Refillable Mugs????

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

The Sentinal did report in 2002 that WDW was going to put bar codes on their resort refill mugs .
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From this Mouseplanet.com websiteJune,2002:

http://www.mouseplanet.com/mike/ref...icy_changes.htm

In an effort to rein in costs and increase income, the Walt Disney World Resort hotels are making some drastic changes to the extremely popular refillable mug program that may affect many repeat visitors to the resort.


[If you are unfamiliar with the program, you can read about it in MousePlanet's WDW Resorts from A to Z page under "Refillable Mugs."]

According to an article in the Orlando Sentinel entitled "32 ounces of soda not enough? Disney tries out self-serve refills," Walt Disney World is making large 32-ounce soft drink mugs available for free self-serve refills in Typhoon Lagoon. That's the good news. The bad news is that you can only refill your mug on the day of purchase. If you return to Typhoon Lagoon the next day, you can no longer refill your mug for free.

Disney has added a new UPC bar coding system to the self-serve refill stations that, for the first time, controls a previously unenforced policy. Although the refillable mug program has always been advertised as available during an actual length of stay that allows guests to refill their mugs during their trip, in reality, guests often brought their mugs back on subsequent trips to refill them free of charge. With the UPC code tied to a guest's hotel reservation, this new system closes this loophole altogether. That is, once your stay has ended, your mug is no longer refillable. Those mugs you bought on previous visits won't work next time you vacation at WDW.
Another loophole that may close with this new system is that you might not be able to use your mug at any other resort except at the one you are staying. For example, if you stay at one of the resorts for a few days and purchase a mug there, and then you move over to another resort for the balance of your vacation, the mug might not be refillable at the second resort.How will this new system be enforced? Once the UPC code system is fully activated, they can devise a system by which the fountains work only if an "active" UPC code is on the mug.

WDW visitors are already complaining that the new system is yet another line to stand in and just "more time-consuming nonsense cutting into [one's] vacation time."

Did you recently visit WDW and see this change in practice? If you have any first-hand knowledge or experience, please email me or Brian Bennett at brian@mouseplanet.com to provide us with more details.

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Here is another article written in June 2002:

http://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com/2002/06/24.html

Disney Mug Holders, Beware

"The new system of computerized monitoring of fountain refills being experimented with at Typhoon Lagoon could tighten a rather loose policy at Disney's resorts. They sell 16-ounce souvenir mugs for $9.99.

Guests may refill them at resort snack bars unlimited times with soda, coffee or tea for the length of their stay. Cashiers sell the mugs and then are supposed to keep a watchful eye as guests get their own refills.

But some Disney World employees and regular guests say they take the mugs on repeat visits to the snack bars and fill up -- basically a lifetime of free drinks for one purchase. They are occasionally offered on eBay and at garage sales, testimony to their timeless value.

Cashiers say the mugs' designs aren't changed enough for them to spot old ones. But the new system being tried at Typhoon Lagoon employs a bar code that's read electronically at the drink dispenser and recognizes old mugs." [Orlando Sentinel, via Boing Boing]

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And another from June 2002:

From this website:

http://www.intercot.com/news/2002/june.asp

News Archive - June 2002

June 27, 2002


Refillable Mug Policy Tightening?
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Disney is experimenting with a new computerized barcode system to be used in tandem with it's refillable mug program offered at their resorts. The program allows guests to buy a mug for each person in their party which then can be used for unlimited drink refills during their stay. The policy change could come as a result of Guests taking the mugs on repeat visits to Disney World to fill up on what becomes basically a lifetime of free drinks for one purchase.

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Just my 2 cents.

While it is true the Orlando Sentinal and the other sites you mention did report this about the bar codes at the Resorts and the water parks which they are using at Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, obviously it did not work at the Resorts for whatever the reasons were. Since these articles were written in 2002 and now that it's 2008, I think if they were planning on trying the bar codes again at the Resorts they would have done that already. Now that's just my opinion so if you disagree me that is your choice.

 

[mickaholic4077]

While it is true the Orlando Sentinal and the other sites you mention did report this about the bar codes at the Resorts and the water parks which they are using at Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, obviously it did not work at the Resorts for whatever the reasons were. Since these articles were written in 2002 and now that it's 2008, I think if they were planning on trying the bar codes again at the Resorts they would have done that already. Now that's just my opinion so if you disagree me that is your choice.

OMG!!! I actually agree with you on something!!! I guess it is true that great minds do think alike.

 

[ntsammy5]

OMG!!! I actually agree with you on something!!! I guess it is true that great minds do think alike.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Because it's not Disney! Somehow some people think it's worse to "steal" (their word) from Disney by filling a mug at a resort other than where purchased, even on the same trip, than to "steal" from Home Depot (or elsewhere).

I thought stealing was stealing. Whether it's LGMH's from Home Depot or soda from the beverage station.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

I thought stealing was stealing. Whether it's LGMH's from Home Depot or soda from the beverage station.

Well, to you and I and others it is. But evidently everyone does not think that way.

 

[minnie61650]

I thought stealing was stealing. Whether it's LGMH's from Home Depot or soda from the beverage station.

Well, to you and I and others it is. But evidently everyone does not think that way.

I agree

I made my own Green Mickey heads.
Here is a creative Mickey head thread on the DIS:

LGMH's to resize and print

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1810319


Also if you become a bronze or better DIS sponsor the DIS will send you 2 DIS pins.
I enjoy wearing mine when we go to the parks.

This is a photo of a DIS pin:

Here is the website if you think you might want to become a DIS sponsor:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/dis-sponsor/

 

[goofy4tink]

I thought stealing was stealing. Whether it's LGMH's from Home Depot or soda from the beverage station.

Welllll, I did actually paint my dd's room the same color as the lgmh's!!! It just took me a long time to decide...yeah, about 3 years!! But, I finally did buy the paint...so it wasn't really 'stealing'...it just takes a long time for me to choose..and I kept losing the paint chips so had to go back for more!!!


I have to say....now, with the policy the way it is, the mugs work pretty well. I like that I can buy one for a split stay..that was my big hangup. Hated buying one at POP and then one from my DVC resort. Criminy...I have 3 from DxL, 3 from POR, 2 from BC, 3 from Polynesian, 2 AllStarMusic, 3 POP, 1 TL!!! I so don't need anymore. I almost wish they would institute a bar code system. But, it would be breaking down all the time I'm sure.

 

[minnie61650]

....I have to say....now, with the policy the way it is, the mugs work pretty well. I like that I can buy one for a split stay..that was my big hangup. Hated buying one at POP and then one from my DVC resort. Criminy...I have 3 from DxL, 3 from POR, 2 from BC, 3 from Polynesian, 2 AllStarMusic, 3 POP, 1 TL!!! I so don't need anymore. I almost wish they would institute a bar code system. But, it would be breaking down all the time I'm sure.

I also like that guests with split stays do not have to buy new mugs.
That was my first thought when WDW switched to the universal mug.
The resort only rule was too costly for families who wanted to follow the rules but also wanted a split stay.

I have given the bar code idea a lot of thought.
It works fine for the water parks because guests need to buy a new one each day they go to a waterpark ,but guests on adverage only go to the water parks once or twice a trip.

At the present time the bar codes and machine readers are changed daily.

So until WDW could figure a lenght of stay barcode guests would need to buy a new bar code every day.

Many guests like being able to get up in the morning, grab their mug, make a quick stop at the food court for a quick refill before hitting the bus stop.

Imagine if those same guests had to take their mugs and stand in line every day to buy a new bar code.

I think there would be many unhappy guests.

JMHO

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Many guests like being able to get up in the morning, grab their mug, make a quick stop at the food court for a quick refill before hitting the bus stop.

Imagine if those same guests had to take their mugs and stand in line every day to buy a new bar code.

I think there would be many unhappy guests.

JMHO

That could be one reason why having the bar code system in place at the Resorts would not work, because it sounds like a huge inconvenience to the guests.

 

[ntsammy5]

At the present time the bar codes and machine readers are changed daily.

If Disney had ANY concerns about refillable mugs, it would be very, very easy to come up with a solution to this -- such as making each bar code good for 30 days from date of purchase. After the 30-day period, longer than most visits, drinks would no longer be dispensed.

This is only a problem on the boards, Disney obviously could not care less or they would address the situation. I doubt that more than a fraction of a percent of these mugs ever shows up at the resorts again. Personally, I couldn't be bothered bringing them back again. For those few people who do, bon apitite!

 

[tiggersmom2]

This is only a problem on the boards, Disney obviously could not care less or they would address the situation.

Exactly!

 

[magic mouse]

I can't beleive this thread is still open.................... I have been bring the same mugs down since they started the refillable mug program.................... Disney CMS don't care. Bring your mugs back and have fun on your trip!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Yeah I am surprised too that this one is still going. In the end, I agree, Disney probably doesn't care or they would find some way to police the whole issue. Its more of a disboards thing. The vast majority of WDW guests don't know about disboards, pool hopping, mug reuse and abuse, and proceed to buy the mugs, use them and then throw them away or leave them in their room.

I also agree that in theory, its wrong to steal. There are certainly creative ways to justify and crucify people on their choices. In the end, you have to do what you think is right.

I'll confess, once I did a split stay (actually three resorts in 10 days) and I had one night at All Star Music. I reused my Pop mug from earlier in the trip at the ASMU drink station for one diet coke. I justfied my criminal behavior (hey, stealing is stealing my mom told me so) by saying that I was okay to do this since earlier that day Boardwalk had managed to lose my luggage during the transfer. They did find my luggage by the way. I am now thrilled that they have one mug, we split stay almost every trip so that's a nice thing for my family.

In the end, I enjoy these fascinating threads, post on them, generally state its not allowed and then laugh at my own two faced answer since I myself did a mug reuse abuse a few years ago. I wouldn't have thought much about it but since I am a disboarder I expected any minute for someone to pop out and say "HEY AMY&DAN, YOU KNOW BETTER YOU ARE SO CAUGHT IN THE ACT" I literally slunk over, cased the joint out and felt just like I did the day I forged my mom's signature on a fake note excusing me from gym!

 

[minnie61650]

.....If Disney had ANY concerns about refillable mugs, it would be very, very easy to come up with a solution to this -- such as making each bar code good for 30 days from date of purchase. After the 30-day period, longer than most visits, drinks would no longer be dispensed.

At this time the 30 day idea will not work for everyone.
The machine readings have to match the bar code.
If they changed the machine readings and the bar codes on the 1st of every month what happens to the family who bought the mug on the 28th and is staying for 10 days?

Their mugs will be locked out after 4 days.

It just is not as simple as we may think.

 

[iuki]

Well, to you and I and others it is. But evidently everyone does not think that way.

Although I agree with you, I believe that if you were to take a poll on the disboards, you would find that we are in the minority. I found that out when I said that children jumping on beds at hotels is not appropriate behavior. I was raked over the coals by some posters. I was made out to be an ogre.

Just because the CMs don't enforce the rules, doesn't mean that Disney (as a business) doesn't care. It comes down to profit or loss. Guess why the cups cost so much more than they did a year ago?

Cruise ships charge $6 per day to have unlimited soda. Disney is cheap by comparison.

However, topics like these appear to be a moot point on disboards.

iuki