New Refillable Mug Program

[March Hare]

If you go to the OrlandoParksNews website, you can read the entire article, complete with FAQ's and details. I chose to only quote the main article as the entire thing is rather lengthy. Several outlets are now reporting this news. And the four 20 oz servings are confirmed in most articles. Not hard to find on line.

So far I have read SEVERAL articles and NONE of them say there will be a limit of four 20 oz servings just a five minute time limit between refils. As a matter of fact I have found a couple that state they will NOT be limiting you during your visit. So again PLEASE quote the passage that you found and site where it is from because I can't seem to find it anywhere.

[VWL Mom]

So far I have read SEVERAL articles and NONE of them say there will be a limit of four 20 oz servings just a five minute time limit between refils. As a matter of fact I have found a couple that state they will NOT be limiting you during your visit. So again PLEASE quote the passage that you found and site where it is from because I can't seem to find it anywhere.

It is stated in the Q&A section of the OrlandoParkNews article dated July 7 so I see it as rumor as opposed to fact for the moment. Also, he responds the plan was not the plan is,

From OrlandoParkNews:

Paper cups will have a chip and the plan was 4, 20 oz pours in 60 minutes (use it or lose it) The cups will work at the fountain stations, just like today.

[AmandaChan]

hah, wouldn't it just be cheaper to hire a CM to stand at the refill station and make sure everyone is using it the way it is supposed to be LOL! I just don't understand why it is such a huge issue. I am sure WDW is not losing $$$ because someone is taking an extra fill here and there.... I mean a mug that probably costs pennies to make is being sold for almost $20 for beverages that are made from flavored water! and even with that, they are selling $2 a beverage out of cheap styrofoam cups! I just want to tell WDW to chill out a little bit... I dono, that is just my opinion. With the price of everything going up the way it does... the more complicated everything is getting... just sucking all of the fun out of it. We don't even drink soda at all but I never had any problem purchasing the mugs before. Now that we will be drivin the next time we go... I'll just take my coffee maker, and a 6 pack

[March Hare]

It is stated in the Q&A section of the OrlandoParkNews article dated July 7 so I see it as rumor as opposed to fact for the moment. Also, he responds the plan was not the plan is,

From OrlandoParkNews:

Actually he states that it is under the new system and NEVER states that the limit is on the paper cups. Instead he responded to someone asking about limits on the refillable cups. Which this would be misinformation. The omission of words or information changes everything.

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

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

[bshaw96]

HUGE Disney addict here and will probably always go no matter what, but don't understand the surprise. If Disney can find a way to squeeze another penny from our pockets, they are gonna do it. We only get the mugs because its "free" with the DDP. But in the food court they still make us get a bottled drink or juice or whatever with our meals so for us the mugs never served a point other than another souvenir to crowd our cabinets at home.

[VWL Mom]

Actually he states that it is under the new system and NEVER states that the limit is on the paper cups. Instead he responded to someone asking about limits on the refillable cups. Which this would be misinformation. The omission of words or information changes everything.

The "he" I was referring to was the writer in the article not MalDad. MD may have seen something other than I did or he simply made an error, I don't know. However, I do know when news/rumors are released we all try to provide the most up to date information possible for discussion and sometimes we do come across misinformation in the blogs. It just happens.

[Mrs Bus Driver]

Personally I don't care about the mugs, the one time I had one I used it twice in a 5 day trip. That said I understand this from Disney's point of view. I used to work at a movie theater back in the day and my boss explained to me how they didn't make any profit off ticket sales it all went to run the place, profit was made on concessions. That is why drinks, candy and especially popcorn are so over priced. Now this doesn't mean I am giving Disney a pass on fixing rides and maintaining the parks but I do understand why they want to make their money on the drinks. Just my

[DonaldDuckUSA]

I'm not going to blow up about Disney changing another service. I just want to share some thoughts.

You know, it just baffles me how much you "need to know" for a Disney vacation. It seems like every decision requires a spreadsheet and a million variables.

Seriously, first time guests have to make a decision about the most affordable way to have a drink at the resort, weighing how often they'll be at the resort, how many refills a day they'll need, if the beverages they drink are included (is juice included? is it just soda? what about coffee?), and then balance that against the cost without the mugs. Who wants to put THAT much decision making into drinking a coke. Are we going to start tracking the average amounts of sodas we drink in a day to factor that into our pre-trip planning? I'm speaking in hyperbole here, but I just want to make the point that we're having a conversation about SODA PLANNING.

I guess if you're getting a meal plan, it's included, but I think my point still stands. EVERYTHING is about a spreadsheet. I need to hire an accountant for my Disney vacations. haha.

I get that Disney is all about "Innovations" and "technology," but that used to mean great inventions to change society like a monorails, not a chip in a cup. Does this make anyone else sad?

DBF and I almost never stay on site because we're Florida residents on a tight budget. This used to make me a little sad that we couldn't afford to stay on site, but now I'm honestly a little grateful.

[Goofy4TheWorld]

So far I have read SEVERAL articles and NONE of them say there will be a limit of four 20 oz servings just a five minute time limit between refills. As a matter of fact I have found a couple that state they will NOT be limiting you during your visit. So again PLEASE quote the passage that you found and site where it is from because I can't seem to find it anywhere.

My hunch is that the article you are reading is not within the last week, but instead from SEVERAL months ago when Disney tested a different type of drink-limiting system.

That test, conducted only at All Starts Music, did exactly as you describe, it limited all refills to once every 5 minutes, That system failed and was abandoned, but Disney has come up with drink-rationing 2.0 with the system released this week, which is using RFID tagged cups and is limiting your OUNCES instead of your MINUTES.

[GMRO]

I'm not going to blow up about Disney changing another service. I just want to share some thoughts.

You know, it just baffles me how much you "need to know" for a Disney vacation. It seems like every decision requires a spreadsheet and a million variables.

Seriously, first time guests have to make a decision about the most affordable way to have a drink at the resort, weighing how often they'll be at the resort, how many refills a day they'll need, if the beverages they drink are included (is juice included? is it just soda? what about coffee?), and then balance that against the cost without the mugs. Who wants to put THAT much decision making into drinking a coke. Are we going to start tracking the average amounts of sodas we drink in a day to factor that into our pre-trip planning? I'm speaking in hyperbole here, but I just want to make the point that we're having a conversation about SODA PLANNING.

I guess if you're getting a meal plan, it's included, but I think my point still stands. EVERYTHING is about a spreadsheet. I need to hire an accountant for my Disney vacations. haha.

I get that Disney is all about "Innovations" and "technology," but that used to mean great inventions to change society like a monorails, not a chip in a cup. Does this make anyone else sad?

DBF and I almost never stay on site because we're Florida residents on a tight budget. This used to make me a little sad that we couldn't afford to stay on site, but now I'm honestly a little grateful.

Great points!

Think of this...most of US on this board and other boards are REPEAT customers. AND we are confused constantly which is the most cost effective way to max a vacation dollar.

What about the "once-in-a-life-time" travelers? Who only get to WDW or DLR - ONCE in their entire life.

What a sour taste all this complexity or additional costs IF you don't plan right could give them.

UNREAL! Who'da thunk..."chip in a cup"...it'd come to this?

[EeyoresBestFriend]

Great points!

Think of this...most of US on this board and other boards are REPEAT customers. AND we are confused constantly which is the most cost effective way to max a vacation dollar.

What about the "once-in-a-life-time" travelers? Who only get to WDW or DLR - ONCE in their entire life.

What a sour taste all this complexity or additional costs IF you don't plan right could give them.

UNREAL! Who'da thunk..."chip in a cup"...it'd come to this?

Agreed!

I think that "once-in-a-lifetimers" are going to be so wound up trying to get on rides (because they didn't know they had to pre book FP+ before they arrived to WDW) or eat (because of they didn't realize that they had to book 180 days before they got there for a restaurant they didn't know existed) that they won't even notice that the refillable mugs are an issue!

Sorry - I couldn't resist . . .

[ChipNDale79]

Agreed!

I think that "once-in-a-lifetimers" are going to be so wound up trying to get on rides (because they didn't know they had to pre book FP+ before they arrived to WDW) or eat (because of they didn't realize that they had to book 180 days before they got there for a restaurant they didn't know existed) that they won't even notice that the refillable mugs are an issue!

Sorry - I couldn't resist . . .

Or they're going to be so annoyed with everything at WDW, that they will never become repeat guests.....

[March Hare]

My hunch is that the article you are reading is not within the last week, but instead from SEVERAL months ago when Disney tested a different type of drink-limiting system.

That test, conducted only at All Starts Music, did exactly as you describe, it limited all refills to once every 5 minutes, That system failed and was abandoned, but Disney has come up with drink-rationing 2.0 with the system released this week, which is using RFID tagged cups and is limiting your OUNCES instead of your MINUTES.

Actually the articles I read were recent starting with the one that was provided with his statement. and I still haven't found it in any article only in the comments. And that statement is from someone who claims to work for Disney World and he says it is for the paper cups. MalDad misrepresented the facts in responding to someone who was asking about the refillable mugs and/or not stating that the limit was for the paper cups.

Jeff said...
Looks like the 3rd Anonymous is one of the targets we were looking for. I'm not ashamed to say that I am a part of WDW Finance and were looking for ways to control costs.

Jeff said...
So Barbara,

Resort mugs have always been available, and right now they are 15.49. This takes it one step further and allows you to customize the mug, and tailor it to a shorter stay, for a reduced cost.

Guests on the Disney Dining Plan will continue to get this as a component, so no loss there.

This is a huge win in my mind since you can now use these mugs "legally" at other resort fountain locations.

Waterparks will also be added, where you can add on that option too.

So what's the drawback? The fact that you can no longer continue to use your mugs from a decade ago?

To be clear, the rules while not enforced, have always been clear. This mug is valid at THIS resort for the length of THIS stay. The only thing changing is that dishonest guests will no longer be using an old mug.

To answer your question Erik, paper cups will be valid for 4, 20 Oz. pours in one hour, with the hour timer beginning with your first fill up.

[Aurora]

I don't think this is going to be more confusing to guests than the refillable mug has always been. You estimate whether you're going to be at the resorts long enough and drink enough for it to be worth it to you.

If you turn out to be right, great! If you're wrong, it's not worth tearing your hair out over a couple bucks when you paid hundreds, if not thousands, for your hotel and tickets.

And no, it's not about the principle. It's about soda! (Or as we say in Chicago, pop.)

[TheVBs]

I agree with Aurora. How can this be confusing? You either buy the cup, you don't buy the cup or you get it free with your dining plan. And there's nothing confusing about walking to the drink station and filling your cup, whether there's a chip on it or not. I cannot imagine this impacting our trips at all.

[PopPhan]

I agree with Aurora. How can this be confusing? You either buy the cup, you don't buy the cup or you get it free with your dining plan. And there's nothing confusing about walking to the drink station and filling your cup, whether there's a chip on it or not. I cannot imagine this impacting our trips at all.

Unless you are wanting to use the 'paper' cups to fill something - bottles, thermoses, etc, - I don't see 4 - 20oz refills in a one hour period (from first fill) as being an issue either. Is anyone seriously going to down 80 ounces of fountain drink in 60 minutes (give or take 20 minutes LOL)?

This seems to have elicited a lot of over-reaction simply because they are 'setting limits' rather than having any logical arguments against the policy.

If I may give my take on the effects of the policy:

1) Disallow visitors from reusing old (older/prior visit) refillable mugs
2) Disallow visitor from bringing their own (non-Disney resort) refillable mugs/bottles/thermoses to refill at drink stations
3) Disallow visitors from getting one 'paper' cup at a resort Quick Service and using it for their entire stay on property - This addresses using said cup being used to fill/refill mugs/bottles/thermoses (to a point - they could, theoretically, still use their 4 - 20oz refills in that hour to fill/refill mugs/bottles/thermoses, if they so desired.)
4) Allow visitors unlimited refills of the Disney resort purchased refillable mug(s) at ANY Disney resort drink station for the length of purchase "contract"
5) Allow for shorter stay visitors to pay less for the refillable mug, thus making it (possibly) more cost effective
6) In the (near?) future, allow the visitor to refill their Disney resort purchased refillable mugs at Disney Water Parks

Other than the increase in price for the 4+ day visitor, I am at a loss to understand all the hate for this policy. "We" (yes, that's the 'royal we') like to complain about people taking advantage of things - like the self-serve beverage stations - but cry the blues when Disney does something, or at least tries to do something, about it.

[waymickey]

Wife and I share your thoughts for sure!!!

Losing the free parking...now that would upset me!

Course I was joking bout the QSDP discount. Disney give a discount??? YEAH RIGHT! BAHHAHAHAHAH

Last time I checked parking is part of your resort price, it is in the fine print somewhere. So "Free parking" was never free.

I don't have a problem per say with the new mug thing except the price is a bit high IMHO. Also on my last trip when I stayed at WL the soda machine was empty 60% of the time, it was just spitting out seltzer. Any cost of the mug really isn't worth it if the product is not available.

20 oz refills????? That cup holds 20 oz really?? time for an experiment!

[BrerGnat]

Wow, quite a large number of responses on something that seems so minor.

Technology has gotten to the point where Disney can now actively prevent people from STEALING (and yes, if you were using a mug from 15 years ago last week because some CM told you it was good "forever", you were stealing. Policy has changed.)

Even at $18 for length of stay, that is a GREAT deal. $18 works out to 7 purchased sodas. Likely, people who actually buy these mugs drink more than twice that amount over a period of a few days even. So, it's a discount over posted drink prices AND you get a souvenir mug to keep! What's the issue?

We never buy these mugs, because frankly, the thought of drinking that much soda is nauseating. I might have 2 or 3 sodas over a week vacation. DH might have one a day. Even at our relatively meager soda consumption habits, this mug would be a $$$ saver. However, the inconvenience of having to carry it around and the fact that it can only be used at the resorts makes it very unappealing to us.

[Stu29573]

While I dont have an issue with this idea as a whole, I dont like the idea that my mug purchased at the Carribean Beach in 1990 is now just a mug. When I bought it, I was assured that it was refillable "forever." It was kinda cool opening up the cabinet and knowing it was still active. Actually, I never took it on another trip, but knowing I could if I wanted to was cool. What's next? Is Disney going to tell us the "happily ever after" means "happily until it was no longer financially adventagious?"
Also, I have a problem believing thus issue was going to break a multi-billion dollar company.... The Lone Ranger and John Carter did much more damage than my innocent little mug....

[minnie04]

I have an idea why don't they make it a token machine. You can bring whatever mug you want and just use tokens you purchase at the registers to buy drinks. Or even your room key. This way anyone can have a drink and no one will get upset if they see an old mug or another resort mug at your resort. This way if you don't want the new mug you don't have to buy one and if you already have one and would like to bring it back with you, you can! Make it like the arcade you get a card and swipe it when you want a drink and when your tokens are gone then hey go up and pay more to refill the card. They can then add this to the parks as well. Just set a price in small to large amounts (like the arcade) and go from there. I used to buy mugs back in the day, but now they just don’t fit into our trips, but for people who really enjoy buying them give them this option.