Disney Introducing RFID Refillable Mugs Starting This Month (07/13)!

[rock_doctor]

Darn, the downside.. No more debates on mug cheating.

Let wait and see... I bet the debate will still go on... Personally, $18 is too much for me so no more mugs but i plan to sit near the soda machines and watch those who do not read signs try to figure out why their old mug doesn't work... Kinda like sitting at the boat ramp and watch people chuck, place or throw their boats (and sometimes their cars) in the water...

 

[captainjen]

 

[wolf29]

We will be checking into Pop on August 19th. Not sure whether this will be in place there by then, but I am assuming that even if we wind up with non-RFID mugs, we will be able to use them at all resorts. Has anyone seen info as to when they expect to have the system in place at all resorts?

 

[scbelleatheart]

It really doesn't matter to us. I know it has been argued to death but we were told our original mgs would be for a life time at the resort they were purchased at. They really should think things out long range better like split trips, a new mug how many times?
We'll still use our old mugs but filled with our own Pepsi products. Don't glare and think we are stealing though. Disney could make soda free and we wouldn't drink Coke.

 

[rock_doctor]

It really doesn't matter to us. I know it has been argued to death but we were told our original mgs would be for a life time at the resort they were purchased at.

We also have a set for the CR. The point is how do you convince the manager of the restaurant to clear your mug. I would be interested to hear how you make out. It was nice, back then you could put everything into the mug...including slushies... Imho, it is stupid...why make you buy a new mug each trip. Why not just sell the rfid stickers that you could put on any of the past mugs. If the one day costs $9 then it would make sense the mug is $6-7 alone. Anybody would pay a dollar or so a day for unlimited drinks. The mugs are about 12oz so the machine could dispense 12oz max each usage to make sure you did not come up to the machine with a 1gal coffee mug... There is always a way to make the process much more user friendly and still make them money.

See we can debate anything...

 

[Marionnette]

We also have a set for the CR. The point is how do you convince the manager of the restaurant to clear your mug. I would be interested to hear how you make out. It was nice, back then you could put everything into the mug...including slushies... Imho, it is stupid...why make you buy a new mug each trip. Why not just sell the rfid stickers that you could put on any of the past mugs. If the one day costs $9 then it would make sense the mug is $6-7 alone. Anybody would pay a dollar or so a day for unlimited drinks. The mugs are about 12oz so the machine could dispense 12oz max each usage to make sure you did not come up to the machine with a 1gal coffee mug... There is always a way to make the process much more user friendly and still make them money.

See we can debate anything...

I'm not a Disney bean counter but I think the reason would be more closely aligned to that resale/eBay market. If Disney sells a mug for $8.99 for a single day's use, how much of that goes to pay for the mug itself and how much goes to pay for the beverage?

Now, assume that I got a "free" mug with my free dining this fall. But I have friends/family/co-workers who will be going to Disney in December but not with a dining plan. I could loan/sell/gift my mugs to them if the mugs could be re-used by just paying a few dollars to add more days onto their use. Can you see where Disney would be losing money on the sale of a brand new mug to my friends/family/co-workers? There are enough people who would do this that it could impact the bottom line.

It may not be the most environmentally-friendly thing to do, but this move sets Disney up to maximize their profits on the sale of drink mugs. I really don't think that they care about the few cents worth of soda that people who re-use their mugs take every year. What they care about it how it cuts into the profits that could be realized by selling those people (and their friends/family/co-workers) another mug on each visit.

 

[manning]

It's free. Ever wonder how much free is factor into the room rate.?

 

[mjlewis23]

Am I the only one slightly creeped out by the fact that now my wrist will have an RFID, my mug will have an RFID, etc?

 

[rock_doctor]

Am I the only one slightly creeped out by the fact that now my wrist will have an RFID, my mug will have an RFID, etc?

not much you can do about it. We don't plan to do the mugs anymore nor plan to get the band but the room key will still have an RFID chip in it. They want convenience. What amazes me is the amount of bandwidth they are going to be consuming. Between the registers, soda machines, park gates and so on...all of this stuff has to be networked and be able to talk to their servers and check the appropriate accounts. It is actually quite fascinating...

 

[secretpantssam]

I'm not a Disney bean counter but I think the reason would be more closely aligned to that resale/eBay market. If Disney sells a mug for $8.99 for a single day's use, how much of that goes to pay for the mug itself and how much goes to pay for the beverage?

Now, assume that I got a "free" mug with my free dining this fall. But I have friends/family/co-workers who will be going to Disney in December but not with a dining plan. I could loan/sell/gift my mugs to them if the mugs could be re-used by just paying a few dollars to add more days onto their use. Can you see where Disney would be losing money on the sale of a brand new mug to my friends/family/co-workers? There are enough people who would do this that it could impact the bottom line.

It may not be the most environmentally-friendly thing to do, but this move sets Disney up to maximize their profits on the sale of drink mugs. I really don't think that they care about the few cents worth of soda that people who re-use their mugs take every year. What they care about it how it cuts into the profits that could be realized by selling those people (and their friends/family/co-workers) another mug on each visit.

But Disney would still be making more money than they are now with the same scenario. I'm not trying to start a fight or anything, I just think it is a good idea to allow you to reactivate old mugs from now on. You're still paying for the drinks. If I went on more than one trip in a year I'd be more likely to pay activate my old mug than to buy a new one with the same design on it.

 

[DocWes]

Am I the only one slightly creeped out by the fact that now my wrist will have an RFID, my mug will have an RFID, etc?

Maybe in the future the RFID mug will have a special lid that will read the RFID chip in your magicband and only let the mugs owner drink from it.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Maybe in the future the RFID mug will have a special lid that will read the RFID chip in your magicband and only let the mugs owner drink from it.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

But Disney would still be making more money than they are now with the same scenario. I'm not trying to start a fight or anything, I just think it is a good idea to allow you to reactivate old mugs from now on. You're still paying for the drinks. If I went on more than one trip in a year I'd be more likely to pay activate my old mug than to buy a new one with the same design on it.

The thing is, I think Disney is considering that the cost of the mug to Disney is probably $2.50 to $3.00, so they're also getting a profit on the mug every time if they make us buy a mug to get free refills. (Not trying to argue, but I've worked for a casino with an entertainment component and worked for a retailer, and I've watched how some of their devious little minds spin. . .)

What they may not have taken into consideration is that the mug pattern is the same old same old they've been having. I know I'm not alone in reconsidering my refillable mug purchase based on that alone - the souvenir factor is gone for me.

If DH and I decide against purchasing the darn things, they won't realize a profit on the mugs OR on our drinks. (We can get EXACTLY the soft drinks we want at SuperTarget and bring our good Louisiana coffee with us from home, thank you very much.)

I think possibly Disney merchandising doesn't care much about the frequent return customer, but at least THIS return customer wants a new mug design or the economics just aren't worth it.

 

[wolf29]

The bottom line is that Disney is a publicly traded company with a responsibility to it's stockholders to make money in an ethical way. If this system, and the fact that you will not be able to use mugs from previous trips, is the best business decision for the bottom line, then there really is nothing wrong with it. Members here have screamed about folks cheating the system by bringing mugs from home, going to different resorts (Something that happily will be allowed in the new system!), etc. Now that Disney has found a way to enforce their own rules, they get knocked for the decision. They are also making the mug more affordable for the guest that only spends 3 days there. I certainly agree that I would like to see the design changed up, but I applaud the new system.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I don't mind the system, but won't be spending that kind of money until they get a new design.

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

Didn't including mugs with the dining plan cut down on offenders? I would hope so. Last year, the people in front of me checking in were told the mugs were included in their dining plan. Their response was, "We brought our own." Anyway, add me to the list of I already have this design and will be getting more of it. We were able to obtain the current design with the orange, green, purple tops. POP had those the week we checked in, a few years ago. Last year, black, pink, turquoise. I have two trips coming up. Maybe there's hope for a new design in September.

 

[sweetdana]

didn't including mugs with the dining plan cut down on offenders? I would hope so. Last year, the people in front of me checking in were told the mugs were included in their dining plan. Their response was, "we brought our own." Anyway, add me to the list of i already have this design and will be getting more of it. We were able to obtain the current design with the orange, green, purple tops. Pop had those the week we checked in, a few years ago. Last year, black, pink, turquoise. I have two trips coming up. Maybe there's hope for a new design in september.

lol!!!!!!

 

[Mary7116]

The refillable mugs are bulky & heavy. They do not hold much & to carry them to/from my resort rm to food court is usually a hike. IMO I'd prefer it if the mug was lighter & held more liquid then it would be worth it.

 

[livie1205]

What will that do to the reg paper cups for your drink with your meal? Do u now have to buy a mug to have a drink with your food? That is going to be a PAIN... I would bring my case of water and not buy anymore soda, easy fix.

 

[vicki_c]

What will that do to the reg paper cups for your drink with your meal? Do u now have to buy a mug to have a drink with your food? That is going to be a PAIN... I would bring my case of water and not buy anymore soda, easy fix.

They're going to have paper cups with a chip.