Disney Cracking Down on Refillable Mugs?

[airlarry!]

Maybe it is because I've never graduated with a degree in marketing, but I always thought the purpose of selling these mugs even at the inflated price was so that you could get guests to come back to this hotel instead of International Drive, and make a nice profit off of each sale.

Course what you hope is that they lose the mug but remember the 'deal' they got and stay there again, purchasing another set of course.

 

[manning]

No, if Larry went to marketing school, he would not have figured it out!

 

[Captain Crook]

Yeah, and the best doctors went to law school...Oh great!...

 

[Steelersfan]

I know I might sound like a bit of a grump here, but to me there is no excuse to be that cheap and not purchase a new mug.

Personally, I like having the mug to take home, but it is the people who are literally stealing the beverages that drive up the costs.

Where else can you drink all you want for the entire vacation for less than $10.00.

Of course, this is just one man's opinion.

 

[stanley]

am i missing something? i read the sentinel article and it says this program is being implemented at tl and not the resorts.

 

[BRERALEX]

were those two other pages for nothing?

 

[dopey423]

When I bought my mugs I was also told that they were good for future visits. We bought 2 of them thinking that we would use them on future visits but somehow they never made their way into the suitcase for the next trip. Just by hearing the CM tell me that they were good forever was reason enough to buy them over and over again during each visit even though I never reuse them for future trips. To be honest now that this policy is posted I probably won't be impulsive and buy the mugs on our next trip.

My logic is probably confusing but I'm a person that can't pass up a good deal so when someone says "forever" it sounds good to me.

 

[HorizonsFan]

I believe the cause of this change is not guests re-using old mugs, but guests using all manner of cups, jugs, coolers, canteens, etc. It's simply a way to control the dispensation of drinks without actually having to tell guests, "no, you can't do that". Why is that a problem?

I wonder how many non-resort guests ride the monorail, boats, and even busses for free even though they know that free transportation use is reserved for on-site guests only...

I believe that use of the transportation comes with EVERY multi-day pass, not just resort guests.
I think Disney is in the process of making some formerly fuzzy policies more clear. Maybe they should add transportation to the list...

 

[All Aboard]

Good points Dave. I think you may be right, they are trying to crack down on the folks who never paid for a mug and are filling up their own vessels. I'd bet there are as many of those folks as their are "repeat offenders" and Disney never got their $10 out of them.

You are right about the transporation. Hoppers clearly state "unlimited use of transportation including monorails, launches and motorcoaches." Only the one day passes are limited to the express monorail and the mk ferry.

stanley, while the article speaks about the water parks, there are several sources that say it is in the works for the resorts. There are reports of CM verification to guest phone calls.

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by gcurling

stanley, while the article speaks about the water parks, there are several sources that say it is in the works for the resorts. There are reports of CM verification to guest phone calls.

Evident by the signs being posted in the Food Courts of the Resorts.

If guest filling up their own cups is really a problem. How are they going to handle the paper cups you get from the Food Courts? You know if you just buy a large drink? I guess those will be barcoded too but for only one use? What happens if you start to fill up your cup with one flavor and you change you mind, the syrup runs out, or your cup slips and you release the little lever that makes the product dispense?

We were at POR last year for 7 days and ate in the food court at least once a day. I never say anyone using their own cups. To the contray everyone seemed to have a new POR mug as did we.
I don't really think that enough people are cheating the system to even consider something like this. Just to many problems that it's going to cause and it will keep driving a wedge between the customer and Disney.

 

[DisneyKidds]

I've never seen anyone use their own 'vessel' at a food court beverage machine. I have a hard time believing it happens all that often. This can not be the motivation for whatever change might take place. However, I haven't been around the All Stars much. Maybe it happens there because, dare I say, the people are cheaper? (Baron? Any caste system comments?) I don't believe it. Our last Mod stay was CSR and there is no way you could show up and fill a jug.

This is just another 'penny wise, pound foolish' decision. Disney has created this mess by their 'fuzzy' policy and should likely leave well enough alone. We have mugs from a few resorts and we have reused them (when we remember to bring them). But even so, with the amount they hold and the number of times we actually refill them (RF is a long way from the Villas section of the WL) we would have to go a hundred times before Disney lost any money on our mugs. Sure, you could say they lost money because we didn't shell out $1.99 every time we needed to quench our thirst, but we never would have done that anyway.

Here is my prognostication. New, enforced, 'this visit only' policy = refillable mugs disappear in a year. However, I think things will ultimately remain as fuzzy as they are now and all this is much ado about nothing.

 

[mrtoadslastride]

Originally posted by DisneyKidds
I've never seen anyone use their own 'vessel' at a food court beverage machine. I have a hard time believing it happens all that often. This can not be the motivation for whatever change might take place. However, I haven't been around the All Stars much. Maybe it happens there because, dare I say, the people are cheaper? (Baron? Any caste system comments?)

We stayed at the All Stars a couple of years ago to squeeze an extra trip in and saw several people filling up cups/jugs other than the refillable mugs (one side of the refilling station is blocked from the CM's view). Still I have to say this new policy is "penny wise, pound foolish". This will push more people to perceive Disney trying to ensure that they get every last penny out of their guests.

As other posters have mentioned Disney does not pay Coca-Cola for the syrup. So why go through all of this trouble, not to mention upset your guests, for something you are not even paying for. Disney used to place customer relations before everything else, this decision does not strike me as one that was made in the best interests of the paying customer.

 

[wbk]

We just returned from a stay at All Star Music from June 12 through 18. We used Music and Movies mugs from previous visits. No CM bothered any of us the entire time we were there.

 

[HorizonsFan]

I don't really think that enough people are cheating the system to even consider something like this.

I've never seen anyone use their own 'vessel' at a food court beverage machine. I have a hard time believing it happens all that often. This can not be the motivation for whatever change might take place.

As other posters have mentioned Disney does not pay Coca-Cola for the syrup.

I see these statements (or some derivitive thereof) occasionally and wonder...
This is proprietary information that Disney does not release. We don't know how much money Disney loses at the food court drink dispensers. We don't know if Disney pays Coke for syrup. We don't even know how many people attended the parks last year (all we have are estimates based on things like how many hamburgers or rolls of toilet paper they bought).
How do all these folks (Mr. Another Voice excepted) know what's happening on the inside?
FWIW, I saw a guy we called Canteen-boy (remember the SNL sketch?) fill up every morning for a week at DXL (now POR).

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by HorizonsFan



I see these statements (or some derivitive thereof) occasionally and wonder...
This is proprietary information that Disney does not release. We don't know how much money Disney loses at the food court drink dispensers. We don't know if Disney pays Coke for syrup. We don't even know how many people attended the parks last year (all we have are estimates based on things like how many hamburgers or rolls of toilet paper they bought).
How do all these folks (Mr. Another Voice excepted) know what's happening on the inside?
FWIW, I saw a guy we called Canteen-boy (remember the SNL sketch?) fill up every morning for a week at DXL (now POR).

Ok lets assume you are correct and Disney does have to pay for the product. Lets assume again that the first 1.00 of the mug is tied up in mug and other assoicated cost with getting the mug delivered and sold to the customer. That leaves about 9.00. A large refill of product at most fast food places(depends on buying power) cost from 7-10 cents. Lets hope that Disney gets a pretty good deal even still, take the 10 cent figure that means the customer would have to get 90 refills in order for disney not to make any money. Those figures are for a 32 ounce drink. We all know that those Disney mugs don't hold near that amount. 12-16 ounces. So double the 90 refills and you get 180 refills.

Remeber these numbers change when you find out that Disney probably gets the product for free( or at least a very good deal on it)

If you really want to cry you should see how much profit there is in a Pizza.

 

[paulh]

We have just returned from our latest visit a few weeks age had problems with computer so have been unable to post and this thread has all ways caused some debate in our household (heated arguments tell the truth).
This visit we stayed at the all stars as we are in the vacation club and we thought that we would not be staying there again. So we chucked out our old mugs as they were taking up space, some friends offered to lend us theirs but the wife refused as she said that the mugs were only for length of stay and “that’s what was on the poster”. That she read in the food court a few years before.
Well the mother-in-law took the opposite view that they were for live and took old ones for her and the sister-in-laws family (6 mugs in total)
So when we get there we got 2 mugs for our kids as I felt that it would be a waste of time buying for us, as I would have a coffee in the morning and use one of the mugs when I needed a drink (I was informed in no insertion terms that I use the old mug by my wife).
The mugs cost just less than $10.00 each and our stay was for 14 days so that’s 71 cents per day on average 10 to 20 drinks per day so it would work out at 7 cents or 3.5 cents per drink.
I also checked the wording on the poster for the mugs and it definitely said and I quote “ refills for the length of stay”.
As for bar-coding they have it in force at the water park s where you scan your mug and it gives you a set time for filling your mug with ice and drink.
It works at the water parks but I can’t seeing it working at the resorts can you imagine the time it takes 1000 kids to decide what to drink!
I can see there point and reasoning we always se people abusing the drink system filling up massive water bottles with soda and using any type of cup to fill up with a drink i have even seen people using macdonalds cups to fill up at Disney resorts>
As for our future visits being in the dvc so getting a fridge so we will get our own sodas (the wife thinks that the sodas from the dispensers go flat too quick). And beers in the fridge for me and 1 mug for the kids
Regards, paulh
Sorry that the post is long winded but I wanted to get it of my chest

 

[AKemel]

There are three questions that seems are being discussed.

1.Are the rules being changed? The answer appears to be “no”. Just because CM said it was OK does not mean that it was. As an example, just several days ago, a CM told me that I do not have to use my FastPass during the one-hour time of return, but that I can come back anytime during the day after the time of return (Do not know if it is true).

2.Pop is cheap; why not give it away for good PR? Too much money. It may cost them pennies, but a lot of people are paying $2.75. Every fill for free takes away $2.75. Speaking of which, no one seems to be complaining about those prices.

3.Can they make the policy enforceable? That I do not know.

 

[HorizonsFan]

Remeber these numbers change when you find out that Disney probably gets the product for free( or at least a very good deal on it) If you really want to cry you should see how much profit there is in a Pizza.

So is your argument now that Disney is making too much profit so folks are entitled to take as many drinks as they can get away with?
BTW, I never said Disney paid for Coke. I only said that most people on this board (including me) don't know for sure whether they do or not.

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by HorizonsFan

So is your argument now that Disney is making too much profit so folks are entitled to take as many drinks as they can get away with?
BTW, I never said Disney paid for Coke. I only said that most people on this board (including me) don't know for sure whether they do or not.

Never said any of that. The problem with guest using their own cups can be taken care of by employees at the Food Courts or where ever the drink machines are. That is out and out stealing and the people should be told what they are doing is stealing. I look at that as no different then walking up to one of the Vendor carts in the parks and taking a coke without paying for it. How long do you think that Disney would let that go on? Why do they let it go on in the Food Courts (if reports are true that it happens)?

Nope I never said they are making too much profit. I think that the change if it happens (scanners) is not needed. The added frustration of the scanners would decrease their profits by causing people to stop buying the mugs and or just bringing their own drinks. Plus they will need to add the hardware and I assume they have the software already that ties in with the Resort software to determine the length of stay of each guest? Plus a new Mug and we never really covered the paper cup issue how are they going to handle that? Paper cups with barcodes? I was only pointing out how much profit Disney could be making and what it would take form them to lose money on the refills. I'm sure someone at Disney has crunched the numbers on this and came out ahead, but I feel that it's doomed to fail.

It's also very clear that many people were told the Mugs were good on repeat visits. So if you were told that why would you think your stealing?

Now I still think that Disney is gouging us on prices of drinks. No different then going to the movies though. Went tonight and spent 7.50 on a diet coke and water.

 

[mrtoadslastride]

An easy solution (assuming Disney is, or has changed the rules from lifetime use to length of stay) would be to change the colors of the mugs each year. Then the rule could be that they are good for one calendar year.