Refrigerators in Values?

[momtotwoteens]

Is it true that refrigerators are now in all the rooms in the value resorts? My DH and I stayed one night at ASM the end of June and I don't remember a refrigerator, but from what I've been reading they've been added. This would save us a good bit of money if it's true.

 

[Missytara]

Yes. They are small beverage coolers; like a dorm fridge. They are located in the entertainment center.

Disney realized that with the cost to maintain an area to store the fridges, the staff needed to deliver and pick-up fridges, possible loss time due to injury, etc. it was worth it to them to provide them in the rooms and pay the electric. Fortunately, these size fridges take up much less electricity than the half size and full size fridges in other rooms, so it was worth it to them.

 

[momtotwoteens]

Thanks! I guess we didn't open any doors on the entertainment center. It was a super quick spur-of-the-moment trip. 18 hours of driving and 18 hours spent in Orlando...

 

[momtotwoteens]

Oh, will a bottle of coffee creamer fit in one?

 

[crazyangel]

I Believe all the rooms have a small fridge in them now

 

[Hootch]

nm

 

[BearcatsFan]

Per the official WDW website, all value resorts now have a mini-fridge. Disney does not refer to them as a "beverage cooler" and I'm not sure where this term is coming from, but it isn't coming from them. It seems to cause confusion when it is referred to as one.

A bottle of coffee creamer will definitely fit, along with some other snacks, a half gallon of milk, some deli meat, etc.

 

[momtotwoteens]

Thanks.

 

[Gamegrl1]

That's great news! Sheesh...we were supposed to go in 2012 and had to cancel, even the fridge swap we were signed up for. I'm so happy we don't have to mess with that now! Thanks for the information!

 

[Gamegrl1]

Update re: "refrigerators"

This is what I just heard from my travel agent at Small World Vacations. I was inquiring about any charge for a fridge at the All-Stars because although these boards say the fridges are free, we just looked at Birnbaum's WDW 2013 guide and it said there was a $10 cost. So I checked with the travel agent today. Her email reply was this:

"There are now cool boxes in all the value resort rooms at no charge. They are not quite as cold as a fridge, but they are good for keeping water bottles cool."

So I'm thinking "Oh, for crying out loud! It's not really a fridge? How am I supposed to keep milk and yogurt cold enough so we don't get sick on the vacation I've been waiting for FOREVER?!?"

So I just called her and she explained it's not technically a refrigerator (in agreement with a PP). No freezer space and it isn't cold enough for milk...BUT she said that a container of ice placed inside it will lower the temp. So I suggested bringing a small collapsible plastic container of some kind to put ice in and then put the dairy products in the ice, inside the "not-a-fridge". Because I'm just super-careful when it comes to food...I don't want to take a chance on something that might be spoiled (although obviously with dairy you could smell it). Or waste money.

So anyway, I'll look around for a collapsible container...maybe Target, REI, etc. Makes me wonder what the price difference is between these "cool boxes" and an actual fridge and why on EARTH Disney didn't just spring for real fridges. Cheapskates.

 

[Minnesota!]

I am pretty sure they are REALLY fridges. But even if they weren't, I would just take some ziplocks and fill with ice (a couple of the bigger ones) and put those in there. Much cheaper. Just switch them out each evening or something.

But, I am pretty sure it has been confirmed they are real fridges...just lacking a freezer..

 

[witchesbrew]

This link shows pics of the small fridges in the value resorts.
http://www.easywdw.com/resorts/all-star-movies-value-resort-review-at-disney-world-orlando/

scroll down a bit, the pics are towards the middle of the post

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

They're the same kind of fridges found at the Mods, I believe. No, there are no freezer compartments, but if you put stuff in, it gets cold. We take a case of water with us when we go and fridges at Pop and CSR both made the water cold. Maybe they call them "beverage chillers" because they don't have freezers, but they look like a dorm-room fridge. It will keep milk, yogurt, etc, cold just fine.

 

[shyjade]

We kept a 1/2 gallon of milk, water & soda in ours at ASMo last May with no ice and NO problem with it keeping things "fridge cold". Just think of it as a dorm fridge with no ice compartment.

 

[Hootch]

like the one we had at POFQ this trip and last.

I wanted to add that we stayed at a Hampton a little later on the trip. It had the same fridge in the room but it seemed to cool much better than the one at Disney. When I opened it, it seemed colder right away. The bottles we added the night before were very cold the next morning while the bottles we added (not a lot) the first night at POFQ were not very cold that first morning. I took three and iced them in the bucket before we left for the park. It took awhile for the bottles to chill and I added a few each day to ensure I always had some chilled for two days.

 

[jennbunn]

we stayed at pop and had soda,juice and milk in ours and it stayed nice and cold. never had to go get ice as we had thought we might have to.

 

[leafE]

No, there's no freezer, but we kept yogurt and fruit in the fridge at Movies and it worked great. Nothing spoiled, and it was great to eat breakfast without the lines at the food court.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

If you do find that your fridge isn't as cold as you'd like, despite turning down the temp on it, try keeping the door to the cabinet open. Some of the models seem to need better air circulation around them to keep them cooling properly.

 

[Radiorox]

I find that the more stuff you put in them the more they cool. I do agree with a PP, keep the door open to the cabinet, I believe it restricts airflow to the unit.

You can't believe how excited I got when the Values got a fridge. I used to haul up a huge cooler with some snack, milk, water, soda and cold cuts and have to change the ice everyday.

 

[disney777]

I keep the cabinet open to help keep the fridge cooler. But mousekeeping usually closes the cabinet! They do not have a temp control, so can't turn it down to the coldest setting. I have kept my ice in there and it helps the temp. (Also makes the ice last longer also for drinks)