Steve writes:

I may be off here, but when I was last at WDW in April it seemed there were two mug policies. I stayed at the All-Star Movies and had a 20-ounce mug that I used regularly at the resort. Because of its distinctive design and my understanding of the policy, I never attempted to use it anywhere else.

At Blizzard Beach we bought a 32-ounce mug that had a Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code on it. The dispensers at Blizzard Beach had a UPC reader. You had to pass the mug over the reader before the machine would dispense any liquid. This process was time-consuming and painful, as my children and wife were unsuccessful at getting the machine to read the bar code. Apparently they couldn't get the angle right. Needless to say this was frustrating for them and the people standing in line behind them.

When I went to refill the mug I had people in front of me who were unaware of the bar code reader and were getting upset that the machine wasn't working. After I explained the process they still had trouble getting the reader to read their code.

Later in the day I saw a cast member posted by the machine assisting people with their refills. I had to laugh as I'm sure the fact that a CM was detailed to the machine completely defeats the purpose, from a $$$ standpoint, of the refillable mug program.

My question is if there is difference between the refillable 20-ounce coffee mug in use at the resorts and the larger 32-ounce soda mugs in use at Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon? Does this new policy affect only soda dispensers or will the coffee machines be affected as well?

Either way it's a cheap and petty policy. I can foresee a charge coming in the future for use of the toasters…

Thanks for taking the time to do the reporting that you do. Your articles have made my visits to the mouse more pleasurable and magical. Keep up the good work.

Steve,

Thanks for the note.

I think presently this new system is being tested at the water parks and will eventually make it's way to the resorts.

I would say the answer to your other question is yes, that this will apply to any beverage that can be put into the cups.

A MousePlanet reader writes:

This is a real shame. Having worked in the restaurant industry for many years, this change by Disney is not going to represent any large savings. The cost of soft drink syrups, coffee, concentrated juice, etc. is not significant when compared to the loss of goodwill that will be incurred by Disney as a result of another cheap solution at the guest's expense. You would think they would “get it” by now. I can tell you that I am not looking for any “free rides” but this was a kind of a nice perk at staying at the Disney resorts. But I also can say that is not enough to discourage a stay for repeat guests.

Mr. Eisner, would you please wake up and smell the coffee (or should I say soda)?  Speaking as an accountant, this nickel-and-dime stuff is not going to make the balance sheet stronger.

Another note that was sent in read:

Customer: “But, you said this mug was refillable.”

Disney Suit: “All mugs are refillable. They just aren't free.” [chuckle chuckle]

I can see them proposing the PR policy on this one.

Stephen adds:

The sky is falling, the sky is falling! Let's print it on a Web page!

It bothers me that the article by Mike paints a picture of hope and despair. It seems like he is taking the Typhoon Lagoon situation and applying it to the entire resort. I was not even aware that they had refillable mugs at Typhoon Lagoon and it's not even in place yet in the resorts (from what the Orlando Sentinel article said).

Another point to consider: guests should be grateful that somebody ever came up with the concept of refillable mugs. Think of how much money we would be shelling out if they didn't have those mugs! I for one am grateful, and should they change their policy, I will consider myself fortunate that I was able to use it while I could.

Lucy writes:

We have recently returned from Animal Kingdom Lodge and Port Orleans Resort, returning with our old mugs (we visit Disney hotels twice a year). Our family will only use the hotel's mug and that particular hotel. It will be quite a change for us, since we own mugs from almost every resort, and have a teenager that drinks a lot of soda.

If this takes place, and a person has to stand in line to refill a soda, I know it will stop our family from using the mug. For example this past week at Port Orleans Resort, the crowds in the food court were so bad that we have decided, after many visits to that resort, we will not return. It took much time to check out at the registers. Our family is disappointed. But, we also do not like to see families using mugs from other places in the parks. Guess you can't have it all!

Bill, a former Disneyland attractions cast member, writes:

Yo, you can't expect Disney to lay out every possible “luxury" including drink mugs that you can use over and over again and even on repeat visits. Anyone who knows anything about business knows that, so you can't be surprised that they would do this.

Furthermore, anybody whose basis for making the decision on a vacation spot is if they allow unlimited refills on a drink mug (that was pretty cheap when you come to think about it) is pretty cheap themselves.

There are so many policies and actions that Disney does these days that makes me so sick of them and their greediness… but let's not think too hard about a beverage issue. I think the only places out there that let you have those type of refills are gas stations and mini-marts… Knott's doesn't, nor Magic Mountain, nor Universal — and they never will. So let's try and calm down and pay for our drinks.

Another MousePlanet reader sent in this opinion:

What has the world come to — no bottomless pit of carbonated sugar water? Truly a travesty beyond comprehension. As if people will never return to Disney World because they can't load up on soda all day... everyday. Your article is nitpicking at its best, and I would say reaches a new low for MousePlanet. Can't find a [complaint]? Make one up.

Thanks you for sharing your opinions.  I appreciate your candor.

Rob sent in this opinion on the issue:

I think that it is sad that Disney has to spend money to enforce a length-of-stay policy on the mugs. The only ones to blame for this change are the dishonest people who brought mugs back and used them time and time again. I have used the refillable mugs many times, and it was always clear that the mugs were for the duration of the resort visit and not a lifetime refill for as long as I come back to Disney.

People always complain about Disney not taking care of the guest as well as they used to, but I think there is tacit responsibility of the guests to act responsibly when Disney offers a perk (especially when they are offering the perk based on the honor system). In all fairness, if a perk is abused, the Walt Disney Company has no choice but to protect their interests. The free Cinderella's Royal Table priority seatings being sold on the Internet for a profit by dishonest people are another good example.

The refillable mugs are a great deal even if you play by the rules and buy one every time you visit. If people were honest it would be a win for the Walt Disney Company and all of us fans. I say that if you bought a mug and brought it back for subsequent visits, then you have shot yourself in the foot.

One final note: I am not an employee of the Walt Disney Company, nor do I agree with the many, many things that they have done in the recent past. P.P. (Paul Pressler) and C.H. (Cynthia Harris) both need to be fired. As a fan, I want to enjoy WDW for the rest of my life. I want to see them do well because, for the most part; I enjoy their products very much, but I am also a realist in that I recognize that they must make a profit to stay around. I, too, wish that they would follow the Disney Seas model (that is, offer a superior product and the fans will reward you with patronage) as much as anyone, but I also feel that Disney has a unique relationship with its customers in that a whole lot of what it does depends on the guests to do their part. They rely upon the guests to be polite to one another, for us to make way for a child, to dress and act respectfully of others. Part of the reason the pixie dust is falling off is because of the small but growing percentage of guests who go to the parks who are selfish and rude and think that $50 buys them the right to treat others (guests and cast members) like dirt.

You can point a finger at Disney on this issue, but this time I feel that they are more than justified. They tried to make a perk that was win-win, but people just abused it. Quite frankly, I am surprised that they did not do it sooner. I have overheard people on more than one occasion say, “Oh, just buy one of these and then bring it back," and I only visit once or twice a year. Imagine what the cast members hear!

Sorry, but this time we the fans have brought this one upon ourselves.

Rob,

Some guests have said that they were told that these mugs were good for refills forever. The original objective behind the refillable mugs was to provide a “carrot” for guests to return to the resorts. Basically it was a marketing ploy to achieve return visits.

I think you make some good points and I have to agree with just about everything you say. It's a shame that a small percentage of guests conduct themselves in a manner that ends up inconveniencing the rest of us.

I'm with you… I want Disney to make a profit so they can stay in business but they need to be careful and not become too greedy.

Shawn shares this note on the same topic:

I used the 32-ounce mug at Blizzard Beach in early May, and I found it to be cost-effective. The mugs are bigger than the resort mugs (you can actually get ice and some drink in there without taking three sips and having to refill), but if this system is moved to the resorts it would be annoying (I wouldn't buy mugs anymore, that's for sure), but for the water parks it wasn't a bad idea. There were four UPC stations and none of them presented an overwhelming line (at least no longer than going back up to the concession stand to get the refill.)  All in all, it's not a bad idea for the water parks (which I don't tend to revisit more than once or twice in a particular visit).

However, I was told the resort mugs plans were not going to change, but then again everything is subject to change.

Thanks for the note. It looks like Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are the first areas to test this new technology.

Sandy adds this perspective:

Let's not forget about people with more than one reservation at the same hotel. Guest services couldn't tell me what will happen to us in August, but as Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members, we booked part of our vacation with points and are paying cash for the last two nights — all nights are at the Wilderness Lodge. Many DVC members do this to save on points — cash for the weekends with one of the many discount offers and points on the weekdays which are much cheaper — or because they've run out for the year and don't want to borrow (or are saving for big trips in other years and want to have some to bank).

Many people (not just DVC members) also do this to make length-of-stay passes go longer, making three reservations — one for the first night, one for however many nights they want to use their passes and a third for the last night. All of these people will lose out.

So if we buy new mugs, we may only be able to use them until the DVC nights run out — our last three days we'll be out of luck. Needless to say, Disney will be making nothing off of me for soda now. I'll be stopping at the grocery store on my way into Disney.

I've been very patient with all the changes up to now, but this is ridiculous. How much cheaper can this company get?!

Sandy,

Good point. That's an issue that the Disney folks should consider when they roll out the new system at the resorts.

Tony writes:

I was there just a couple of weeks ago and this was not the case. I saw people using old mugs from other resorts, Epcot, the Magic Kingdom, and other locations. So, in a way I can understand why they are doing this, because some people are abusing the system. I don't think the system was ever intended to be used in that way: free refills as long as you have a cup. It should only be for your current stay. If you come back on another trip you should have to buy another cup. That's just my opinion.

Hi Tony,

This may be where all the confusion and anger over this new policy has originated — interpreting the original policy. I have heard of guests who were told that the mugs were good forever but only in that resort. For instance, those who purchased the mugs at the Coronado Springs Resort could use those mugs for refills every time they stayed at CSR. The idea here was to offer guests a perk so they would return to the resort. Thanks for the note.

Another MousePlanet reader writes:

Strange timing seeing your story on mugs. How ridiculous is that?! I was at WDW this weekend — didn't go to the parks, had to go to Orlando on a personal matter but I stayed on-property. I went over to the Polynesian on Sunday and was grabbing a quick bite at (I believe it's called) Captain Cook's, the quick-service restaurant.

As I was in line, a guest inquired about the mugs, the advertising for which at this point still clearly states $9.95 gets you a mug you can refill for your entire stay. However, the cast member noted to the guest that the mug purchased at that restaurant could only be filled at that restaurant and nowhere else. The guest inquired about this several times, asking different variations on the same question. The cast member finally said, “If you buy a mug here, you can only refill it here at this fountain and nowhere else."

She didn't make any comment about the future of the mug program.

She also lost a sale.

The idea that they're being such cheapskates with an ounce or so of soda syrup is crazy — they probably spill more soda in a day than they give out for refillable mugs.

That situation might have been a quirk of the refillable mug policy at the Polynesian because there's just one place at that particular resort (Captain Cook's Snack Company) where you can buy and refill them.

Robert and Cindy shared this experience:

We were at Typhoon Lagoon on June 18 and saw the mugs in action. They are $10 for the day and are being “hawked," carnival-barker style as you enter the park: “Get yer refillable mugs here. They're good all day and only $10. If you drink just two sodas today, you'll save money,” blah, blah. They are also available in the food areas.

The refill machines are located around the park and except for the bar-code scanner (located on the front left of the machine), they look like any other self-serve soda fountain. Once you have the mug, you hold the bar code in front of the scanner to activate the fountain and fill your mug. I'm not sure if it's based on a timer or the volume of liquid that comes out but it does have a limit. I'm not sure if you could fill your mug, empty it into another mug and refill again and again.

It's certainly a clever way to limit the use of the mugs, along with tracking someone's location and soda consumption. How long until the ACLU files a privacy lawsuit? I suppose they could implement it throughout WDW and set prices that allow you to buy one mug for the day, stay, annually or a lifetime.

I'm sure some enterprising rascal will make a photocopy of the bar-code and pass it out to others during their stay. Or someone will make a Web site with a bar-code label generator, just put in the numbers and voila, print out free soda to your heart's content. I'm sure there are also “test” codes that will work forever.

I wonder if the system limits the users to X refills per hour or if it knows that the same bar code shouldn't show up at two locations simultaneously.

Although I understand the need for a company to be profitable, the thought of paying $40 for a family of four to have sodas for the day is enough to drive me to bring a cooler to the water parks (currently allowed).

Robert and Cindy,

Thanks for the note.

I subscribe to all your thoughts as I have wondered many of the same things you have. It will be interesting to see where all of this leads to.

Personally I have always felt that the mugs were good for your length of stay and not forever. I feel that this is not a policy change but a clarification of the current policy. As far as the system's program code goes… I think the code will also allow the sale of single, double, triple or unlimited refillable mugs.

Isn't it amazing as to what we are discussing here?

Susan shared this note:

We were at WDW at the end of April/beginning of May. We stayed at the Dolphin so we did not purchase refillable mugs for resort use.

We did, however, buy four of them the day we went to Blizzard Beach. They were $10 a piece and the CM at the entrance who sold them to us said the same mugs could also be used at Typhoon lagoon. Since we were planning to spend the day at Blizzard Beach and another day at Typhoon Lagoon during our stay were decided that it was a pretty good investment (plus, we'd have nice souvenir mugs to use by our pool at home this summer). 

They had little stickers on them with the day of the week (Tuesday) and a bar code. The bar code had to be run by the little light on the fountain machines to make them work. And it took me about 10 to 15 tries each time to make them work. No kidding, I just couldn't get the hang of it. And I wasn't the only one... every time I went back for refills, most of the folks in front of me in line were having the same challenges. So getting the refills turned out to be somewhat time-consuming. 

I finally figured out that the beverage would keep flowing as long as the lever was pushed, so I would just fill one mug right behind the other one to avoid the “bar code thingy” for the other three refills. By the end of the day I noticed I wasn't the first one to figure that out... I saw other guests activate the bar code with their refillable mug, then refill several of their own beverage containers. I have to admit I was disappointed to see blatant "cheating" going on right in front of my eyes at WDW.

The worst part, though, was that I had received incorrect (or rather, “incomplete”) information when I bought the mugs. We found out later that week when we visited Typhoon Lagoon that there would be an additional $5 charge to buy the current day's sticker for each of our mugs!  We decided not to spend another $20 for Cokes, which turned out to be a good decision because we ended up only staying at Typhoon Lagoon about three hours after all (the waves were great, but the slides just weren't as good as the ones at Blizzard Beach, and the park didn't seem as clean either). 

I know the question posed was about the refillable mugs at the resorts, but I though I'd share our family's experience with them at the water parks. 

By the way, thanks for a fabulous site! MousePlanet was a great help in planning our first WDW vacation (my husband, myself and our two sons, 8 and 10). I still stop by the site everyday or so and am looking forward to another trip in the future (we still have one theme-park day and one water-park day left on our Park Hopper Plus passes, so we'll have to make another trip!).

Susan,

Thanks for sharing your experiences. It's interesting that there is so much miscommunication going out to those folks that are actually buying the mugs, such as the CM not telling you about the extra fee at Typhoon Lagoon.

Hopefully the Disney folks will work out the bugs soon.

Ted shared this note:

Thanks for your article. After reading the story a few thoughts came to mind. How much does it really cost Disney for the beverage. Major soft drink companies usually donate their product for free in return for advertisements and exposure. I know that happens at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. I'm sure that is the case at Disneyland. That significantly increases the profit margin.

How much will it cost to put this UPC program in place? How long will it take to pay back the initial investments in this new tracking system with the new refill policy? Of course, with vendor-supplied free product…

Finally, assuming that the new mugs will be UPC-encoded (with a sticker, or actually printed on the cup?) that is read with the typical laser bar-code reader, how beverage spillproof will be the readers? If the decoder does not work, does that mean that the beverage will not be dispensed? If there are more than one size of mugs, how will the system know which mug is a refillable size?

Oye, too many questions! I wonder if the lines get too long at the soda fountain, Disney will install Fastpass?

Finally, MousePlanet writer Lani Teshima offered this thought:

7-Eleven and other mini-marts often have refillable mug programs, but the refills aren't free. Should Disney decide to implement the UPC program resort-wide, I have a great suggestion that would make Disney, its accountants, and the bulk of guests happy: Continue to sell refillable mugs, but provide a separate — but lower — price for guests to reactivate their old mugs when they return for subsequent trips (for example, $9.95 for a new mug, $4.95 to reactive an old one). This way, Disney still makes a profit on its soft drinks, guests are less likely to try to cheat the system (since they are given a reasonable alternative of bringing their used mugs back), and individuals who want to be environmental by using less consumer resources will be happy to be able to reuse their old mugs. In fact, since the UPC code serves as the key to unlocking the drink dispenser, I would recommend that Disney allow guests to reactivate mugs from any of its resorts, and not just from the same resort you are staying at for that particular visit.

Other Reader Mail

I did also get other mail not related to refillable mugs:

Carl makes this point regarding the use of traveler's checks in Walt Disney World:

In today's “seminar" you said: “Traveler's Checks — The nice thing about traveler's checks is that they can be replaced if lost or stolen. They can be used just like cash, but are better because they provide a sort of insurance."

I used to work at WDW in merchandise and as many people realize, Disney can be very particular about protecting their guests by checking signatures on credit cards and traveler's checks. For your safety, be sure to sign your traveler's checks before you leave home and be sure to have the right people sign them. When accepting a traveler's check, the merchandise host/hostess will ask you to sign the check in their presence and the new signature must match the earlier signature.

This means that a wife can't use a check that her husband signed before leaving home. (Nor can she use his credit card, even if they have the same last name and she has the driver's license to prove it!). We regularly declined to sell people their merchandise due to this error. I think that American Express makes some traveler's checks that allow for two different people to sign them in advance and for either of those people to later use the check. Few people are happy about being denied in this way, but most understand that the policy is for their own protection.

Thanks Carl.. And Carl is right about the American Express traveler's checks, but you must request the dual-signature type specifically when you buy them.

Marc B. wrote to tell me of a service I was unaware of:

During my stays at WDW, I always drop my (camcorder) battery charger at Guest Relations. This saves the time and effort to have to go back to the resort for fresh batteries. I leave one battery there for charging and receive a claim ticket for the charger my claim ticket. They bring the charger and change batteries. It seems they are not allowed to handle the charger, so that's why they bring it and you have to switch the batteries yourself. Then they take the charger back and plug it back in somewhere backstage at Guest Relations.

It seems this is a regular service, since they never gave me a strange look when I asked them to have my charger plugged in. I this purpose… By the way, it also didn't seem to be a problem that I had a charger with a European power cord (different plug); they probably have adapters.

Thanks Marc. This tip is very helpful for those who elect to stay in the parks all day.

Jose asks a very common question regarding a hopper pass:

Just a question. If I purchase a five-day hopper plus pass I can use it in the following way?

• Day 1 – Magic Kingdom
• Day 2 – Epcot
• Day 3 – MGM
• Day 4 – Animal Kingdom
• Day 5 – Blizzard Beach
• Day 6 – Typhoon Lagoon
• Day 7 – Magic Kingdom again

If not, can you tell me the correct way of using it?

Looks okay to me. You are using only five theme-park admissions in those seven days (and visiting two water parks, with separate admission) so you should be OK.

Paul asks:

My family and I will be spending a week at the All-Star Music resort. On one of the mornings, I will be driving my car to the Grand Floridian for the character breakfast. After the breakfast, I would like to take the monorail from the Grand Floridian to the Magic Kingdom. In late afternoon, I would like to return to the Grand Floridian and drive my car back to the All-Star Music. Will I be allowed to leave my car parked in the Grand Floridian parking lot all day?

Well Paul, it seems that the deluxe monorail resorts (Grand Floridian, Polynesian Resort, and Contemporary) are cracking down on all-day parking. This policy seems to have received a lot of push since 9/11. The current policy as I hear it is that you are allowed to park for about three hours if you have a reservation at a restaurant at one of these hotels.

There are off-site guests who park in these lots to avoid the parking fee for the Magic Kingdom parking lot. This policy is for both on-site and off-site guests.

I wouldn't plan on parking all day long at the Grand Floridian, Polynesian, or Contemporary.

[Editor's Note: If you pay for valet parking at any of these resorts you can still park for all day long, but you'll end up paying the same amount you would have if you'd parked in the main parking lot.]

George writes about the Food and Wine Festival:

I would like to make reservations during the time frame when the festival is occurring. When is the start and end of the festival? Is it only on weekends or on weekdays too?

I don't think the 2002 dates have been announced yet. I'm guessing that the Festival will run for about a month between mid-October and mid-November and not limited to weekends.

[Editor's Note: Epcot International Food & Wine Festival will be from October 19 to November 17, 2002.  Mike must have originally answered this letter before the dates were announced, as WDW was a bit late this year on making those dates public.]

T. Akern asks:

Do you know of a Web site we could find all the height requirements for the amusement park rides? I have been jumping all over the web but cannot find this information. Thanks

You can to to this page, right here on MousePlanet, in our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide.

Margaret writes:

I'd like to take issue with your “commandment" that says “thou shall get up early" when visiting the WDW parks. Obviously now that park hours are limited, it's better to be there for the morning hours and stay until closing. But I find it a laughably ridiculous waste of time to spend your afternoon “relaxing by the pool." Why? Yes, there are more people in the parks in the afternoon. But it's far more fun to simply grab an ice cream cone and chill out if you're tired of fighting the crowds.

I would consider it a sinful waste of time and money to go back to the hotel in the middle of a day at a Disney park (unless you are taking a nap, especially if you have children). Besides, with Fastpass I no longer think that waiting in line is a serious consideration.

But back to my point — many people do not like to get up early in the morning and find that it tires them out for the whole day (or at least by evening), which is obviously not ideal for a Disney day. It annoys me that you would be so inflexible about this when you would ultimately get about the same number of hours in the parks regardless. There are also fewer people in the parks in the evening, and in the summer the Magic Kingdom stays open late enough to get in a full day even if you arrive at noon.

As for “if you sleep in until 10 a.m., you might as well stay home," Come on! An hour later you could get to Epcot an hour after Future World opened and an hour before World Showcase. You would have missed about two hours at the other three parks. In case you haven't noticed WDW also has lots of evening activities available at Downtown Disney, and people might prefer to do these or swim at night, rather than making sure they get every possible second in the parks. I don't want to be too hard on you, I just don't like it that you're putting people down for going at their own pace.

Let me share with everyone my reply to Margaret:

Dear Margaret.

I think your points are well taken. Getting up at the crack of dawn and scurrying to the parks is not everyone's idea of a WDW vacation.

I agree with you on “relaxing by the pool” because I too feel that you are wasting valuable time and money by doing that. FYI my WDW days are 20 hours long… starting at 5 a.m. (I'm a jogger) and ending about 1 a.m. (I stay in the parks until they close).

Actually my wife and I enjoy taking it easy in the afternoon and just soak in the atmosphere.

My point in suggesting getting there (to the parks) early is to insure that your family is able to do favorite attractions early in the day and everything after that is gravy. Also, I feel that early morning park hours provide better use of your vacation time.

I appreciate your note and applaud your stance on this issue.

Regards,

Mike

I didn't expect to hear from her again. But I did.

Dear Mike,

Thanks for getting back to me. I was afraid you had decided not to reply because of the rather confrontational tone of my Email. I'm actually planning a trip to WDW now and with the reduced hours I'm finding that getting up early is definitely going to be the plan. (Not necessarily the reality. But definitely the plan.) But I still think that saying that “if you sleep in until 10 a.m, you might as well stay home" is overstating the situation. Wow, 5 a.m to 1 a.m. No wonder you need a break.

Margaret

My point in sharing this with everyone is to once again point out that you should always remember that you should do what works best for you and your family. Margaret's point is well taken. An early bird start is not for everyone. It may be for me, but not necessarily for you… or Margaret.

Thanks Margaret. See? We ended up agreeing after all…  sort of. Must be the “Magic of Disney.”

Keep those messages coming, regardless of whether you agree with me or not. I want to hear from you. Next time, let's take a stab at our Walt Disney World Vacation food budget with "Shoestring Budget Dining At Walt Disney World."