Guide to Refillable Mugs at Disney World
Walt Disney World uses refillable mugs at resort hotel food courts that offer unlimited refills. This guide offers pricing info, photos of 2026 designs, and answers frequently asked questions: whether it’s worth the money, where to use these cups, and more. We also address some controversy surrounding about reusing reusable mugs, “stealing” soda, and more.
The refillable mug system is pretty simple: you buy the mug or have it provided to you via the Disney Dining Plan and then are entitled to unlimited refills at the Walt Disney World hotels for the duration of your stay. Self-serve beverage stations are available at select quick-service restaurants located in Walt Disney World theme parks and resort hotels.
Despite it being a seemingly straightforward topic, there are few topics that elicit as much discussion and impassioned debate as the refillable mugs. This article will take a examine the ethical and economical quandaries, offer refillable mug info & designs, and answer some frequently asked questions about the mugs.
Walt Disney World has recently started rotating through refillable mug designs with greater frequency. There’s a new mug as of Spring 2026, featuring fan-favorite Pixar characters. The mug design is by Jerrod Maruyama, who has created a variety of popular products.
The new mug comes with different colored handles and lids, with “Walt Disney World” in small red text against a blue background that’s punctuated by bubbles filled with characters that include Woody, Mike Wazowski, Mater, Lightning McQueen, Edna Mode, Sully, Boo, Jack-Jack, Carl, Russell, Dug, Jesse, Lotso, Nemo, Dory, Crush, Bing Bong, Sadness, Joy, Rex, Heimlich, Wall-E, and more.
Here’s a look at the new-for-2026 refillable mug:
Honestly, I’m not a fan of this design. Part of that is the cutesy characters style doesn’t do much for me (Mary Blair excepted). This art direction has become incredibly popular in the last decade, but just isn’t for me. To each their own.
More importantly, it has nothing to do with Walt Disney World. If these were mugs being sold on Pixar Pier at DCA, that’d make sense. But to represent the entirety of Walt Disney World? I’m not a fan. Many of these characters aren’t represented in the parks at all, so this is really less a Walt Disney World mug and more a generic Pixar one.
As a fan of Walt Disney World as opposed to Pixar, I prefer merchandise that’s resort specific–uniquely Walt Disney World. The good news is that the “old” refillable mugs are still available, at least as of Spring 2026:
I cannot confirm that these are still available at every resort food court and other counter service restaurants around Walt Disney World, but they’re at all of the ones we checked as of April 2026. Granted, the new Pixar mugs were just released, so it could be a matter of the old inventory being available while supplies last.
These resort-specific mugs feature icons from all 4 parks, as well as several resort hotels, including the Skyliner, Spaceship Earth, Tower of Terror, Cinderella Castle, Tree of Life, Grand Floridian, Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, Art of Animation, All Star Music, Port Orleans Riverside, Riviera and more.
They come in a variety of different lid and handle colors, and are not tied to any celebration or season.
You might notice that these designs are very similar to the 50th Anniversary mugs in idea (see below)–they’re basically ‘alternative art’ to those. These also do not have the unique Mickey head lids (the difference is pictured below on the now-extinct 50th mugs).
Before those, Disney100 mugs debuted ahead of the 100 Years of Wonder campaign that celebrated the Walt Disney Company’s 100th Anniversary. These mugs have since been retired.
Prior to that, there were Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary mugs from late 2021 through mid-2023. (Note the distinction above in anniversaries–one is Walt Disney World, the other is the company as a whole.) These have also since been retired.
Refillable mugs at Walt Disney World currently cost $22.99 for the length of stay. The price last increased by $1 in October 2024, and changed at every counter service and food court menu.
The trend is a price increase on refillable mugs every other year, which would put the next increase in October 2026. (It’s always October, as that’s the start of Disney’s new fiscal year.) It’s also possible Walt Disney World has reached the breaking point on refillable mugs, and prices won’t go up again until 2027.
There’s only so much guests are willing to pay for ‘unlimited’ soda at their resorts, but it wouldn’t surprise us if that number is closer to $25 than it is $22–especially given that so many guests don’t pay for these mugs in the first place since they’re on the Disney Dining Plan. So who knows, maybe it’ll jump to $24.99 in Fall 2026! But for now, the current cost is $22.99 for refillable mugs at Walt Disney World.
With the latest news out of the way, let’s get down to brass tacks and talk all things refillable mugs!
Basically, this will be “More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Refillable Mugs.” (Our next article will be an in-depth piece titled, “Using the Handwashing Apparatuses in Restrooms: An Essay.”) To compensate for the lengthy article about a relatively mundane topic, we’re striking a goofy-while-informative tone with this post.
We’re actually huge fans and collectors of older refillable mugs, and this post also gave us an excuse to bust out some of our favorite mugs for a photoshoot. (Thanks to Henry from Country Bear Jamboree and Duffy for their excellent work as models!)
As for the substance of this post, we’ll start with the a lesson in economics–whether refillable mugs are worth the cost at Walt Disney World, before turning to an FAQ and ending with ethics…
Are Refillable Mugs Worth It?
I think one of the big reasons why these mugs have so many “ethical dilemmas” associated with them is because people realize they are not a good value, and because of that, people want to “force” more bang for their buck.
Keeping in mind that these mugs cost $24 after tax (for an average vacation) and a regular sized soda at Walt Disney World is about $4, you’d have to purchase over a half-dozen drinks on separate visits to the hotel food court (since you can refill the paper cup on the same visit) in order to “break even.” To reiterate, this is just drinks at your hotel.
Since we don’t recommend taking the refillable mug to the park with you (something you can do with a paper cup since you can throw it away when you’re done with it), this means getting up early 6 days of your trip and filling your mug up and taking it back to your room, or using the mug at the pool, etc. Five or six days of use may not seem like much, but in practice, for a lot of people it is.
There’s also the argument that the refillable mugs have value as a souvenir, but I can’t imagine that this is the souvenir many people would buy if given the choice. Walt Disney World has some seriously great merchandise, and these mugs aren’t that cool. The new art is good, but these are still more expensive than most resort-specific coffee mugs; they’re only slightly cheaper than resort-specific Tervis cups, which are larger and higher quality.
In reality, the sticker price of the refillable mugs is meaningless for most guests, because they’re getting them as a “free” add-on for the Disney Dining Plan. It’s actually a savvy move on Walt Disney World’s part, especially during the popular Free Dining Deal, as it offers the feeling of an all-inclusive vacation.
Not only that, but there’s something satisfying about going to the cash register with your family of 4 to redeem your refillable mugs, see the total come up to almost $100 and then not pay anything for those mugs. Even if you rationally know they’re not worth $100 to you, there’s the sense that you got a good deal. Vacations are largely about vibes, and getting “free” refillable mugs to start sets a positive tone to the trip!
If you’re really into saving, the most economical thing to do is to skip the Disney Dining Plan–and even Free Dining. We did the math on Free Dining vs. Room & Ticket Discounts at Walt Disney World, and spoiler alert, it’s not actually a good deal. Remember: there’s no such thing as a free lunch!
We will once again reiterate our recommendation of having groceries delivered to Walt Disney World resorts at a reasonable cost (we’ve recently updated this with different endorsements of the various services). Doing breakfast in your room, bringing your own snacks to the parks, or buying drinks (whether they be soda or alcohol) is a great way to save money.
Instead, buy a few two liters of soda and call it a day. Even at a high price of $3 per bottle, a two liter is a much better value than the refillable mug. There are approximately 4.2 “mugs’ worth” of soda in each two liter. Of course, packing two liters of soda in your checked back isn’t exactly convenient, but thankfully, that’s not your only option.
You could buy ~40 “mugs’ worth” of soda via two liters for the same price as one single refillable mug. Unless you like to seriously tweak on caffeine, chances are that you won’t be drinking 40 refillable mugs of soda on your vacation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Refillable Mugs
What is a refillable mug?
Beyond the obvious, this is a mug (see photos throughout this article) that can be purchased for a flat fee and refilled at designated counter service locations at Walt Disney World resort hotels. Current policy states that the mug is valid for unlimited refills for the duration of the trip during which the mug was purchased.
Note that refillable mugs may not be used in theme park restaurants, water parks, Disney Springs, or any other location that is not a Disney-owned hotel.
What can you put in the mug?
Bottomless margaritas! Just kidding…a cup like that would probably cost $2,754.99 at Walt Disney World. Coke products are available, as are hot chocolate, coffee, and tea. Milk is not available, nor are real juices.
How much do they hold?
Our mugs have “16” stamped on the bottom, which I believe indicates how many ounces the cups can hold. In actuality, they can hold about one can of soda. Pretty low capacity.
Can I take them with me to the parks and refill them there?
The answer to the first part of the question is yes, you can take them to the parks. The second part of the question has already been answered above–no, you can’t refill them there. Despite this, we see people on a daily basis leaving the hotel with their refillable mugs. This is probably partly because they don’t know the rules and partly because the refill stations at many hotels are “on the way” to the bus stop, making it easy to grab a drink for the ride.
To each their own, but this doesn’t make much sense to me. Personally, the short term joy of having a Coke to start out my day doesn’t outweigh the long term pain of having to lug the mug around all day. It would be one thing if Disney allowed them to be used in the parks, but for whatever reason, they do not. From our perspective, you’re better off bringing a water bottle (with filter, since Florida water is funky) or asking for free cups of water from counter service restaurants if you are looking for a convenient and cost-effective way to stay hydrated in the parks.
When I bought my mug, I was told it was good forever…is that not true?
Depends upon who told you. If it was a Cast Member (or it was printed on a sign near the mugs) and you relied on this information when making your purchase, forever is forever. If it was some random creeper standing next to the pile of mugs at Dixie Landings, your argument holds less water than one of these mugs.
The current policy on the mugs being valid only for the length of stay is irrelevant, as one party to a contract cannot unilaterally alter its terms after the fact without new consideration. As Walt Disney World now uses the Rapid Fill system, these older “forever” mugs are something Walt Disney World management will have to address. Chances are, they won’t, though.
If no such policy was in place when you purchased your mug and you just feel like using the mug forever because no one can stop you and you think Disney is overpriced as it is…see the “Ethics” section below.
What if I’m staying at multiple resort hotels during my trip?
We’ve never had an issue using our mug at multiple resorts during a split stay when purchasing for our length of stay, but you might want to tell the Cast Member your final checkout date when purchasing the mug. If you run into issues at your second (or third) resort, someone can always fix it for you.
Can old mugs be brought back and reused?
Unfortunately, no.
That answer doesn’t change even if you’re willing to pay again and just want to conserve plastic or you prefer one of your old mug designs. The explanation we’ve been given for this policy is that the Rapid Fill RFID chip (see below) either won’t last long enough or there’s no way to activate it again. Could be both.
Where are the mugs available?
They’re available at the food court and/or gift shop at every Disney-owned hotel at Walt Disney World. They aren’t available at Shades of Green, the Swan, the Dolphin, third-party Disney Springs area hotels, or that random shady motel you found for $35/night up I-Drive.
Are the mugs microwavable?
I have no idea why this is such a common question (Americans love to microwave stuff?), but it is. According to Google, they are BOTH microwave and dishwasher safe. So party down! Woo hoo!!!
However, please keep in mind that Rapid Fill mugs have RFID chips in them (more on this below) and microwaving them might have negative consequences, so don’t go wild microwaving your cup during your trip. Wait until you get home. Then you can microwave that sucker for hours on end.
What is Rapid Fill?
Rapid Fill is the RFID-based refillable mug program at Walt Disney World that ensures that guests have “valid” refillable mugs before allowing the refill. If you’ve been to Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach in the last few years, you’ve probably seen something similar to this system in action.
Basically, it’s technology to ensure that your cup is valid before beverage is dispensed. How much technology is too much technology for a soda machine? Well, “Rapid Fill” might be the answer to that question…
How does Rapid Fill work?
Magic. If that’s not a good enough answer, when you set your cup down on the stand below the soda dispenser, some sort of RFID-science senses that it’s there, and is valid. At that time, you can begin dispensing your soda. If you do something wrong, it won’t dispense, and maybe (or maybe not) the Rapid Fill LCD screen will tell you what’s wrong.
As we said in the last answer, a bit too much tech for a soda fountain…
How much filling is too rapid under Rapid Fill?
That might seem like nonsense, but if you’re trying to fill your cup too rapidly, Rapid Fill won’t allow you to fill your cup. You have to wait 2 minutes between each full refill. This is to prevent groups from sharing a single Rapid Fill mug: getting one drink for one person, pouring it into another cup, then quickly getting another, and so on.
Is Walt Disney World still using Rapid Fill?
Rumors have started to surface of hotel managers turning off the Rapid Fill system at various hotels. At present this is neither widespread at all hotels or even a majority of them. If Rapid Fill is turned off when you visit, the mugs still work–the RFID chip just isn’t being read.
Apparently, Rapid Fill was viewed as too much of a hassle (having used this system ourselves on a few occasions, we wholeheartedly agree) and theft was still occurring, it was just more expensive drinks like hot chocolate being stolen instead of soda, as the Rapid Fill system didn’t monitor those dispensers. (Gotta love the resourcefulness of soda thieves!) Time will tell if this is/was a temporary thing or not. It seems unlikely that individual hotel managers could opt out of the program, and equally unlikely that Disney would revert to the old system less than a year after rolling out the new one, but who knows.
Is the RFID chip in the Rapid Fill mug microwavable?
That’s a good question. We haven’t gotten around to doing comprehensive testing on the consequences of microwaving RFID chips, but we’re betting they don’t work after being microwaved. So that’s a bummer for all you microwave aficionados out there.
Honestly, though, who wants to live in a world where you can’t microwave your Disney cup? It’ll only fry the RFID chip, and you won’t need that chip once you get home from your vacation (when I assume you’ll be doing the bulk of your microwaving activities…unless you really need to get your microwaving fix on vacation) so I say MICROWAVE AWAY!
Refillable Mug Designs
About two decades ago, each Walt Disney World hotel had a different design on its refillable mug. This era of ‘resort-specific mugs’ is something we look back upon fondly as something of a golden age. That was followed by the dark ages, during which the same generic designs were used resort-wide, sometimes for multiple years without anything new.
Now, we are at a crossroads. Resort-specific mugs have not made their overdue and triumphant return, but we seem to be inching in that direction. In the last year, nearly a dozen different refillable mug styles have been released, including designs for Mickey Mouse’s birthday, Star Wars, Pixar, and other characters.
New designs have also been released for the Halloween and holiday seasons from time to time. The artwork on some of these, especially the Christmas ones, has been quite nice.
All of these designs have been available throughout Walt Disney World, at every single counter service restaurant and food court in the hotels. At least, when they are sold. We did not see these options last Halloween or Christmas at Walt Disney World. Here’s hoping they make a return; they’re fun and a nice change of pace for return visitors.
Another cool option was the stainless steel mugs. These mugs are vacuum insulated and can keep your drinks hot for up to 4 hours or cold for up to 12 hours, as the case may be. To our knowledge, these are not currently available–they’ve probably been retired at this point, as we haven’t seen them in a few years. Nevertheless, we keep mentioning because they were really cool and we’d love to see Walt Disney World bring them back.
Walt Disney World has been doing more and more mug designs in the last several years, which is really great to see. Our hope is that these new mugs prove to be a huge hit, and Walt Disney World follows these mugs up with a new line of resort-specific mugs or even greater variety. After years of the same recycled design, it sure seems like we’re (finally) heading back in that direction!
Refillable Mug Ethics
Ethics is the area of philosophy concerning the moral concepts of right and wrong. I took a number of classes on ethics in college, and I can’t say I view refillable mugs as an interesting area of ethics.
The “ethical” debate surrounding refillable mugs is essentially whether it’s morally okay to bring back your refillable mugs from past trips to reuse on subsequent trips despite Disney’s stated policy that the mugs are valid for the length of your stay, or if that amounts to stealing.
Someone with a serious interest in ethics might look at the refillable mugs debate as an interesting case study in the field, but I am not that person. True ethical concepts are nuanced, subjective, and not nearly as cut and dry as either side of this little online spat would like to think them. Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t really care what people do with their refillable mugs.
There are a lot of problems in the world, and I don’t see Walt Disney World’s insignificant lost revenue on stolen soda via this loophole as something that is in any way worth my attention as a third party who has no vested interest in the situation. Disney could have easily closed years ago if it so chose–and did briefly with the fully-enabled Rapid Fill system, but they’ve since rolled that back.
It’s not even a blip on my radar. It’s more interesting to me that people get so worked up over something in which they have no vested interest. Even the Disney stockholders out there are at most losing $.000001 per year as a result of the aggregate of the lost soda revenue.
Feel free to argue amongst yourselves about this incredibly significant moral issue in the comments if you feel so inclined. Remember to stand firm in your convictions: either re-using refillable mugs makes someone on par with a bank robber or it makes them the Robin Hood of soda. There is no place for cool heads in this discussion. Use outlandish analogies! Personally attack your opponents! Make ridiculous assumptions! Disregard logic! Condescend as much as possible! 😉
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
What do you think about Disney’s current refillable mug system? What about Rapid Fill? Do you think these refillable mugs are “worth it” to purchase out of pocket? Hoping resort-specific mugs make a comeback? Any remaining questions about how refillable mugs work at Walt Disney World? Share your thoughts in the comments…but if you do go down the ethical road, please keep it civil.
We never do the Dining Plan, preferring to eat ala carte and splurge for special occaisions. However, I don’t see a real problem in re-using mugs from one trip to the next. We do that with sippers purchased at Universal Studios where an employee must do the actual refilling (for a discounted price, not free) and no one has mentioned our sippers don’t look brand new. Disney gets their Coke products and fountain syrups for free from The Coca Cola company so guests are not causing any loss of revenue by getting free fountain drinks. As long as folks are discreet, not greedy and don’t make a mess with dirty cups, I chalk it up to harmless Civil Disobedience. Victimless crime.
Well technically, Coca Cola would then be the victim, no?
They supply the products free to Disney, and if Disney are tearing through double the amount because of those who are thieving, then THEY are the victims.
I’m guessing that you vastly overstate the magnitude of the “theft” going on here. This is likely because you are not horribly bright. Separately, Coke isn’t providing anything for free (calling into question how bright the OP is as well). Even if no cash is changing hands (and I have no idea whether that is the case, but assuming that the OP is correct), I assure you that Coke has an agreement with Disney calling for its brand name to be displayed X number of times in Y locations and at Z size. It isn’t free, it is the olest form of commerce – barter.
Crack den? Seriously? I keep coming to your site because your articles are very informative and fun to read but it’s your occasional insults that make me want to seriously stop clicking on your aritcles. I’m fully aware this is YOUR blog and that your opinions are nothing more than that – opinions. But sometimes you seem to forget that you have readers from all walks of life and with different tastes and resources.
In the past, you’ve insulted the musical taste of others by referring to the performers of Food & Wine Festival as “washed up” and now you’re (in so many words) poking fun at those who can only afford to stay at a $35-a-night “crack den”. What if that’s all a family can afford to pay when coming to Orlando because they’re having to transport, feed, and buy park admissions for a family of four? Do you ever stop and think of how your words may affect someone or make them feel? Not everyone is a 29 year-old lawyer with no children who can afford to stay at DVC resorts when visiting WDW.
You have a great blog and a huge audience. STOP AND THINK, man. Don’t ruin ten great paragraphs with one line of nonsense. I’m not sure if that’s your attempt at humor but if it is, you’re not funny in the least.
I’m not sure that Tom is the one who needs to stop and think… ‘Washed up’ is a better way to say old and not so talented. ‘Crack den’ is simply a joke.
Many of the articles on this website are about saving money. If you found a place to stay for $40 a night I’m fairly sure Tom would be impressed and not judge you one bit. Ease up and enjoy the information instead of getting offended by one guy’s opinion and jokes.
Easy, easy! … It seems you’re trying to be offended. Take the good with the “bad” and appreciate his humor. I personally find it very funny that even here, there are probably more comments than for most posts. As an extra bonus, it only took about a dozen comments before someone got angry! I disagree with a ‘SpenceMan01’ but when he replied with “Moron” I laughed out loud. Good times Tom…
I LOVE this blog and Tom really cracks me up!! When I read the “Crack Den” comment, I seriously Laughed out Loud!! It’s just a fun blog with usefull info that I enjoy reading. I have plenty of mugs and will probably get another one…I know, I’m a moron…lol 🙂
Lame jokes are the name of the game on this site. It’s been the style of this blog since day 1, so it’s not as if I built up an audience with dry writing and than began subjecting that audience to my awful jokes.
As far as the crack den thing goes…there are nice $35/night hotels and then there are ones that are incredibly sketchy. I’ve stayed at both kinds. I don’t think my comment in any way insults those who don’t have the resources to stay at more expensive hotels (or are frugal and choose not to stay at more expensive hotels), it pokes fun at the $35/night hotels that are the really sketchy ones. Anyone can do research to determine which of the $35 hotels is which. Personally, after making the mistake of choosing one of the wrongs ones and ‘surviving’ the night, I’ve always laughed it off and joked about it with others (usually with my poor judgment as the butt of the joke).
Taking everything you read on this site literally is bound to leave you offended on a pretty regular basis. I assure you that’s neither my goal nor is it the way the tongue-in-cheek comments are intended.
Loser!
I agree with everyone defending Tom. It was a joke. He wasn’t criticizing you or anyone else. He was being sarcastic, which he is in literally every other post on this site.
I have a cabinet full of these mugs. I just take all the freebie mugs we get from various other places out and put these in forefront if the cabinet. I did get them on the (gasp) DDP. But, in my moronic defense, the first time we took our kids we got a free dining plan, and because he have the chase Disney card our kids tickets were free. Ahh the good old days with our failing economy and Disney making incredible deals to keep the parks full. Last time we were there we also go the DDP for free and got mugs. But we had 7 people, one under two, so it worked well because she ate off of our plates. It was just much easier.even though we hardly used them. Who wants to waste time going back to your room to drop off the mugs when there are park buses to catch?! And when we go again, we will have two under two, so we will take full advantage of a free dining plan and our overpriced mugs. But I’ve never packed ours to reuse because I don’t want to sacrifice space in my suitcase. It’s just not worth it to me to take them back and haul them around.
I just choose not to do the math in regards to the mugs. Drinks taste much better when you don’t think about how much it costs. I do agree that it’d be nice to get more than just soda and coffee.
Oh, and for the record, you sure are being judgmental of someone who writes a blog that you voluntarily read just because your lifestyles are different. You feel like he said something wrong, but you did as well, in my opinion. Two wrongs don’t make a right!
You know you don’t all ways have to be ‘offended’ by something and expect that dressing someone down is your right (see I’m doing it right now) because it’s not…
Some times a Crack Den is just a joke and if you don’t get it or like it just let it pass you by! You don’t always have to express your moral indignation and expect profuse apologies for offending your delicate sensibilities….
My only issue with the mugs is that they perpetuate our culture of drinking too much soda, which is so bad for everyone’s health and waistline. And I think it is contributing to people being SO unhealthy. I wish Disney didn’t pump millions of people full of junk food constantly at their parks. My kids aren’t even allowed soda and I tell them how bad it is for them. It is painful and upsetting to watch people fill up these mugs at 8:00 in the morning with soda and give it to their children. I wish they would get rid of them altogether!
I totally agree. I once saw Captian Hook forcing a hot dog down some obese kids throat while his parents took pictures. Totally disgusting. All corporations that give people the option to eat whatever they choose (including fresh fruit and vegetables, which are available at many locations in all parks) should be shut down immediately.
Oh yes….let’s put this off on culture and Mickey! Lawd forbid we take personal responsibility for our decisions….
I totally agree. My kids had mugs as part of the free dining plan, and the only thing they could get was hot chocolate, which they didn’t like.
Whether or not it’s worth it is simple – to each his own. What’s economical for me – my husband and I drink too much soda and refill it in the morning and on our way back to our room at night- may not be for my sister- she drinks coffee for breakfast and can’t put juice in it for my niece- so that shouldn’t be a debate. I do think people who insist on refilling old ones should stop. Get over it’s expired, suck it up and buy a new one if you really need/want it.
Had to reply, because I have the same name and that never happens –
Disney should allow you to purchase a second (or third, forth, fifth) “stay” – a refill period without having to purchase the mug again. Save on waste for those who don’t want the mugs as souveniers.
Maybe D-23 expo will host a town hall style meeting with disgruntled disboards members this year. I would love to see some epic ethical debates as folks battle it out over this life defining issue! As for me- well, I confess to filling up my boardwalk inn mug at the beach club once. I was later filled with overwhelming shame and guilt.
Thank goodness at least one Disney aficionado is sane about this refillable mug debacle….
Next question: Can you use last year’s mug while hanging by the resort pool when you’re staying somewhere else?
Only if you’re staying at the I-Drive crack den and pool hopping to Yacht & Beach Club.
Honestly, if Disney didn’t want people to reuse the mugs, then they should change the design once in awhile, install an anti soda theft device or have the soda police standing there checking to make sure that it is in fact a newly purchased mug. I’ll be bringing the two mugs back with me that never get used (the kids’, which I highly doubt got used enough to justify the overpriced cost while we were there) and I’ll be buying 2 new ones since my husband and I use our cute souvenirs every day and they are getting worn. Sort of ethical in a buy one get one kind of way. : ) My thought is, if it looks used, buy a new one so it’s not glaringly obvious that you did not purchase it during the current trip. If it doesn’t look used, perfectly acceptable to reuse!
We go every year and the design does change. That is how others know when someone if using a cup from a prior years visit. It doesn’t point out those that visit more than once during the same mug year.
Following this same line of reasoning, If Police really wanted to put an end to prostitutes, they would obviously arrest more hookers, right? It’s amazing the tortured logic that you can derive in the attempt to justify what you already recognize as being clearly wrong.
First off, I do take issue with all the folks using old mugs at the hotels. theft is theft, it doesn’t matter that it “won’t hurt disney”. You make an agreement when you buy the mug and if you use it again later you are stealing. So I have no problem with the new RFID system since it won’t affect anyone that was following the rules. Second, I absolutely brought my mug to the park every day. Each morning I brought it to breakfast and used it for tea. Then i would refill with cocoa (my last few visits have been in winter) and hop on the park bus with it. At the park i rinse it out and stash it in my backpack. It weighs basically nothing so this is no inconvenience. Then when I get back to the hotel at night, i can pop in the food court for some decaf tea, or whatever. So i used it 2-3 times per day for a week, that definitely covered the cost. I’m sure it’s not economical for everyone but for me it works out well.
Oh jeez relax you can’t be serious about taking issue with people bringing back their cups from past trips and using them again?? It really doesn’t make sense not to reuse them if you visit often, who would want all those cups at home?! If Disney honestly had a problem with it they’d update their cups! As someone who has no problem spending money in the parks this such a trivial thing to care about!
If am told I am paying a certain amount for the right to use that mug for the length of my stay, that is the deal. I don’t know why anyone thinks it is OK to do otherwise. So yes, I am serious, and I’m glad Disney is changing the rules to enforce it with the new tags, because so far I’ve basically been penalized for abiding by the agreement while others steal their drinks. And for the record I don’t want “all those cups at home” – they go in the recyle bin after my trip. I buy them to use on my stay not as souveniers.
I agree with you! I have always been shocked with the amount of people just casually getting drinks with their prior visit mugs. And, like you, we start out with coffee, would bring a refill of coffee back to my room, fill with soda before we grabbed the bus, rinsed it out and put in our bag and then refill when we walked through the resort to go back to our room. We also would fill for pool side. I’d say we got our moneys worth and the grandkids loved the mugs when we came home and gave them to them.
Oh, one more point. We end up eating at our hotel quick service 2 or 3 times during a stay. So we get 4 20 ounce sodas per meal that we can bring to the parks with us, or just keep in our room fridge, while we use the mug during that meal.
I’m not sure why I’m trying to get you to better appreciate the mug…
I think the mug is a great idea. Nice souvenir and when the drink is done it is lightweight and you just throw it into your backpack. Love getting them with our Magic Your Way pkg.
There is nothing wrong with having the mugs if that’s what you want. I’m sure the people that would criticize you probably do things the rest of us would laugh at!
Take the mugs and use them as you wish, it’s fine with 90% of us…
I think you’ve made a ‘non-parent’ mistake in your article. When you said to NOT take your cup with you, I was so confused. Then I read your reasoning, and remembered, ‘oh yeah, he doesn’t have a child yet…’. We ALWAYS took two of our 4 mugs with us. It was never a burden, because when the drink was finished, it went in the diaper bag, in the stroller. When getting free ice water in the park, it was easier to pour the water into these mugs, place the cap on with a straw, and THEN let our children drink out of them. My children suffered from dramatically less spills (on their fancy princess dresses) when drinking from a covered cup with a straw. Then, when back at the resort we’d quickly fill it on the way to our room. We used ours a ton. I think that parents who can shove things in bags, which will then go in a stroller, are not as annoyed as a person traveling sans carriage.
Ugh, Rosalie raises a great point — all those people who bring strollers, children, and all that EXTRA stuff to WDW. The way they take up space on the Disney buses… ugh. Let’s address a problem greater than refillable mugs… the children. (I hope that reads as sarcastic as it is supposed to.)
My wife and I recently spent a blissful weekend at the Magic Kingdom after losing ninety pounds- our 11 year old daughter. As Florida parents whose cajoling, grounding, threatening, tutoring, and extra chore detail methods were failing to bring our bright tween student’s grades and school behavior into line once middle school hit, we resorted to the nuclear option. One trip to Disney World and a picture of her moms eating her favorite food at Epcot without her and- just like magic- she’s back on track and ready to toe the line to be included the NEXT time we head to Orlando. Sound unfair? Just like I quoted to her from my favorite Disney villain, “Life’s full of tough choices, innit?” Disney ninja parenting for the win!(And, yeah, the hitting the Parks without kids is a guilty, guilty pleasure we can live with.) FYI, it saved us a boatload more than foregoing a refillable mug.
In following Tom’s suggestion of slinging mud in the comments…
Anyone who actually BUYS these mugs at $18 is a complete and total MORON! These things are such a damn inconvenience when used properly (e.g.: not filling them at Electric Umbrella or the like). You can’t refill them in the parks, you have to hoof it all the way across your resort to fill it up, and all the way back to drop it off if you’re not gonna bring it to the parks (and what rational person would?!?).
Disney jacked up the price of the mugs for two reasons: 1. To fleece the suckers who actually pay out of pocket for these things, and 2. To give an even greater false sense of added value to the stupid dining plan. If/when people try to run numbers to see if the dining plan would be a cheaper option, there’s more money on the refillable mug line of the spreadsheet, making the dining plan look like a better option.
But now let me tell you how I *really* feel…
I hope you mean people who buy the mugs with the refill option. We’ve bought the mugs before and we’ll probably buy them in the future…though they never get filled up with anything until we get home. We buy them for souvenirs. They’re certainly cheaper any shirt.
Moron.
HA HA HA HA!!! I’m with you and you worded it so well. ;P Never ever bought one, and never EVER will.
how do you no if there a bad deal if you have never got them before just because the one guy said anyone who buys them are morons thats just his personal opinion which he’s entitled to but you should see for yourself before you say it’s a bad deal that was the first bad comment I have herd about those mugs the whole time I researched it
And you’re an ass
So essentially you could throw in the cup in the micro from a past trip and say my RFID chip
Must be fried. I need a new cup and walk out w a cup good and also free for the next 7 days.
It’s all hypothetical at this point, but I can’t imagine that would be the case. If it were me on the other end of that conversation, I’d ask to see a receipt.
So much Microwave humor! Thanks!
I don’t get the mugs because that’s like… One and half adult drinks I could be having instead!
Tom, 1. I’d like to know why fan board people get so worked up over a topic Disney is well aware of. 2. No signs stating no refills anywhere around soda machines or cash register at Seasons. Drink up guilt free.
Free refills are definitely allowed at Sunshine Seasons. It’s just sometimes awkward because of the placement.
We always get the dining plan (I know, I know…) and I just consider the mugs a “free” souvenir. My kids love them and use them all the time. It’s a nice reminder of our trip.
*I* heard that you can use your refillable mug to get refills anywhere you want! McDonald’s, the gas station down the street from your house, Universal Studios – now that’s giving guests greater flexibility!
Yeah, that’s basically true. At least that’s what a bus driver told me.
Personally, I’ve never brought a mug back to Disney to refill. If I wanted the refill option, I’d buy another. After a few trips buying mugs, I decided that, as you’ve pointed out, it’s far better to purchase two-liter bottles offsite than a refillable mug. When it comes to those that bring them back, my opinion on whether the practice is right or wrong is really a moot point. I’ve let it go over time. It’s now harder to detect whether people are bringing back their mugs year after year, as Disney has streamlined their design so you really don’t see blatant “cheating” at the hotels as much. The thing that does bother me are those “stealing” soda in the parks where soda stations are available. The last time I was at the Electric Umbrella at Epcot, I’d purchased a soda with my meal, yet when I got to the soda station, all I saw were people coming in from the outside, filling up water bottles, empty soda bottles, styro coffee cups, Club Cool cups, etc…..with soda. This really irked the heck out of me, as I’d just paid at the counter and here were “guests” just helping themselves for free. I’m really hoping that the RapidFill system hits these stations. Back at the hotels, at least the guests “helping themselves” are paying for a hotel room. At the theme parks, well those soda stealers could be staying at…..dare I say it…..a Universal hotel. There’s my position….and I’m sticking too it!
I’m a bit shocked by this. I’ve never seen anyone using unauthorized cups at Electric Umbrella. That’s wild.
I always feel a little awkward when I go to refill my drink at Sunshine Seasons. Do I stop to show a cashier my receipt…do I just keep walking in a “sure of myself” manner? What’s the protocol?!
An older woman (and I’m 52), with an empty diet Coke bottle, actually pushed me (with real physical contact) out of the way to get to her brand first. I was really taken aback and wasn’t sure what to do…..call me stunned.
I feel the same about Sunshine Seasons…..it makes for an awkward refill.
I have also seen people refilling mugs not only at the Electric Umbrella, but all over the WDW parks. My husband is always asking me why I don’t bring the mug to the parks and I’m like because you can’t refill here! He looks at me like, “Hello and what are those people doing then.” I would rather pay for my drink at the park than be so embarrassed if I was told something by a CM while refilling my mug. With my luck I would get caught. Like I said, I see it all the time!
Hello,
I currently have about 8 mugs. They just seemed to give them to us on every trip for free for whatever the reason was. I am a vacation club owner/member as well. I personally do not drink soda (only on occasion or in a mixed drink). Being a vacation club member, I will say that I do bring my mug back all the time and for two main things:
1 – Coffee every morning
2 – To use for cocktails by the pool
Now you may say that I am “stealing” coffee every morning I get a cup, but, as a vacation club member, we actually get a coffee pot and coffee for free in the room. I am not one to brew coffee (mainly because I usually do not have time in the morning). So I find that getting a free mug of coffee as opposed to brewing the free coffee myself is the same thing.
Therefore, I personally do not see it as stealing coffee every morning when I use my old mug to get it.
You can make the arguement on the rare occasion I get a cup of soda, but I always stock up on groceries every visit, so its very rare if it happens. I usually just get one from the vending machine.
Thoughts?
I don’t drink pop or coffee, but I agree with you. Besides, nothing in Disney is ever free. You pay for it one way or another! With the cost of Admission tickets, Parking, resort stays, food and souvenirs, Disney is making a KILLING on those of that are SERIOUSLY addicted to their World. I would never get upset if I were to see someone filling up a non – refillable cup. Plus, a huge majority of Disney guests don’t even speak English so maybe they don’t understand.
There is a place in Hollywood Studios that allowed free refills with the purchase of a regular cup of soda. I think it was near Star Wars?
Every year I ask my husband if Walt Disney would be proud of the way his family runs things. I guess I feel bad for the families that can’t come and enjoy the parks te way Walt intended simply because it is so expensive 🙁
I’m guessing that some people just want the mug and think of it as an in-part documentation of their trip to Disney World. If such a memento is truly microwave and dishwasher safe (these claims are pretty often blatantly false in retail dish wear) and they can get some “free” soda during their stay, all the better.
I’m also guessing that Disney is fully aware that people are using their mugs past the time when they’re supposed to, and just doesn’t care that much. There’s a reason fast food places moved to unlimited refills.
Personally, I microwave everything I buy as soon as I get it. It’s sort of a litmus test for whether something is worth owning. I mean, if you can’t microwave a possession, what’s the point?! 😉
And yes, Disney is aware of the practice. It’s amusing that people in the fan community care a lot more about the topic than the Company itself.
Just used my refill cup for a second year last week! In fact we had two we shared with 3 people
I have used the current mug for about 8 or 9 trips since I got it in August 2011. Its about time we had some new mug designs. I personally would love to have resort specific mugs. Haven’t had one of those since 2005. I think the new system is more about selling more mugs than getting money out of soda and coffee. I’m a stockholder and DVC member, so what’s good for Disney is good for me!