Just back from Contemporary/Pop Century......blatant misuse of refillable mugs

[kevind65]

This is always an interesting debate. I will start by saying that we always buy new mugs each year as we think they make nice souveniers and we use them alot throughout the year at home. I will also say that there are many of us who have been going to WDW for a long time that remember when it was disney's policy to tell guests that the refillable mugs were good for LIFE and that you could bring them back and use them. I understand that disney is now making some effort to debunk this by posting signs that say they are only good "for the length of stay at the resort they are purchased at"; but, shouldn't disney be held accountable for the promises they made in the past. This would be the same as any other purchase you make from any other company in the world that gives you a lifetime guarantee; they can't just decide to change a couple of years later and not honor that gaurantee can they?
This is a large portion of the problem as I see it because so many people have been told so many different things over the years. I think that if it were a substantial problem for disney, they would take steps to limit or eliminate the perceived abuses of the system.
Also, I'm curious as to how others out there feel about split resorts stays(during the same trip) and the refillable mugs as we often split our vacation between two resorts: Should you have to purchase two seperate sets of mugs? or should or could disney institute a "length of stay" mug? just curious as to others thoughts on this...

 

[dis4me]

My Dh and I were just discussing this on our way home from our trip to POP last week. On the DCL you pay $5 a day for a mug. We never buy them. Personally I don't drink soda and dh and dd can live with only having soda at dinner and drinking tea and water the rest of the day. However at WDW you can buy a mug for $12 and use it your entire stay. We stayed 8 nights so drank free for that time out of the three mugs we bought. However my dd who doesn't drink anything refilable had to purchase either an water or a chocolate milk everyday at $2.25, where on the cruise she can get both for free everyday. The whole thing doesn't make any sense.
We own mugs from each resort we have stayed in. I have never seen blatent stealing like I did this time though. People were filling baby bottles out side soda cups, All Star mugs(one woman did approach the man with the all sat mug who rudely told her that when he bought the mug the first year ALL STAR Sports opened he was told he could use it there or any sisiter resort for life and he considered Pop to be a new sister to the All Stars)
My children were brought up to be honest so it is very dienheratening to have them witness this.
Sorry for rambling.
BTW The new Pop mugs say good for the stay in which the mugs were purchased so I think Disney is making an effort to clarify this.

 

[jarestel]

Maybe Disney should just add the price of a refillable mug to everyone's room cost and announce that soda and coffee are free in the food courts for all resort guests.

 

[Cathy baby RN]

Jennie in TO.........we only used the bus during our stay. We parked our car when we got to PC and never touched it again until we left. I really think this is one of the perks of staying onsite. We never had to wait more than 5 to 10 minutes for the bus. PC is very close to MGM and Epcot. The only time we had to stand was after Illuminations at Epcot. We could have waited for another bus,but didn't mind standing because the trip back was so short.


Another thing about the mugs. We bought the mugs at each resort we stayed at when we split our stay. The majority of our stay was at the Contemporary, where we purchased our first set of mugs. Even though we were only at Pop Century for a few nights, I would never have considered using my Contemporary mug there. We purchased the PC mugs. I love the "travel mug" style and like someone else who posted, use it when I get home.

Also, the majority of the mugs I saw were the old orginal syle All Star mugs with the big star on them.

 

[Geoff_M]

BTW The new Pop mugs say good for the stay in which the mugs were purchased so I think Disney is making an effort to clarify this.

"To dream the impossible dream!...." I doubt this will change the CMs' behavior any more than when they posted large signs a few feet away.

...shouldn't disney be held accountable for the promises they made in the past. This would be the same as any other purchase you make from any other company in the world that gives you a lifetime guarantee; they can't just decide to change a couple of years later and not honor that gaurantee can they?

In a legal sense, I don't think you can "make" Disney give mug owners free drinks for life. I don't think the verbal utterance of a entry level employee ora food court manager is considered a binding contract. Is there a PR headache if Disney starts enforcing the long standing policy? You bet. But that's another issue.

As I've said before, effectively Disney has a "Free Soft Drinks For Resort Guests" program. Short of posting a few signs, sending form letter e-mails in reply to e-mailed queries about the mugs, and adding a sentence to some of the mugs as they are re-designed, that's all the effort WDW is willing to make in this area. They continue to allow their food court personal and management to openly undercut their own policy, so.... I've stopped caring about the issue for the most part. Other than my family not re-using mugs, that's all I'm going to do about it. I'm not going to get worked up the next time I see someone with an old mug, 7-11 mug, Universal mug, McDonald's cup, etc. filling up at the resorts.

 

[Hawk]

Originally posted by Geoff_M
" I've stopped caring about the issue for the most part. Other than my family not re-using mugs, that's all I'm going to do about it. I'm not going to get worked up the next time I see someone with an old mug, 7-11 mug, Universal mug, McDonald's cup, etc. filling up at the resorts.

Geoff_M: I guess this is the most sensible approach and will probably be the one I will now follow. What else can we do?

Hawk.

 

[2minny]

I agree with you all, some people just don't have see anything wrong with it, it's like it was never taught to them, they're not convicted when they do wrong. I for one would feel so terrible! It's the same people that cut in line, cram 10 people in a room, etc. We stayed at all-star sports last visit and there was a LOT of that stuff going on, we're going to try a more expensive place this trip, hoping that will help. Maybe sometimes people can't REALLY afford the trip, so they try to cut corners, but it's still wrong.

 

[annieh6]

2minny
I agree with you, and we saw the same stuff at All Star Movies in July. It WAS the same folks who were cutting in line, had 7+ sharing a room and were stealing from the food court. As a brief ray of sunshine, we are friends with one of the bus drivers, and he passed along the information ( to his bosses) about folks walking to the front of the line when Epcot was closing. The next night, and for the remainder of our trip, there was a male employee posted at our bus stop who bravely went to those cutting in line and put them at the back of the line. When they complained he answered that they could wait for the next bus and be at the front of the line! He told me that things had really gotten out of hand for the sake of stats. Too bad they are losing money on those who are room cramming!
I still think that bar codes, or paying for mugs in the package are the only way to prevent theft. There must be a way to show our feelings about this to those at the top, not that they will care. It will always bother me.

 

[Hawk]

Originally posted by 2minny
we're going to try a more expensive place this trip, hoping that will help. Maybe sometimes people can't REALLY afford the trip, so they try to cut corners, but it's still wrong.

I agree 2minney. Believe me, I am more than satisfied and grateful for the great discount saving ideas given on these boards. Maybe some people should wait until they can afford it rather than break the rules ("moral rules") in order to get by. I have several times suggested to my wife that we should switch to a deluxe in order to escape such conduct. However, she likes the food court availability for the kids, Bob the piano player, and the ambiance of POR. I also like being able to get two connecting rooms for a reasonable price. I have also read that similar conduct is seen at Yacht & Beach Club, Boardwalk, and Poly. Therefore, I don't think that all those in a mod or value resort approve of such conduct. Maybe we can't escape this behavior and it is the ugly part of the human race which we have to learn to live with. As an earlier poster stated we can be proud of the values we pass on to our children and in turn be proud of them.

Hawk.

 

[dandave]

Sweeet Jeebus!
I have never heard so much "holier-than-thou" #@^^ about mugs. Maybe these people were told that the mugs were good for a lifetime. Maybe they just don't know any better. Maybe they were filling the paper cups they were sold with their meals. Maybe they actually were intentionally stealing. Who knows??
IMVHO, either position yourselves at the mug refill stations as self-appointed Mug Police or get over it. Chances are that if you did try to verbally apprehend every "evildoer" at the soda fountains, WDW would have *you* thrown out for a disturbance and not the evil- wrong-mug-fillers.
To suggest that these "evildoers" pack seven to a room at the less expensive resorts and steal anything not bolted down is just too funny.
"Barney.... you didn't take that bullet out of your pocket did you?"

 

[Hawk]

Sorry dandave, didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Maybe we should check in with you first to see if its ok to post as I see you have positioned yourself as the "holier-than-thou" #@^^ post police!

Hawk

 

[dandave]

That's OK, Hawk.
Post whatever you like. I am merely a Dis member.
Sometimes it does help to see how your written words are making you sound, however. Just trying to be helpful!
Carry on, please!

 

[Hawk]

Thanks for the insight dandave

Hawk.

 

[dandave]

You're so very welcome, Hawk!

 

[DebbieB]

When we stayed at CBR in October we bought new mugs. I was amazed that people were using All Star Mugs, Port Orleans mugs, 7-11 Mugs, any mug or bottle would do. Going past the "refills for life" argument, I don't think anyone can say they they got a deal at 7-11 that included free refills for life at Disney! CM's were around the beverage station, wiping stuff up and making sure everything was working, etc. Never said a word. They do sell regular cups for one time use but they can identify those.

When I stayed at CSR, I believe the beverage station was before the cash registers, I don't think you could pull that there. I think the food court there was much more secure than CBR. At CBR, you could very easily walk away with a whole meal and not pay for anything. That food court was totally redesigned a little over a year ago, why would they leave an open end where you can just walk out?

 

[Shelby5514]

I've read somewhere that Coca-Cola provides Disney with FREE products in return for being exclusive at their parks.
For the record, we either buy new mugs or buy just buy a drink. I do think that people take the free refills too far when useing old mugs/other mugs.

Shelby5514

 

[Cathy baby RN]

"I have never heard so much "holier-than-thou" #@^^ about mugs"



I'm just stating what I saw......call it what you may.

 

[Hawk]

Originally posted by Cathy baby RN
"I have never heard so much "holier-than-thou" #@^^ about mugs"

Hey dandave - I think you've coined a new phrase!

Hawk.

 

[Gabrielle]

It's mildly annoying seeing people scarf great quantities of catsup, coffee creamers, butter pats, -- and free drinks.

It would be more annoying listening to CMs "correct" guests.

 

[Sammie]

Due to the confusion over what was told to some when they purchased their mugs I really don't have a problem with bringing the old mug back to the "same" resort or even refilling the paper cups from that resort.

But what I have seen, as others have, is people filling Thermos mugs from 7/11, empty coke liter bottles etc.

However as someone stated, this is actually Disney's problem and until they address it and control it, it will not stop.

Some will take advantage of a situation until they are forced to stop and I have seen it happen at the Value resorts and the Deluxe resorts and really think it has nothing to do with the ability to pay and more about what some think they are "entitled" to for free.