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Monday, August 19, 2013

Disney Resort Refillable Mugs

Have you every purchased a refillable mug during a Disney resort stay to have endless coffee and sodas? And did you bring it back on you next Disney vacation to enjoy more coffee and sodas? Well not any more! Disney will soon be updating their resort drink stations to accept RFID refillable mugs. This means your mug works only as long as you pay for, no more indefinite usage. Check out this review of the new system by the Disney Food Blog. It was such a great write up we wanted to share it with our readers.

This article was written by Wendy Pugh-Hummel of the Disney Food Blog:

News and Review!: Rapid Fill Refillable Mugs for Walt Disney World Resorts Now in Use
At the time of this writing, the mugs are in use at Disney’s All-Star Music Intermission Food Court and All-Star Movies World Premiere Food Court. (Disney’s All-Star Sports End Zone Food Court is currently closed for refurbishment). They will be rolled out at the rest of the Disney World resorts shortly.
As you may recall from a previous post on Rapid Fill Refillable MugsRapid Fill allows Disney Resort guests to buy (or receive as part of the Disney Dining Plan) a Resort mug which can be refilled for a certain period of time as designated at time of purchase. These mugs are enhanced by an RFID bar codewhich enables the mug to deactivate when the designated time is complete.
Perhaps you have some questions… I know I did! So, let’s get started!

Rapid Fill Refillable Mug Frequently Asked Questions

I’m not on a Disney Dining Plan, so I’ll be purchasing my mug separately. How much do they cost?
$8.99 for 1 Day
$11.99 for 2 Days
$14.99 for 3 Days
$17.99 for Length of Stay

Rapid Fill Prices.
What do the new mugs look like?
For now, just like the previous mugs. You’ll still see Mickey and a few of his pals enjoying some poolside fun. You’ll notice a few differences, however…
Guests can now choose from orange, purple, and green lids for the mugs (previous choices included blue, black, and bright pink).

Green, purple, and orange mugs.
The Rapid Fill logo has been added to the mugs.

Rapid Fill Logo.
You may notice a tiny bit of text to the right of the handle. It reads: “Refills available at no additional charge atResort Beverage Island located in the resort that this mug was purchased through the end of your resort stay.” Plus, there is some added text beneath it: “DO NOT MICROWAVE.”

Do not microwave!
Where can I fill my Rapid Fill Mug?
The text would seem to have answered that question. However, both the price signs and one of the Cast Members I spoke with indicated that Rapid Fill mugs can be used at “any resort self-service beverage location,” as long as they are used within the designated time frame.

Rapid Fill Information.
So how does it work?
First, you’ll purchase your mug and indicate to the Cast Member how long you wish to use it. I chose a “One Day” mug, but Length of Stay mugs can be determined by your Key to the World card (which will one day be a MagicBand… but that’s another story for another day!).
I chose a green mug. I like the new bright colors!

Green Rapid Fill Mug.
Next, you’ll go to the Beverage Island where you will see the Rapid Fill machines. You’ll know they are “Rapid Fill” by the little screens above the beverages. Pay attention to these – you’ll learn why momentarily :) .

Beverage Station with Rapid Fill Screens.

Rapid Fill Screen.
Then, place your mug on the tray beneath your beverage of choice. It MUST be on the tray. Otherwise the machine will not recognize your mug.

Rapid Fill Mug on tray.
This is where those little screens start their big job. If your mug isn’t properly placed on the tray, the screen will indicate this to you.

Place cup on tray message.
Once your mug is in place, press the button for your beverage of choice!

Filling the mug.
While your mug is being filled, the screen will display the date that your mug may be refilled through.

Refill date notice.
You’ll know when your mug has reached its capacity because the screen will say “Fill Complete.” (You’ll also know this because your mug will start to overflow ;) .

Fill complete.
Wow… I’m so thirsty that I downed an entire soda in 1 minute and 43 seconds! Can I refill again RIGHT AWAY?
Not so fast! The mugs are programmed so that you cannot refill them for two minutes after reaching the mugs “Fill Complete” capacity. (At least, this is how it timed out for me. I ran a test where I filled my mug at 12:28 pm. I was not able to refill until 12:30 pm, once the allotted seconds were up.)

How much longer until my next refill?
Okay. I’ve waited my allotted time. What now?
Refill and enjoy! Cheers!
I like to mix different beverages to make one drink. Can I still switch it up?
Me, too! I like to fill my cup with three quarters Pomegranate Lemonade and one quarter Sprite. This is my own personal recipe for my Disney Mocktail (you’re welcome ;) ). Yes, you can still do that, right up until the “Fill Complete” message appears.
What if I’m just a kid and not tall enough to read all those screens?
Then you, my tiny friend, will assume your mug is broken and yell for your parent. At least, that’s what I witnessed. Several times. ;)

Choose your mug!
I don’t drink very much soda, but I enjoy one every now and then. What are my options if I choose not to purchase a Rapid Fill mug?
You can still purchase a regular paper cup. I spoke with a couple of guests who chose them, and their cups were read by the machines as well. However, the screens displayed different messages. Upon the first fill, the message read, “3 refills within 1 hour” (then “2 refills,” and so on). The cups deactivate and can’t be refilled after one hour, or after 3 refills – whichever comes first.
What about water and ice?
I brought along a water bottle that was not connected to this program. As of this writing, water and ice remains free for all cups.
Whew! So, there you have it! We’ll be keeping an eye out to see if Rapid Fill Beverage Stations become operational in more Disney World Resorts over the coming weeks.

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