How Much Longer Will Coke Dominate WDW?

larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Premium Member
Original Poster
Someone needs to ask -- so I will: when will WDW offer their guests a choice of fountain beverages? Not everybody likes Coke to the exclusion of all other soft drinks.
 

drizgirl

Well-Known Member
Im not sure ive been to an establishment outside of a grocery store that offers both pepsi and coke. Im not sure why you would expect Disney to offer both.
Lots of convenience stores offer both on tap. But I'd be shocked to ever see a place like Disney do that. I'm sure their discounts would be diminished greatly without any additional payoff. It's already a mostly captive market where they get pretty close to 100% of the business.
 

Magicart87

No Refunds!
Premium Member
Not likely. Pepsi's tried to make a bid to enter the parks but Disney has a such a good deal with CC that they wouldn't jeopardize that discount bringing in a competing product. Disney could completely switch out and be strictly Pepsi. I think they're the official soda in Shanghai Disneyland. But that would be a poor deal seeing as how Coca-Cola outsells Pepsi 5-1. Disney would be fighting against consumer preference. In the end both the Cola deal and the customer wins out.

If it wasn't for Mountain Dew, PepsiCo wouldn't even have a voice in the market. That said I do wish Pepsi products were sold in the parks not because of Pepsi the drink but because they have a good sub-brand in Mountain Dew. I find it telling the Coca-Cola tried to purchase Mountain Dew a few years ago. They want that 80% citrus-soda market. Mountain Dew is a game changer.

Disney might be willing to go all in on Pepsi products with the conditional that they can still sell Coca-Cola and Diet Coke. But in the end it costs money to have both. Coca-Cola will win out every time. I don't see why Disney would want to spend more money to add new soft drink options. It's the same issue with Dr. Pepper.
 
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Uncle Lupe

Well-Known Member
Not likely. Pepsi's tried to make a bid to enter the parks but Disney has a such a good deal with CC that they wouldn't jeopardize that discount bringing in a competing product. Disney could completely switch out and be strictly Pepsi. I think they're the official soda in Shanghai Disneyland. But that would be a poor deal seeing as how Coca-Cola outsells Pepsi 5-1. Disney would be fighting against consumer preference. In the end both the Cola deal and the customer wins out.

If it wasn't for Mountain Dew, PepsiCo wouldn't even have a voice in the market. That said I do wish Pepsi products were sold in the parks not because of Pepsi the drink but because they have a good sub-brand in Mountain Dew. I find it telling the Coca-Cola tried to purchase Mountain Dew a few years ago. They want that 80% citrus-soda market. Mountain Dew is a game changer.

Disney might be willing to go all in on Pepsi products with the conditional that they can still sell Coca-Cola and Diet Coke. But in the end it costs money to have both. Coca-Cola will win out every time. I don't see why Disney would want to spend more money to add new soft drink options. It's the same issue with Dr. Pepper.

For real?! I assumed Coke outsold Pepsi, but I had no idea the difference was that staggering.

I would enjoy reading those statistics. One that does not include fountain/captive audience sales. In our area Pepsi is king and it is what I prefer but you have to have Coke with your Capt. Morgan so, I drink both.
I think the bigger question is how much longer will cola dominate over non carbonated options in the theme parks? Coca Cola does have Smartwater, Dasani, PowerAde and Vitaminwater. Those are the brands they need to promote as that is the growth sector of the drink business.
 

Magicart87

No Refunds!
Premium Member
From Google I've found a few articles that suggest the Pepsi vs Coke market is divided not only regionally but also by age demo. Both are currently struggling with reaching millennials and the push for healthier drinks. Sales for both Pepsi and Coke have dropped in this age bracket although Pepsi has a slight edge over Coke in that group.

In America, Coke is dominate in the South. Pepsi the North and Midwest. Unsurprisingly a direct correlation between their political affiliation can be inferred based on the drink they enjoy most. Coke drinkers lean conservative. Pepsi drinkers more liberal. Brand wise, Coca-cola brand drinkers are more likely to have a college degree while Pepsi brand drinkers skew toward having only a high school degree although no info was given as to why that is. I think it's all really fascinating. Interesting to see how the coke wars change throughout the years. And here I was thinking it boiled down to personal preference.

In anycase, I'm a Dr. Pepper drinker. I think WDW needs DP! Doesn't Coca-Cola bottle that in the South? Why isn't that in the parks?

I like the idea behind Coca-Cola Freestyle machines but I don't think they have the sugar mix right or enough flavor options. I want Apple, Amaretto and Coconut to name a few. I don't think Coca-Cola is going anywhere in the parks, at least I hope it isn't. Club Cool is an enjoyable break in an otherwise hot and humid day.
 
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gsimpson

Well-Known Member
The freestyle machines are a clever idea but the inevitable kids playing or people who can't figure out the ui means things are horribly slow. Tgankfully I drink unsweetened tea so I don't get collected in those lines.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
It will happen when Pepsi-Co figures out that they have too much sweetener in their signature cola. ;)
Perhaps many of you weren't around in the early 80's when Pepsi was doing the blind taste test. When they did that Pepsi was chosen as the best tasting, but, avid Coke fans identified it as Coke instead of Pepsi. That was part of the reason why Coke came out with the New Coke, but, the dedicated could never admit that Pepsi was at least as good. Personally, Pepsi is my go to soft drink which I don't go to very often anymore, but, I always have some in the fridge. And that dated stuff on a sealed can is a huge crock of crap. Maybe twenty years later it will get unbubbly, but, any reasonable time will not have any difference. It was just a way to get you folks to throw out the dated stuff and buy some new stuff. Very clever of them playing on the fears of people.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Coke is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. where it was allegedly created. Pepsi is only a couple of hundred miles to the north in North Carolina founded in the beginning of the 1900's... so both are southern in creation.
 

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