**CONFIRMED** Rumor About the Resort Refillable Mugs!

[andyman8]

For those that have always worried about vacationers using resort mugs over the course of multiple trips, you MAY not need to worry anymore.

There are some "very credible" rumors going around about Disney embedding RFID chips within the refillable mugs. This would mean that WDW would have readers under each drink dispenser (where you place your cup) that would detect your drink. Guests not using the resort mug will get three refills in addition to their initial drink.

Additionally, Disney will introduce new pricing for the mugs.

One-Day - $8.99
Two-Day - $11.99
Three-Day - $14.99
4+ Days (length of stay only) - $17.99

The mugs are now in use at some resorts and will be in full use at all resorts by the end of the month. Here are some pictures from WDWMAGIC.

 

[spodie]

This doesn't mean much to me, as I am more of a water drinker than a Coke drinker, but I know that this has been one of those ongoing debates here on the boards.

I was staying at All Star Sports two or three years ago when they were testing these machines out, but nothing ever came of it, so I figured that keeping tabs on the drinks were more trouble than it was worth. Maybe now that RFID is becoming a bigger part of a Disney vacation, they are revisiting the whole thing...it will be interesting to see what happens...

 

[Tiggr924]

3 refills seems very inadequate. What if you like to mix drinks or something to that affect? We just got back from CBR and they were constantly out of ice... maybe they should fix that problem first

 

[Leigh123]

If the chip is going to be in the mug (which I am leaning towards thinking it wont be, but rather in the band), this could have something to do with why they haven't changed the design for years.....

 

[DisMama3]

Would you not be able to have unlimited iced water then (which is what we used our mugs for when on the DP)? Also, would this apply to coffee and hot chocolate as well?

 

[focusondisney]

$18 each for 4 days of soda seems pretty pricey to me. Especially when the mugs are so small (don't hold very much) & the refill stations aren't that convenient at all the resorts.

 

[jcarwash]

Would you not be able to have unlimited iced water then (which is what we used our mugs for when on the DP)? Also, would this apply to coffee and hot chocolate as well?

I'm sure water could be dispensed without the RFID requirement, and I'm not sure to expect that they would install coffee machines with the RFID system too, but we'll see. If not then you'd likely be able to use the mugs for coffee the same way as before. During the 2011 test at All-Star Sports, only the soda dispenser used the RFID tech, not the coffee machines or hot chocolate machines.

 

[jcarwash]

$18 each for 4 days of soda seems pretty pricey to me. Especially when the mugs are so small (don't hold very much) & the refill stations aren't that convenient at all the resorts.

Agreed; if accurate this is about a 16% hike over the current $15.49 price. I guess with the rumored pricing you'd "benefit" if you bought a mug for a stay shorter than four days, but I'd guess you have many of your guests staying something closer to a week and wanting length-of-stay...unless they have a dining plan with mugs still included...who knows if that will change too.

 

[DisMama3]

I'm sure water could be dispensed without the RFID requirement, and I'm not sure to expect that they would install coffee machines with the RFID system too, but we'll see. If not then you'd likely be able to use the mugs for coffee the same way as before. During the 2011 test at All-Star Sports, only the soda dispenser used the RFID tech, not the coffee machines or hot chocolate machines.

I only ask as the water is on the sprite attachment on the soda machine (at least it was at CBR). Good to know about the test with coffee and hot chocolate (we do a January visit haha).

 

[dpswift]

Although the 4 and up day pricing seems high, it would be great to have a cheaper price for short stays. We did not get the mugs in February because we were only there 3 nights and it seemed to expensive.

 

[goofyintoronto]

This has been the longest running rumor known to man. its been a "rumour" for quite some time now. As someone stated, they tested this out at AS Sports a while back already but nothing ever came out of it.

 

[ConnieB]

They ran an experiment with these not long ago.....at an All Stars I believe. During the experiment there were people frustrated because they had "split stays" where they started at one hotel and then moved to another....same trip, but Disney was considering that two visits and you had to repurchase the mug for your second hotel. This certainly addresses that concern because now you buy the mug for the length of your stay instead of where you are staying.

$18 for 4 days of soda sounds high....but when you break it down it's $4.50 per day....... a bargain compared to their "regular" price for soda which is usually $2.79 per drink.

Now I don't quite understand the statement "Guests not using the resort mug will get three refills in addition to their initial drink". If it means that you pay $2.79 for a single soda and get to refill it 3 times...that is a HUGE change.....it is a rare place where you can refill that $3 drink....so if you now get 3 refills....well THAT may be the better bargain than the mug, unless you are a serious soda drinker.

The first time I read that statement I thought it meant you could only refill your refillable mug 3 times, lol.

Anyway....Disney is loving this RFID technology because with it they can and will track your every move.....the marketing department is drooling over the data they will have. Think about your computer....I went and just casually checked out an item....just fantasy, never gonna afford it type looking....and for the last several days that's all I see in the ads on various news pages and such......obviously the ad folks think if they show it to me a few more times I'll decide to buy it, lol. Disney will be able to know your every move in their parks....what rides you have gone on repeatedly, where you ate, even what you ate, maybe even where you window shopped and what items you paused at longer than others.......how they use this information to sell to you later is yet to be seen, but expect personalized emails about merchandise you looked at but didn't buy....and your PIN code will have a photo of the ride you rode most your last trip instead of the generic photo that might not entice you as much because it wasn't a favorite. Oh yes....drool is being mopped up by the custodial department in all marketing offices. This is big brother at it's finest (or worst depending on your end of things, lol).

 

[323sarg]

I am thinking smoke and mirrors here. Why would i just not use a paper cup then? And I thought it was unlimited refills with the mug.

Limit 3 is pretty low when you look at the size of those mugs. If they are going to charge that much money for a refill then they should look at making sure the can compare with a bottle of pop.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

The paper cups will have expiring chips. A random paper cup will get you nothing

 

[WillAustin]

I am thinking smoke and mirrors here. Why would i just not use a paper cup then? And I thought it was unlimited refills with the mug.

The mugs have unlimited refills. The limit of 3 would be for people not using the mugs.

 

[rustyanchor]

For those that have always worried about vacationers using resort mugs over the course of multiple trips, you MAY not need to worry anymore.

Do people actually worry about this very much? If so, they need to get a life and put things in perspective. I don't reuse the mugs but I don't care if anyone else does, it's really none of my business. I'm not the Disney resort hall monitor.

 

[Grumpy92]

This is the same rumor that has been going around for over a year. When they opened Art of Animation, the new mug system was supposed to be in affect. They use the same as other resorts. No special RFID mugs.
I guess we will have to wait and see if this goes into affect in the future.

 

[Mazz519]

Do people actually worry about this very much? If so, they need to get a life and put things in perspective. I don't reuse the mugs but I don't care if anyone else does, it's really none of my business. I'm not the Disney resort hall monitor.

Totally feel the same way, who cares what other people do when ME and MY FAMILY are on vacation.... Have a drink and hang out by the pool......Just saying

 

[ConnieB]

Do people actually worry about this very much? If so, they need to get a life and put things in perspective. I don't reuse the mugs but I don't care if anyone else does, it's really none of my business. I'm not the Disney resort hall monitor.

I'm not sure "worry" is the correct word...I think its obvious reading these boards that it annoys the daylights out of some people. Keep in mind that if the "rule" is the mug is for "that visit only" and someone brings it back again and again and again, then basically they're stealing from Disney.....and that means that Disney has to keep raising the prices, so in essence it does make a difference to others. Same as when some punk steals food from the store....YOU are eventually going to be paying for his food because the store will have to keep raising prices to make up for the food that has disappeared.

For me...don't care about the drinks cause we don't drink soda...so as long as they don't start charging for a cup of ice and water, I'm good. But, yeah, it can be annoying to know that others are cheating the system and that I'm going to eventually have to pay for them......same frustration I feel over those who cheat the tax system.....or those who use the ER because they don't have health insurance, because that makes my ridiculous health insurance price go up, and my taxes too...so double whammy, because someone thinks they deserve something the rest of us don't. Same frustration many feel when they spend an hour staking out a spot for the parade and some idiot shoves his way with his kid into your spot. Or those who make 5 ADRs for the same day because they don't know when/where they're going to want to eat, so they make a bunch to keep their options open....but that means the rest of us can't get a reservation at these places....and when they don't show up at 4 of them, Disney has empty tables....which means higher prices eventually because they had employees standing around, and food that may be wasted.

I think the point is, I doubt people spend their vacation obsessing over all this...but they certain seem to get annoyed about it.


hmmmm...and I guess we could say the same about you rustyanchor....because it apparently bothers you that people are annoyed about this, or you would have just moved on to another thread instead of made a rude comment, lol.

What goes around, eventually comes back around, eh?

 

[Planogirl]

They would actually go through the expense of offering paper cups with chips? Wow.