Soda Station at BWV

[kathrynmtague]

I'm posting this in hopes that a) someone from Disney sees the request/idea or b) one of you great DISers can tell me who to write/call to recommend this idea...

At BWV we have the ability to buy the refill mug for use at Bellvue, Bakery, Pool Bar, etc. The problem that I have had is that many of these places won't actually refill the mug...they give me a separate cup (something to do with "we're not allowed to refill...") So, imagine this...I walk down to the BWV at night to get sodas for my family of four. Now I return to the room carrying 4 refill mugs and 4 soda cups. This is not easy to do!

Short of adding a refill station somewhere (ala the new store at BCV) where we could refill our own sodas, I want to share an idea used when I went on a cruise ship. We paid $35 for the 7 night cruise and received a soda sticker on our room key/ship pass. This allowed us to have refills whenever we wanted, and I didn't have to carry that cup around everywhere!

This is a seemingly silly thing that's been bugging me for a while - especially since that added that great store (although it's quite busy for breakfast!) at BCV. I'd love similar access at BWV.

Thoughts?

 

[spiceycat]

they added that to the gift shop.

BWV gift shop is so small - it is silly - besides the only way you could add to it would be to cut down on the villa (I think)

you can't add to it through the lobby...

I think they should set up a small snack area - in the old child care center....
since they aren't using it any more.

but don't count on it.

they had an opportunity to put something in the old sales area - they tore it down instead....

 

[Blue&Gold]

A new DDP? The Disney Drinking Plan?

 

[m4travel]

A new DDP? The Disney Drinking Plan?

Would there be different-colored stickers depending upon your age (and drinking choice)?

 

[CarolMN]

A new DDP? The Disney Drinking Plan?

Doesn't the BW already have one - at JellyRolls?

I don't think the refillable program is all that popular with BWV owners - I'd rather bring/buy my own for the room. The only time I think it is worth it is for those who spend a lot of time at the pool, and you can get it refilled at the pool.

I think a sticker program might be tough to control unless Disney forces you to get it for everyone in the room (like the Dining Plan) - otherwise, what's to prevent someone from providing soda to "the world"? Also, IMHO, unless the sticker deal includes the parks, I'd still rather have my own stuff in the room and not bother running somewhere for a refill. Even at BCV, it can't be very convenient to leave the room to get 12 ounces of soda!

Best wishes -

 

[szymcl]

I would like to see BWV put in a self serve soda station like the one at Saratoga Springs. It is located in the pool area outside right next to the towel area. Very convenient. It is built into the side of a building and they can just close the door on it when they don't want it in use. I loved that even though they also have one in the food court area. I would love one at OKW too. It is one of the reasons I love VWL-for Roaring Forks and the coffee, hot chocolate and cream dispenser! I was excited for the mug station at BCV.
It's funny that it is a small thing, but the fact that they have them in the moderates make it hard to adjust when you buy into DVC and don't have it any more. It was a real treat for my kids to get their own soda.
I just think it is fun to roam around and get soda, even though you have a great kitchen. It is not so easy to lug cans of soda up to the room!

 

[DrTomorrow]

In all the times I've visited Disney property (going all the way back to '73) we've only bought refillable mugs once - and that was at the Grand Californian at DLR (and they were as much souvenirs as they were a drink 'deal'). And now that we are DVC owners, it is just simpler to pick up our soft drinks / bottled water / adult beverages at the grocery store; after a long June morning in the parks, I'd much rather pull a cold one out of the 'fridge than trek to and from the refill station.

 

[kathrynmtague]

It's funny that it is a small thing, but the fact that they have them in the moderates make it hard to adjust when you buy into DVC and don't have it any more. It was a real treat for my kids to get their own soda.
I just think it is fun to roam around and get soda, even though you have a great kitchen. It is not so easy to lug cans of soda up to the room!


I definitely see your point! THat's the main reason this idea interests me...we always stayed at POR before DVC, and my kids love going to the soda station...it makes them feel grown up! I realize there are many folks who use the kitchen facilities at DVC, but we don't. we like the resort feel and bought into the DVC concept NOT so much as a "home away from home" but a more affordable way to stay at better WDW locations (ie BWV vs. POR) onsite every year.

Interesting points about the stickers, but it's also true with the mug. what's to stop me from going back three times with the same mug under the current structure at BWV?

Thanks for everyone's comments. I'm glad to see that I made a post of interest to some folks (I tend to lurk more than start posts...)

 

[WDWorld2003]

I don't think it's a small thing. I just posted on this a few days ago..... We own at BWV but stayed at BCV and SSR last trip. Loved the refillable mug areas at both resorts for myself and the teens. We've also used them at POR. The teens love them, and as I've said I love to get my coffee filled and walk around the area in the morning.

The Boardwalk should be able to incorporate this somewhere in the building. Why do they sell the mugs if you can't refill them yourself anywhere? Such a pain for the employees at the Bakery, Bellevue and pool area - I feel like I have to apologize when I bring in a mug to be filled. I also feel like I have to tip the bartender in the pool area when he refills the mug. I hope Disney pays attention and adds an area for this.

 

[Blue&Gold]

what's to stop me from going back three times with the same mug under the current structure at BWV?

Probably health codes... At a soda station (or whatever they call them in the industry) like at a fast food place, you fill your own cup and assume any risk of "contamination" or accept the less than clean nature of container. At any location where you would have to hand your cup back to a server, they would have to give you a clean cup back, or a new cup. It's easier/safer/cleaner if they give you a plastic cup with the soda in it. As long as you get your soda, you can pour it in your shoe for all they care at that point!

 

[pb4ugo]

I would like to see BWV put in a self serve soda station like the one at Saratoga Springs. It is located in the pool area outside right next to the towel area. Very convenient. [snip] It is not so easy to lug cans of soda up to the room!

we don't have any prob carrying the cans/bottles into our room at okw. maybe you could change resorts! i didn't think so.

 

[ReneeQ]

At any location where you would have to hand your cup back to a server, they would have to give you a clean cup back, or a new cup.

Apparently this is not true. We just returned from our first trip to BCV and purchased the refillable mugs. At Hurricane Hannah's at the Stormalong Bay pool, THEY fill the MUGS FOR you. You hand them the mug, they dump out the ice, put in fresh ice, and use those sprayer things like bartenders do to fill our mug. No washing, no new cup. There were three signs above the counter that read - Order Here, Pick Up Here and Refill Mugs Here. They do it all day long.

There's been a lot of discussion on here lately about the lack of mugs at BWV. I've mentioned before, we own at BWV and VWL, and LOVE the mugs and snack bar at VWL, and miss them DESPERATELY at BWV. I DO NOT get why they don't have the mugs AND why they don't have a snack bar. Remember, one half of this resort is the Boardwalk INN, with no kitchen facilities. I'm sure some of those folks would enjoy a snack bar and a refillable mug program.

And don't get me started on how much I miss the Kid's Club at BWV. Those three things are needed at BWV, and are three things we LOVE at VWL (and now at BCV, for that matter).

 

[FOTM_Ring_Bearer]

I like the mugs and I wish they had the self-service too. I like to get up and head down to the bakery. It's just a nice start to the day.

We like to spend our afternoons at the pool, so it's nice to get our dd's drinks at the pool bar. My beverage of choice doesn't come in refillable mugs.

The only place we found that didn't give you a paper cup with your drink was Seashore Sweets. They took our mugs and refilled them.

 

[mbhoxsie]

I found this tough to adjust to as well... We were used to the Budget and Moderate resorts where everything is pretty much self-serve... We we bought into BWV, I was like, where's the fountain?

Though filling it at the Bakery, Spoodles, Poolside Bar, etc. is not that big of a deal, it is not quite the same...

Maybe Disney thought that if they put a fountain too close to the Boardwalk that guests who were not staying would just come up and use it... Maybe they could attach one to the Community hall, near the BBQ grill? That way it'd be out of the way for most everyone not staying at the resort.

 

[PKS44]

... So, imagine this...I walk down to the BWV at night to get sodas for my family of four. Now I return to the room carrying 4 refill mugs and 4 soda cups. This is not easy to do! ...

Thoughts?

well maybe I don't understand things so well since we never use these mugs you are talking about--but why wouldn't you just pour the soda from the cups into the mugs and either throw away or stack the cups at that point...then you are carrying the same amount or only one more thing (the stack of cups) than what you came down with?

 

[bpmorley]

you can't always get a refill at SSR. They close the station at the pool when they close the bar. And then the Artist's pallette closes at night til 7 or 8am. We were there last year and they had EPCOT refillable mugs for SSR. 3 days into the trip they wouldn't let me fill up because it didn't say SSR. Once I got a manager it was taken care of, but what a waste of time.

 

[Boston5602]

My mom is always asking why I don't get a refillable mug and I answer her that I'm not walking all the way down the hallway down # flight of stairs across the green and over to the bakery ( and all the other places you can refill ) just to get a cup of soda. I can go through a 2 liter or more of Diet Coke a day thats alot of walking when I'm trying to relax in the room, but thats just MO .

 

[DrTomorrow]

My beverage of choice doesn't come in refillable mugs.

Mine does. A nice red or a stout in a chilled glass mug.

Oh.

You mean a Disney refillable mug.

Never mind....

 

[scraptoons]

I would have received the new cups from the server, then dumped them into my refill mug and thrown those cups in the trash before walking another step. That way I wouldn't have so much to carry. Cups are going to be thrown away eventually anyway.

 

[kathrynmtague]

well maybe I don't understand things so well since we never use these mugs you are talking about--but why wouldn't you just pour the soda from the cups into the mugs and either throw away or stack the cups at that point...then you are carrying the same amount or only one more thing (the stack of cups) than what you came down with?

Good thought, but the challenge is that the paper cups are larger than the refillable mug, and I don't want to waste it. But, you need to show the mug in order to get the cup full of soda...so that's where this idea used on Royal Carribean comes into play...a sticker on my room key that indicates "soda" or something like it (it was actually a coca cola logo sticker) to give access to the free refill without carrying the actual soda mug where ever I went.