Disney Relaxes Rules For Resort Beverage Refill Stations

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disney refill mug

Left Image Credit: ITM / Right Image Credit: Angelica V.

Some Guests are reporting that select Walt Disney World Resort hotels have reopened the refill stations for Guests to utilize. Now, according to the Disney World website, it seems that Disney has relaxed the rules for self-serve beverage stations and Guests can once again take advantage of this amenity at select locations.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, when Disney World reopened the Disney Resort hotels to Guests in summer 2020, the beverage refill stations at the resorts’ quick-service dining locations were blocked off and Cast Members would instead retrieve drinks for Guests.

Now, Disney World is taking another step “back to normal” operations as reports are coming in that both Art of Animation and All-Star Movies have reopened their refill stations and Guests can get their own drinks once again.

disney refillable mug
Credit: ITM

In case you aren’t familiar, the Disney Refillable Mug Program, also known as Rapid Fill, has been around for quite some time now and it allows Disney Guests who purchase a refillable mug to get unlimited, free refills on fountain drinks, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate from the self-service beverage locations at Walt Disney World Resorts (for the length of their stay).

As mentioned earlier, when Disney World reopened the Disney Resort hotels to Guests last summer, the beverage refill stations at the Resort hotels were blocked off and Cast Members would help refill Guests’ drinks. Now, Disney is making changes to the self-serve refill stations as the official Disney World website now reads:

Self-Serve Changes: Some self-serve beverage stations—which allow for Guests to fill and refill their own beverages—are available at select quick-service restaurants located in Walt Disney World theme parks and Disney Resort hotels. Locations may vary.

Facebook user Angelica V. shared the following photos with Inside the Magic showing that the refill station at Art of Animation is now reopened to Guests.

refill station
Credit: Angelica V.
refill station
Credit: Angelica V.

Another Guest, who is a member of a Streaming the Magic Facebook Group, shared that Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort is also allowing Guests to refill their own drinks. Inside the Magic will continue to update you as we get information regarding which Resort hotels are reopening refill stations.

Joffrey's Coffee and Tea Co.
Credit: Disney

For me, personally, I am happy to see the refill stations back open to Guests. From my own experiences, I have noticed that when the refill stations were run by Cast Members, the lines would build up relatively quickly. This is more than likely because, at least at Pop Century, there was only one refill station open for soft drinks and one open for coffee and tea, with each station only having one or two Cast Members.

However, before the pandemic, when refill stations were open to Guests for self-serve, there were multiple different stations where Guests could spread out and get drinks at the same time.

So with Disney taking this step towards normalcy, I suspect the lines to not be as long, especially in the morning when Guests are looking for their morning coffee or refreshing orange juice.

disney food court
Credit: Disney

Are you happy to see the refill stations back open to Guests? Let us know in the comments below.

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