Soda -- would you prefer a mug or a card?

[MelissaE1]

I keep reading about the soda program with the newer mugs and the older card/sticker system. To me, the card system seems much, much more convenient than the mugs, because I don't want to tote a mug around with me everywhere or run back to my cabin to get it and put it back each time myself or my family wants a soda. I was so excited when I heard the cards were back, and disappointed when they didn't stay. The souvenir mug is cute, but I'd rather just purchase one or two in the gift shop.

Now I love Disney. I think they have awesome customer service, above and beyond the call of duty usually, and that is what keeps us coming back year after year and makes the trip so magical. More often than not, they bend over backwards when necessary to make our stay wonderful. I also believe they are marketing geniuses. My personal take on why they keep the mugs instead of going back to the cards is that people use them less because of the convenience issue. Probably much less, so the mugs are more cost effective for them. I don't harbor any resentment about this, I think it is smart thinking on their part. I just wish they weren't so smart.

I would be interested to see what other people prefer, and why.

 

[hydster]

We had the mugs and while they were a nice souvenier I would have much preferred to get a sticker. Having to remember to take it with me everywhere in case I might want a drink was a pain in the rear! It would have been so much easier to just get a glass with a drink in it. Many times we would be doing something and I would want a drink and I would have to walk to our room to get the mug we forgot!

Just my opinion but it would have been nice to have a card. When we were on Carnival they had the card and it was SO much more convenient and in my opinion hygienic!

Heidi

 

[kajohn]

DCL will lose money on this one from my family. We cruise next month. I have talked to my kids, and told them they can only have soda in the dining rooms, but any other time they have to drink lemonade from the drink station or water. I only have one child who likes soda, so I wouldn't have minded paying for him to have unlimited soda, but there is no way I want to carry a mug around!

 

[tstobb]

I would rather have the choice, and DCL could put the sticker on my KTTW card or my mug.
They could charge $5 less for the "mugless" option & then make it up by selling the mugs (without stickers) in the shops as souvineers for $7 or $8.
Don't know about you but I've got one (or more!) of those mugs from every resort we've stayed at, in all of the colors!

 

[benebire]

When we sailed the magic in Dec 2000. You got BOTH. My kids had stickers put on their KTTW cards and they gave you mugs. If you had the mug they refilled it and if you didnt have it, you showed your sticker and they gave you a small plastic cup of soda. I think that was the best of both worlds, wish they would go back to that.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I think you need the poll option of receiving the mug as a souvenier only, with the sticker for the actual soda's. Best of both worlds.

 

[MelissaE1]

Originally posted by Wishing on a star
I think you need the poll option of receiving the mug as a souvenier only, with the sticker for the actual soda's. Best of both worlds.

Hi Wishing,

I was basing things on the idea that you could purchase the souvenir mug in the gift shop if the soda cards were used. Did you mean when you pay the $35 you get the mug and the sticker? I am sure we would all go for that! (But then the choice would be gone and my poll would be worthless. lol)

 

[prymsu]

you always have to carry your mug around. With a card on a laynard, you always have it with you.

 

[lruggiero]

I went through soda withdrawal on my Dec cruise because I refused to buy the mug because I knew that I would never carry it around with me. I had to buy six packs of soda in town just so i could make it through. I would have paid absolutely for the sticker option.
Hope they reinstate it for our next year trip.

 

[SnowW's Mom]

I have 4 kids and we did do the mug purchase the the first time we cruised. It was SUCH a hassle that I have never done it again. The mugs were NEVER where we needed them! I would be very happy to pay for them to have stickers ! I hope some one of "authority" reads these posts and makes the change!

 

[MrsPotatoHead]

While $35 does seem like a lot of money for soda for the week, I would gladly pay it if we had the convenience of using the sticker program. I'm opting to NOT use the soda mug program simply because I don't want the hassle of lugging that mug around with me everywhere I go! Please, DCL, give us a sticker option!!!

 

[aalan]

i know this has been talked about a great deal on the boards, but if soda is free for the sit down meals, why cant it be free all of the time? believe me, i know the answer to that, but why doesnt disney just build the cost of sodas into the ticket price? some folks argue that not everyone drinks soda, but hey, not everyone eats dessert, or chicken tenders, or hot dogs, etc. either, and your total food bill is paid for. they cant be selling that many sodas or mugs. for me, i took along just enough diet coke for in-between meals. $35.00 is just too much of a disney rip-off. (but we did love the cruise and are going again in march)

 

[cruisnfamily]

Can somebody forward this thread to DCL? Maybe they would be interested in the results of the poll.

 

[Rhonda]

I'd like both. It's nice to have the mug as a souvenir to take home. But onboard the ship, it's nice to just show your card and not have to lug around the mug all day!

 

[DreamsDoComeTrue]

Sticker only. The mug/sticker combo would be great, but it could be abused so much more easily, I doubt they would do it.
You could put the sticker on your KTTW card, or on the mug you just bought (at a discount since you have a sticker) in the gift shop.
I agree with aalan too, though. Maybe a 10 drink punch card for $15. would be a good alternate choice.

 

[JODIELYN]

Originally posted by Wishing on a star
I think you need the poll option of receiving the mug as a souvenier only, with the sticker for the actual soda's. Best of both worlds.

We cruised 12/7 on Magic, just after it was docked to clean. We had free mugs coming because we booked with AAA. When we went to retrieve them we received stickers on our cards, then... on Friday we received the actual mugs in our state room so we could take them home.

This was the best way!

So convienient!

 

[TnRobin]

Count me as another person who prefers the stickers. They did the sticker method on our first cruise and we loved it. I never go anywhere without my KTTW card. It was very easy to get a soda.

On our next cruise they had switched to the mug method. Like others, I have those mugs from all the resorts, I don't need more. We chose not to participate in the mug program and just bought sodas as we went. I probably did not spend $35 on sodas that cruise.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

We had stickers on a previous cruise and have tried the mugs at one resort stay. They aren't too bad there if you have someone that doesn't mind running to fill them. Personally I say PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DCL bring the stickers back or my 15 year old is going to drive me crazy on our cruise!


Deb