Should all theme park cs locations let guests get drinks themselves?

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

You know how the Electric Umbrella counter service location in Epcot let's guests fill up their own cups and not by the Cast Members, well I was wondering do you think all the other theme park counter service locations should do that? When my Dad and I were at Electric Umbrella earlier this month we sure took advantage of it, although considering it was very hot outside it obviously made us a lot more thirsty.

I guess the only reason why WDW would not do this is that some guests might go to these locations if they are thirsty and fill up the mugs they can get at the Resort counter service locations, (assuming they bring them to the parks, because I always see guests walk around with them) so do you think that would be reason why it would not work everywhere else?

 

[Lewisc]

The CS locations in the theme parks don't offer complimentary refills. Guests can purchase a drink for each member of their party, purchase larger sized drinks or even go back and purchase an additional drink.

Self-service drink dispensors make it difficult to prevent guests from obtaining free refills or even filling a cup or mug from another location.

Disney isn't in a generous mood, free drink refills would probably mean higher food prices and/or higher drink prices.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

The CS locations in the theme parks don't offer complimentary refills. Guests can purchase a drink for each member of their party, purchase larger sized drinks or even go back and purchase an additional drink.

Self-service drink dispensors make it difficult to prevent guests from obtaining free refills or even filling a cup or mug from another location.

Disney isn't in a generous mood, free drink refills would probably mean higher food prices and/or higher drink prices.

I realize the CS locations in the theme parks expect for the Electric Umbrella don't offer free refills, however there were no signs at the Electric Umbrella drink stations which said no refills.

I agree with you that the self serve drink stations in the parks make it hard for WDW to know where and when guests purchased drinks, however using the example with the YOAMD mugs, they say on them "Free refills available at our Resort Beverage Island until the end of the stay which the mug was purchased." So you by using that example it seems WDW does not care what happens with drink stations at the Resorts, since the YOAMD can be used at any Resort CS location.

Finally every Cast Member I have spoke to said WDW gets all the syrup for free from Coca Cola and from what I can tell WDW is not lossing any money when it comes to food costs and etc.

 

[kykatt2]

I
Finally every Cast Member I have spoke to said WDW gets all the syrup for free from Coca Cola and from what I can tell WDW is not lossing any money when it comes to food costs and etc.

IF THAT STATEMENT IS TRUE... it really makes me mad
The biggest expence of a soda and they get it free ??? !!!
It's no secret ALL resturants make a killing on sodas they charge you 1.50-2.25 in any resturant anywhere for a drink and usually "GIVE" you free refills. But at least THEY ARE BUYING THE SYRUP.
With the amount of syrup WDW must use... The profits coke could get are staggering... do they need "THAT BIG OF A WRITE OFF" ????

 

[Allison]

IF THAT STATEMENT IS TRUE... it really makes me mad
The biggest expence of a soda and they get it free ??? !!!
It's no secret ALL resturants make a killing on sodas they charge you 1.50-2.25 in any resturant anywhere for a drink and usually "GIVE" you free refills. But at least THEY ARE BUYING THE SYRUP.
With the amount of syrup WDW must use... The profits coke could get are staggering... do they need "THAT BIG OF A WRITE OFF" ????

Honestly, I don't know how most CM's would know this. Unless, they work in purchasing or accounting, they won't have access to that information.

 

[dodukes]

I have heard or actually read before that Electric Umbrella was offering free refills and it was the onlyone doing it. I know that sunshine seasons has self serve drink dispensers but as far as I know, those have never been free refills. We are goin gin 2 weeks, i think i iwll ask. It would be ice to ge tone free refill with your meal tho.

 

[mom2jacob]

Honestly, I don't know how most CM's would know this. Unless, they work in purchasing or accounting, they won't have access to that information.

They do get the syrup for free. I used to work in accounting at disney. It is pretty much a know fact through out disney.

 

[branv]

I've always wondered why Disney doesn't do bottomless drinks the way Six Flags does: buy large plastic drink holder for about $8.99, they put a bracelet on your wrist with the date written on it, and the rest of that day the drinks are free. Though you deal with the same issue of people sharing drinks, if Six Flags does it successfully, I wonder why Disney doesn't (of course Six Flags IS having financial issues, though I doubt it's the fault of the refillable drinks )

 

[mla973]

I think having non-reillable drinks eliminates the sharing that could occur. (i.e. a family of 4 buying one pop and splitting it by refilling) If Disney is looking to make the most profit, it seems they would attempt to eliminate this.

I have heard for years that Disney does not buy the syrup. That still leaves the C02 and cups/lids/straws. Either way, they're not hurting from the sale of pop.

 

[mickaholic4077]

ITA with having every CS location do unlimited refills!!

 

[kykatt2]

I've always wondered why Disney doesn't do bottomless drinks the way Six Flags does: buy large plastic drink holder for about $8.99, they put a bracelet on your wrist with the date written on it, and the rest of that day the drinks are free. Though you deal with the same issue of people sharing drinks, if Six Flags does it successfully, I wonder why Disney doesn't (of course Six Flags IS having financial issues, though I doubt it's the fault of the refillable drinks )

I Think it's a decision for no free refills, or serve yourself.

I had a Cm tell me it was Florida law that they did not sell cups that could be refilled. If that's the case.. they blow it at the resorts.
ALSO.. Do they have the Refillable cups at "Busch Gardens or Sea World" ?? They do at Busch Gardens in Va.. and as stated above... Six Flags has their system.

I'd like to think Mr Disney would have allowed self serve on the drinks.
( because sometimes you just want a drink , but you are stuck waiting in a line first to "ORDER" then WAIT for your drink to be Dispensed and Delivered to you.) Maybe have a drink only station at the CT service stations.

True.. that opens the window.. for abuse... but I think the Disney Corporation
could afford it.

 

[j_lehr]

I've always wondered why Disney doesn't do bottomless drinks the way Six Flags does: buy large plastic drink holder for about $8.99, they put a bracelet on your wrist with the date written on it, and the rest of that day the drinks are free. Though you deal with the same issue of people sharing drinks, if Six Flags does it successfully, I wonder why Disney doesn't (of course Six Flags IS having financial issues, though I doubt it's the fault of the refillable drinks )

I was at Six Flags on Friday and we bought the plastic mug for 8.99...however, it was not bottomless....refills are 1.00. Also they did not make us wear a wrist band. We shared this between 3 people and when we bought it they knew we were buying it to share. They didn't seem to have a problem with this.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

My concern with fill it yourself drinks has nothing to do with free refills etc. It has to do with the fact that people drink from a cup then stick it in contact with the fill up machine.
This causes rapid spread of Noro Virus and I am sure other unpleasant things.
and yes that is not the PROPER way to fill a cup/ Bottle etc. but watch at a food court sometime and see what SOME people actually DO.

 

[bradk]

it's common and fairly undisputed knowledge that the syrup is supplied at no cost. it's a bartering system. nobody has product placement like coke at wdw (arguably, nobody has that level of advertising ANYWHERE), plus everything that's bottled isn't free.. and coke (well, except for nestle, but the 2 generally don't overlap).

that doesn't mean it's free for disney however. it takes water, CO2 and electricity to make every cup.

it also doesn't matter what their supplies cost, it's a free enterprise system. they can charge literally whatever they want, take whatever profit margin they can afford to take and it's just plain criminal to attempt to get around it, even in the name of fighting faceless corporations.

that aside.. electric umbrella is an experiment. i haven't been since the change, although i'm personally upset that it came at the cost of the toppings bar.

should every CS location have an ordering kiosk like captain cooks and pecos bill? time will tell. but it's just not cost effective in any case to make changes like these across the board and learn later it was the wrong thing to do.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

They do get the syrup for free. I used to work in accounting at disney. It is pretty much a know fact through out disney.

Thank you for confirming what a lot of us already knew and on that topic I always say if every Cast Member keeps telling you they get the syrup for free, it must be true. So just because they might not work in accounting for WDW does not mean they are always wrong.

 

[Allison]

They do get the syrup for free. I used to work in accounting at disney. It is pretty much a know fact through out disney.

Cool. Did you like working there? Was it interesting?

 

[Allison]

IF THAT STATEMENT IS TRUE... it really makes me mad
The biggest expence of a soda and they get it free ??? !!!
It's no secret ALL resturants make a killing on sodas they charge you 1.50-2.25 in any resturant anywhere for a drink and usually "GIVE" you free refills. But at least THEY ARE BUYING THE SYRUP.
With the amount of syrup WDW must use... The profits coke could get are staggering... do they need "THAT BIG OF A WRITE OFF" ????

So, they get syrup for free. I'm curious why would it make you mad? If they didn't get it for free, it would cost even more because they are trying to make a profit margin.

 

[Allison]

Should all theme park cs locations let guests get drinks themselves?
To answer your question- I drink a lot of pop and my answer to the question is I really don't care either way. It's a non-event to me either way they do it.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I guess you can add this to the discussion, but at Downtown Disney the Earl of Sandwich, Wolfgang Puck Express and Cookies of Dublin are counter service locations that let guests get drinks themselves, so obviously when my family and I have been to Earl of Sandwich and Wolfgang Puck Express we have always got refills along with others eating at the time and I don't see how they are lossing any money on food costs, although maybe in Downtown Disney it's easier for the CS locations to have self serve drink stations.

Also forgetting about the refillable mugs at the Resort CS locations, guests there who purchase drinks in paper cups get it themselves and can get refills if they choose, so when you add up every Resort CS location they are dispensing just as many drinks as the theme parks CS locations.

 

[Allison]

I guess you can add this to the discussion, but at Downtown Disney the Earl of Sandwich, Wolfgang Puck Express and Cookies of Dublin are counter service locations that let guests get drinks themselves, so obviously when my family and I have been to Earl of Sandwich and Wolfgang Puck Express we have always got refills along with others eating at the time and I don't see how they are lossing any money on food costs, although maybe in Downtown Disney it's easier for the CS locations to have self serve drink stations.

Also forgetting about the refillable mugs at the Resort CS locations, guests there who purchase drinks in paper cups get it themselves and can get refills if they choose, so when you add up every Resort CS location they are dispensing just as many drinks as the theme parks CS locations.

Noone said they were losing money unless I didn't read a post closely which could happen.

I'm not getting where you are trying to go with this discussion (and I say that respectfully). Sometimes they fill the cup, sometimes the guest fills the cup. Either way works for me.