Disney Pulls Starbucks Mug from Epcot Shelves

[Goofyernmost]

I think it was a smart choice, you know in today's social media age someone would have started making a huge fuss over it, this thread and the coverage it's been getting (really Orlando sentinel? A company deciding to not sell a coffee mug is news worthy?) proves it.

Better to be on the proactive side than at the mercy of an angry facebook mob that turns it into a national headline. Cause that's never happened before.

It would be no story at all if they had just kept it there, even if someone would have brought it up later. You would be hard pressed to find very many people that would think that removing them was necessary. Pulling them off the shelf is what makes this news worthy.

 

[JohnD]

Looks like Red.

The photo doesn't do it justice. Is it a shade of red, purple, burgundy? I can't tell. But then again the monorail in the photo of the Starbucks mug looks like it has a pink stripe.

 

[unkadug]

Even if somebody had taken offense to "Monorail Purple" all Disney would have had to say is that the mug was Violet...not purple.

 

[JohnD]

They are drawing attention to it themselves by pulling it. Most people would have never noticed or made the connection. I know I didn't and I call myself a fan.

The story says they were going to introduce a new version in March. I see it has some teal in it. Probably monorail with a teal stripe. All they had to do was not draw attention to it by introducing the new version with the different stripe. When the originals sell out just say that in the stores and more coming in March.

 

[kap91]

It would be no story at all if they had just kept it there, even if someone would have brought it up later. You would be hard pressed to find very many people that would think that removing them was necessary. Pulling them off the shelf is what makes this news worthy.

News worthy on Disney blogs sure. Not anywhere else. They're not recalling it because it has poisonous paint, they're making what should have by all accounts been a very quiet decision to avoid a possible controversy. They still ended up with a minor one anyway, but at least they're coming off as cautious and respectful rather than insensitive and oblivious.

 

[JohnD]

News worthy on Disney blogs sure. Not anywhere else. They're not recalling it because it has poisonous paint, they're making what should have by all accounts been a very quiet decision to avoid a possible controversy. They still ended up with a minor one anyway, but at least they're coming off as cautious and respectful rather than insensitive and oblivious.

Really? See my own original post. I linked to an Orlando Sentinel news story. I agree to the extent it needn't be a news story at all if they just introduced new mugs after existing merchandise sells out.

 

[unkadug]

Really? See my own original post. I linked to an Orlando Sentinel news story. I agree to the extent it needn't be a news story at all if they just introduced new mugs after existing merchandise sells out.

It makes me wonder if this wasn't a "planted" story to the Sentinel in order to sell through the existing inventory before the new design comes on-board.

 

[JohnD]

It makes me wonder if this wasn't a "planted" story to the Sentinel in order to sell through the existing inventory before the new design comes on-board.

Except they pulled the rest of the merch. Instead they created a hot market for those already sold. Not sure what will happen to the merch pulled. That decision means they can't sell it. If they hadn't pulled it, they couldn't up-charge it either without explaining why. So, it would still have to be pulled. I just would have continued to sell it at regular price until it sold out.

 

[Clamman73]

They just need to reverse the colors on the mug...the SSE pillars should be the blue color anyway...

 

[articos]

The story says they were going to introduce a new version in March. I see it has some teal in it. Probably monorail with a teal stripe. All they had to do was not draw attention to it by introducing the new version with the different stripe. When the originals sell out just say that in the stores and more coming in March.

I'm told the initial inventory had already sold out before this became a story. There were no actual mugs on the shelves to pull.

 

[Rinx]

It's not even close to the purple color used on the actual monorail. It was clearly a dark, very sharp purple. That mug is a much lighter purple like a lilac.

 

[SnarkyMonkey]

I'm told the initial inventory had already sold out before this became a story. There were no actual mugs on the shelves to pull.

In the other thread, someone said that they went and checked and saw the mugs for sale after the story had broke. So, they were still selling them for some amount of time. Hope that poster grabbed one! $$$

I said this on that thread but I will echo it here. I agree with the OP that they are being oversensitive.

 

[articos]

In the other thread, someone said that they went and checked and saw the mugs for sale after the story had broke. So, they were still selling them for some amount of time. Hope that poster grabbed one! $$$

I said this on that thread but I will echo it here. I agree with the OP that they are being oversensitive.

Epcot Starbucks had no mugs out the day after the story hit the news, nor the day before, per the store management.

 

[SnarkyMonkey]

Epcot Starbucks had no mugs out the day after the story hit the news, nor the day before, per the store management.

Well take it up with that poster, not me. I know nothing about this.

 

[articos]

Well take it up with that poster, not me. I know nothing about this.

Don't worry, just saying for clarification. Not saying you were wrong. For the record, I agree that this was an overreaction, considering last time I checked the baffles between monorail cars were not purple. It wasn't depicting Monorail Purple, it was just the color scheme of the mugs. With all due respect to Purple, this was really a non-story.

 

[Goofnut1980]

This is silly. Sorry Figment fans. He's purple.

 

[Gabe1]

Eh, why shouldn't Disney be a bit sensitive. An employee died, only 21, they decided to honour him by pulling the purple monorail. Personally I wouldn't have done it like that, but at least they are actually putting their money where their mouth is.

Incidentally, great choice of colour for EPCOT! I just might get that mug, sans coloured monorail, it looked good!

I'm in your camp. Disney pulled Purple so I just find it tacky for Starbucks to resurrect purple monorail for a coffee mug.

 

[unkadug]

I'm in your camp. Disney pulled Purple so I just find it tacky for Starbucks to resurrect purple monorail for a coffee mug.

I take it you haven't been keeping up.

Starbucks did NOT resurrect the Purple Monorail anymore than they were suggesting that the Japanese Pagoda is purple. It is simply the color of the ink on the mug.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I see both sides here. My guess is that the people who designed it and the managers that approved it simply didn't know.

That being said, the managers should know that there would be people who remember this from five years ago.

 

[Gabe1]

I take it you haven't been keeping up.

Starbucks did NOT resurrect the Purple Monorail anymore than they were suggesting that the Japanese Pagoda is purple. It is simply the color of the ink on the mug.

It is the purple monorail being resurrected for merchandising purposes that is in question. The monorail could have easily been the blue or green color introduced in the rest of the mug there are options as we will see in March. I find it tacky to use Purple.

While many may view seeing a purple monorail being merchandised perfectly fine, others find it disturbing. My DS best friend was piloting a monorail on the MK loop when the crash happened. He is still not over it, they lost a friend. Many are looking at it from a fan standpoint which I can appreciate but still not the same way others who had a direct impact from the accident seeing Starbucks using that color monorail for profit. It seems others with authority had second thoughts too over how appropriate it is to market a mug that includes a purple monorail or they would not be changing it. I happen to agree with the decision. It is an opinion.