Refillable Mug Policy

[Cynderella]

Hi everyone. I did a search for this but nothing really answered my question. And if there was a thread already Im sorry but I couldnt find it. My question is...I have several Mugs from different resorts and for years I have brought them back to the resort and used them again and again...I heard a rumor or read it somewhere but I forget....that now you have to buy a new mug everytime you go and that they have this policy written on the new mugs now. I havent been down since Nov 03 and we stayed at Ft. Wilderness and didnt have mugs but I know in the past I had brought ones back and had no problem. I was just wondering if anyone has been down recently and noticed a change at all. Thanks in advance for any info! :wave:

 

[tigsmom]

Sorry, you can rationalize all you want, but its still wrong. Nobody is forcing you to use the refillable mug system, its an option you are given.

 

[Mickifan17]

The only time I got the mug was when I stayed at All Stars Movies in 2000 with my entire family. As a DVC member, I'm usually in Old Key West and never get a mug.

However, my last trip (2 weeks ago) I got a mug at Typhoon Lagoon and it was good for the day. Each mug was barcoded with that day and the free refill stations read the barcode of the mug otherwise it would not dispense soda or ice. I thought that was very clever and liked the idea.

There were, of course, those pigs who scanned their barcode, filled up their mug and then scanned the barcode again and refilled their friends paper cups. :brick: I'm sure one day Disney will add the barcode system to all their refillable mugs and incorporate the barcode to include the length of stay dates so you can't bring back your old mugs.

Also, here is a hint for people complaining about a closet full of too many mugs: THROW SOME OUT

 

[HauntedPirate]

Sorry, you can rationalize all you want, but its still wrong. Nobody is forcing you to use the refillable mug system, its an option you are given.

I agree totally.

The policy has been (at least since 1997, when I got my first mug) that the mug is refillable for the length of your stay.

Let your conscience be your guide. It's nothing to pay $12 for a mug, when you pay hundreds, if not thousands, for a room. I follow the rules. I sleep well at night. If you choose to bring mugs back from previous trips, and you can rationalize it and can sleep well at night, fine. Just don't expect endorsement of your decision by others.

 

[imagineer99]

The signs stating the policy are large and easy to read almost impossible to miss.

As I said, the signs are a relatively new addition. The policy before never said anything to that effect. Shouldn't the policy I bought the mugs under still hold?

As to who will be the wiser? I will, for myself, and I simply cannot cheat any system, that is how I am wired.

Unless you have a secret sixth "mug" sense, you would have absolutely no idea if my mug was bought the day of my arrival or the day of my arrival one year ago. Frankly, it doens't make me feel guilty

Disney MAKES money on the mug system. Otherwise they wouldn't implement it.

Let's see. A mug costs about $12 bucks (and probably about $1.00 to make). Most people who buy said mugs NEVER return after their vacations or lose these mugs immediately. In turn, Disney makes money. Us adamant Disney freaks are not the majority of the population.

I'm not trying to rationalize my behavior. I really don't care what others think about this issue. I just don't like people insinuating that us mug-'abusers' are the criminal filth of society. Considering I'm only at Disney 3-days a year (if I'm lucky), it's nice to get a free soft-drink.

That's it. I've said my piece.

 

[Cynderella]

I agree totally.

The policy has been (at least since 1997, when I got my first mug) that the mug is refillable for the length of your stay.

Let your conscience be your guide. It's nothing to pay $12 for a mug, when you pay hundreds, if not thousands, for a room. I follow the rules. I sleep well at night. If you choose to bring mugs back from previous trips, and you can rationalize it and can sleep well at night, fine. Just don't expect endorsement of your decision by others.

I have been to Disney 21 times since 1994 and I have NEVER EVER seen a sign or had anyone tell me that it was only good for your length of stay. I have brought my mug back every year and never had a problem. And you know what for the amount of money my father spends for 3 rooms everytime we go.....I feel I deserve to reuse my mug. Call me "cheap" if you want I dont care. I sleep great at night (provided I have a good pillow).

 

[shari71]

I just got back from POR where we bought three mugs that were the exact design of the same three mugs we bought two years before. So I don't know how often the are changed. I saw some with mugs from 3-4 years ago and some with other resort mugs. No one said a thing. I don't necessarily agree with not saying anything though, but then my concience is clean so I don't worry about it. When I bought this years mugs, I was given a long spiel from the CM about they could and could not be used for and how long. You could tell she had said this thousands of times and was just rambling from memory.

 

[longfamily]

Soda cost close to a penny to fill those mugs. Disney's profit margin would still be huge if you used that mug for life. Just don't share okay

 

[Gail Hayden]

As I said, the signs are a relatively new addition. The policy before never said anything to that effect. Shouldn't the policy I bought the mugs under still hold?



Unless you have a secret sixth "mug" sense, you would have absolutely no idea if my mug was bought the day of my arrival or the day of my arrival one year ago. Frankly, it doens't make me feel guilty

Disney MAKES money on the mug system. Otherwise they wouldn't implement it.

Let's see. A mug costs about $12 bucks (and probably about $1.00 to make). Most people who buy said mugs NEVER return after their vacations or lose these mugs immediately. In turn, Disney makes money. Us adamant Disney freaks are not the majority of the population.

I'm not trying to rationalize my behavior. I really don't care what others think about this issue. I just don't like people insinuating that us mug-'abusers' are the criminal filth of society. Considering I'm only at Disney 3-days a year (if I'm lucky), it's nice to get a free soft-drink.

That's it. I've said my piece.

The signs have been up stating this policy for at least three years. The cost to make is not the issue. I am a very adamant Disney freak, and I follow the rules. Disney is a company, the purpose of a company is to make money, it is not a charitable org.
You are definitely not criminal filth, but, I was brought up to follow all rules and to be honest at all times. I was also brought up not to judge others, so, while I am expressing my opinion, I am, in no way, judging you or your activities.

 

[Gail Hayden]

I have been to Disney 21 times since 1994 and I have NEVER EVER seen a sign or had anyone tell me that it was only good for your length of stay. I have brought my mug back every year and never had a problem. And you know what for the amount of money my father spends for 3 rooms everytime we go.....I feel I deserve to reuse my mug. Call me "cheap" if you want I dont care. I sleep great at night (provided I have a good pillow).

then you are NOT paying attention. The signs are bold and easy to see.
For what I paid for DVC I should get everything for free. That rationale does not hold water.
For backup on the refillable mug rules http://allearsnet.com/din/mugs.htm

 

[Gail Hayden]

Soda cost close to a penny to fill those mugs. Disney's profit margin would still be huge if you used that mug for life. Just don't share okay

The profit margin for many things is huge. Microsoft, for instance, makes tons of money. It costs very little to make those CDs. McDonalds pays very little for their soda also. What the profit margin is or would be is not the issue.

The issue is that the mugs are good for the length of stay at the resort where they were purchased. This policy changed a long time ago and the signs have been up for a long time. The fact that some (not you) have never seen one does not mitigate the fact that they are there. You cannot zip through a stop sign and say it is ok cause you did not see it.

 

[Cynderella]

God I am not starting anymore freaking threads on this site. Then I wont hafta be torn apart and have people calling me a crook, blind, and dumb for not seeing signs that "have been up for years". I have never seen signs and I will continue to bring my old mug back. I didnt intend to start trouble on this thread and now I know the answer to my question, but I dont appreciate people insinuating that Im some kind of thief "stealing" soda by bringing my old mug back. :fork:

 

[wannab@dis]

Cynderella - I don't think anyone meant to "personally" attack you, but the evil of generalizations is that it causes hurt.

When I purchased my first mugs, they were sold as "buy this mug and you can have free drinks whenever you return to this resort". In fact, the first mug was purchased at All Star Music and the logo was ALL STAR RESORTS... not the individual resort. They changed the mugs later to have the logo of the specific resort and probably to lower the amount of possible reuse. Now, they are sold as "for this stay only".

That is a new policy that has not been around since the start of the mug deal. If you want to use your old mugs, go for it. In fact, do what I did, ask someone there. They will always tell you if you have an older mug fromt he resort, use it. That is the way it was sold so it's still perfectly honest. Now, the mugs are sold differently. If I don't have a mug for a resort, then I will be bound by the "buy one each trip" rule. If I have an older mug, I'll gladly use it at the resort it was purchased.

 

[kennyj29]

Refillable Mugs

I see people take the paper cups and use them for the week. I'll tell you this, with the thousands and thousands of dollars that I've spent over the years, I don't think if I use my refillable cup more than one visit, It's a travesty. I do bring them back and reuse them. You don't even know they are different. I wouldn't bring ones that were blatently different back but the ones I do bring back are the same exact cups they have now. I would never even bring them to another hotel, which I see all the time!!! I'm not cheap by any means, I just think they are still making plenty of money off of me and that my cup of soda should be a thank you!

 

[Merlin]

The profit margin for many things is huge. Microsoft, for instance, makes tons of money. It costs very little to make those CDs. McDonalds pays very little for their soda also. What the profit margin is or would be is not the issue.

The issue is that the mugs are good for the length of stay at the resort where they were purchased. This policy changed a long time ago and the signs have been up for a long time. The fact that some (not you) have never seen one does not mitigate the fact that they are there. You cannot zip through a stop sign and say it is ok cause you did not see it.

Well, up to this point, I've never awarded reputation points (Wasn't exactly too sure how to do it). But after reading your posts, I had to do it for you. What you said makes perfect sense. It's sad that not everyone will probably "get it". I've never understood the concept that just because a company makes "plenty of money", that it somehow makes it justifiable to just help ourselves to a little extra. To me, this is akin to stealing office supplies and thinking it's okay because you feel your company doesn't pay you enough salary. If I "spend thousands of dollars" at Disney, it's because I was willing to pay the price that Disney was charging for stuff. It doesn't give me the right to say, "Well, since I've spent so much, I'll just take a little extra for free. After all, Disney owes me!"

Having said that, I also feel that it goes both ways. If Disney once sold these mugs with the deal that you could use them "for life" (and it is my understanding that this was the case at one time), then they also need to stand behind the offer they made. Even if they later did some accounting and realized they should limit their use to length of stay, the original agreement should still stand for the guests who were savvy enough to purchased those mugs when that offer was made.

 

[Yellow Shoes]

This policy changed a long time ago and the signs have been up for a long time. The fact that some (not you) have never seen one does not mitigate the fact that they are there. You cannot zip through a stop sign and say it is ok cause you did not see it.

And to extend the analogy, you cannot zip through the stop sign because it wasn't there years ago.

 

[imagineer99]

If I don't have a mug for a resort, then I will be bound by the "buy one each trip" rule. If I have an older mug, I'll gladly use it at the resort it was purchased.

EXACTLY! Thank You.

 

[kennyj29]

Mugs

I guess I'm not a perfect Disney guest. But I have to tell you, when they were down after 9/11 and they had empty parks, I still went and spent my money. Any I never said Disney OWES me, I just stated with all the money i've spent over the years a couple of free soda's didn't make me feel bad. I would love to be as righteous as some of you but if I can save money on a mug once in awhile, I will. I still buy my mugs at the miniature golf courses and the parks and the hotels, when I haven't stayed there before so I think they've made plenty on me with soda's. So don't try to put the people down who bring their cups back because there are thousands who do. And if that's the worse thing I've done in my life, I think God will forgive me. And when I'm told I can't use it, I won't but until then, I will still bring down the mugs.

 

[Sledge]

It cracks me up how some people really get into this and think it is so "unethical". Some of the people are the same ones mad that "Disney is all about making a profit now " yet they are still defending the fact that you need to spend more dough for another cup. :hammer: It's a friggin' drink. It probably cost them $.10 at the most and if your staying in the hotel it is totally different than if you were going to walk into a random hotel with a different cup and filled it up. You paid $12 for a cup. If the majority of hotels in the US can give you a free breakfast just for staying with them (this is a majority not all) then I am sure Disney can afford to give people free refills especially when they are also making money off the parks and souvenirs and not just the hotels. With hotels giving breakfast they are using the money made from you staying in just their hotel. Disney uses the money from the parks, the hotels, and their sales around the resort. Trust me, they can afford it.

 

[Merlin]

It cracks me up how some people really get into this and think it is so "unethical". Some of the people are the same ones mad that "Disney is all about making a profit now " yet they are still defending the fact that you need to spend more dough for another cup. :hammer: It's a friggin' drink. It probably cost them $.10 at the most and if your staying in the hotel it is totally different than if you were going to walk into a random hotel with a different cup and filled it up. You paid $12 for a cup. If the majority of hotels in the US can give you a free breakfast just for staying with them (this is a majority not all) then I am sure Disney can afford to give people free refills especially when they are also making money off the parks and souvenirs and not just the hotels. With hotels giving breakfast they are using the money made from you staying in just their hotel. Disney uses the money from the parks, the hotels, and their sales around the resort. Trust me, they can afford it.

So because Disney "can afford it", that makes it okay to do?

 

[Computer Magic]

I have been viewing this thread for a while. I'm not advocating either side. I can see the passion on both sides regarding this subject and I believe this subject was brought up before.

Here is my opinion. If Disney is really that concerned or losing money, why don't they change the design of the mug every year? It would be more noticable if someone is abusing Disney's policy.

a realible source on another thread stated Disney don't pay to use Coke's products. So, all Disney pays for it the cost of the mug. That is a huge mark-up and profit margin.

Maybe Disney should lower the cost of the mug and change the design every year, then less people would be inclined to reuse the mugs.

I'm hearing two sides: 1) Visitors are taking advantage of Disney 2) Disney is taking advantage of the visitors. Sounds like they are taking advantage of each other? Fix the system to make it fair to everyone.