Refillable Mugs - How often do you eat at the resort QS anyway?

[BillyBuckner]

I am trying to weigh the potential benefit of the Refillable Mugs for my upcoming 13 day trip to Pop.

Most of our ADRs are for dinner. I had therefore assumed that most of our lunches would be QS in the parks. On our non-park days I figured we would eat QS lunch at DTD or a resort

If we share meals at some of the places with large portions (Cosmic Rays, Flame Tree, etc) then I figure we might save enough dining plan credits to do at most one or two breakfasts at the food court. Most of our breakfasts will probably be food from store (cereal, granola, pop tarts), except one or two breakfasts noted above.

With all of this, I just don't see us eating that many meals in the food court.

Are most of the people getting the mugs eating a lot at the food court (unlike us)? Or are they just filling it up to have something to drink back in the room? Are people taking their 'breakfast from store' down to the food court and eating it there with their drinks from mugs? How do I get my $13 per person out of the mug (if we get them)?

P.S. The above analysis is based on my pipe dream schedule. My pipe dream is that by taking off two days in the middle of the trip we can hit the parks all day (with no naps) on the other days. We are a family of 4 with DD6 and DS4.

 

[mcco5543]

as far as the refillable mugs go. You could get one mug and share it amongst yourselves.

We did end up getting the mugs and even though we did eat in the food court a couple times, we would always go down and fill our mugs before leaving for the parks and then again when we got back to the resort and put it in our fridge or by our bed for a middle of the night beverage. We also were there in Jully so it was ridiculously hot out and liquid was desperately needed. We found that we got more than our money's worth that way. We also sometimes were lucky enough to have a waiter fill our mugs for us just to add a little magic to our day. ..I recomend them but only you can know what works for your family.

 

[catne]

we bought the refillable mugs for all four of us on our free dining trip last month and used the value in about the first 2 days. We drove, so would take coke or coffee in the refillable mugs in the car on the way to the park. Left the mugs in the car, then when we returned for lunch at the resort or just for afternoon break, we'd use the refillable mugs for a cokes at lunch, or just to get a drink on the way to our room. Every time we did counter service meal on the dining plan at the resort we used the refillable mug for our meal beverage so then we were able to take a bottled water, energy drink or juice as our dining plan meal beverage. That way we always had a bottled drink to take to the park later.

 

[NJ Cruisers]

We have coffee every morning and a soda every night after the parks. Sometimes we come back the resort mid day and will have something to drink. But we love the mugs ... we have about 10 at home and looking forward to getting 3 more.

 

[merfsko]

The mugs were by far one of the best purchases we made.

We did eat at the hotel's food court at least once a day (usually a quick breakfast or really late snack) but even without eating there, we got our usage out of them.

We didn't take them into the parks, but we did refill them a lot for use in our room. A couple of people in our party can go through Diet Coke like nobody's business andso they definately saved a fortune

What was also nice for me, was that I got sick mi-way though our trip with a bad sore throught, and so I made good use of the hot chocolate!

I would definately go for it and buy them. Plus, you can always use them when you get back home! I know I do!

 

[jessily]

I think the value all depends on whether you are a big soda (or other available drink) drinkers. We drink mostly water and only eat 1-2 meals per trip in the resort food court, so for us the refillable mug is most definitely not worth it. If you are big soda drinkers and see yourself going there in the morning or evening to fill up than it could be a good deal. when we were on the dining plan and had breakfast at the food court, we got 2 drinks per person... a bottle of juice and a bottle of water each... we didn't need refillable mugs on top of that.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I think it depends on how much you would drink from the machines annyway, and how many days you'll be there. I am an avid diet coke drinker, and my trips average about ten days, so the mugs are a good deal for me, even though I don't eat that much at the food court.

 

[spodie]

I don't usually eat too many meals in the food court, but we do usually buy mugs because it works out for us. We will eat breakfast occasionally and eat maybe one dinner there during our trip. However, since we pass through the food court both going to and coming from the parks, we just bring our mugs and stop by for a drink. This works especially well at night when we're coming back from the parks and want a soda or something. The drink stations are open until midnight, which works out well and they are usually close to the main pool, so it's easy to grab fresh drinks when you are out at the pool.

 

[NicoleLovesDisney]

I thought the mugs were included w/ the magic your way package? i am just wondering since it says that on the Disney website. Is it different during free dining? Just wondering if I need to budget for them.

 

[disneymayz]

I thought the mugs were included w/ the magic your way package? i am just wondering since it says that on the Disney website. Is it different during free dining? Just wondering if I need to budget for them.

It is included in the quick service dinning plan (2QS/day) and the deluxe dinning plan (3TS/day) but not the regular dinning plan (1QS 1TS/day).

 

[scard192]

The mugs were one of the best values for us during our trip in September. Coffee every morning, soda during mid day break at the resort, another soda in the evening. It was HOT when we were there so we drank a bit more soda,

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

For us about 4 times a day if we use the pool. Occasionally more than that too if we run out of diet coke in the room.

DH drinks ALOT of Diet Coke.

 

[sherabby]

We used our mugs for coffee and hot tea in the am with our own breakfast foods. In the afternoon we used them at pool side before and after our swim breaks. Sometimes in the evening we filled up again. I guess it also depends on how close you are to the filling station and how much you are going to use it.

 

[The Hendies]

I guess we are in the minority! DH and I used our mugs once each morning for coffee, and that's it! DS only used it once or twice the whole time. We are at the parks all day, and our room seemed too far away to run back and forth for a beverage after we got back at night. We are not the type to grab a drink on our way to the bus and then carry the mugs all day.

However, we use the mugs at home ALL the time! So I'm still glad we got them.

 

[TDC Nala]

One does not need to eat in the resort food court to use the mugs. I have a couple of mugs of Diet Coke in the AM before heading out but I don't usually eat at the resort.

And yes, the mugs are included with two of the dining plans. They are NOT included with the basic (most popular) dining plan.

 

[pumba]

when you have a breakfast in the food court in the morning.....Figure out what one coffee would cost per morning...x that the number of days you are there and it paid for itself for us.we also use the cups when we are coming or going back to our resort ....sitting around the pool (especially in September) when it is HOT out.....they worked out well.
I have almost 20 cups in our basement....I change them around but like the All Star Movies the best.....and also the new ones we got this year.

 

[pixiedust23]

I like to have a mug or 2 of coffee in the AM, and then I usually spend a lot of time by the pool, so I fill it up all day with unsweetened iced tea. I only wish they had refill stations in the parks! Sigh, I guess I can dream!

 

[Get me to Disney!]

We bought one mug and brought mugs from home from previous stays. This became our nightly ritual for our 17 day stay. We came back from the parks when they closed, sometimes we swam but every night my husband and the kids would go to fill up all of our drink cups for an evening refresher. We loved it and, like I said, I think we started a new tradition, at least for us. I don't know how you feel about sharing but I personally wouldn't buy a mug for each person in my party but I am cheap too Good luck!

 

[perriwinkleblue]

when you have a breakfast in the food court in the morning.....Figure out what one coffee would cost per morning...x that the number of days you are there and it paid for itself for us.we also use the cups when we are coming or going back to our resort ....sitting around the pool (especially in September) when it is HOT out.....they worked out well.
I have almost 20 cups in our basement....I change them around but like the All Star Movies the best.....and also the new ones we got this year.

I agree but wanted to say - Don't forget that when you use a CS credit for breakfast you get 2 beverages per CS credit used. When we ate breakfast at the FC we got coffees, split OJ and saved a couple of waters for the park. We skipped mugs for our last 5 night stay because between CS breakfasts, snack credits and free ice waters from park CS places (we're not soda drinkers) we had plenty to drink

I would recommend a couple of mugs for a long stay because you're bound to use them enough going to the parks and coming back (unless you really are not big beverage drinkers). If you use the mugs a few times and then use them at home (and smile each time you glance at you car cup-holder) then you got your money's worth

 

[fun4me]

We are in the minority here too. We just returned from our trip and I was up in the air about buying them before we left. It turns out we were too far from the food court to make use of these mugs. That was okay though. I stocked the our fridge with w/ choc. milk, sunny D, pepsi and water bottles. So we had plenty to drink during our stay. We only ate in the food court one time during our stay.