Refillable cup at the parks?

[ldoogie]

So we are going to US/IOA and I read about the cup you can buy for about ten bucks and get unlimited refills on Orlando Informer. He says the cup is good for life. Universal is telling me that it's only good for one day but people try to refill day after day...so they are cheating right? Basically this cup is the same situation at WDW with the resort refillable cups?


There are 5 of us, 2 adults and 3 boys. How many cups should I buy? 2? 3? I really don't even want to spend $30 per day, almost $100 for our 3 days in soda lol. Maybe I will get 2 and then just also get water when we eat?

Any advice lol?

 

[pookadoo77]

We are getting 1 for the 2 kids to share. For us, you can bring in those collapsable water bottles empty or a unopened bottle of water and anywhere with fountain drinks you can refill with water. I also carry starbucks via to add and single drink packs to mix with the water!

 

[DorianDonP]

If you are talking about these

Then yeah you can use them forever. I bring mine every trip. It's not cheating. I think buying 2/3 and sharing them is the way to go. That's what I do.

 

[cieslack]

If you are talking about these

Then yeah you can use them forever. I bring mine every trip. It's not cheating. I think buying 2/3 and sharing them is the way to go. That's what I do.

That's what I have. You have to pay just under a buck for a refill. I think the OP is probably confusing these with the new Freestyle cups that are good for unlimited refills for one day (renewable at a discount for subsequent days)

 

[ldoogie]

That's what I have. You have to pay just under a buck for a refill. I think the OP is probably confusing these with the new Freestyle cups that are good for unlimited refills for one day (renewable at a discount for subsequent days)

I am so confused lol. So there are 2 cup options.

Freestyle cup with unlimited refills for ONE day

Or

Refillable cup good for ever and each time it's 99 cents

Correct?

When I called Universal to ask they said you are only supposed to use it one day but people cheat and keep getting refills.

 

[macraven]

any mug you buy at the darkside is considered fine to use for the discounted refills....

i bought my dueling dragons mug when the ride first opened.


that is the mug i bring with me on my trips.

yes, i pay the refill price and use that mug.



and i show my ap for the discount on the discounted refill price.

 

[bumbershoot]

I am so confused lol. So there are 2 cup options.

Freestyle cup with unlimited refills for ONE day

Or

Refillable cup good for ever and each time it's 99 cents

Correct?

When I called Universal to ask they said you are only supposed to use it one day but people cheat and keep getting refills.

Correct, two different mugs/prices/policies.

It's not really cheating when TMs tell you it's good forever and other TMs fill it forever.

Freestyle cups are used in the machines, and you get all sorts of combinations of different sodas. With the red cups you go to a soda place and pay for what you want and they pour it for you.

 

[DorianDonP]

I am so confused lol. So there are 2 cup options.

Freestyle cup with unlimited refills for ONE day

Or

Refillable cup good for ever and each time it's 99 cents

Correct?

When I called Universal to ask they said you are only supposed to use it one day but people cheat and keep getting refills.

Correct.

Maybe the 99cent/refill cups are supposed to be for the day, I never saw it advertised as such. But that def isn't enforced. The first time I was offered the cups, I was told by Universal employees that I could use them forever.

 

[ldoogie]

Correct.

Maybe the 99cent/refill cups are supposed to be for the day, I never saw it advertised as such. But that def isn't enforced. The first time I was offered the cups, I was told by Universal employees that I could use them forever.

Ok thx!

 

[rpbert1]

Correct.

Maybe the 99cent/refill cups are supposed to be for the day, I never saw it advertised as such. But that def isn't enforced. The first time I was offered the cups, I was told by Universal employees that I could use them forever.

Like this post, when we bought ours quite a few years ago, we where told we could keep bringing them back when we visit

 

[SammySlythers]

Like this post, when we bought ours quite a few years ago, we where told we could keep bringing them back when we visit

Same with me. The red cups now do have a little warning saying they're only valid for one day but the TMs never enforce it and usually tell people to bring them back multiple days. The warning is only there because in the near to distant future Universal will do away with the red cup system and the Freestyle cups will be the only options. (like years away at this point.) At that point they would enforce the one day only rule and stop selling the red cups so everyone was forced to buy freestyle if they wanted soda.

 

[MIChessGuy]

Is the refill discount on soda offered at Fast Food Blvd.? Will, e.g., Krusty Burger refill my 3-year-old butterbeer mug for 89 cents or whatever?

 

[pookadoo77]

Returned yesterday and the butterbeer mugs and red refill bottles look exactly the same still. Wish I had brought my red bottle. Both are .99 cent refill everywhere we went with fountain drinks. Did not spend much time at springfield though. All of the money Matt Groening receives from the profits of Springfield area is donated to charities an employee was saying.

 

[*LittleMermaid*]

The souvenir cups have always been free refills for that day not every day for the rest of your life. Most team members don't enforce the rule and that is why I would not be surprised when the red cups go away forever... Even the Transformer's and Simpsons souvenir cups are supposed to be valid for free refills on the day that you purchase them only. But TMs do not enforce the rule.

 

[cieslack]

Returned yesterday and the butterbeer mugs and red refill bottles look exactly the same still. Wish I had brought my red bottle. Both are .99 cent refill everywhere we went with fountain drinks. Did not spend much time at springfield though. All of the money Matt Groening receives from the profits of Springfield area is donated to charities an employee was saying.

Don't know about Groening, but Sam Simon has terminal cancer and is giving much of his fortune to his foundation.

 

[cieslack]

Nobody is deceiving anyone. For the time being the mugs are being refilled. As long as they knowingly allow the mugs to be used beyond the day of purchase THAT is the rule. As has been said, the disclaimer on the cup allows them to put a stop to it at any time, but until then...

 

[macraven]

The souvenir cups have always been free refills for that day not every day for the rest of your life. Most team members don't enforce the rule and that is why I would not be surprised when the red cups go away forever... Even the Transformer's and Simpsons souvenir cups are supposed to be valid for free refills on the day that you purchase them only. But TMs do not enforce the rule.

i see your point and it is a valid one.

i've gone enough years to see the promos come and go.

i thought that beverage cup promo was only valid for the day of purchase.
i assumed that the park guests went along with the UO policy and didn't let it linger on for an entire trip or next visit.

i bought the blue mug for the dragon challenge ride and used it on trips.
my mug was bought in 1999.

i did not get free refills but paid a discounted price of a dollar for rerfills.

i was told by the vendors that the character mugs were valid for life and could be used for future visits with a charge.

not seeing others use those type of mugs, i left mine at home on some of my later visits to the darkside. i heard talk then the plan was changed. so i started to leave that mug at homel


hopefully, a lead will retrain the TMS with the new policy regarding the new correct policy on the beverage drinks.

The TM's can get everyone on the same page and do it the correct policy way.

i have no problem with changing the sysetem they have now in place


sooner or later someone at UO needs to correct the system and make it work right.

 

[*LittleMermaid*]

The problem that I see is when you find someone try to enforce the rule only to have the guest get upset because they have been allowed to refill their cups for months.

 

[damo]

i see your point and it is a valid one.

i've gone enough years to see the promos come and go.

i thought that beverage cup promo was only valid for the day of purchase.
i assumed that the park guests went along with the UO policy and didn't let it linger on for an entire trip or next visit.

i bought the blue mug for the dragon challenge ride and used it on trips.
my mug was bought in 1999.

i did not get free refills but paid a discounted price of a dollar for rerfills.

i was told by the vendors that the character mugs were valid for life and could be used for future visits with a charge.

not seeing others use those type of mugs, i left mine at home on some of my later visits to the darkside. i heard talk then the plan was changed. so i started to leave that mug at homel


hopefully, a lead will retrain the TMS with the new policy regarding the new correct policy on the beverage drinks.

The TM's can get everyone on the same page and do it the correct policy way.

i have no problem with changing the sysetem they have now in place


sooner or later someone at UO needs to correct the system and make it work right.

I don't think there ever were free refills, like you said. I think if refills were free, there would be different rules. The fact that you still have to pay $0.99 for each refill, still gives them a profit.

It does state on the cup that it is good for day of purchase only but I have never, ever heard of anyone not being allowed to purchase a refill. This is the same for the popcorn buckets. Nobody every asks to see your receipt to check your purchase date, and there are no identifiable dates on your actual souvenir cup.

Just like the old WDW fastpasses where what was printed on the pass was different than what was actually enforced, I'll stick to the rules of the TMs.

 

[goofyfigment]

In June the tms were actually advising that the red cups and popcorn buckets could be refilled for the discount price as long as you had them