According to sources, Disney World will soon be bringing the new Disney Rapid Fill Refillable Mug program to Disney resort hotels.
Tested at All-Star Sports Resort a while back, and much like the process currently in use at Disney’s Water Parks, the new system would use an RFID bar code on each mug to give Disney guests access to refills for a pre-purchased period of time. The mug will then deactivate itself at the end of the purchased time frame.
But as of today, it’s looking more and more like the rumors may be true. Although at this time the Rapid Fill Refillable Program has not been confirmed by Disney, we have news today that the fountain machines at some beverage refilling stations at Walt Disney World resorts have been replaced with new machines that resemble those in a demo video by the company ValidFill.
The first set of photos are from the Beach Club Marketplace, where the machines were installed earlier this week.
In this photo, you can see the small screen that provides the customer detailed information about their refill as it dispenses, as well as the trays below the fountain taps that reads the cup’s sensor.
The same set up is in place at All-Star Music Resort’s beverage refill station. The screens here are blank.
We received word that the machines have also been installed at the Contempo Cafe as well:
At this time, they are still functioning like the old machines. Reports are that it is “business as usual” and that guests can still use their purchased mugs currently. But we know that you have lots of questions, so let’s go over how the new Rapid Fill program will reportedly work.
How Will The Disney Rapid Refill Refillable Mug Program Work?
Refillable mugs will each have an RFID bar code that guests will scan at the soda fountains each time they refill their mugs.
Guests will be able to purchase mugs for a particular time frame, anywhere from one day to the length of their Disney stay. (Note that a “day” is considered one calendar day, not a 24-hour period. So if you arrive at 11:00pm and activate your mug, the first day will end at midnight that night.) Here is the current pricing:
$8.99 for 1 day
$11.99 for 2 days
$14.99 for 3 days
$17.99 for length of stay (currently set at 14 consecutive days, but may be able to be manually extended by a Cast Member)
According to sources, the mugs will be valid for use at ANY Disney-owned resort hotel in Disney World. However, guests cannot bring their mug back on return visits to use it again. A new mug must be purchased for each stay.
One piece of information that isn’t quite clear: if you have a split stay between two Disney resort hotels and have paid for the 14-day refill option, will you be able to use the mug at both hotels assuming the two stays fall within the 14 consecutive days? Sources say yes, but it remains to be seen.
Will the Disney Rapid Fill Refillable Mug Program Be Part of the Disney Dining Plan?
Should the Rapid Fill Program come to pass, it will be included on the Disney Dining Plan as refillable mugs currently are. Guests purchasing any Disney Dining Plan will get a Rapid Fill Refillable Mug.
When Will The Disney Rapid Refill Refillable Mug Program Begin?
The rumor is that the mug program will begin this month at Disney’s All Star Resorts and will quickly roll out to other Disney World resort hotels.
What if I DON’T Want a Refillable Mug?!
Guests who choose not to purchase a refillable mug will still use Disney’s standard paper cups. According to sources, these cups will be authorized for four refills at the soda fountains.
This information has NOT been confirmed or even mentioned by Disney, so we are classifying it as a rumor right now. If you have any other confirmed information on the new Rapid Refill Program, please let us know! 🙂
For more information about Disney’s current Refillable Mug Program, see our Disney Refillable Mug FAQ.
Also, here is the demo video that we mention above, so that you can compare ValidFill’s machine used in the demo with the machines that have been installed in a select number of Walt Disney World Resorts.
What are your thoughts on the potential Rapid Refill Disney Refillable Mug program? Let us know in the comments below.
Michelle says
SAD 🙁 WDW is changing in so many bad ways……….
Erika says
I remember being told by a member of staff on the magical express on the way from the airpprt that u could re-use the mug next time you stay at disney as the dnt change the cups we dnt as we always get the ddp so we get a new 1 included but i can see why ppl are gettin confussed because there was a few ppl on the couch when we was all told this!!
Anna says
Are the mugs BPA-free? I hate for my family to drink out of any plastic cup that is not. I definitely would not recommend using Disney mugs from years ago that are not BPA-free. That’s just taking an unnecessary health risk. (Cutting down on soda is a good thing, too!)
GrumpyFan says
AJ, thanks for the update on this, and I have to add that I really appreciate your style of reporting and specifically stating where it’s unconfirmed and/or rumor.
Anna, the following link from 2012 specifies that the cups were then, so presumably the new ones will be as well. http://disneyworldforum.disney.go.com/questions.aspx?sort=&page=&qid=166775&pid=94&cid=148
Liz says
I won’t be buying the new mugs. I have way too many mugs at home and don’t really care for the selection of drinks offered anyways. I also don’t like that they’ve switched to the generic mugs instead of having resort specific mugs. I still have my Wilderness Lodge mugs from many years ago and love it!
Anyways, I’d rather buy drinks from Target before my trip and keep my hotel room stocked with affordable drinks that I like. As for the mug abuse, why didn’t Disney do something about that earlier? Why couldn’t a CM just go up to a person using an old mug and say “sorry, you can’t use that”? If they had nipped it in the bud earlier on it wouldn’t have become the huge issue that it is now.
GrumpyFan says
It’s a minor issue, but I foresee a few slow downs from people using them the first time since they have to actually place the mug on the base to get the machine to work. I tend to want to hold my cup while filling it, as I’m sure many others do as well. I think the biggest think about this that I don’t like, is the cost seems a bit on the high side for a 4+ day cup. However, I would expect these to be a standard part of many packages in the future, making the cost appear invisible or zero.
Emily says
First, it’s not just soda. I used mine for powerade and flavored iced tea, which was available at least at the Beach Club. When you’re going to the pool, this was a HUGE thing for me to be able to refill and only pay once. I do like Diet Soda, but for me, in the Florida Orlando heat, the powerade and iced tea were much better options for me. I’ll definitely be getting another one when we go next year!
Deb C says
Erika, Magical Express is contracted by Disney from Mears. They are not Disney Employees and wouldn’t know the rules if you asked them.
Galloping Gourmand says
@Liz I saw a person asked not to use an old cup two times in 10 trips. The first woman was using it to fill up numerous themoses and flipped out right there. “You cheap ***” etc. it was very unpleasant. The second time the person genuinely thought that it was unlimited refills for life, then demanded a refund for the mug she bought two years ago.
Enforcement is difficult, and they do everything they can to limit unpleasant moments for guests who are not involved with infractions. That often means letting thing pass.
Maureen says
Another example of a few people ruining it for everyone. We always see people bringing mugs they bought years prior, b/c we had the exact same mugs at home.
How do peple have no trouble announcing to the world “I’m CHEAP!” (not to mention a thief!)
Laura H says
I don’t mind rfid but can we get a new cup design now? Seems the current one has been around at least a few years.
Jym says
I think about all the times I’ve gotten soda and noticed halfway through there’s no syrup and just switched to another flavor. None of that with this system, you have to get an employee or lose a refill (or at least five minutes of your day).
Phylsw says
I understand why they are doing this, but it makes me feel like a prisoner, or dirty, or something. Just uncomfortable. We always buy a new one each time we come. We would use them several times for a meal, or coffee in the morning once a day, but nothing else the rest of the day. This almost makes me feel quilty for using it even though I paid for it.
Mike says
I don’t really mind the fact that they are implementing the rfid mugs, I think it is a cool piece of technology.
The think that I have a problem with is the fact that you have to buy “ANOTHER” mug every time you stay at a Disney resort and want to take advantage of this refillable mug option.
I have a family of 5 and we go to Disney probably about 5 to 6 times a year. Now add that up in mugs and I would have at least 25 to 30 mugs at my house every year.
I don’t need nor do I want that many mugs at my house, so what do we do, we end up throwing them away. WHAT A WASTE!!!
Why don’t they make it so you buy one mug with the rfid chip in it, make it so you have it active for your hotel stay and it deactivates at the end, and then “Here is the kicker” you can bring back that same mug and pay for the rfid chip to be reactivated again during your new stay?
That way there is no extra waste of all the mugs that everyone would need to buy every time they stayed at a resort and took advantage of this program? I mean Disney is always boasting of becoming more “GREEN”, I don’t think this current system setup is following that process if a new mug has to be purchased every time you stay there.
Please let me know your thoughts about this.
Dina says
I think this is a GREAT IDEA and we will use the mugs everyday at the Resorts. We are staying for 9 days and will be dining at several different Resorts. PLUS, you can bring the mugs home and use them for years to come – AT HOME. I’m still using mugs from the 90’s, 2000, 2002 and 2008 for my morning coffee !!! MY FAMILY LOVES THEM !!! Thank You Disney for another daily reminder of the Happiest Place on Earth !!!
Jennifer says
We were at All Star Sports a few years ago when they were testing out a new drink dispenser. I’m not certain it’s the same dispenser/system as this. But it was very problematic! It didn’t always work properly, and it seemed to control the number of refills you were allowed to get in a certain period of time and once you reached that limit, you couldn’t dispense any more soda.
Please understand, I’m not saying for sure this is the same system, or that the system has the same problems. Just sharing my experiences, and maybe the folks here at Disney Food Blog have info on if this new system will also monitor/limit the amount of soda dispensed.
Thanks for the opportunity to share, and I hope you’re all having a great day!
Jennifer says
THIS IS SUCH CRAP!!! I appreciate the heads up of this supposed rumor, and I can understand the reasoning behind it, but this is so crazy. Just another way to get a lot more money out of guests! I can see buying a refillable mug and paying for a new barcode for a desired length each time, but to have to buy a new mug each and every time you visit Disney is a load of crap and very wasteful!!! What about the families that visit Disney multiple times a year??? Are they seriously going to have to buy mugs for each family member each time they go? There are going to have mugs coming out of every orifice at home! They will have to throw some away, which will be unnecessary plastic in our landfills. If Disney is going to pursue this program, then fine; however, let families have the option to buy the mug ONCE and use it for multiple trips, but then pay for a new activation code every time. This is will a less wasteful option!
Alivia says
I like this system. I think that eventually they will have these machines in all of the resorts and theme parks. Which is cool with me. 🙂 I do think that they should come out with some 1 ltr plastic cups w/lids for people to buy as an option as well. There are people above who make an excellent point about having to buy new mugs for each trip each year. At some of the theme parks in So. Cal. you can pay almost $15 for one of these types of cups and use it all day w/unlimited refills and all they do is give you a wrist band to show that you bought the cup that day. Then you can bring it back and purchase another wrist band during that same year for less and get the same benefits. Or you can get ice water in them at anytime for free. 🙂 I have 10 or so of these types of cups from all different types of parks out here including 2 from Disneyland. But they don’t all have the wrist band system in place. Would be nice though.
melissa says
I have heard a roumer, just a roumer, that eventuly you will be able to use these in the parks as well. That would be nice. People that are upset and talking about HAVING to buy a mug every time, well, no one is forced to buy them. So just do not buy them. You can always bring your own drinks to the room and use those instead of going down to the caffateria. Thats what we did until they started including them in the dining plans. The first year we ever went, we were pretty broke but my daughter had been badly sick over Christmas the year before so I wanted to do something great the next Christmas. We stayed at one of the values, had our tickets, brought our own drinks. Along with snacks and something for lunches. We ate at a cs once and ate at a ts once, (charactor breakfast) and that was pretty much it. And we went for not a lot of money.
On another kind of funny note, I have suddenly started seeing a lot of old Disney mugs start showing up on ebay.
James says
Does anyone know if the coffee and tea is included in this I don’t drink soda water
Marcia says
Too sad. Disney keeps giving and taking away. Years back we bought the resort mugs and were told they were good forever. We have used them over the years, with no problem but also bought mugs recent yrs because we just lked them. I can only hope they will allow just water to everyone free.
Frankie says
I would rather they do like Universal, buy the mug and pay a small fee for refills and the mugs are good Forever! We will not buy a mug for $20 a person!
Peter says
I honestly don’t see what the issue is here. All Disney are asking you to do is pay for the soda/other drinks that you CHOOSE to consume over your vacation and not abuse the facility by re-using mugs. I agree it is a little expensive especially if you are there for only a couple of days, but that is what the local supermarkets are for. I am staying on property in November for 21 nights and am going to pay less than $1 per person per day for drinks in the hotel. Coming from the UK where soda is generally much more expensive, (Coca Cola when it is not on offer is generally £1.99/$3 per 2 liter bottle.) Buying mugs at the hotel is a no brainer! Even if my stay was 14, or even 7 nights, I don’t think the cost is unreasonable.
If I was at a theme park in the UK, a fountain soft drink would be about £3/$4.50 for one. No refills, no nothing! Unfortunately, as with any business, Disney has to find ways to become more profitable and they are going to squeeze their main source of income. As long as prices remain reasonable, I will carry on coming.
Erika says
Deb c i didnt no that thanx 🙂 no 1 asked him he was just tellin every 1 things about disney and said that!! I think its rite wat there doing with haveing to pay for the drinks because its only the same as goin to the parks u dnt expect them free there!! i just think its a bit much haveing to buy a new mug everytime u go they sould just charge to reactivate the mugs!!
Alivia says
Peter, Wow! Lucky ducky! 21 days! I’m so green with envy! The soda here in Southern California is the same price. And drinking water throughout the day in a place like hot & humid Florida is always a good idea too. We’re planning a 9 day trip and we’re all going to be using our mugs probably twice a day and try to drink some ice water during our park touring, seems like a new concept for some people. 😀 I still think that they should find a way to reactivate your mugs for different visits though, I’ve heard they have had the same designs for a long time and people don’t want a bunch of the same stuff at home, a few should suffice.
Peter says
Alivia, thank you 🙂 I agree I am very lucky to be doing 21 nights. Drinking ice water never really occurred to me. Normally I’m a sugar addict when I “return home,” I probably have 7-8 mugs of soda per day! I agree being able to re activate mugs is a good idea, maybe knock a few dollars off to cover the cost of the mug itself.
Michael says
I was at Disney and was told that you will not need to purchase a new mug each time you visit but you will need to have the mug with the RFID chip “recharged” to work. I like the technology and think it is smart. It also makes it fair for those of us who bought mugs each time. The mugs are included in the dining plan. I wonder if you will get a discount if you bring back your mug on a future visit.
Janice says
I’m heading to Disney in 15 days, I hope Pop Century doesn’t have the new soda machines, I’m planning on bringing my cup from last year. Since they changed the date of the free dining this year not to include the last week in August, I won’t be getting a new cup this year. 😉
ann says
What is the meaning of “Rapid Fill”? I don’t understand unless it is a reference to Disney’s wallet.
Al says
Several years ago, the mugs were sold as unlimited refills forever. This policy changed about 5 years ago, when the mugs were suddenly for length of stay. Those talking about “cheap” people that bring their mugs back and “steal” are uninformed. These mugs were advertised and sold as forever when staying at the Disney resort where purchased.
My issue, which may or may not actually happen, is that we often stay at multiple resorts through DVC. For instance, last year we stayed at Wilderness Lodge, then moved to Bay Lake Tower, then moved to Animal Kingdom Lodge. We purchased the Dining Plan for the stays at Wilderness Lodge and Bay lake, as I certainly can’t afford $300+/day for an 8-day stay. (Even better…my “family” is mom, dad & 5 kids.)
We ended up with 14 cups, and if I’m not mistaken, it appears that if we do that again next year, we will have 7 cups for 1 stay, 7 cups at the 2nd resort, and then be forced to buy more cups for our last resort since the chips will expire when the DDP ends after the 2nd resort. (This year we’re staying at AKL for the whole trip)
Jym says
Al, I would hazard to guarantee that if you speak to guest services during your multiple resort vacation, they will fix it so mugs won’t be a problem.
Deb C says
Al, the program did not give free refills for life until about five years ago. When I bought my first mugs in 1997 at the Polynesian there was a sign over the mugs with the same message that was added to the mugs about five years ago. Disney felt no one was reading the signs over the mugs and on the refill stations so they added the text to the mugs at that time. I think the program has always been the mug is good for the length of stay at your resort only. But CMs have always told guests (as well as the occasional ME bus driver) that you can bring them back on subsequent trips.
Even when people wrote to Disney about the program they were told it was not for lifetime refills. That wouldn’t make any sense at all. Disney doesn’t give away stuff for free.
And if you bring up the idea that Disney gets the soda for free, that’s not true. Disney pays for the syrup, they pay for the machines, they pay for the ice and water and CO2, they pay for the staff to maintain and manage the machines. Nothing free here.
Georgiana says
I am currently staying at the Caribbean Beach Resorts and they just started this program here today. A cast member was telling us all the details. We started our visit over at Pop Century and bought our mugs there so ours are without the technology. It looks like maybe they will be phasing the actual technology in because you can’t change it over night with guests like us who bought mugs days earlier. The CM confided that he didn’t think the system was fair since they just sprang it on people. He thinks people will be unhappy. It sounds like an awkward program with the whole ten minute wait between fill ups, etc. Who hasn’t went to a machine that was out of syrup?
Emily C says
Obviously different people were told different stories. I don’t think it’s right to call people cheap and certainly not thieves if they were told different stories. When we stayed at Coronado Springs, we said we weren’t interested in the mugs since we don’t drink that much soda. The CM asked if we were sure since they were good every time we visited that resort. It’s not a case of Disney giving away anything for free. It’s yet another incentive to stay at a Disney resort which is obviously gone now.
Emily C says
More on my incentive comment…Disney provides transportation and free parking for Disney resort guests. They aren’t giving anything away. They are using those things as a way to say, please stay with us. That was what we figured the mugs were for. Stay with us and get free refills.
Tonya says
I think it’s about time. I can’t understand why anyone would believe buying that one mug years and years ago would still allow them to refill it with soda during their 2013 trip… It’s Stealing. I could never feel good about bringing my old mugs to disneyworld and using them again. As for the individuals complaining about the multiple trips to WDW and all the mugs they’ll get, you’re really sounding like spoiled little children. You are fortunate to visit more than once, buying a mug is nothing catastrophic compared to everything else going on in the world outside of Disney. Try bringing/sending drinks on vacation. Depending on your group size, it may be less expensive and probably more spill proof. Way to go Disney. 🙂
Beth Carbonaro says
I like the cups with the pretty pink tops!
Kevin says
We just stayed there last week and are so angry that this was put in place. We live in FL go there all the time and this was a perk for us to do so. We also bought the lifetime mugs and now they are useless. The ill will from this should make Disney think. We all know the actual cost of a soda is about .10.
Dana says
The mugs are currently in use at POP Century. I don’t mind the RFID chip activated refills, but they do now limit how many you can refill within a time frame.
Lynn says
I think the people that are for this new “technology” and like to constantly bash people for what they consider “stealing” by reusing a cup they bought years ago are the people that DON’T LIVE IN FLORIDA and go like maybe once a lifetime!!!
When you live in Florida and are at Disney WAY MORE in one year than you will ever be in a lifetime; then yes we reuse our cups! We are constantly being exposed to annual ticket/pass increases, hotel stays that are becoming unaffordable; staff that is more and more becoming “less magical” – so yes, we Florida residents and passholders are tired of being nickel and dimed to death because we bring a lot of business to Disney. But we love going to Disney, so please stop putting us down and calling us thieves when we spend way more than most people do.
melissa says
We havd gond to wdw once a year, sometimes twice, since 2005. We buy new mugs every time It has turned into a collection, which we are fine with. Yes things have gone uo but they have gond up in evrrything, From gas to food. gain, the mugs are not a required purchase. And reusing them IS stealing no matter what reasons you use to try to justify. It’s still a better deal than purchasing drinks every time. If an eighteen dollar mug breaks someone that much then they may be they should rethink spending over 1000, at least, most of the time between 2 to 3000.00 an a vacation trip tbat is a treat, not a necessaty.
Livc1981 says
@Lynn, if you love Disney then why would you enjoy a product that cost them money without paying for it? No one is saying not to reuse the old mugs. There’s always ice water. Which in that climate is good to consume. Disney does not bill it’s native Floridians just for being close in proximity, we all go there as a personal choice. If you don’t feel that you can afford to pay the prices but still want to use your mugs, why don’t you bring your own soda’s, or whatever to add and get ice & water there? As I understand it they allow you to do that. There are always ways you can save money and still enjoy the environment without compromising your morals. Sometimes you just gotta think outside the box.
Others who refuse to pay for a cup and feel they are entitled to free drinks on someone else’s profits are the reasons that the prices go up. And the reason that this system had to be created in the first place. Either they come up with a system to protect the parks from losing money or they fire people because they can’t afford to pay the same and slowly go into ruin. None of us want that. We <3 the parks! So if we don't want inflation to happen we all have to do our part.
I live in So. Cal. and enjoy Disneyland & other amusement parks often, but we have to consider the costs before we go and do what we can to keep it in our budget. Disneyland & other parks out here do not allow you to bring consumables into the parks. We must buy on property every time or go elsewhere.
Danny Baker says
Come on man. There are a lot of really nasty comments on here over Disney cups and soda. We currently are at the Disney Animal kingdom Lodge and the new cups and machine. The facts are correct from above with the cost of 17.99 for a cup and unlimited refills for the week. I don’t agree with the price so we simply don’t buy the cup, we bought three two liter sodas from wal mart for $1 each. Coffee was a little higher because we bought Starbucks. Yes we have the old cups and have used them in the past with our own drinks.
TJ says
We are locals. We love to eat in the food courts at the resorts. The food is excellent and priced fairly. We would like to see a program similar to SeaWorld with mugs and drinks. The mugs at SeaWorld are much larger and half the price. When you get a refill, they charge a nomimal fee (less than $1). The set up at Disney is outrageous.
Lisa says
We too have always purchased the refillable mugs on our Disney trips. We never tried to bring the mugs back on the next trip, for several reasons but the main reason being that they changed the mugs every year. We knew they were good for the length of the trip. We just got back from Port Orleans Riverside and they have the new rapid fill. I was surprised by the new system but bought the mug anyway for 3 days. First mistake, we bought the mug at 10PM not realizing the day ends at midnight and the food court closed at 11. The lines were a mile long at the refilling stations with people confused on how to use the machines. I decided sine the line was so long I would fill my mug drink some and then “fill it” again. Nope it won’t let you do that. Come back in 2 1/2 minutes. What? I just paid for a mug with unlimited refills, no wonder why the lines were long. People were hanging around the machines. My son had a paper cup, that said come back in 6 minutes and the cup expires in 2 hours. Disney has changed and makes their “guests” feel like criminals, Fingerprinting you, putting microchips in your cups what next?
Georgiana says
I have been thinking about this mug issue since our trip in August when a cast member was telling us about it. His opinion was that people were not gong to like it. I happen to agree that the whole system implies that people who come to Disney and stay at the resorts are potential thieves. The microchip is a method of controlling their thieving behavior. It is what is implied by the mug that is a problem for me. I can also see the huge problem of a person buying a mug close to midnight and not getting much value out of it. My family is not one of those who hangs on to the mugs and we have no problem purchasing new ones for a new trip, but as a sociologist, I see beyond the issue of Disney trying to stop shrinkage at the food court beverage machines. Will this effect my purchasing the mugs? I am afraid so. It’s like the difference between shopping in a clothing store where they trust me to try on clothes and not steal them and the shopping in a store where I have to carry a number showing how many dresses I took into the dressing room so they can compare that to what I bring out. Again, implying that I am a potential thief is the issue. No one goes to Disney to be assaulted by the negative aspects of life. We go to escape. I pay to take my family someone place away from everyday life. Yes, shrinkage is a problem for all businesses, but handling it in a way that leaves a negative impression on your customers’ perception of your business is not the way to go, and especially when what you are selling is a fantasy world of dreams.
melissa creel says
May be if the people in the past had not of stolen, bringing not only old Disney mugs back, but Walmart purchased mugs, and large pitchers or empty 3 liter bottles and stood at the machine and filled those items, they would not have resorted to this. I do not mind the extra controls, I do not mind the numbers at the department stores on how many items I am taking in. I know I am not steeling but some people do and that is the price it costs everyone when there are a few people that break the rules. I think my son puts it pretty well, he said when we get unlimited refiles at McDonald’s or other restaurants, we do not expect to bring the cup back at any time, no matter how much time has past (month’s and years) and still be able to fill them up. It seems that only Disney is expected to do something so ridiculous. And yes, you do not spend as much as a restaurant as Disney should look the other way while drinks are being stolen. Ans some say, it’s just soda, but it’s the cost of keeping the machine running, people to keep the machines working, cleaning the machine, etc. There are a good bit of costs involved in the soda machines besides the soda itself.
Georgiana says
Due to a sharing of interests, my family became friends with a local manager at McDonalds. He has shared many behind he scene issues from the fast food restaurant including the fact that some people do return on subsequent visits with their cups. The paper cups are less sturdy, but at least in our area you can purchase a large drink in a plastic cup that is fairly durable over the short term. It is a problem, but not one that is considered serious enough to take action over. They could put the refill machines back behind the counters, but that would add to the cost of labor. Fortunately most customers are not going to haul around those cups once they have finished their meals. Also, the refill machines are often not in full view of employees and some people can and do fill items besides purchased cups. It is not much different than the Disney issue. The big difference seems to be that Disney is a marketing position to be able to ask customers to pay for the technology to help control the behavior of customers who are disinclined to follow the rules. And make no mistake about it, consumers are paying the cost for others behavior with this system. We all have our own beliefs, values and expectations. We all see the world through our own set of lenses. There will be people who will not see this as an implication that they are potential thieves. There are also others like me who are honest people, but offended by what the system implies. I think Disney is walking a fine line here as all businesses do when they address the issue of shrinkage.
Lisa says
The reason why Disney gives you free transportation from the airport is brilliant. They don’t want you to rent a car , the don’t want you to go the grocery store and buy cans of soda to keep in the frig. They don’t want you to be able to eat off property. They have thought of everything….. Next time I go I won’t bother with the mug. I will see if they will give me a cup for water, but they probably won’t.
Dina says
@ Lisa – Disney does not force anyone to stay in a Disney Resort – you make the choice to make the reservations (you can stay off Property), you make the choice to get on the bus (you can rent a car), and you make the choice to go to Disney. Disney does not manipulate you to go there – you have every right to go to the grocery store or any other restaurant in the entire United States – if Disney is so horrible and won’t give you a cup of water, than go some place else.