what is right, end up being inconvenienced by those that don't. Sadly the American way, lately.
 
I'd bet that it is the only reason for the time limit.

I don't mind explaining what people are doing, and what is ethically wrong about it. I also don't mind trying to explain why CMs stand there and have conversations with guests who are doing it. That was by far the more interesting conversation with my son. It was far more difficult for him to understand why Disney CMs observed the activity and did nothing about it than the motivation behind filling up non-Disney mugs. Partially because I had no real answer to provide him.

If we get bit by a waiting period between refills, I'll get to explain that Disney is making us wait because we might be trying to cheat them out of drinks. A nice reward, I suppose, after years of doing the right thing. We get lumped in with the cheaters anyway.

My kids didn't notice the CMs not doing anything about it until a couple of years ago. When they were younger, they just asked about the containers. When DD asked why they were allowed to do it without getting in trouble, I simply said, "Remember yesterday when we saw that man yelling bad words at the worker at Peter Pan?" She immediately understood why, and there were so many people doing it and only a couple of CMs that it would be virtually impossible to get them all to stop. The new system will go a long way in an effort to make the system work as it was always intended to.

One idea would be to fill the cup before getting your food/snack and then drink it while in line. Your 5 minutes (if they do a limit) will likely be up or close to it by the time you pass back by the machine. Also, don't forget that using a QS credit at your resort includes a drink. We always use our mugs and get a bottled beverage with each meal and take them back to the room. They come in handy if the park is open too late to make it back with our mugs or if we just don't feel like walking to the food court after a full day in the parks.
 
Personally I think the five minute limit is very reasonable as the average guest will most likely fill it once they have their meal sit down and eat it and then maybe go back for another drink after they have finished. Usually what I do when I've been at a resort I would garb some coffee in the morning even if I wasn't getting breakfast at the resort and drink it on my way to where ever I was going and then if I come back alter for a break or to change I'd stop by the food court on my way to my room. Later in the day if it was still open I'd stop by for something on the way back to my room at the end of the day.
 
Me too. We get refills on drinks (freestyle machines) and popcorn, and they don't make you buy more if you're seeing another movie after the first one. In fact, we buy a bucket that we can use for popcorn refills for an entire year at our local cinema.

I don't mind Disney trying to go after abusers of the system. I do mind Disney causing an inconvenience to legitimate users along the way. As long as I can use the system the way I am accustomed to, it doesn't matter much to me. Seems bizarre to me that they are choosing a system that works well for people who hang around the pool/food court all day (5 minute wait is meaningless) and punish people who go to it a couple of times a day (for less than 10 minutes total). If my entire party has mugs (because we're on the dining plan), then who does this system think I am filling my mug for? I would expect a "highly intelligent" system to have this factored in.

Hehehe... I so get it!!!
 
I don't mind Disney trying to go after abusers of the system. I do mind Disney causing an inconvenience to legitimate users along the way. As long as I can use the system the way I am accustomed to, it doesn't matter much to me. Seems bizarre to me that they are choosing a system that works well for people who hang around the pool/food court all day (5 minute wait is meaningless) and punish people who go to it a couple of times a day (for less than 10 minutes total). If my entire party has mugs (because we're on the dining plan), then who does this system think I am filling my mug for? I would expect a "highly intelligent" system to have this factored in.

Sorry I don't get why this is such a big deal? If you can't wait 5 minutes why not buy an extra cup or get a paper one.?
 
Haha! Disney is becoming a joke. What a hassle for a product that they pbbly get from coke for close to nothing.
 
Haha! Disney is becoming a joke. What a hassle for a product that they pbbly get from coke for close to nothing.

How is Disney becoming a joke? These new RFID machines are in use all over the place. The water parks have had the technology for some times as well as other amusement parks, movie theaters, and fast food type joints.
 
Just seems a little much for syrup. I'm surprised they haven't added retinal scanners to the soda machine security detail. Haha!
 
One idea would be to fill the cup before getting your food/snack and then drink it while in line. Your 5 minutes (if they do a limit) will likely be up or close to it by the time you pass back by the machine. Also, don't forget that using a QS credit at your resort includes a drink. We always use our mugs and get a bottled beverage with each meal and take them back to the room. They come in handy if the park is open too late to make it back with our mugs or if we just don't feel like walking to the food court after a full day in the parks.

I don't usually get a snack. As I said, I tend to walk in, fill up and drink it, then immediately refill for the walk back to the room. No snacks, no food. Maybe that is also what they want. Make you wait around for 5 minutes in the hopes you might buy something, instead of just using the mugs the way you always did before. The Disney Way for prices to go up and usefulness to decline.

Personally I think the five minute limit is very reasonable as the average guest will most likely fill it once they have their meal sit down and eat it and then maybe go back for another drink after they have finished.

5 minutes is entirely reasonable when eating. When stopping by, while on a walk, 5 minutes is a long time to stand around when I would normally not spend more than 5 minutes filling up 4 times in the past (two separate trips).

Sorry I don't get why this is such a big deal? If you can't wait 5 minutes why not buy an extra cup or get a paper one.?

Why should I pay for additional cups in order to use my mug the way I have on every other trip? There is absolutely no logic in that. I will have DDP and the mug is part of that. To tell me I should then purchase single-use cups in addition is hardly a solution.
 
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