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.

Source: Orlando Parks News, WDW Magic