Napkins at WDW

[BillSears]

A napkin is a napkin, one with printed images on it will do the same thing as a plain one

And Expedition Everest would be the same if they got rid of all of the theming. People expect more from Disney.

 

[rock_doctor]

Has the toilet paper gone blank yet? Just kidding!

I am not sure how to respond to this one, except for...it better be. If it isn't I'm changing stalls.

We were there three weeks ago and they were the standard napkins but we don't eat in the parks but ate at the hotels. SO for the CR, Poly, WL and AKL they all had the old ones that said Disney Parks. I don't see them using blank ones, just too much of a loss of free advertisement. Everybody takes a hand full home... You give them to your kids in their school lunches, you take them to work for parties... Free advertisement for Disney. Maybe in your restaurant they ran out of the Disney ones and were using generic until they got more. I don't know when WDW runs their Fiscal years but most companies stop ordering supplies a couple months before the end of the fiscal year...so if their is the end of July they may have stopped ordering supplies in March or April... Who knows...

 

[beth5762]

We were there in June as well and one of the first things I noticed at the resort was the plain napkins. But, we did see the printed ones in a few places. I actually have a few that ended up in my bag after some meals and made their way home with me. I definitely will miss the printed ones if they're going away for good.

 

[maxiesmom]

And Expedition Everest would be the same if they got rid of all of the theming. People expect more from Disney.

Judging just by this thread, the problem was people were not just using the napkins as needed. They were taking extras home. Probably not really how they were supposed to be used. Multiply a few extra napkins by each guest, and it would be a ton of money!

Much cheaper to print blank ones. You save on the ink, and you cut out the cost of the extra napkins that were taken home.

 

[disnut8]

Having ink on a napkin is not that environmentally friendly. I remember my son giving my husband a royal ream-out when the husband came back from the grocery store with printed paper towels. So while some are saying this is bad for Disney, there are tons of dyes not making into a stream somewhere.

Yeah, I know that's ecologically "jam-down-throats" but I for one will not mind the change. I can get Disney magic from a million other things than a napkin. Maybe focus on the intangibles?

 

[atp]

Having ink on a napkin is not that environmentally friendly. I remember my son giving my husband a royal ream-out when the husband came back from the grocery store with printed paper towels. So while some are saying this is bad for Disney, there are tons of dyes not making into a stream somewhere.

Yeah, I know that's ecologically "jam-down-throats" but I for one will not mind the change. I can get Disney magic from a million other things than a napkin. Maybe focus on the intangibles?

I didn't know about the ink. Makes sense though, from that perspective I'm glad they did it.

However, they could always use embossed napkins instead. It would be pretty cool I think.

 

[KeroKero]

And Expedition Everest would be the same if they got rid of all of the theming. People expect more from Disney.

I do expect a lot of Disney, but not in terms of napkins. I have high expectations for atmosphere, cast members, attractions, souvenirs and food.

I can understand the loss of something as simple as a napkin (I have past napkins glued in some of my Disney World scrapbooks ) - but I can also understand the need to reduce the cost of them.

Example - A family of four goes to a CS meal and instead of taking maybe 2 napkins each and maybe an additional 2 each in case of spills and other mishaps, they take a handful - resulting in apx 30-40 napkins for one family! That's a lot of waste, cause most of them will be dumped in the trash when the rest of the garbage is dumped in the can.

 

[gator girl]

*cancels 3 trips already booked between now & Christmas*

*mails AP back to Orlando after putting it through the shredder*

 

[BlovesC]

Somewhere, someone who has a stack of 400 stolen napkins in their kitchen is reading this and shaking their head, calling Disney cheap.

 

[KrazeeK120]

1. Not using printed napkins is one way to keep costs down. It may not seem like much, but it all adds up. My guess is that the vast majority of Disney park visitors are like me...they use the napkin to wipe off their face/fingers and then discard it. What's the point of making something fancy when chances are way better than not that it's going to end up in the trash anyway?

2. It's more economically friendly to have unprinted napkins. I am not going to say that I'm the most green person in the world because I certainly am not, but I don't mind people making green efforts and it inspires me to try to be more green myself. I'm also wondering if the brown napkins are recycled. They may not be, but they're still better for the environment in any case.

I understand that things like napkins are a fun souvenir, but there are other fun souvenirs that come at no additional cost...your park tickets, Mickey Mail, soap/shampoo from the resorts, etc. Pressed pennies are extremely inexpensive and those are also fun souvenirs.

 

[Cafeen]

Somewhere, someone who has a stack of 400 stolen napkins in their kitchen is reading this and shaking their head, calling Disney cheap.

And checking out Ebay to see how much they can get for them.

(BTW, for the person who asked earlier, the TP is already blank, I checked the rolls that I brought hom....erm..nm! (JK) ).

 

[Glennie5]

Somewhere, someone who has a stack of 400 stolen napkins in their kitchen is reading this and shaking their head, calling Disney cheap.

Very good point!

 

[kaligal]

1. Not using printed napkins is one way to keep costs down. It may not seem like much, but it all adds up.

And it is one more little cutback. One less happy little moment for new visitors...and one more disappointment for fans.

Like you said...doesn't sound like much, but it all adds up.

Disney used to have better napkins. Then they got cheaper napkins, but still cute. Now we just have crappy napkins.

If this is what they have to resort to in order to keep stocks doing well, it doesn't bode well.

 

[mountdew1]

1. Not using printed napkins is one way to keep costs down. It may not seem like much, but it all adds up. My guess is that the vast majority of Disney park visitors are like me...they use the napkin to wipe off their face/fingers and then discard it. What's the point of making something fancy when chances are way better than not that it's going to end up in the trash anyway?

And what is the point of having custodial in the parks at all times sweeping and picking up garbage when someone else will just add more? Why not just have all the custodial staff only clean in the hours the park is closed? That would save significantly more money than the fraction of a cent each napkin costs.

I understand that things like napkins are a fun souvenir, but there are other fun souvenirs that come at no additional cost...your park tickets, Mickey Mail, soap/shampoo from the resorts, etc. Pressed pennies are extremely inexpensive and those are also fun souvenirs.

And how long until the soap/shampoo goes from being trial sizes with at least some relation to WDW to being one of the pump dispensers mounted on the side of the shower? After all people just wash their hands with the bar of soap a few times and then mousekeeping throws out the rest of the bar. In all honesty, when was the last time you finished up all the complimentary toiletries you used when in the hotel room? It's not the fact it was a souvenir, it was something that tied into the overall theme and experience. Heck, I can go to McDonalds and get napkins that are custom to McDonalds, is WDW really that hard up to save a few cents?

 

[disney1990]

I guess we will have to see if "ALL" the printed napkins are gone - Christmas, Food and Wine, etc.

As far as dyes, they can be environmentally friendly.

 

[PGHDisneyfan]

Humm they still had them a Pecos Bills in May?

 

[bytheblood]

Unless I'm mistaken, they were plain brown back in December, sob!

We noticed this in December, too. We figured it was another cost-cutting measure. However, this one I do understand. For something people wipe their mouths, messes on tables and dirty hands on and then throw them out - I think this is a great place to cut costs.

 

[kaligal]

Humm they still had them a Pecos Bills in May?

For all the people saying that they used to have them...Yes, they used to have them.

Now they don't.

That is kind of the point of the thread.

 

[bytheblood]

And it is one more little cutback. One less happy little moment for new visitors...and one more disappointment for fans.

Like you said...doesn't sound like much, but it all adds up.

Disney used to have better napkins. Then they got cheaper napkins, but still cute. Now we just have crappy napkins.

If this is what they have to resort to in order to keep stocks doing well, it doesn't bode well.

Then bring wet wipes with you.

 

[andyman8]

No offense, but this thread is a bit "odd," but that's all I'm going to say, because I don't want to be ripped to pieces.

One other thing is that the white napkins (with the DP logo) are still available at all TS locations and a few quick service restaurants, as of July 8.