If you’ve ever spent any time on a Disney message board, you know that one of the more contentious topics centers around the use of refillable soda mugs after your initial resort stay ends. If you haven’t used one, here’s how they work: Disney resort guests purchase a refillable mug for use during their stay, either separately or through the dining plan. The mugs are only good at your resort during that one stay–you can take the mug home as a souvenir but you can’t bring it back and re-use it on your next trip. And that, of course, is the problem. We’ve all heard about people re-using mugs over and over again, and while the environmentalist in you might like the idea, it breaks the rules and costs Disney money.
In an attempt to solve this program, Disney has implemented a test program at the All Star Sports’ End Zone food court to track and limit mug use. Mugs will have an RFID code that the soda dispenser will read before dispensing soda. Your mug will be good for unlimited sodas from the time of check-in until midnight on the day of check-out; after that, your mug won’t work. The only catch is that you’ll have to wait five minutes between refills.
We’ve known this has been coming for a while, but there’s no word yet on whether or not the technology will be put into place at other resorts. I’m betting if it’s successful it will be implemented across the boards, as it seems to be a fairly low-tech solution to the refillable mug problem.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you buy a mug when you visit?
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We always buy the mugs during our trips because we do end up filling them several times each day. I don’t mind this change – as this is how we used them anyway. However, I may be alone in this, but I’m hoping this could be turned into an even bigger tech solution. Everyone complains that they don’t think they’re worth it because you can only fill them at your resort. I’d be willing to pay a few bucks more if it meant we could refill it at select places within the park as well. Maybe offer two prices – one for resort only and one for resort and park access? Universal Studios offers a refillable mug for in-park use and I think that’s a great idea.
This was our first stay at a Disney Resort and I had read on countless blogs (including this one) about the drink cups. We purchased 3 of them and barely used them. While they are nice souvenirs, it was a pain to have to carry our cups around with us just to use in the resorts dinning area.
I totally understand the need to make sure cups are used for the stay they were purchased during, but I also can see why people would bring the cups with them every trip and use them… not necessarily because they think they deserve the free drinks, but because they don’t want to keep buying the mugs which are not recyclable.
Disney should add to the bar code technology… if they are going to keep using generic cups all year round, if your returning to a Disney resort at another time and bring your mugs, you should get charged a small fee (or same fee you originally paid for the mug) for more refills. It would encourage recycling the cups and keeping people honest.
This was our first stay at a Disney Resort and I had read on countless blogs (including this one) about the drink cups. We purchased 3 of them and barely used them. While they are nice souvenirs, it was a pain to have to carry our cups around with us just to use in the resorts dinning area.
I totally understand the need to make sure cups are used for the stay they were purchased during, but I also can see why people would bring the cups with them every trip and use them… not necessarily because they think they deserve the free drinks, but because they don’t want to keep buying the mugs which are not recyclable.
Disney should add to the bar code technology… if they are going to keep using generic cups all year round, if your returning to a Disney resort at another time and bring your mugs, you should get charged a small fee (or same fee you originally paid for the mug) for more refills. It would encourage recycling the cups and keeping people honest.
Apparently, I save a lot of money by staying out of Disney properties.
Apparently, I save a lot of money by staying out of Disney properties.
I am a DVC member and always purchase new mugs for each member of my family of 4. I am glad that Disney is finally trying to find a solution to people reusing their old mugs. In my opinion, a $15 mug for unlimited drinks at my resort is a small cost when you compare it to all the other expenses I am incurring at Disney.
it’s not deliberate that you would have to wait 5 minutes, from what I can gather it’s just the way the technology works, but they absolutely should fix that. I agree with the poster who said that it should go back to new resort themed mugs that change yearly and special ones for Christmas. That should limit it pretty well.
I have always bought a refillable mug but never brought one back for other stays. I was completely taken aback when I saw people using random mugs from home (not even resort mugs) to fill up. So they never paid, never!
OK, I feel the need to clarify…I feel like such a thug now…With the new dining plans starting to include mugs, I can see where they need to make adjustments to the mug program. I guess I can see where bringing back our mugs multiple visits may seem very wrong. I guess I never thought about it that way….it is not that I thought I was entitled to free drinks. I buy the mugs every time they bring out new ones (my kids love them, we collect them along with popcorn buckets). When we get home they are washed and thrown in the Disney bin with the spray bottle fans, ponchos, purex laundry sheets and all the other disney only items….Once the mugs change, they go into the movie night cabinet with the popcorn buckets…We use them very rarely when in disney because we have all the drinks we need typically between the dining plan and having a kitchen in our room. I know the mugs I spent $30 dollars on in October 2010 were used twice by the kids. When we returned this May 2011 for a 4 night stay the mugs changed and I spent another $30 on mugs (no I am not the person using the light blue year of a million dreams mug, and yes I did see that this trip along with the old resort specific mugs) My 5 year old only used her new “pink” mug the day it was purchased and then I used it to transport my coffee from the room (coffee from home, made in the room) to the parks in the am :). The other turquoise mug we took home brand new as a gift to my other daughter (10) who couldn’t come that trip (darn school) That being said I did bring the mugs back 3 weeks later for our 8 night stay for the 3 of us. Again, they were used VERY little: one as a coffee transport for myself and the other for drinks at the pool a couple of days. I feel so awul now, they will defiantly be staying home when we go in October. Of course if the mugs do change by then, we will buy 2 new ones…if not, we will be just fine. In the end, I guess stupid me thought as long as it was the current cup, it was ok….I just never really gave it much thought beyond the fact that my kids love them and I could justify the expense because over our multiple trips that the cups were still the same, we just might break even and if we didn’t we still had a great souvenir.
Autumn Barnes: I will send my suggestion for recharging mugs to DVC and Customer Service. I really hate the idea of buying more of the same mugs….but have no problem paying a recharge fee. Thank you for that recommendation.
they should just go back to making different mugs for each year. I have quite a collection and I don’t like the new generic ones. I miss the resort themed or holiday ones…
I’ve done the mugs the last two trips and we’ve had good success with them. That said, I would never consider taking them back just to save money. That’s stealing to me! Much better to just buy a new one! 🙂
We saw the refillable mugs and I had read about them as well. We opted to NOT get the mugs as our 5 year old doesn’t like soda and I didn’t know what other choices there would be. When I read that they were only refillable at the resort, it also didn’t make much sense to me. Honestly, I thought we’d spend more time at the resort than we did, but with a fridge in the room, it really didn’t seem worth it.
Reading some of the comments here, I’m shocked, I don’t know why, but shocked that folks would think of bringing old mugs and filling mugs from Starbucks?! That is unacceptable and I’m glad Disney is looking into a way to stop the cheating. As others have said, it would be wise for Disney to also implement a way to “recharge” your mug on future visits.
We have always bought cups on every trip. We have a huge collection of them lol. The only thing I don’t like is the 5 minute wait. I buy the mugs for me but not for my young kids. We usually share a mug. If we have been out in the heat and need a cold drink, between me and my 3 kids we will drink a cup in a minute and want more. And I have heard that Disney actually gets the drink syrup for free so Disney is actually not out of money if someone drinks a lot.
If people would just follow the rules, then this would not be a problem. I have never, and would never, bring a cup from a previous trip to use. That is just wrong. People who have abused the system have made it worse for the rest of us. This is what is wrong with this country – people think they DESERVE to have something – even if they have not paid for it or earned it. UGH!!
If people would just follow the rules, then this would not be a problem. I have never, and would never, bring a cup from a previous trip to use. That is just wrong. People who have abused the system have made it worse for the rest of us. This is what is wrong with this country – people think they DESERVE to have something – even if they have not paid for it or earned it. UGH!!
If people would just follow the rules, then this would not be a problem. I have never, and would never, bring a cup from a previous trip to use. That is just wrong. People who have abused the system have made it worse for the rest of us. This is what is wrong with this country – people think they DESERVE to have something – even if they have not paid for it or earned it. UGH!!
I don’t like it and I will tell you why… I actually follow the drink cup rules. I get my cup and use it when eating in the food court, or coming back from a park DIEING of thirst… Fill my cup (that I bought during that stay BTW) and move on… people abuse the system its a shame!
I think this is fine after all it’s really always been the rule people just didn’t follow it. now………. why do we have to wait 5 min between fills… geeezzzzzzzzzzz whats up with that
I noticed last summer that they were already doing that in the water parks. My family only ever has breakfast at the resort, so I’ve never really seen the value in the mugs, anyway.
I find it interesting, but it’s really too early to say if it’s a good thing or not. I wrote about this a week ago on my blog, and some thoughts about how I would like to see them utilize it. Hopefully, they are thinking in a broader perspective that will allow guests to use their mugs in places other than where they bought them.
I know it’ll never happen, but I sure wish Disney would just follow Holiday World’s lead and just give people free soda at their parks.
But I’m thrilled to see that Disney is attempting to curb the soda theft. I’ve seen folks filling up mugs from Starbucks for crying out loud!
Glad to see the loophole finally plugged! It always irritated me watching people bring mugs that were bought years ago and use them. The reality is that no matter how you justify this, it amounted to theft.
I do agree that Disney should implement a system where you can re-charge your mug for those that visit multiple times a year.
Mama Zee– email DVC and Disney customer service NOW and suggest that so they can incorporate it into the programming now, vs later when they would have to redo the system’s software 😉 I’ll be honest we don’t use the mugs because we usually hit the food court, then a bus, and I really don’t want to carry the mug around all day. Yes, people DO abuse the system heck I have seen them on Ebay for “people about to go”. But it makes sense they are doing this when the 2012 meal plan INCLUDES a refill mug. What I wonder is, does that mean we can use them in park. AND for those of us that go a few times a year, and get meal plan does that mean a cup each trip?
I agree with you Mama Z. I too am a DVC member and cannot take part in the free dining. We always get the dining plan and it would be nice to get some kind of break! Same with the mugs…We end up giving so many away, as much as I love Disney I already have a cabinet full and don’t need to keep adding more and more!
If they go this route, they really need to offer the sticker for the mug like they do at the water parks. They will still make money and it will be much less wasteful.
Wow, that is disappointing. I wonder if they are putting in an option to at least recharge your mug. As a DVC member I often visit 3 – 4 times a year. I do not need 3-4 sets of the same mugs. i am also most often there during Free Dining periods, which I can not take advantage of because I am not “paying” for my room. Oh I have paid for that room….Could you at least throw me a bone of discounted dining…. Don’t get me wrong, I do LOVE Disney, but many of these nickel and dime changes are starting to eat away at me. Much like every year the Dining Plan costs going up, and options being removed.