Please Explain the Resort Mugs

[Disneyholic]

Disney's reply

An E-Mail back from Disney saying NO doesn't necessarily mean they are right either.

I E-mailed Disney about Disney Quest being included in the Premium Annual Price and they said NO, it is only included in the length of stay passes. I wrote an E-mail back asking why it is included according to their Official Web Site and they never got back to me on that one. I came here to the Dis and asked if anyone had used a Premium Annual Pass for Disney Quest recently and I got many YES replies. If it's not included how did all these people use it and why is it listed as included on the Official Site.

The CM's at the Disney Store said it wasn't included and that's why I E-mailed Disney. That's why so many people say that the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing at Disney.

 

[Geoff_M]

DMRick,

The "mug debate" dates back probably to the origins of the mugs themselves. Threads flare up on his board probably every 3 or 4 months on the topic. Over a year ago there was even one that reached up to 300+ posts (if memory serves me correctly). In these thread there have been people that posted that they were told "No".

"The wink and a nod" was not meant literally. That was an expression to mean "when an employee ignores a policy for whatever reason" or as you said it "Sometimes, owners give managers the right to 'not go by' the rules."

I have no idea why either the CM's haven't been properly trained with regards to the policy, or if they have been told to ignore it unless there is obvious abuse. But since I know from the uniformity of the "one mug, one resort, one visit" replies from HQ that it is the policy. disneyholic, you may have gotten one incorrect answer out of WDW HQ, but several people over time have all gotten the same response on the mugs.

So I guess where should we as individuals draw the line? Your personal experience says that WDW does enforce the "one resort" rule, but a number of CMs tell people that the mugs are good at ANY WDW resort and people report seeing others do it without being stopped by CMs. So how to we interpret that? Maybe you should take your old mugs from the other resort and give it a try and see if you're told "No". I'd say your odds are probably 4 to 1 that you'd be OK. Some people have been given the impression that it's OK to loan them to others to take and use at WDW. Others even go so far to think that it's OK to buy used ones off eBay and take them.

So what a guy to do this all these options? To me the final arbitors are the ones that run the joint... and the message from them is consistent... and that's what I stick to. But it's a free country and I won't think your soul is in mortal danger if you don't agree.

 

[tigger'spal]

If you stay in concierge you don't need a mug

 

[Geoff_M]

tigger'spal,

That's probably the first new idea offered in a "mug debate" thread in a long, long time!!! Congrats!

 

[DMRick]

If you stay in concierge you don't need a mug

If I could afford that, who would worry about carrying back a mug LOL.

On eBay, eh? Was that something you've seen or were you being facetious ?

 

[Geoff_M]

I'm dead serious.... I haven't done it in a while, but go search on "Disney Mug" or "WDW Resort Mug"

Update: There's none open for bidding but here's some recent ones:

ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1090387114

ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1090378373

Looks like the winners could save a few bucks.



edited to remove links to commercial sites

 

[DMRick]

You gotta love those eBayers..my bread and butter. They pay more with shipping than they can buy it at the resort. Now I know what to do with my old ones (I'll even toss in some little containers of jelly, and some tabags) if I never go back to those resorts..(kidding..I'm just kidding!)

 

[Geoff_M]

eBay's amazing... But the ones I posted were for two mugs each. So at those prices the new owners would save a couple of bucks over buying them new.

 

[MrsPete]

Regardless of what Disney's policy is about lifetime usage vs. length of stay usage, I don't think the mugs are a very good bargain.

Consider:

I can buy a mug for about $10. Let's say I'm staying a week. I'll get a soda first thing in the morning (even though I'd rather have juice or milk), a soda when I come back to my room after lunch, and a soda in the evening. So let's say that I'm drinking 21 sodas in my week -- that's kind of pushing it, I think. Yes, I'll probably have sodas at the parks, but my mugs are useless there. That means that the sodas are .476 apiece. Plus I have to run downstairs to pick up the sodas (and probably buy a cookie while I'm there -- that's part of the plan!), and I have to wash the mug out in the hotel sink.

But there's a better choice:

I can bring sale-purchased sodas from home. Just about any day I can get a 12-pack of Cokes for 1.99, which makes them .165 apiece. Plus I can bring some individual bottles of juice, some water, some milk juice-boxes -- this lends some variety and is healthier. Ice is free, so you don't really need a refrigerator.

I am making a couple assumptions here, of course:

1. I assume that you're not going to use the mug on a return trip. Personally, I'd rather visit a different resort, so the lifetime thing wouldn't be a big deal to me anyway.

2. I assume that you don't care about the mug as a souvenier. Personally, I don't. I don't need one more plastic cup in my cupboard.

3. I'm assuming that you're driving, and thus you have room to add a couple cases of drinks. Even if you're flying, however, you can make a grocery store stop, or you can have netgrocer.com deliver drinks right to your hotel room.

 

[DMRick]

I noticed that they were for two mugs, but with shipping, it's still abotu the retail price, only they are used (assuming).

The mugs don't work out for everyone..but we usually spend time at the resort as well as parks, and use our mugs for hot choc, coffee, soda and lemonade (I'd love if they had juice and milk, but those items are much more expensive to offer). We've done the coffee pot thing, and it's messy and smells up the room (not all of us like coffee). Before we leave for the parks, we fill our mug, and dump it in the thermos type container we bring to the parks.
We have brought our soda as well, for when we are away..but then it's a trip to the store, gas money (if you have a rental), and time, and more expensive using netgrocery...and usually some are left behind, because it's a drag to bring them on the plane. But you're right, they aren't for everyone.

 

[gabylin]

Wow I really thought I'd be able to bring back my old ASMO mugs
this year. Hmmm maybe this is my excuse to stay at a different
resort???? Can't use my ASMO mug well then we gotta stay at
the Poly!! J/K

DMRick- I really like your clipart

 

[2ndvice]

I stayed at the ASM in 1999 and purchased 2 re-usable mugs. They were the best thing..coffee in am ..soda in pm. I am thinking about taking them back this July..we will be staying at POR. I have no problem buying new ones but if I can use these then why not?

 

[DMRick]

I stayed at the ASM in 1999 and purchased 2 re-usable mugs. They were the best thing..coffee in am ..soda in pm. I am thinking about taking them back this July..we will be staying at POR.

As big a proponent as I am for bringing back and using your mugs (although I always ask at the begining of my new trip in the food courts)..that is only for the same resort. I have never heard of any foodcourt CM okaying the use of another resorts mug. If you were stayng at another AS, I would say you would not have a problem..but I think the chances are very good, you will be asked to not reuse your mugs at another resort (but then who knows..maybe they won't...after all I've seen some strange things being filled..albeit that seems ot happen at the AS resorts..when visiting ohter resorts, I've not seen this). I think that is beyond the "gray" area of the rule, and may be a time when they invoke the rule. You'll have to let us know if they "OK" it.

 

[ellyn2000]

We purchased them @Contemporary and AllStars Movies and were told by the CM's at both that they could be used at the resort they were purchased at for any future stays as well. I intend to take my AllStars mugs back on my 11/2002 trip and will use them unless told at that time by a CM that I cannot. I would never do something that it's posted not to do, but I will do what I'm told I'm allowed to do.

 

[DMRick]

I would never do something that it's posted not to do, but I will do what I'm told I'm allowed to do.

I don't think you're going to be a happy camper then..it is posted just as you walk into the food court, at each of the AllStars, that it is for length of stay only. However, I do ask, and have been given the OK, so far, each time.

 

[shinyhappy]

Are the mugs at the Dolphin limited to just one visit too? We bought ours in Jan, and are going back this summer. I don't remember a sign saying that they were just for the length of that visit.

 

[ellyn2000]

If it's posted at the Food Court that it's for the length of stay only, I'll certainly abide by that. I'm not much of a rule breaker. I bought the mugs as a nice souvenier and it's convenience on the trip I bought it on. I just happened to be going back to the same resort and thought I'd use them again since we had been told we could. If not, I'll just buy another because it is a good value when you add up all the drinks we would have bought at meals eaten in the Food Court.

 

[2ndvice]

Now thinking about the whole mug issue again and whether to buy or bring from last trip, my hubby and I decided if $20-$30 is going to break us to buy new ones then we shouldn't be going in the first place. My kids look at them as a remembrance of the trip anyway!/ Besides, Disney gives us so much, that I dont want to be one of those people you see that tries to get something for nothing. Thanks all for your advice ....

 

[MrsPete]

Here's what I think:

Disney's original plan was to allow guests to bring their mugs back for future vacations. When they first came out you heard it all the time -- no qualifications to it.

I think Disney assumed that people would choose to visit different hotels, lose their mugs, forget their mugs . . . in other words, the majority of people wouldn't bring them back. I also doubt they counted on mugs being sold on ebay!

Now it's looking like more people are using mugs on return visits, so they're sort of changing the policy . . . at least that's what it looks like to me.

 

[Bob NC]

I'll go with the official Disney response I've seen posted that mugs are good for the length of your current stay.

I also use the JDSR rule....

It Just Don't Seem Right that the mug is good for life.


If you see me hauling an old mug around year after year on vacation to get some free soda.....well, just shoot me....