Refillable mug and Covid-19

[buzzgirls&dad]

Just wondering how WDW will handle these mugs as so many people get the mugs with their meal plan and as souvenirs. McDonald's announced that they were closing the self service drink stations, so it made me wonder about WDW. It's such a huge touch point and I've definitely seen my fair share of people drinking out of their mug before they put their cap back on. No matter how much you wash the mugs they're not sanitized. I would think these are a huge revenue generator and they would have to restructure the meal plans if they were no longer part of the plan. Maybe a CM stationed at the soda machines? Thoughts?

 

[Meglen]

I can see them changing it to a "free drink" voucher at resorts. So you will get a cup of what ever you want how many times you want as long as your voucher is good.

 

[Lisann]

I'm sure this program will be completely changed, if at all still available. They will definitely have to tweak it.

 

[Sue M]

The cup doesn’t touch the spout where the soda comes out does it? You just put the cup on the platform and push the button. Only contact point with cup is the bottom. Unless I’m remembering wrong.
I can see them having hand sanitizer station By the machines to use before and after.
Parents would have to supervise kids and not let them go up to machine.
Its not going to be good having to wait in a queue every time you want a drink at the resort.

 

[kylenne]

The cup doesn’t touch the spout where the soda comes out does it? You just put the cup on the platform and push the button. Only contact point with cup is the bottom. Unless I’m remembering wrong.
I can see them having hand sanitizer station By the machines to use before and after.
Parents would have to supervise kids and not let them go up to machine.
Its not going to be good having to wait in a queue every time you want a drink at the resort.

The problem isn’t just the Freestyle machines, at the old style self serve fountains the edge of the cup still does touch the contact point. Capt Cook’s at the Poly still has the old fountains as well as all of the pool refill stations iirc. But as much as I hate to lose my Coke with Lime no way can I see using a Freestyle machine again either. And I hate to say it but good luck having parents supervise kids anywhere on property. Yikes.

 

[vinotinto]

They'll probably change it so that you don't get a plastic, reusable mug, but instead you have a virtual "mug" credit loaded to your MB and you get a drink in a regular, fresh, disposable cup, whenever you want.

 

[Sue M]

The problem isn’t just the Freestyle machines, at the old style self serve fountains the edge of the cup still does touch the contact point. Capt Cook’s at the Poly still has the old fountains as well as all of the pool refill stations iirc. But as much as I hate to lose my Coke with Lime no way can I see using a Freestyle machine again either. And I hate to say it but good luck having parents supervise kids anywhere on property. Yikes.

I’d use the freestyle then hand sanitizer.

 

[suemom2kay]

The clerk will issue you a paper cup when you display your refillable mug. Some places did this before. Easy peasy.

 

[suemom2kay]

The cup doesn’t touch the spout where the soda comes out does it? You just put the cup on the platform and push the button. Only contact point with cup is the bottom. Unless I’m remembering wrong.
I can see them having hand sanitizer station By the machines to use before and after.
Parents would have to supervise kids and not let them go up to machine.
Its not going to be good having to wait in a queue every time you want a drink at the resort.

When I worked in the hospital as a nurse. If my patient wanted more water they were given a new cup. We didn't take their dirty cup to the ice/water machine and refill it. We considered all patients contagious regardless. The same holds true for all humans in our post covid-19 world. No refillable mugs mingling together at the coke machine. I'd bet on that for sure!

 

[suemom2kay]

The problem isn’t just the Freestyle machines, at the old style self serve fountains the edge of the cup still does touch the contact point. Capt Cook’s at the Poly still has the old fountains as well as all of the pool refill stations iirc. But as much as I hate to lose my Coke with Lime no way can I see using a Freestyle machine again either. And I hate to say it but good luck having parents supervise kids anywhere on property. Yikes.

Not to mention, the liquid and ice splashes.

 

[Sue M]

Well looks like an Uber trip for me to Publix to stock up a drink supply in my room.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I can't see any problem using refillable mugs. You are the only one touching the mug from the time you buy it until it is time to go home. The touchscreen on the Freestyle machines and the buttons on the regular dispensers would be the contaminated areas, not the mugs.

 

[creativeamanda]

Starbucks even stopped filling people's drink cups early on. I'm thinking that it will be transferred to a voucher system and perhaps even a cast member at the drink machines filling them. I don't see us being able to fill our own mugs.

 

[cobright]

I can't see any problem using refillable mugs. You are the only one touching the mug from the time you buy it until it is time to go home. The touchscreen on the Freestyle machines and the buttons on the regular dispensers would be the contaminated areas, not the mugs.

Then someone mostly finishes their drink, gets a refill, then decides it needs more ice... now their residual saliva and backwash has been hit with a handful of high-speed ice cubes, splashing all over the area, the hand of the guest and pooling up in that little gutter. Now the guest sees there's too much ice and shakes a bit out, and with his still-wet hand hits the button to dispense a bit more soda to top them up.

This, or something much like it, plays out every day at every soda fountain if you watch long enough.

 

[Mickey king]

On the cruise you are not suppose to use your own cup. Use the ones there and dump it into your mug.

 

[Randy Miller]

Is there an update from anyone staying there now? At the DVCs?

 

[Engineman02]

Saw somewhere there is a cast member will fill a paper cup with your beverage of choice, hand you the cup which you can pour into your mug.

 

[chad_1138]

Saw somewhere there is a cast member will fill a paper cup with your beverage of choice, hand you the cup which you can pour into your mug.

Yep. Just saw it on the latest DFB today.