Unless WDW does it differently than every restaurant that I've seen, they use local tap water and use carbon dioxide tanks to carbonate it and add the syrup at the fountainhead. One of the attractions of fountain drinks is the extrememly low cost to produce a cup of soft drink and therefore its high profit margin. That margin would be greatly erroded if instead of using local tap water, you had to pay to carbonate the water off-site (presumably using the same Florida aquifer water), put it in tanks, and then pay to have it transported to WDW. On top of that, if they weren't using tap water it wouldn't make sense to ship the water and syrup seperately. If they were going to do it that way, they'd mix the water and syrup at the plant as to avoid QA problems at the restaurant due to improper mixing. Also, logistically, think of how many tanker trucks of carbonated water would be needed on a summer day at WDW.Coke isn't mixed with local water, (bad tasting water) the carbonated water comes in tanks just like the coke syrup from the same supplier...the mixture of the two is regulated at each soda machine, the mixture can be effected if one of the tanks is low. (almost empty)
Originally posted by tink2
Well, it's a coke park- which suits my family fine. However, they don't have Dr. Pepper- which is a coke product- and it kills me by the end of the week!
Originally posted by crzy4mk
Unless I'm mistaken, Dr. Pepper is not a Coke product. Mr. Pibb is Coke's "version" of Dr. Pepper. The reason I know this is because my wife is a Dr. Pepper addict, and will not drink even a sip of Mr. Pibb. She was not a happy camper on our last trip!
Originally posted by flyinglizard
sidenote... Many years ago a good friend of mine who is an exec at Dl told me that the Coca-Cola contract gives Disney Coke for free, but they pay for the other Coke products. Don't know which side of the fence Diet Coke falls on, but I thought it was an interesting story.
Until someone in a position to know (WDW senior management, etc.) states that as a fact, it's nothing more than an internet and/or CM rumor. Most exclusive soft drink deals offer the outlet a percentage of their syrup for "free" ("One case free for every three purchased", etc.) Except for "Ice Station Cool" (which doesn't promote any Coke brands available in the US) and the "super sized" Coke cup in the AS resort, I'm not sure that WDW offers much more in the way of advertising that places that consume a lot more Coke syrup (and don't get theirs free), such as McD's, offers them.It is actually all the fountain soda that is provided for "free" (in exchange for the advertisement). All the bottled products are charged for.
Orville Reddinbocker provides the popcorn for free as well (or so I was told).
I think you're confusing a beverage maker (such as Coca-Cola) with a local bottler. Most soft drinks you consume aren't bottled by the company that owns the brand. It's bottled by a local bottler that has a license from the brand owner to bottle and sell their brand. In some cases, local bottles may hold the rights to bottle and distribute "minor" brands (such as Dr. Pepper, a local brand, etc.) along with one of the two "biggies". But that doesn't mean that Coca-Cola bottles Dr. Pepper. Your local Coke bottler might, but not "Coke".Cokes immitation Dr. Pepper is Mr. Pibb though they do distribute and bottle Dr. Pepper.