Disney Cracking Down on Refillable Mugs?

[WDWHound]

I have never been one to participate in the refillable mug threads that appear from time to time on various DIS boards, but this Mouse Planet article caught my attention...

http://www.mouseplanet.com/mike/refillable_mugs_policy_changes.htm

In short, it states that your mug will have a bar code on it that you will need to have scanned before you get a free refill. Your mug will only work at the resort you are staying at and only for the length of your stay. No more bringing the mug back vacation after vacation.

Given the emotion I have seen on previous refillable mug threads, this change is bound to cheese off a lot of people.

[All Aboard]

There's a huge thread on the Resorts board about this. I didn't want to post in the middle of that, but I'll say my bit here.

We can be classified as "offenders" of the policy. We purchase new mugs each time the design changes, but re-use them on future trips. We NEVER use mugs from a different resort and NEVER us anything other than the refillable mugs at the drink stations.

We make so many 2 or 3 day trips that buying new mugs each time would be a bad $ decision. We get maybe 3 refills per trip (we just don't trek to the food court too often.)

I don't think that many folks are abusing the system. Recently, the All Stars switched to new mugs. I saw very few of the old style being used on my last trip.

It seems like the cost of the system and the elimination of the efficiency may drive guests to decide against purchasing. If, as some reports describe, a guest would have to go back through the checkout line before refilling, that would really stink. If, as other reports suggest, the barcode reader would be built into the drink station - isn't that costly and prone to malfunctions?

This one isn't that big of a deal to me. We bring lots of water and soda on each trip - and as I said, I tap the drink station very little.

Seems to me that Disney is trying to crackdown on a few of us miscreants but might impact the overall guest experience for the vast majority of others. It may be a case of forest and trees.

Another corrolary issue is the fact that many CMs have been telling guests over the years to bring back the mugs in the future. I know that the official policy states "for the length of your stay" but nowhere does it say "not in the future." My guess would be that if it WERE such a big deal, resort management would make it clear to the CMs NOT to pass along such information.

I really don't get this one.

[Bstanley]

You know it's funny how things that have such a minimal impact on the bottom line, but are 'in your face' will end up having such significance.

For the average visitors staying at a Disney resort once every 3 years this change is literally not even on their or Disney's monetary radar. The odds of those folks staying at the same resort, saving the mugs, remembering to bring them, etc. are just too small to contemplate.

Conversely the twice a year visitors, staying at their favorite Disney resort - the handful of people who Disney will actually save any money on - are the very people most likely to get 'cheesed' enough to do something about it!

It's almost enough to make you change cars! NYAH! :-)

This is a decision by some mid-level corporate drone trying to impress somebody and when the numbers don't work out the various resort managers will make sure that it goes away.

[JAP]

:tongue: YEAH! Maybe it will put an end to all the debating. We never visited the food court enough to get our moneys worth out of the whole refillable mug.:rolleyes:

[mattjs]

This is a decision by some mid-level corporate drone trying to impress somebody and when the numbers don't work out the various resort managers will make sure that it goes away.

Well said. Couldn't agree more. And clearly that's the manner in which resort managers have already chosen to "implement" the "length of stay" policy. They've been making this one go away since day one.

Personally, we buy new mugs every trip cause we like to. But then, we're only down there about once a year so we're still stocking the collection.

[MikePezz]

This is just an operations nightmare. There is NO WAY that the cost of implementing such a system is less than the money saved. Did they even ask for any input from the cast members in the food courts? I am sure they know how much (or how little actually) of this "illegal refilling" actually occurs. Give me a freaking break. Someone once said, "It is the little things." I agree. Farewell Car #1.

Mike

[All Aboard]

From limited memory, The Straw that Broke the Car #1 Back:

YoHo - rumor of eliminated Seven Seas Lagoon Water Shuttles
gcurling - EE
MikePezz - Refills

:)
__________

OK, I've done some more thought on this. Another potential problem is with coffee and hot chocolate. How will a bar code system work on these? And, the drink stations are pretty big (about 10 or 12 dispensers on each.) What prevents somebody from piggybacking off of anothers validated coke run? What about the paper cups sold for single use? Will they need bar codes?

I've struggled through the logic of this. It benefits Disney two ways. 1) reduced cost of "unauthorized" refills and 2) increased revenue from the sale of mugs to the former "unauthorized users". The combination of these two must drive profit in excess of the cost of implementation in order to generate a return.

So, consider me (the offender) I will likely not buy new mugs because my trips are short in length. So, no new revenue from me and very little reduced cost. I'm sure there are some offenders that will buy new mugs, but how many $'s are we talking about. The other consideration is the lost revenue from the short stayers who may have previously been sold on the prospect of using the mugs in the future. And, the lost revenue from guest who view the whole bar code thing (how ever it is implemented) as an inefficient process.

I would guess that WDW profited on 99.99% of the mugs they sold. The worst offenders would be the only ones on which they lost money. On many (short trippers) they cleaned up. Those short-trippers may now choose not to buy. This seemed like a policy best just left alone.

[YoHo]

Just to Clarify, I don't see how implementing the Bar code would be particularly expensive or hard to implement. The local Supermarket out here (Fred Meyer) lets you scan you're food and checkout without checker intervention. the implementation at WDW would actually be easier.

[mattjs]

I agree, the policy is what the policy is and people ought to abide by it. But, when it comes to enforcement (probly too strong a word in reference to a refil policy ) the managers have spoken clearly on this one.

Based on the number of folks on the boards that reuse mugs on repeat trips, in general, resort managers have decided not to get involved in the policing of mug use. No sense causing a scene in the middle of a food court over a couple people improperly reusing mugs. That just makes everybody uncomfortable. The CM who has to stop the person, the person being stopped, the people standing/sitting around watching a potential "scene" unfold. They all walk away with an uncomfortable feeling...so no... no way is it worth it to make a few more bucks.

If there's a simple way to just add this barcode to the mugs then sure. But it needs to be an automated system requiring no policing cause I don't ever see it being enforced at the staff level. I mean who wants to play the heavy over a soda refill?

[All Aboard]

Chad, follow some logic with me.

Fact: This is a "big deal", Disney is implementing a new policy.

Fact: Food Court CMs have consistenly told guests that they could bring the mugs back in the future.

Inference: If it were a "big deal" why wouldn't resort management make a point to explain how big a "no-no" it is to tell guests such a thing?

Fact: When emailing for clarification of the policy, never do the replies specifically state that future refills are against the policy. They simply state and policy (even when a guest has specifically asked - "can I use them in the future.")

I still don't get why this policy change is so necessary.

[AKemel]

So let me get it right, if there are no signs that say, "No cuing in the lines" and if CM does not prevent a visitor from cutting in, it is OK?

Just want to know because I would hate for Disney to lose me as a guest just because they do not let me cut the line once in a while.

[hopemax]

Based on my experience with refillable mugs at WL, I was very clearly told that they were good for this visit only. No ambiguity there.

You wanna hear my WL experience? The year was 1997. We (my parents, my fiance & me) were at the hotel just checking things out and grabbed lunch at Roaring Forks.

CM: "Are you interested in our refillable mug?"

Me: "We're not staying here, so no."

CM: "Are you planning to stay at WL in the future?"

Me: "Actually yes, my honeymoon next December."

CM: "The mugs are good for life, so you could buy one now and bring it back with you on your honeymoon."

Me: "I can! Great! I'll take one."

[MikePezz]

I just want to clarify something. I am not upset that Disney is enforcing this rule (if length of stay was the rule to begin with--which I debate--I was always told "the mug is good forever"). I am upset at the thinking behind the decision. Is stopping repeat refill offenders really the best place to be focusing on right now? Is the money saved going to be worth the time, effort, and frankly the ticked off guests? Let's get priorities straight dang it!

[DVC-Landbaron]

From limited memory, The Straw that Broke the Car #1 Back:

YoHo - rumor of eliminated Seven Seas Lagoon Water Shuttles
gcurling - EE
MikePezz – Refills

LandBaron – shortened hours (1998)

[airlarry!]

The correct timeline, Sir Scoop, is:

Mugs came out. Refillable forever (unstated in some cases, for sure). Big price of $7-10 PER MUG, and they hold LESS THAN 12 oz!! Don't believe me? Try it yourselves!

Then some people allegedly abused the use of a $9 mug with .10 of refills of drink. Don't belive me? Ask anyone who owns a nationally recognized franchise how much is the profit margin on a cup of cola with ice. But they changed the policy (or begrudgingly, they articulated the policy) that it was for same visits only.

Now, the alleged abuse of a $9 mug with .10 refills on the .1% of guests who fill up their suitcase with the five mugs they had from the previous trip at the exact same hotel leads them to UPC barcode the drinks?

I'm scratching my head here. They can't do BK. They can't add transportation options. They can't fix the lagoon. They won't do Pooh/Aquatopia here. They can't even have Mickey head butter.

But they can't spend whatever it will cost to implement a system to recoup the molehills of profits they have lost on this issue? If I sound a bit peeved, it is because I too was one of the ones who got mugs from the all-stars in 1995 and were told it was lifetime. How else would you convince a guy on a four-day trip that purchasing eleven (11!!!) mugs at $8 a pop was a good deal? You can't.

[DVC-Landbaron]

can't even have Mickey head butter.Don't ya just love it when Mickey head butter makes it into a thread!!! :bounce::bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[EUROPA]

I can help I worked my way though college at Chick-Fil-A as a manager in a couple of stores.

A large drink in most Fast Food places cost about 25 cents (cup, ice, ovehead, wages). Most of that is tied up in the cup and the overhead, the drink it's self cost very little. (Tea cost less). Drinks and Fries are the money makers for Fast Food places they make a killing on it and often is where the profit comes from. They make little money on the the big items like hamburgers, Nuggets and stuff like that.

Disney is almost 100% profft though, as they get the product almost for free( if not completly).

The numbers for attempting something like this really don't add up. They are just going to end up with a ton of customer complaints and may lose money due to more and more people just bringing their own.

If they do attempt this lets just hope the remeber to put the scanner so that you can scan your mug without having to turn it over. I can see it now you have to flip your mug over to scan it and all of the ice and drink that you did have in there is on the floor now. Which would also lead to more people dumping out what was left of their drink to just get more when all they wanted to do was top it off.

Another bad idea by Disney

[All Aboard]

I do think there is merit to the question: "What has been Disney's official policy?"

The policy is "during the length of your stay." Clearly that discourages future use.

BUT, I wouldn't be shocked if the REAL policy were for CMs to tell guests (when asked) that, yes, in fact you can use them in the future. ESPECIALLY when a purchase decision is at stake.

The one point that really makes me think so is that when anybody emails Disney and asks (quite specifically) "Can I use the mug in the future" I've never seen a response of "No."

In fact, I've never read where a CM, supervisor, manager or anyone has told a guest that they, in fact, cannot use the mug in the future.

Everyone always points to the "official policy". I really think there is a strategy there. Write a policy that discourages it (rather ENcourages future purchases of mugs) but, tell a slightly different story when pinned to the wall with the question.

If the policy were so strict, there's no doubt that CMs would be specifically coached to tell guests - no future refills. But that hasn't happened in the past and not even recently. Why not? Why do CMs routinely answer that you can use the mugs in the future. If this were the big problem that it now appears to be, I am CERTAIN that CMs would have been coached to properly answer the question.

I've even read where resort managers have said to guests that they love to see the old mugs, it means guests enjoyed the resort enough to return.

Again, I just don't get this sudden change of course paired with capital expenditure to enforce it. It doesn't add up.

[Badger Brent]

I will from now on bring my cooler stocked to the gills with bottled soda. This will mean less trips to the food court and less impulse purchases while I'm getting my refill. If I'm not mistaken, isn't Disney kind of built on impulse purchases? With my cooler in my room, I will probably also stock it with more snack items. I think this will be the way for more people going to Disney. Yes, I'm one of those who bought the mugs with the idea they were good for future visits. I purchased them for the following places, WL, DxL, CBR, All SP. Oh well, I can live with the new rules. But I bet this one is going to be tweaked in the months to come!!:o

[Zimbubba]

:) They should eliminate the mugs alltogether. Problem solved.:D

[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!...:jester:
:smooth: :smooth: :bounce: :smooth: :smooth:

[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.


:p

[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. :mad: :mad: :mad:

[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.

[manning]

Go over to the mouseplanet.com web site and click on reader feedback dated 6/21. Most of it is about refillable mugs. Someone also tells how to fill more than one mug.

[KNWVIKING]

I know I was told lifetime refills and at three different resorts. I can live with the fact that CM's may be misinforming guests and if I can't refill my old mugs,no biggie. But I think they should do something better then length of stay. A previous poster- and most UK guests, stay for two weeks while others stay one week or less but yet everyone pays the same amount for a mug. If they are doing a bar code sticker,then sell me a new sticker each visit for $5.00 if I bring my old mug. People have stated signs that say "free refills for length of stay", that statement does not exclude future free refills. It simply states one fact or feature of the mug. Now if the sign said " If you purchase the mug this visit it is only good for this visit,not every other visit and not ever at any other resort"- or something to that effect, then I think we wouldn't be having this discussion right now.

[All Aboard]

People have stated signs that say "free refills for length of stay", that statement does not exclude future free refills. It simply states one fact or feature of the mug. Now if the sign said " If you purchase the mug this visit it is only good for this visit,not every other visit and not ever at any other resort"- or something to that effect, then I think we wouldn't be having this discussion right now. Yes, thank you for posting this. I thought about this very notion this weekend, and forgot to post.

This is an example of very well thought through communication on the part of WDW. I don't think that it's an accident or a misstep on the part of so many CMs telling guests to use them in the future. Honestly, I think that's the real unwritten policy.

HOWEVER, to post the policy as written (and leave some ambiguity - and there IS some, the above quote is quite accurate) it can cause guests to think they should NOT bring their mugs in the future. However, if the guest asks he/she seems to always get the answer that it is ok.

This type of communication decision is made all the time. Proper framing is very important and from what I've read, it seems Disney spends more time on these types of decisions than anybody else. Heck, I've been party to many.

One thing that we don't know for sure. Who has said for certain that the bar codes aren't good forever? If so, that causes a problem for the old mugs of course.

Still very interested to see how this one plays out.

[paulh]

When we first used to get the mugs at all stars they used to have a date on them which i asumed was to mean use that year but they droped that they do alter the style of of mug ie big mug and smaller sports mug with sealable lid and new designs on them. But i have noticed that the main changes are at the value resorts as at coranardo,wildernes lodge and beach club ther desigins have not changed over the years.
Paulh

[Bob O]

Why doesnt disney copy something from a family park like Holiday World in Ind. and offer free parking and free soft drinks!!!!!! That park offers free soda/free parking and now this year free sun block to all guests. That park isnt going out of business so maybe disney could try something new and see what happens. Or would this cause the whole company to go bankrupt???