No Water from Freestyle Machines

[s8film40]

Am I missing something that makes it a requirement for Universal in-particular to have water at these machines? No other parks in Florida offered water this openly. Is Universal just extra hot or something?

What your missing isn't that it's a requirement but rather something that almost all respectable businesses allow as a courtesy. Typically only extremely low class businesses actively restrict giving out water. The Burger King I occasionally stop by on Colonial near downtown Orlando that's often filled with homeless people even allows people to access the water functionality on their freestyle machine.

 

[epcyclopedia]

Starbucks in the parks will give you venti ice waters.

 

[graspthesun]

What your missing isn't that it's a requirement but rather something that almost all respectable businesses allow as a courtesy. Typically only extremely low class businesses actively restrict giving out water. The Burger King I occasionally stop by on Colonial near downtown Orlando that's often filled with homeless people even allows people to access the water functionality on their freestyle machine.

I don't know of any freestyle machines outside of Universal that have a paywall. Wendy's, Pei Wei, Five Guys, Burger King and the like all certainly don't, so they'd be unaffected by the programming problem that Universal is facing.

 

[s8film40]

I don't know of any freestyle machines outside of Universal that have a paywall. Wendy's, Pei Wei, Five Guys, Burger King and the like all certainly don't, so they'd be unaffected by the programming problem that Universal is facing.

I don't think it's a programming problem. I think we've established now that Universal is trying to block the use of the machines for free water. All the locations you mentioned will allow you to use their machines for free water. They don't bother with the paywall/chip method as it's easier to just control the cups.

 

[graspthesun]

I don't think it's a programming problem. I think we've established now that Universal is trying to block the use of the machines for free water. All the locations you mentioned will allow you to use their machines for free water. They don't bother with the paywall/chip method as it's easier to just control the cups.

Right, so because everything is accessible to everyone, they're not having issues with water. Universal isn't able to let anyone get water with the Freestyle machines right now, not even people who have paid for Freestyle access because the water option isn't tied to the paywall. It's a separately running program.

 

[s8film40]

Right, so because everything is accessible to everyone, they're not having issues with water. Universal isn't able to let anyone get water with the Freestyle machines right now, not even people who have paid for Freestyle access because the water option isn't tied to the paywall. It's a separately running program.

Yes, according to Coke Universal chose to turn off the water functionality on the machine. It's not a programming issue it's a choice they made.

 

[epcyclopedia]

But the backstage machines still have a paywall but allow water to anyone....

So it appears to be intentional.

 

[graspthesun]

Yes, according to Coke Universal chose to turn off the water functionality on the machine. It's not a programming issue it's a choice they made.

Yes, because as it's been pointed out before, they could give water to everyone or no one because Coke didn't allow the option for water to be put behind the paywall. Universal has decided that the Freestyle machines are to be used only by people who have paid for the service. The water for paying guests was collateral damage caused by Coke's programming and Universal's decision.

 

[TubaGeek]

I'm pretty sure Busch and SeaWorld provide water in their Freestyle machines. Disney (surprisingly) doesn't have any Freestyle machines.
And why does comparing parks justify taking something away that was a safe, TM-free way for guests to stay hydrated?

Obviously guests can get fountain sodas, but what I meant was that they can't get to soda fountains. Which, in retrospect is incorrect. They're just not available IN THE THEME PARKS, aside from Club Cool.
Either way: edited.

 

[s8film40]

Yes, because as it's been pointed out before, they could give water to everyone or no one because Coke didn't allow the option for water to be put behind the paywall. Universal has decided that the Freestyle machines are to be used only by people who have paid for the service. The water for paying guests was collateral damage caused by Coke's programming and Universal's decision.

Ok, I guess I missed your point. I thought you were replying to my comment about how no other business that I know of limits the access to free water.

 

[graspthesun]

Ok, I guess I missed your point. I thought you were replying to my comment about how no other business that I know of limits the access to free water.

I was saying that there's no reason for them to because everyone going to the machine would have access to soda. If the person gets water instead, then the company gets the windfall of not having any syrup used.

 

[s8film40]

Obviously guests can get fountain sodas, but what I meant was that they can't get to soda fountains. Which, in retrospect is incorrect. They're just not available IN THE THEME PARKS, aside from Club Cool.
Either way: edited.

Um, every QS IN THE THEME PARKS I can think of off the top of my head allows guest access to the soda fountains. I'm sure there are some that don't but quite a few do.

 

[s8film40]

I was saying that there's no reason for them to because everyone going to the machine would have access to soda. If the person gets water instead, then the company gets the windfall of not having any syrup used.

They typically monitor the machines and watch to see that customers aren't abusing it, but they allow non paying customers to access water. Theoretically someone could not pay at all and fill a water bottle with soda. I think they calculated the cost of chips in every cup and decided it was more than the cost of the occasional stolen soda.

 

[IzzyB]

Obviously guests can get fountain sodas, but what I meant was that they can't get to soda fountains. Which, in retrospect is incorrect. They're just not available IN THE THEME PARKS, aside from Club Cool.
Either way: edited.

This is not true. Several QS places in Disney have Soda Fountains available to guests. As I stated before the one by Star Tours is one of them. I know there are others, but I can't remember where they are.

It is not every QS place, I can name several that don't like the Cosmic one. There are way more that don't offer it than do offer it.

 

[graspthesun]

They typically monitor the machines and watch to see that customers aren't abusing it, but they allow non paying customers to access water. Theoretically someone could not pay at all and fill a water bottle with soda. I think they calculated the cost of chips in every cup and decided it was more than the cost of the occasional stolen soda.

Well, you also have a fast food establishment where the machine is visible to the cashier as opposed to a theme park where the machines are largely completely unattended. Add in the fact that fast food places use paper cups that are typically refilled once or twice and Universal sells reusable cups that are meant to be refilled endlessly and that changes the whole thing again.

 

[s8film40]

Well, you also have a fast food establishment where the machine is visible to the cashier as opposed to a theme park where the machines are largely completely unattended. Add in the fact that fast food places use paper cups that are typically refilled once or twice and Universal sells reusable cups that are meant to be refilled endlessly and that changes the whole thing again.

I agree that has nothing to do with this though. My point is they will still allow you to use the machine for free water.

 

[IzzyB]

I agree that has nothing to do with this though. My point is they will still allow you to use the machine for free water.

And if they don't have a machine, they will allow you to stand in line and get free water at the counter. Which is basically what Disney does and what Universal will be doing now. Universal will be acting as if they do not have the machines.

What does Sea World do? I am going to have to check out their machines when I go next time.

 

[TubaGeek]

This is not true. Several QS places in Disney have Soda Fountains available to guests. As I stated before the one by Star Tours is one of them. I know there are others, but I can't remember where they are.

It is not every QS place, I can name several that don't like the Cosmic one. There are way more that don't offer it than do offer it.

Well I'm happy to be wrong then, because it just goes to show how ridiculous it is for Universal to be getting rid of the quickest, cheapest way to an actual water source and not a tiny plastic cup.

 

[s8film40]

And if they don't have a machine, they will allow you to stand in line and get free water at the counter. Which is basically what Disney does and what Universal will be doing now. Universal will be acting as if they do not have the machines.

What does Sea World do? I am going to have to check out their machines when I go next time.

Almost every fast food establishment that has a Freestyle machine also has a fountain behind the counter as well. If they wanted to be really cheap they could turn off the water functionality on the machine just like Universal did and have guests who want water wait in live and hand it out in cups from behind the counter. That would be a similar scenario to what is going on at Universal. I don't know of any fast food restaurants that have stooped to this level yet. I'm disappointed that Universal has.

 

[IzzyB]

Well I'm happy to be wrong then, because it just goes to show how ridiculous it is for Universal to be getting rid of the quickest, cheapest way to an actual water source and not a tiny plastic cup.

Are their QS places in Universal that have soda fountains available to guests? I don't know any off the top of my head, but I only ever go into a handful of them as most of them are burgers and I am just not into burgers and fries at every theme park meal. Or crappy Pizza.

Almost every fast food establishment that has a Freestyle machine also has a fountain behind the counter as well. If they wanted to be really cheap they could turn off the water functionality on the machine just like Universal did and have guests who want water wait in live and hand it out in cups from behind the counter. That would be a similar scenario to what is going on at Universal. I don't know of any fast food restaurants that have stooped to this level yet. I'm disappointed that Universal has.

But fast food is a different thing. 99% of the people going to that freestyle machine have already waited in line and got a cup that is for water or have paid for a soda. This is not the case with Universal machines.