I am requoting myself. (see above) Quadstriker is right. If people did not feel cheated, there would be no need to cheat.
Also, with all these changes, any chance I could possibly get a Dr. Pepper? ;)
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I agree with you that a deal is a deal, but let me ask you this. Have you personally checked with Disney and verified that they will not make allowances for the lifetime mugs? If so, then you have a legitimate complaint. However, I think it would be doable for them to make allowances for someone like yourself that has a lifetime mug to still be able to use it or something similar on future trips. I'm not sure how, I'm no technology expert, but I'm truly curious if they've told you specifically that if you brought that lifetime mug back that they would not honor it in some way, form, or fashion.
I don't buy that at all, that all, or most, or even a decent percentage of the people using old mugs were using the "good forever" kind. Let's be honest here, it's been almost twenty years since the lifetime mugs went away. I find it very hard to believe that very many people are still bringing them back for their free refills. That doesn't change the fact that those that are should have an allowance of some sort made to them, but I've personally seen a lot of mugs I know for a fact are not the lifetime type being reused (such as a design or two ago, after the lifetime guarantee).
I cannot speak for others, I can only speak for myself, but in 2002 I was told the mug I purchased at Caribbean Beach Food Court was good fro my length of stay that trip and future trips... yes, as late as 2002... I still have that mug... So, if the mug policy was stopped 20 years ago (around 1993), then the CM was wrong for telling me 10 years later my 2002 mug was good for future trips..
I cannot state I know for a fact the "lifetime" mug ended 20 years ago since 1) I don't know that to be true, and 2) in 2002 I was told differently... So, if others were told the same thing I was (BTW I asked, they did not volunteer the information), then anyone returning in the future was not abusing the system... They were only doing what they were told was okay, using mugs bought on one trip during future trips...
What I do not buy is the fact that there was major wide spread abuse of the system... I'm not saying there wasn't abuse... I just don't believe the abuse by Disney mug owning people was as bad as people here make it sound... I do believe there were more people abusing it who never once purchased one of the mugs, instead using water bottles or their own cups... And yes, Disney CMs should have been allowed to stop any guest who abused the system in such a way... too bad management never let CMs actually stop guests from doing wrong for fear of losing a customer... Instead, a bean counter finds a way to pad the bottom line, management loves it since it benefits them and not the guest, and now punishes any loyal Disney guest (i.e. those who purchased mugs as required) by making them buy one again...
This is WDW in 2013... Remove guests benefits and perks and park offerings (entertainment, rides, dining), raise prices, and make sure to always increase that bottom line...
Now that is very interesting. I remember in 2001 being told by a CM that our mug was only good for length of stay. So one of us was definitely given wrong information, that is for sure. I don't remember what we were told in 1997 (our first visit as a family), so I was guesstimating the lifetime ending certainly around then, which would put it at close to 20 years ago, 16 or 17 to be exact, so rounded off. We also have one of the mugs from 2001, but it's so faded and worn that I couldn't tell if there was writing on it about length of stay or not, so I can just report what we were told, same as you.
I absolutely agree with the second part of the quote above...CM's definitely should have been able to stop abuse right then and there, and it's a shame management wouldn't take the lead and/or back them up.
I still use our WL mugs when we stay there. The original mugs were much better and came in 2 sizes. The big one holds about 20 oz and was made by thermos, the smaller one was about 8oz coffee style. I use them at home and they're still in great shape.
Now, you may see me at others resorts with my big mug but rest assured I'm not using it at the refill stations. In the morning I make my own coffee in the villa and afternoons by the pool it's probably an adult beverage. :marg::beer:
As far as the ending date for the lifetime mugs it was implemented on a resort by resort basis as they ran out of their supply and the new supply was introduced with the length of stay printing. This seems to have taken place starting late 2000 through 2002. This was addressed way back when right here on INTERCOT.
It just goes to show how the waters get muddied when they don't enforce their own rules, to the point where CMs don't even know the rules!
I was under the impression that under the old system, when mugs were resort-specific, that they were refillable for life at that resort only. When they started changing over to the generic mugs, it became length of stay (although even this was unclear. I had a CM tell me once we could bring it back until the design changed).
With all of this conflicting info it's very possible many of the so-called 'abusers' thought they were in the right. Now, refilling a child's sippy cup or a mug from home is a big :nono: in my opinion, but I've never witnessed that myself. I've only read about it here (although I believe it happens). Even so, again what this boils down to in my opinion is pinching pennies.
Thanks for the clarification Lyn. Apparently both DizneyFreak2002 and I may very well have been told the correct thing by two differenct CM's as we were at two different resorts at two different times. Oy, no wonder people could be confused!
Bottom line though, I still stand by my original statement that most people have not been using lifetime mugs, certainly not within the last few years or so. I'm sure a fair amount could have been confused and thinking they were, ala Maryanne above, but I'm still of the opinion that the vast majority were just using previous, non-lifetime mugs because they could.
I also stand by Stu29573, and Lyn, and anyone else that truly has a usable lifetime mug that Disney should make an allowance of some sort for these people and offer a viable solution.
Not all older Disney mugs are "forever" mugs- many of them are "length of stay" Disney mugs. I have a POR mug from 2006 that say "good for the length of your stay" on the side near the handle. Therefore, I use it as the souvenir that it was intended to be and use it for my morning coffee. But that's at least 6 years (not sure how many years previous that was instituted) worth of length of stay mugs that are potentially being reused.
From a pure academic standpoint, I'd be interested to see a breakdown on Disney mugs and the percentage of forever vs length of stay - I'm betting the forever mugs are not the majority of mugs still in circulation. I'm guessing the true level of beverage abuse is higher than you think it is, but lower than Disney says it is.
The RFID system had to cost Disney a fair chunk of change- which also cuts into their profit. Someone was able to convince TPTB that the cost of installing RFID and redesigning the mugs was less than what they were "losing" through mug abuse, and I seriously doubt that the $$ "lost" through true forever mugs is that significant.
It's not the taking of the beverages that is costing Disney, it's the not selling a new mug that is. This new system will definitely be a Cha-Ching for profit!
So what you're saying is that Disney is trying to make a profit? :jaw:
So you're saying that Disney is so hard up that they need to gouge "guests" on an item that they can get for free at the local Arby's? If refills are going to sink a corporation, you need to dump that stock NOW. Disney used to actually consider customers "guests." Now "mark" would probably be a better term....:(
Do you mean that "free" soda that Arby's charges you $1.50+ for and lets you get refills on if you happen to be dining in? If $18 is for a souvenir mug and at least four days of beverages is being "gouged" then just don't buy it. This "mark" is just not as worried about it as some. :cool:
Not being worried about it doesn't make it right. I can choose to turn a blind eye too, but I'm afraid that the pixie dust is wearing a bit thin at WDW...or it is costing a bit much. I was always Disney's biggest defender, but after our last "less than magical" trip, I'm seeing that the Mouse has no clothes... or problem with nickel and diming "marks" to death. Disney may not owe me anything, but in that same vein, I dont owe them blind adoration either. Feel free to do as you wish, of course....
I can agree with this point, although, on our first stay in Sept. 2003, we got the Caribbean Beach mugs and they actually had notation on them - vertically along the handle - that they were Length Of Stay only. These were Resort Specific mugs. (My ex gave them away after we got home!! :mad: )
My Carribean Beach mug (that I realized I got in 1995, not 1991) doesn't say anything about "length of stay" or "resort specific." That was actually the big selling point at the time; you could use it forever and at any resort... Guess I missed that "not really" at the bottom of the sign...
My Caribbean Beach much from 2002 (yes I still have it, call me a hoarder LOL), is not resort specific and does not have any notation on the the mug at all... Must be a lifetime mug...
However, my Pop Century mug from 2006/2008 time frame is resort specific and does state the mug is only good for length of stay... Since yours has the writing and is resort specific, 2003 must have been when they started length of stay only... Gee, I have one of the last lifetime mugs... Wonder what the rubes would pay me for it on eBay??? :)
Personally I don't have a problem with the refillable mug, we actually enjoy it. Since our last four (4) trips have been under the FREE DINING Program, OUR mugs were also Free. I will add that it doesn't stop here, recently at the Hospital Food Court in one of larger cities I witnessed the cashier chase down a nicely dressed lady only to ask if she just got a refill on her drink? When she said yes, the cashier told her it would be .27 cents. No refillable mugs here in NC.
I'll be glad to use mine in October!:cool:
I think the biggest bone of contention about the new system is not the cost but how overly complicated it sounds like it will be. At least that's what the issue is for me. :shrug:
BTW, we bought some of those old "free refills for life" mugs many years ago and never brought them back on subsequent trips to WDW. It was always fun to buy a new resort-specific mug each trip, especially when staying at a new resort! But they did away with that incentive a several years ago when they started selling the same generic mugs at all the resorts. Boring.
You and many other people who have bought the life time mugs never brought them back on future visits which is why I say it isn't a big issue as people on here are making it sound... This is simply management looking to squeeze more money from your pocket... Today's Disney is not about providing more toward the guest experience... Today's Disney is all about bottom lines, increased profits, higher stock prices while offering less to the guests and making things ever so complicated, just as long as the bottom line benefits... Sad thing is, people defend them... And we wonder why TDO treats guests like rubes? Most are...