Dollywood QR Code Drink Cups

Can't believe this flew under everyone's radar.

https://www.youtube.com/sho...Ihh_KrdgN8

https://www.tiktok.com/@the...4923859213

I dunno. Dollywood sort of has that "do no wrong" Holiday World kind of reputation. This is pretty corporate and ugly.

Can we start hating Dolly yet?

Seems like a good idea. What could go wrong?

Sea World Orlando has these, Universal has a one time scan on most fountains, it’s not like it’s rare. I bet it comes to SF soon too.

Kennywood has done this for years. This way you don't have to wait in line if you just want a refill.

I don't get what's weird about it.

In this case I am not understanding how the drinks are sold. I am used to buying a cup, either small or large, and then you fill it up. This seems like they are selling drinks by the ounce, which would allow me to buy 40 oz of drink and then use those ounces at any drink stand?

If they are selling drinks by the ounce then I do not see how this is corporate greed. You get what you bought. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

See? I'm so far out of the loop. I had no idea.

Everyone is doing product limits and ****?

Like, the idea that the cup limits you to 16oz of drink at a sit-down refill station is f'n nuts to me. And then the weird time limit thing on top of that.

I get that it's just a hard "no refills' rule. But the presentation...

I suppose it does make sense for the souvenir cups.

And I suppose limiting the 'regular' cup sells souvenir cups, but man. The machine saying, "Dude, you're cut off" is an ugly look. Such a up-front reminder of your hard 16oz sugar water limit...in a sit-down...with a self-serve machine.

Big side eye.

Is this like smugly walking past stand-by with FOL access for a ride? Like my souvenir cup looks down on Joe Sixpack and his hilarious, "No more, pal!" message as I smugly completely fill my drink every 10 minutes (but still with the weird time limit on the machine).

I dunno.

I'd assume that the time limit to fill your drink is so that when you walk away, someone else can't piggyback it and get their own.

That makes sense.

Why wouldn't it just pour until you stop or the limit is reached? Then your 'turn' is over.

(But Gonch, my kid mixes drinks or is stupid and can't consistently hold down a lever or what if you slip?)

Exactly.

It's a lot of silliness and systems put in place to just avoid paying someone to stand behind the counter and fill drink cups all day.

Is park feedback on this positive? Do you know? If you did could you say? It probably is. People are the worst.

Again, I haven't stepped foot in a park since the pandemic year, but this only seems like an improvement to someone with unlimited refills who otherwise would be standing in long lines for refills. Because in every other scenario (including no/short wait served refills), this seems like a worse option...

...for the guest.

For the park? Guests serve themselves and we can limit their take. Win/win.

Is this popping up other places?

Holy crap! Do I just exist outside of the world where corporate restaurants use scannable codes to limit your intake and enforce efficient serving turns? Is this gonna show up at McDonald's now? Am I AI? Are you guys?

I might just be getting old.