Refillable Mugs at FW-What you need to know! UPDATED 1-21-2011

[Shan-man]

TCD, I wanted to chime back in and say I appreciate you taking the time to work this up. As a matter of fact, I learned something... I learned that a mug I bought at a garage sale is actually a refillable mug! I had no idea. The Christmas 2007 is the one I have. I always thought they were bigger, but no. I never really cared since beer and Kungaloosh were not on the refill list. Anyhoo, thanks!

 

[Tri-circle-D]

You just have to trust this "oldster" on the life-time mugs as I have no picture of the sign to back me up. (Remember, back in the old days you had to buy film & pay for prints, so you were very choosy about what you took pictures of. )​

Originally, the mugs were sold as life-time. That was also when FtW had a 2 week limit for a stay - IIRC - around 1980-ish - maybe earlier?? If you wanted to stay longer than 2 weeks you actually had to vacate your site & go thru the check in process again. I don't know why they did that because back then, the Fort was never full and I believe that was before the cabins were installed.​

I have two of the original life-time mugs that are actually still in good condition. I also must say that I have the various resort themed mugs from each resort (except AKL) & I do buy the current "mug-o-the-year" just cause it eases my conscience (as my stay never ends). ​

I have only been questioned by one CM when I used my life-time mug at T.E. and had to ask for coffee cause the machine was out. The kid was "Earning My Ears" and told me (no, snapped at me) that my mug was "illegal" and he couldn't fill it. I didn't argue - I just asked for the T.E. manager who assured the kid it was okay to get me coffee as my mug was a life-time mug. I told the kid my mug was probably 10 years older than he was and to show some respect to the mug!! ​

Debbie- Thanks for sharing.

I appreciate hearing this from a Disboard regular.

I believe you.

The thing is, that anyone who has a brown pre-2007 mug can claim that the mug is a life-time mug. I know they were never life-time mugs during the time I have been a Fort regular (approx the last 15 years). If they did offer life-time mugs, I promise you I would have bought one. In my experience, the deal has always been offered only for the length of the current stay. Since most of our trips are weekend trips, I never bought the FW mugs, because back then, they only sold them in one place, and you had the ask a castmember to fill it. I figured that they might keep track of when a mug had been purchased, plus, it was a pain to have to ask someone to fill the mug. And, there was no discreet way to use a FW mug anywhere but FW.

I know that FW still honors the brown mugs, because I have seen folks using them every time I visit the Fort. If you want to see a sight, be at Trail's End at 7:30 am during the busy winter season. You will see all of the regulars with their brown mugs rush the door as soon as it opens.

Since the mugs have become universal, they are more useful to me, and we have purchased new mugs in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

But, if I ever get a chance to buy a used brown mug, I am going to get one!

TCD

ETA- I also wanted to comment on your statement about not having photos. That is so true. I have recently come across some photos that we took on some of our earliest FW trips. It is remarkable how few I used to take as compared to now. On some trips, I might have taken only five or six photos the whole weekend- and they generally are just of my kids doing something cute- not of stuff that would be interesting to look at now. Who knew that someday Al Gore's invention would provide a forum where these old photos could be displayed and enjoyed. Sometime soon, I will get those photos scanned on on the camping boards for all to enjoy.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

TCD, I wanted to chime back in and say I appreciate you taking the time to work this up. As a matter of fact, I learned something... I learned that a mug I bought at a garage sale is actually a refillable mug! I had no idea. The Christmas 2007 is the one I have. I always thought they were bigger, but no. I never really cared since beer and Kungaloosh were not on the refill list. Anyhoo, thanks!

FYI- The "Christmas 2007" mug was sold all of 2007. It's funny that you call it a Christmas mug, because I always thought the same thing- it looks like it was themed for Christmas/winter, but they sold it all year. At all the resorts. And then used the same design for all of 2008, just with no date.

You can't "legally" use it now, but I have seen folks still using the blue mugs on my visits to the Fort this year. And, I recall a poster here on this board reporting that a castmember told him it was OK to use the old mugs. But, we all know the castmember misspoke if he or she said it was OK.

TCD

 

[des1954]

The thing is, that anyone who has a brown pre-2007 mug can claim that the mug is a life-time mug.
You are absolutely correct on this one.

I know that FW still honors the brown mugs, because I have seen folks using them every time I visit the Fort. If you want to see a sight, be at Trail's End at 7:30 am during the busy winter season. You will see all of the regulars with their brown mugs rush the door as soon as it opens.
You are absolutely correct on this one, too!!

Since the mugs have become universal, they are more useful to me, and we have purchased new mugs in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
The whole reason we bought the resort themed mugs in the past was so that we could go to any resort's food court and not have to buy a drink. However, I do buy a new mug each year so I can be "somewhat" within the bounds of propriety!!

But, if I ever get a chance to buy a used brown mug, I am going to get one!

TCD

Every once in awhile the FtW brown mugs will appear on E-Bay. Do not buy the round, fat mug, as that is not one of the original mugs. The tall, skinny mug was the original "life-time" mug, and the grade of plastic used was shinier than the later mugs. The grade of "ink" used for the logo on the original mugs was different, too.

I'll have to rummage around in the attic, but when (and if) I do, I'll take pictures of the "generations of FtW mugs" and post them. There are differences - albeit - subtle.

 

[shafke]

I have always figured thast FW is the one resort where you would have the least opportunity to use the mugs. Most of the other resorts you can stop by the food court is more or less centrally located and have better hours than FW.

Before 11am and after 5pm it looks like you have to go all the way to Trails End for a soft drink since it looks like the Meadows trading post only has coffee and cocoa.

And it looks like after 10pm you are out of luck getting refills.

 

[MickeyRPI]

Great addition to the FAQ! Now all we need is a pool-hopping sticky thread, and that will cut the new posts in half.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Great addition to the FAQ! Now all we need is a pool-hopping sticky thread, and that will cut the new posts in half.

Hey, MickeyRPI. Haven't seen you post in a while. My son is graduating from the Tute next weekend - 30 years after his old man!

 

[MickeyRPI]

Something about the Troy waters and future fort fans eh? Hopefully they have better weather than my graduation. May 15th and snowing... the year they decided to have no indoor backup plan.

 

[graciejane]

My dad is one of those who was told the his mug was a life time mug. When we were there last spring, I asked him to be a "good example" to the grandkids and get a new mug like the rest of us. He did and used it once then put it in the cupboard and used his old one the rest of the trip because he likes the looks of it better. What are you going to do??
Thank you for putting this together. The refillable mugs can be confusing.

 

[Gatordad]

I'm that good

I saw that one coming a mile away!

But I didn't think it would come that quickly!



You are right! I don't know what came over me!

But, Shan, you don't need to worry.

I guarantee that there continue to be plenty of newbies asking about refillable mugs anyway.

TCD

 

[bobnjenn0828]

Thanks for the info!!

 

[4mickey2]

i'm confused...

i know where to buy the mug, what to fill the mug with, etc..

but, what i don't know is... who is going to take my mug to one of those places to fill it for me???

 

[Minnie&Mickey]

i'm confused...

i know where to buy the mug, what to fill the mug with, etc..

but, what i don't know is... who is going to take my mug to one of those places to fill it for me???

That's Jeff's job!!!

 

[GOBA Mom Lynn]

When we were just there, my DH asked about the rules for the mugs when we were buying ours at Meadow Trading Post, (why? when I already knew it all from the endless threads here on the DIS? ) and the nice, young CM said that they can be used at any resort since they all use the same mug, and that we could probably use it next year, as well! So apparently they aren't going to be changing the design for next year. A CM at the Meadow Snack bar told a woman who was asking about them the same thing about using them at all the resorts.
We used ours at WL's Roaring Forks when we stopped to buy our take-out dinner one night. If only FW had a counter-service place of it's own...

 

[Tri-circle-D]

FYI-I just edited post #1 to include two new photos, and some additional corrections.

TCD

 

[cnlmom]

I have no idea how I know this, but I just do.
The blue "christmas 2007" mugs could be refilled at the Meadow Snack Bar in April 2009. I understand that when you ask "are these mugs still refillable" the answer is a happy chirpy "yes they are, what would you like".

 

[Tri-circle-D]

I have no idea how I know this, but I just do.
The blue "christmas 2007" mugs could be refilled at the Meadow Snack Bar in April 2009. I understand that when you ask "are these mugs still refillable" the answer is a happy chirpy "yes they are, what would you like".

Interesting.

I have seen folks using the old blue mugs since the 2009 mugs have come out. But, not very many. I just saw two on my visit this past weekend.

Something tells me that you would get the same "happy chirpy" answer if you brought in a Six Flags over New Jersey mug and asked the same question.

TCD

 

[Shan-man]

I just searched out this old, but inordinately helpful thread and thought others might have use for it as well, so....

BUMP!

Thanks TCD!

 

[mreyes01430]

Hey Santa: (I have been good this year - I want a 2010 Camaro please!)

We were camping the weekend prior to halloween and at the trading post, my daughter wanted hot cocoa. They chraged us every morning around 1.75 per packet for it and we have the refillable mugs....... HmHm I guess it depends on who is behind the register at that time. Our mugs are about 8 years old - but they worked!!! Homemade Cookies will be left out!~~~

 

[2goofycampers]

We had hot chocolate almost every evening, by many different CM's with our mugs and were never charged. They were the new mugs.