Previously Purchased Resort Mugs

[G00fyDad]

Selling old mugs on E-Bay for free soda seems a little much for me.

Where at?? I gotta get a mug! Free soda!

They'll probably sell for twice the $ you would normally pay.

 

[Lewisc]

Where at?? I gotta get a mug! Free soda!

They'll probably sell for twice the $ you would normally pay.

Save your money. Paper cups or 7-11 mugs work fine.

 

[G00fyDad]

I actually had a freind once walk into a conveinence store and hold his mouth up under the coke dispenser and hit the bar.

 

[maryliz]

:They'll probably sell for twice the $ you would normally pay.

Shhhhh ... don't tell anyone that ... how do you think I financed my last trip to WDW! Oh wait, that's not it because I DO reuse my mugs at the resorts I purchased them from. Stayed at WL for the first time so had to buy 4 new mugs ... and hey, they really do say that on them (I'm drinking water from it as I type so thought, hey I should look) My AS and CBR do not have any writing on them, and I've bought them in 2002 and 2003 respectively. In fact, in 2002 when we told the CM at the drink stand that we didn't know when we'd be back again, her response was "well, you need to come back soon ... it would be a shame for those mugs to just collect dust in your cupboard at home ... they NEED to come back and be used". So yes, Disney has their official policy, but they have also decided (be it amongst select CM's or not) that it's not worth their trouble. And I say this because they receive countless emails from people regarding this, and have done nothing to enforce an obvious change in policy. And if telling people they can reuse them nudges the customer to purchase them, they know they are ahead of the game because how many of those guests who buy a mug every day actually remember to bring 'em back, or stay at the same resort? And to some, I'm no better than the Big Gulp or bread bag people but I'm going on what I was told by many different CM's ... so I'm the one who has to decide what's right for me.

 

[G00fyDad]

Here's the answer to this whole thing. (I think) Correct me if I am wrong but doesnt Disney tell it's CM's "Do whatever you need to do to make the guest happy."? If so, then it would be reasonable to assume that the mugs are not reusable, BUT CM's are allowed to tell guests that they are reusable as a "perk" for the guest. So therefore it becomes something Disney will willingly not enforce.

 

[Lewisc]

Here's the answer to this whole thing. (I think) Correct me if I am wrong but doesnt Disney tell it's CM's "Do whatever you need to do to make the guest happy."? If so, then it would be reasonable to assume that the mugs are not reusable, BUT CM's are allowed to tell guests that they are reusable as a "perk" for the guest. So therefore it becomes something Disney will willingly not enforce.

I agree Disney is not, currently, enforcing the drink policy. I can't picture any CM wanting to go go around telling people to stop sealing soda. I suspect enforcement might involve either a bar code system, getting rid of self-service beverage refills or at least moving them behind the check out counter and having the guests go past the cashier who will either allow the soda for free or charge, perhaps a reduced amount, to guests with old mugs or mugs from other resorts. Some guests, but not people from this thread, would just continue to steal soda even after being asked to stop. After all they were told free soda for life.

NO Disney doesn't tell its CM's do whatever you need to make the guest happy. Why don't you try to negotiate the price for park admission? Ask if you can enter EPCOT just for dinner and Illuminations without using a ticket? Ask if you can go in the FP line without a FP because waiting in line would make you unhappy? How about negotiating the price of a meal?

CM's don't want to be the soda police. Nothing to do with making guests happy.

 

[chobie]

I agree Disney is not, currently, enforcing the drink policy. I can't picture any CM wanting to go go around telling people to stop sealing soda. I suspect enforcement might involve either a bar code system, getting rid of self-service beverage refills or at least moving them behind the check out counter and having the guests go past the cashier who will either allow the soda for free or charge, perhaps a reduced amount, to guests with old mugs or mugs from other resorts. Some guests, but not people from this thread, would just continue to steal soda even after being asked to stop. After all they were told free soda for life.

NO Disney doesn't tell its CM's do whatever you need to make the guest happy. Why don't you try to negotiate the price for park admission? Ask if you can enter EPCOT just for dinner and Illuminations without using a ticket? Ask if you can go in the FP line without a FP because waiting in line would make you unhappy? How about negotiating the price of a meal?

CM's don't want to be the soda police. Nothing to do with making guests happy.

Do you really think WDW is concerned about their employees' feelings on enforcing policies? Like they sit around in the board room thinking, we should crack down on this soda stealing because its cutting into our profits, but heck since the employees won't like doing this we'll just let it go?

As for people stealing soda, if they were told they could refill and if they bought them before that policy was in effect how are they stealing soda?

I am glad I don't buy these things because I would hate to think that there people out there scrutinizing my cup to make sure its not last year's model.

 

[Dan Hill]

I cannot, for the life of me, understand why this would have any impact, whatsoever on the enjoyment you & your family have while on vacation.

 

[Lewisc]

Do you really think WDW is concerned about their employees' feelings on enforcing policies? Like they sit around in the board room thinking, we should crack down on this soda stealing because its cutting into our profits, but heck since the employees won't like doing this we'll just let it go?

As for people stealing soda, if they were told they could refill and if they bought them before that policy was in effect how are they stealing soda?

I am glad I don't buy these things because I would hate to think that there people out there scrutinizing my cup to make sure its not last year's model.

1) No I don't think soda is a board issue. I suspect the food manager doesn't have the staff to have a CM stationed to police soda usage and really isn't going to complain if the existing CM's don't want to bother confronting guests. I suspect cashiers are judged on speed and accuracy and I doubt they get bonus points for yelling at people taking soda. I suspect higher management doesn't want to spend the money for bar code readers to try to enforce a drink policy or spend the money to have one or more CM's to refill guests soda or at least watch them. Self-service beverage stations ALWAYS trade off reduced labor costs in exchange for some customers taking more product than they've paid for.

2) There have been signs regarding the soda policy for a long time. The consensus is around 10 years. I'd agree that people who bought mugs before the signs, who were told they could bring the mugs for future might have a case. I would say that a verbal statement by a CM shouldn't be taken as Disney policy that will extend for life.

3) People aren't scrutinizing the mugs of people who are stealing soda. 7-11 mugs, mugs from other resorts some old mugs are very obvious.

BTW--Many of the "mug police" fear that increasing abuse of Disney's generosity may cause the entire program to either be canceled or changed to a bar coded pay per day, length of stay policy. I wish Disney would either start to enforce the policy or just change it to a free drink policy. There are hotels that offer free breakfast, free coffe in the room and other amenities.

 

[chobie]

1) No I don't think soda is a board issue. I suspect the food manager doesn't have the staff to have a CM stationed to police soda usage and really isn't going to complain if the existing CM's don't want to bother confronting guests. I suspect cashiers are judged on speed and accuracy and I doubt they get bonus points for yelling at people taking soda. I suspect higher management doesn't want to spend the money for bar code readers to try to enforce a drink policy or spend the money to have one or more CM's who's job it is to refill guests soda or at least watch them. Self-service beverage stations ALWAYS trade off reduced labor costs in exchange for some customers taking more product than they've paid for.

2) There have been signs regarding the soda policy for a long time. The consensus is around 10 years. I'd agree that people who bought mugs before the signs, who were told they could bring the mugs for future might have a case. I would say that a verbal statement by a CM shouldn't be taken as Disney policy that will extend for life.

3) People aren't scrutinizing the mugs of people who are stealing soda. 7-11 mugs, mugs from other resorts some old mugs are very obvious.

BTW--Many of the "mug police" fear that increasing abuse of Disney's generosity may cause the entire program to either be canceled or changed to a bar coded pay, pay per day, length of stay policy. I wish Disney would either start to enforce the policy or just change it to a free drink policy. There are hotels that offer free breakfast, free coffe in the room and other amenities.

Okay, I can understand the CM not wanting to enforce the policy and the food manager not being concerned with the CM not enforcing it. What I don't get is why a CM would tell people they could use them wherever and whenever they want.

Wouldn't it be just as easy for them to reiterate the policy when they are asked? Why would so many be going out of their way to lie to customers?

I suspect it is what others have been saying that they want the mugs sold and if that means having the CM tell them they can reuse it then they tell them to say it. If this is the case, then I believe that is a verbal agreement that the Disney company has entered with the customer. If not legally so, I still can understand how people would feel it morally acceptable with taking the employee at their word.

I have worked in food service enough to know that the food manager is under constant pressure to keep costs down, so I have a hard time believing that Cms in vast numbers would be lying to cusotmers about the policy and the manager would allow this to continue or not even know it is happening.

 

[jarestel]

I think we paid about $8 for our mugs at the Polynesian back in 97. We read the signs then that said good only for the length of stay. Mugs are now going for something like $12 per mug. 50% increase in mugs in about 8 years. Think those pennies are adding up and Disney is now charging the rest of us for all the cheater???

CMs have been notorious for telling people the wrong information. Especially about the mugs.

Cheap, cheap, cheap. If you pay $2000 for your trip, you are spending less than 0.6% of it on a mug with unlimited drinks.

How much has everything at WDW gone up since 1997? It's quite a stretch to lay this on refillable mugs. ( By the way, I think coke prices actually decreased from 2.50 to 2.00 in 2004 didn't they? Am I remembering this correctly? )

 

[Lewisc]

What I don't get is why a CM would tell people they could use them wherever and whenever they want.

Wouldn't it be just as easy for them to reiterate the policy when they are asked? Why would so many be going out of their way to lie to customers?

........
I have worked in food service enough to know that the food manager is under constant pressure to keep costs down, so I have a hard time believing that Cms in vast numbers would be lying to cusotmers about the policy and the manager would allow this to continue or not even know it is happening.

Most of the quotes from CM's promising free soda for life go back before the signs. Very few credible posters claim to have heard CM talk about free soda recently. The quotes now are more like if that's what you were told when you bought the mug we'll honor it this trip. Why would some CM's lie? Layoffs, low pay might be two reasons.

It's been posted in many places that Disney gets the soda and coffee for next to nothing, in exchange for promotion. We don't know how Disney does the cost allocation but the managers may determine thatl keeping CM labor costs down will have a greater impact than reducing the consumption of product.

 

[poohluv]

You don't have to be perfect to not take something that isn't yours. I myself, would be embarrassed to walk around in perfect site of everyone, helping myself to drinks (I don't care how much they cost - 1 cent or $1) that I have not paid for. But I have now came up with a way to save some money on my next vacation - I guess those of you who reuse the mug wouldn't mind if I were to just walk up to your table and help myself to the hamburger on your plate - no big deal, just trying to save some money, after all I spend "an arm and a leg" on my Disney vacation.

Come off it people - those of us who do not agree with reusing the old mugs are not the ones who are "obsessing". It appears to me that those of you who are trying to defend yourselves are the ones who are obsessing and find it hard to accept anyone elses OPINION. I personally, only wanted to emphasize the point that I was p'd off that I spent $50 on mugs (also not the first time) only to see all these others spending nothing. Those of you who say it doesn't bother you at all - I'm sure there are things that do bother you that doesn't bother every other living person.

I think it is you opinionated, sarcastic people that need to get off your high horse. You don't have to slam and bang people who do not share your personal opinion! Yes, voice your opinion but it's really not necessary to be so rude and down right ignorant. Have a nice day....

Very nicely said! Bravo. I am new to this board, came here after seeing it recommended on another board. I must say, I have never seen responses so mean spirited on any other message board of any kind I have been on. It is truly unbelievable and unnecessary. In the two days I've been reading posts on this board, I can't really can't believe the number of threads that have been so miserably ruined by these people bashing the people who voice their opinion first. I'm sure not all DIS people are as mean spirited as some of the people who responded to the original post, but enough are to make me not want to be a part of it at all.

 

[maryliz]

And since we've been told the "reusable" policy when we weren't even asking, or considering purchasing mugs, I don't think the CM's phrasing can even be totally attributed to wanting to "make the sale". As I said before, a CM told us this when she was merely asking us when we would be coming back again. I'd already bought the mugs a week earlier.

The actual signs in the food courts have not been there for 10 years, or since some of the resorts opened. They have only started appearing in the last couple of years, along with the written message on the actual mugs.

MaryLiz

 

[jarestel]

I think it is you opinionated, sarcastic people that need to get off your high horse. You don't have to slam and bang people who do not share your personal opinion! Yes, voice your opinion but it's really not necessary to be so rude and down right ignorant. Have a nice day....

Nice slam and bang!

 

[Brwhite]

Whatever you do, don't use it at home. They are ONLY for use during your stay at the resort. If you use them at home, Michale Eisner will hunt you down and personally punish you mercilessly.

 

[G00fyDad]

NO Disney doesn't tell its CM's do whatever you need to make the guest happy. Why don't you try to negotiate the price for park admission? Ask if you can enter EPCOT just for dinner and Illuminations without using a ticket? Ask if you can go in the FP line without a FP because waiting in line would make you unhappy? How about negotiating the price of a meal?

There was no need for you to get smart here.
1) Yes, Disney DOES tell the CM's to do what needs to be done to make the guests happy. There have been multiple CM's HERE on these boards saying so.
2)It doesnt involve admission smartmouth. :
3)There is a thread entitled something like "Your BEST WDW theme park secret!" in that thread someone specifically stated that YES, they were allowed admission to the FP line without the fastpasses because rude people cut in front of them.
4)It didnt include meals either! You're kind of a snot arent ya? : It includes small things... Things like a new pair of Mickey ears that flew off akids head during a ride.

Geez.

 

[Brwhite]

There was no need for you to get smart here.
1) Yes, Disney DOES tell the CM's to do what needs to be done to make the guests happy. There have been multiple CM's HERE on these boards saying so.
2)It doesnt involve admission smartmouth. :
3)There is a thread entitled something like "Your BEST WDW theme park secret!" in that thread someone specifically stated that YES, they were allowed admission to the FP line without the fastpasses because rude people cut in front of them.
4)It didnt include meals either! You're kind of a snot arent ya? : It includes small things... Things like a new pair of Mickey ears that flew off akids head during a ride.

Geez.

If you read the thread "most shoccking things yyou've seen at the world" you'll see a few reports of people actually talking(read arguing) their way into admission

 

[jarestel]

Disney CMs, like employees everywhere, do what their bosses tell them to do. If Boss says watch for mug-refillers, they watch. If Boss says don't worry about it, they don't worry about it.

It's just not believable that we here on the DIS have been able to figure out that cost increases are specifically due to people refilling old mugs, but the Disney Company with all of its MBAs and other such business genius types doesn't seem bright enough to figure this out.

 

[G00fyDad]

If you read the thread "most shoccking things yyou've seen at the world" you'll see a few reports of people actually talking(read arguing) their way into admission

That wouldnt surprise me. But Lewisc was acting like I was saying CM's were just giving away free admissions. Which they do not do without a supervisors permission and I still cant even see it happening then. Maybe it has.