News Walt Disney World to eliminate self-service paper straws and plastic lids

[Andrew C]

Hopefully asking for a straw when they are handing you that drink won't ruin your vacation. But for some reason I have a feeling it won't.

For the price of getting into the parks, for the price of food, and for the level of service that Disney wants/pretends to have, I expect to see proactive CM's...You are okay settling for reactive CMs. It is quite simple.

 

[flynnibus]

Wanting a straw, or a napkin, isn't being in need of help. It's not cleaning up a spill (which is a health and safety issue) and its not cleaning up plates from a sit down table, which is a requirement of the job and has nothing to do with the individual person eating. You can't use the table again without it being cleaned up.

Straws, napikns, condiments, ect., aren't required for every person at every order. Some people don't use straws, some carry their own. Some don't need or want ketchup or salt or insert disposable condiment here. Just like some people want fries with a meal and some don't, some people want ice in their drink, some don't. Its a personal choice and its wasteful to just give them out as a standard without them being needed or desired.

You call it wasteful - that's why I said before "And you assess how frequent the need is, how common, who may need it, and how to HELP the customer and improve their experience"

By your own made up numbers... 60% of people needed the product. When you are supposed to be an INDUSTRY LEADER in customer service, you should be ahead of customers... not punting to say "well, if you need me, just come find me".

Going to Disney world is not a weekly chore or your daily grind - It's supposed to be a premium vacation experience.

Luxury doesn't have to be wasteful, nor does it have to be non-targeted.

So be a customer oriented company and work out how to make it so those who do need it... get it without burdens. Make it a customer preference they automatically have... make it part of the order process... make assumptions based on demographics.. all kinds of things they can do to actually IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE instead of "nah, you can jump through hoops".

As to your last point, you sound like my 7year old that can only understand extremes.

No, the point is to highlight this isn't the only solution available. And the sign of the INDUSTRY LEADER is coming up with new and innovative ways to solve problems or enhance customer experiences. Not just punt the problem to the customer... or have the audacity to only serve paper cups without proper lids that give them structure.

Could you go with completely non-disposable cups? From a industry standpoint...maybe. Disney's it's probably not viable, and I would wonder what the waste in the additional water resources would be to wash all the non-disposable cups would be. But that's not the point

It is the point - because people are just taking Disney's choice and trying to redefine their realities to make it more acceptable.

Disney uses reusable cups in every table service location. Disney learned how to sterilize thousands of 3d glasses an hour. Disney literally has tracking and notification systems on the vast majority of their guests. Disney uses hundreds of people just to create human walls and drone instructions to you. They put staff in completely unused places just in case a guest has a question. Yes, Disney could innovate into a solution that eliminated single-use cups.

 

[Disstevefan1]

yes. people keep saying 'ask for a lid' and the last trip we went to, at least 3 different places 'didn't have any' when we asked for them. It was very annoying and half the time we had to throw the drinks out because we couldn't take them somewhere without a lid on them. The whole situation is annoying.

This is bad. And anyone who doesn’t think so is in “Disney denial”.

Who knows, maybe we are being set up and they will begin to offer refillable mugs good for the entire day, refills only $4 each, mugs starting at $27 each.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Hopefully asking for a straw when they are handing you that drink won't ruin your vacation. But for some reason I have a feeling it won't.

Pointing out bad customer service and annoying Disney policies does not = having a vacation ruined.

When I complained in another thread that Disney security forced me and my mother to split up at the security check (bag / no bag lines) I was basically told I had psychological issues by some posters on here. No…. It’s just horrible customer service and a terrible way to start a “magical day.”

 

[tissandtully]

Pointing out bad customer service and annoying Disney policies does not = having a vacation ruined.

When I complained in another thread that Disney security forced me and my mother to split up at the security check (bag / no bag lines) I was basically told I had psychological issues by some posters on here. No…. It’s just horrible customer service and a terrible way to start a “magical day.”

Security is better than it used to be, but I agree they are bad, Universal is probably worse.

 

[lazyboy97o]

yes. people keep saying 'ask for a lid' and the last trip we went to, at least 3 different places 'didn't have any' when we asked for them. It was very annoying and half the time we had to throw the drinks out because we couldn't take them somewhere without a lid on them. The whole situation is annoying.

It's sort of amazing how this is just being completely ignored. The cups Disney uses are also designed to be used with a lid in order to maintain rigidity when held.

 

[Disstevefan1]

 

[Eric Graham]

My wife is going to bring extra straws and hand them out to people. How generous of her.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

The reactions to this issue are always amusing.

In my day to day life I don't have a need or desire to use a straw 99.99% of the time.

For some reason, people are seemingly incapable of consuming a beverage at WDW without a straw.

I picture a lot of people looking down at their drink and asking, what do I do now? How can I possibly get this beverage into my mouth?

 

[wserratore1963]

You call it wasteful - that's why I said before "And you assess how frequent the need is, how common, who may need it, and how to HELP the customer and improve their experience"

By your own made up numbers... 60% of people needed the product. When you are supposed to be an INDUSTRY LEADER in customer service, you should be ahead of customers... not punting to say "well, if you need me, just come find me".

Going to Disney world is not a weekly chore or your daily grind - It's supposed to be a premium vacation experience.



So be a customer oriented company and work out how to make it so those who do need it... get it without burdens. Make it a customer preference they automatically have... make it part of the order process... make assumptions based on demographics.. all kinds of things they can do to actually IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE instead of "nah, you can jump through hoops".



No, the point is to highlight this isn't the only solution available. And the sign of the INDUSTRY LEADER is coming up with new and innovative ways to solve problems or enhance customer experiences. Not just punt the problem to the customer... or have the audacity to only serve paper cups without proper lids that give them structure.



It is the point - because people are just taking Disney's choice and trying to redefine their realities to make it more acceptable.

Disney uses reusable cups in every table service location. Disney learned how to sterilize thousands of 3d glasses an hour. Disney literally has tracking and notification systems on the vast majority of their guests. Disney uses hundreds of people just to create human walls and drone instructions to you. They put staff in completely unused places just in case a guest has a question. Yes, Disney could innovate into a solution that eliminated single-use cups.

phade® Compostable Paper Cups

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www.phadeproducts.com

 

[Disstevefan1]

The reactions to this issue are always amusing.

In my day to day life I don't have a need or desire to use a straw 99.99% of the time.

For some reason, people are seemingly incapable of consuming a beverage at WDW without a straw.

I picture a lot of people looking down at their drink and asking, what do I do now? How can I possibly get this beverage into my mouth?

I think everyone is missing the point. The point is the slow decline of everything at the WDW parks while at the same time, price increases for everything.

Its easy to use our "Disney rationalizations" and say its only a straw, but really its not.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

I think everyone is missing the point. The point is the slow decline of everything at the WDW parks while at the same time, price increases for everything.

Its easy to use our "Disney rationalizations" and say its only a straw, but really its not.

Or people are aware that straws are still available and this is the trivialist of trivial issues in terms of a "decline" at Disney.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Or people are aware that straws are still available and this is the trivialist of trivial issues in terms of a "decline" at Disney.

In this thread we are hearing from folks where they ask for straws and lids and it seems the cast members are saying they are out of lids, for example.

Having said that, it works for me in my Disney rationalizations that this is trivial and its only not having lids and we can get straws, and it seems the straws are there there most of the time if you ask. The soft drinks cost more now but that's OK..... Ah... I feel better now

 

[flynnibus]

The reactions to this issue are always amusing.

In my day to day life I don't have a need or desire to use a straw 99.99% of the time.

For some reason, people are seemingly incapable of consuming a beverage at WDW without a straw.

I'm sorry, can you clarify where you are using lidless 20+oz paper cups so much in your 'daily life'? And how often you need to be carrying multiple of those said cups for everyone in your family?

The situations we are facing at a QS at WDW aren't really the same as most people's daily life. We don't use paper cups at home... We don't walk through huge crowded QS locations serving hundreds of people simultaneously. And we certainly aren't handed large paper cups without lids 99.99% of the time.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I'm sorry, can you clarify where you are using lidless 20+oz paper cups so much in your 'daily life'? And how often you need to be carrying multiple of those said cups for everyone in your family?

 

[Disstevefan1]

The reactions to this issue are always amusing.

In my day to day life I don't have a need or desire to use a straw 99.99% of the time.

For some reason, people are seemingly incapable of consuming a beverage at WDW without a straw.

I picture a lot of people looking down at their drink and asking, what do I do now? How can I possibly get this beverage into my mouth?

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

I'm sorry, can you clarify where you are using lidless 20+oz paper cups so much in your 'daily life'? And how often you need to be carrying multiple of those said cups for everyone in your family?

The situations we are facing at a QS at WDW aren't really the same as most people's daily life. We don't use paper cups at home... We don't walk through huge crowded QS locations serving hundreds of people simultaneously. And we certainly aren't handed large paper cups without lids 99.99% of the time.

That's a valid point, but you do know my post was speaking to straws, not lids?

 

[flynnibus]

That's a valid point, but you do know my post was speaking to straws, not lids?

The two are basically married in this conversation. 1) Disney is treating both in the same bucket and 2) The reason most people want straws is because the cups really need lids. Straws without lids doesn't address the worst liabilities that the paper cups w/o lids present.

Talking about drinking without straws... without acknowledging the difference in cups... is not really relevant. I never drink with straws when I have a glass or plastic cup either But when I do have a plastic or paper cup... it's almost 100% with straw and lid. You can't remove the critical piece of how those two stories differ.

 

[dreday3]

The two are basically married in this conversation. 1) Disney is treating both in the same bucket and 2) The reason most people want straws is because the cups really need lids. Straws without lids doesn't address the worst liabilities that the paper cups w/o lids present.

Talking about drinking without straws... without acknowledging the difference in cups... is not really relevant. I never drink with straws when I have a glass or plastic cup either But when I do have a plastic or paper cup... it's almost 100% with straw and lid. You can't remove the critical piece of how those two stories differ.

Technically, , you can get lids that you don't use straws with at Starbucks. And if you only drink Starbucks, you never (have to) use straws!

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I never drink with a straw but when I’m walking around a Disney park I like to have a lid on my drink so I don’t spill it and nothing falls in as I’m walking around (leaf, bubble, etc.)

I sometimes want to use a straw to stir an iced coffee or iced tea as well.

Speaking of tea…. Remember when fresh lemon was available at counter service restaurants!? Another cut!