New Refillable Mug Program

[Quadstriker]

There's about 600 jokes I want to make calling this a conversion from XMug360 to XMugOne.

I wonder what UniversalStation's response will be!



If they extended this so that you could use your mug to get refills and drinks in the parks, I'd be all in favor. I know they won't though. So it's junk.

[MargaretMessler]

Out of curiousity, will the refillable mug still be included free with the free dining plan in September? And will it be length of stay? As we are getting the DDP for free, I won't raise hell if it isn't, but it was a nice perk to have.

[big blue and hairy]

Out of curiousity, will the refillable mug still be included free with the free dining plan in September? And will it be length of stay? As we are getting the DDP for free, I won't raise hell if it isn't, but it was a nice perk to have.

Well, sort of free...you're not getting any kind of discount on the hotel room. That mostly makes up for it.

[Tekneek]

Out of curiousity, will the refillable mug still be included free with the free dining plan in September? And will it be length of stay? As we are getting the DDP for free, I won't raise hell if it isn't, but it was a nice perk to have.

Given that this would already be part of your reservation, I cannot really see how they get out from under it for existing bookings. Those who were waiting to book, though, may get a surprise.

Aside from the absurdity of the pricing, this also represents another slashing of the "value" from the dining plan program. The refillable mug meant much more in the QSDP than it does in the higher ones, so taking it from there just about kills QSDP as an add-on. The only time it might ever make sense is when it is "free."

Perhaps the most irritating part of this is the idea that they will time-ration the refilling of the mug. That is an interesting twist on unlimited refills. Sure, it is unlimited, as long as you don't try to drink too fast. If this kind of thing isn't disclosed right from the start, the beverage filling stations are going to be a nightmare as people hang around waiting for their refill time to come.

[PopPhan]

I'm so confused on the logistics of this (sorry if it's been posted).

Are the machines locked somehow? That is, they won't dispense soda/milk/coffee/etc. unless you scan your mug? How does it work, then, if you purchase a CS meal that comes with a drink and they give you the paper cup?

What if I go to get Diet Coke, but it comes out weird (this happens with fountain soda) and I want to change my selection; will I be locked out?

From what I have read in the article and responses, there will be an RFID tag on the "paper" cups that will allow up to 4 fills/refills within a one hour period from first use. After the one hour has passed, the RFID is deactivated and will no longer allows refills.

Perhaps the most irritating part of this is the idea that they will time-ration the refilling of the mug. That is an interesting twist on unlimited refills. Sure, it is unlimited, as long as you don't try to drink too fast. If this kind of thing isn't disclosed right from the start, the beverage filling stations are going to be a nightmare as people hang around waiting for their refill time to come.

Maybe I have not read the information correctly, or just missed this point, but I have not seen where the mugs will be time-rationed, only the "paper" cups.

[March Hare]

please explain where you got this information

Under the new program, there will be four 20 oz refills allowed per hour.

out of this article

Yesterday, I posted a lot of the details of the new program in this thread.

? I read the whole article and could NOT find that anywhere in it

[Ian]

Oh good ... another overly complex, user unfriendly solution to a non-problem.

[Tekneek]

From what I have read in the article and responses, there will be an RFID tag on the "paper" cups that will allow up to 4 fills/refills within a one hour period from first use. After the one hour has passed, the RFID is deactivated and will no longer allows refills.

This is rather absurd. I do not personally know of any self-serve drink location, in a food court or other eatery, that places limits on the number of refills available for soda fountain drinks.

Maybe I have not read the information correctly, or just missed this point, but I have not seen where the mugs will be time-rationed, only the "paper" cups.

On this front, I am merely going off of what I have seen reported in the community in multiple places now. I do hope this isn't the case.

[disneygirlie11]

I am reposting this article...



Question 1: What is the rule if you are doing split resort stays, is the "length of stay" valid only at your stay at that specific resort, or for all of WDW property. I just don't see how they can manage proving that you have reservations at 3 different resorts, some using rented points and some paying cash. But even if it is simply 5 days at Pop and 5 days at AKL, will they let you get 10 days activated?

Question 2: I sure hope they do not intent to prohibit "same-meal" refills on paper cups, but that is exactly how I read the Q&A highlighted above.

The article states that a length of stay mug is good for 14 days after activation (with the ability to add days) so it won't matter if you switch resorts.

[Patricia]

This senario will actually save me money. I will buy the mug at 8.99. At WDW I only use it to carry my own drinks to and from the pool area. I'll use it quite a bit at home for my morning coffee in the car and will wear it out by my next trip, requiring a new one.

But, for those who only visit once or twice in a lifetime, it seems overly complicated. I'm finding it more and more and more difficult to explain WDW to first time visitors.

[SurferStitch]

This is rather absurd. I do not personally know of any self-serve drink location, in a food court or other eatery, that places limits on the number of refills available for soda fountain drinks.

Who needs more than FOUR 20oz fountain drinks during a meal anyway??? That's more than a full 2 liter bottle of soda (almost 1.5 bottles)!

That just helps cut down on the abuse of buying ONE drink for a couple or a family, and constantly refilling it (to save $$). And yes... I have seen this happen before. I've also seen people make repeated trips with their single paper cup to the machine, just to come back to their table to dump them into multiple non-Disney mugs before heading out.

It's amazing how cheap people can be. It's not frugal, it's cheap.

[Goofy4TheWorld]

The article states that a length of stay mug is good for 14 days after activation (with the ability to add days) so it won't matter if you switch resorts.

Excellent observation that I missed in the original article, that the length of stay option gives you a minimum of 14 days no matter what. When I read that sentence, I magically added "up to 14 days" when in fact it said only a straight "14 days".

So I can assume that along the I-4 corridor there will now be "Sell your Disney mugs" businesses spring up on shady street corners?

Of course Disney will then be forced to add a fingerprint reader at the fountain stations!

[Tekneek]

Who needs more than FOUR 20oz fountain drinks during a meal anyway??? That's more than a full 2 liter bottle of soda (almost 1.5 bottles)!

It's not about need. If I am concerned about "need", I suppose I'm not at WDW to begin with.

That just helps cut down on the abuse of buying ONE drink for a couple or a family, and constantly refilling it (to save $$). And yes... I have seen this happen before. I've also seen people make repeated trips with their single paper cup to the machine, just to come back to their table to dump them into multiple non-Disney mugs before heading out.

It's amazing how cheap people can be. It's not frugal, it's cheap.

I don't think abuse is the customer's problem.

I'll see how this works out when I am there. If it is setup right, I should never notice it. If I do, then they're doing something wrong and I'll complain. I'm hoping for the former.

Edited to add... They could make this a smarter system that identifies likely "cheaters" through behavioral analysis and throttles their refills instead of doing it to everyone all of the time with one single arbitrary rule. Even simple rules like: 1 minute to first refill, 2 minutes to second, and incrementing until 45 minutes or an hour have gone by would help turn away abusers with less impact on legitimate customers. Surely they can afford to do it that way, they just don't want to. I think a smarter way of doing it would solve the abuse problem without making new problems for legitimate purchasers.

[grumpy78]

Oh good ... another overly complex, user unfriendly solution to a non-problem.

There has been a huge problem over the years...have you not watched how frequently people use old mugs, one mug for a whole family and generic mugs? The abuses are endless... It is absolutely irritating to those of use who have spent tons of $$$ on these things over the years. And even more annoying is that NO ONE EVER CONFRONTS THEM!!!!!

[DizneyFreak2002]

Oh good ... another overly complex, user unfriendly solution to a non-problem.

But Ian, WDW has never been better!!! Despite the fact that they have made EVERYTHING a chore and will be making booking a WDW vacation stressful...

[DizneyFreak2002]

There has been a huge problem over the years...have you not watched how frequently people use old mugs, one mug for a whole family and generic mugs? The abuses are endless... It is absolutely irritating to those of use who have spent tons of $$$ on these things over the years. And even more annoying is that NO ONE EVER CONFRONTS THEM!!!!!

It has been Disney's policy from several years back that you can purchase the mug one time and use it on upcoming vacations... Yes, that WAS the policy... Until an MBA realized how much more they can pad the bottom line by now forcing you to buy an $18 mug on every trip...

TDO: do not fix or build new attractions, just find ways to **** more money from guests wallets cause our bonus checks need to be larger!!! Phil needs that new Escalade don't you know?

[cer]

Even more annoying than the abuse are the criminal prices Disney charges for food and beverage.

[Tekneek]

And even more annoying is that NO ONE EVER CONFRONTS THEM!!!!!

Because Disney refuses to confront the abusers, they're appearing to opt for a new system that places constraints on legitimate users. That's a poor management decision.

[Mickey'sGirl]

Because Disney refuses to confront the abusers, they're appearing to opt for a new system that places constraints on legitimate users. That's a poor management decision.

I don't think that some poor stiff working for minimum wage cleaning tables at a Resort Counter Service should have to police this kind of thing. Although it should not have to be handled at all, because stealing is wrong, even if it is just soda .... a more senior authority should be dealing with the abusers.

[Tekneek]

I don't think that some poor stiff working for minimum wage cleaning tables at a Resort Counter Service should have to police this kind of thing.

That's a management issue, not a guest problem. As a legitimate purchaser of mugs, I should never have to be concerned about illegitimate purchasers. Whatever is implemented to solve that problem should effectively be invisible to me. If it isn't, their "solution" created a new problem when I did not previously have one.

Although it should not have to be handled at all, because stealing is wrong, even if it is just soda .... a more senior authority should be dealing with the abusers.

Yes, I agree. I don't speed when I drive, but others do routinely. There will always be people trying to push the limits. Now, whose problem is that? Is it my problem, as a non-speeding driver? I don't think so.