Walt Disney World makes use of refillable mugs at resort lodge meals courts that provide limitless refills. This information affords pricing data, photographs of designs, and solutions often requested questions: whether or not RapidFill is well worth the cash, the place to make use of these cups, and extra. We additionally deal with some controversy surrounding them. (Up to date Could 2, 2023.)
The refillable mug system is fairly easy: you purchase the mug or have it offered to you through the Disney Eating Plan (quickly unavailable) after which are entitled to limitless refills on the Walt Disney World inns all through your keep. Self-serve beverage stations can be found at choose quick-service eating places situated in Walt Disney World theme parks and resort inns.
Regardless of it being a seemingly simple subject, there are few subjects that elicit as a lot dialogue and impassioned debate because the refillable mugs. This text will take a study the moral and economical quandaries, supply refillable mug data & designs, and reply some often requested questions concerning the mugs.
Could 2, 2023 Replace: Walt Disney World is slowly shifting gears and shifting on from the World’s Most Magical Celebration to the 100 Years of Surprise Celebration for the whole firm’s one hundredth Anniversary. With that comes a change in refillable mugs from the fiftieth Anniversary types (pictured under) to new Disney100 refillable mugs.
These are actually accessible at each resort meals court docket and different counter service eating places round Walt Disney World, and are available in one cup design with two completely different shade schemes (platinum or purple). They’re similar to comparable mugs launched earlier this yr at Disneyland, with a few notable variations. First, this model says “Walt Disney World” above the Disney100 brand as an alternative of “Disneyland” under the emblem.
Second, these don’t characteristic the distinctive Mickey head lids (the distinction is pictured under on the now-extinct fiftieth mugs). That is an fascinating omission, as these lids have been launched midway by the fiftieth Anniversary at Walt Disney World, and are additionally at present accessible on the Disneyland model of the Disney100 mugs. Maybe they’re coming quickly for the Disney100 mugs at Walt Disney World? We hope so–it’s a enjoyable characteristic!
Late final yr, refillable mugs at Walt Disney World elevated in worth from $19.99 to $21.99 for the size of keep. This was throughout the board, and the brand new pricing is now in place on each counter service and meals court docket menu as of 2023.
Usually, the value wouldn’t matter to many Walt Disney World visitors, as refillable mugs are included with the Disney Eating Plan. Nonetheless, that is still quickly suspended as of Summer time 2023. See When Will the Disney Eating Plan Return at Walt Disney World? for extra on once we’re anticipating it to return.
With the newest information out of the way in which, let’s get all the way down to brass tacks and discuss all issues refillable mugs!
Mainly, this will likely be “Extra Than You Ever Needed To Know About Refillable Mugs.” (Our subsequent article will likely be an in-depth piece titled, “Utilizing the Handwashing Apparatuses in Restrooms: An Essay.”) To compensate for the prolonged article a few comparatively mundane subject, we’re placing a goofy-while-informative tone with this submit.
We’re truly large followers and collectors of older refillable mugs, and this submit additionally gave us an excuse to bust out a few of our favourite mugs for a photoshoot. (Because of Henry from Nation Bear Jamboree and Duffy for his or her glorious work as fashions!)
As for the substance of this submit, we’ll begin with the FAQ, adopted by refillable mug photographs, and end with separate classes in economics and ethics…
Steadily Requested Questions
What’s a refillable mug?
Past the plain, this can be a mug (see photographs all through this text) that may be bought for a flat payment and refilled at designated counter service areas at Walt Disney World resort inns. Present coverage states that the mug is legitimate for limitless refills all through the journey throughout which the mug was bought.
Observe that refillable mugs is probably not utilized in theme park eating places, water parks, Disney Springs, or another location that’s not a Disney-owned lodge.
What can you place within the mug?
Bottomless margaritas! Simply kidding…a cup like that might in all probability value $2,754.99 at Walt Disney World. Coke merchandise can be found, as are sizzling chocolate, espresso, and tea. Milk shouldn’t be accessible, nor are actual juices.
How a lot do they maintain?
Our mugs have “16” stamped on the underside, which I consider signifies what number of ounces the cups can maintain. In reality, they will maintain about one can of soda. Fairly low capability.
Can I take them with me to the parks and refill them there?
The reply to the primary a part of the query is sure, you may take them to the parks. The second a part of the query has already been answered above–no, you may’t refill them there. Regardless of this, we see individuals each day leaving the lodge with their refillable mugs. That is in all probability partly as a result of they don’t know the principles and partly as a result of the refill stations at many inns are “on the way in which” to the bus cease, making it straightforward to seize a drink for the journey.
To every their very own, however this doesn’t make a lot sense to me. Personally, the brief time period pleasure of getting a Coke to start out out my day doesn’t outweigh the long run ache of getting to lug the mug round all day. It will be one factor if Disney allowed them for use within the parks, however for no matter cause, they don’t. From our perspective, you’re higher off bringing a water bottle (with filter, since Florida water is funky) or asking without cost cups of water from counter service eating places if you’re in search of a handy and cost-effective solution to keep hydrated within the parks.
Once I purchased my mug, I used to be advised it was good eternally…is that not true?
Relies upon upon who advised you. If it was a Solid Member (or it was printed on an indication close to the mugs) and also you relied on this data when making your buy, eternally is eternally. If it was some random creeper standing subsequent to the pile of mugs at Dixie Landings, your argument holds much less water than certainly one of these mugs.
The present coverage on the mugs being legitimate just for the size of keep is irrelevant, as one celebration to a contract can’t unilaterally alter its phrases after the very fact with out new consideration. As Walt Disney World now makes use of the Fast Fill system, these older “eternally” mugs are one thing Walt Disney World administration must deal with. Chances are high, they gained’t, although.
If no such coverage was in place once you bought your mug and also you simply really feel like utilizing the mug eternally as a result of nobody can cease you and also you assume Disney is overpriced as it’s…see the “Ethics” part under.
What if I’m staying at a number of resort inns throughout my journey?
We’ve by no means had a difficulty utilizing our mug at a number of resorts throughout a break up keep when buying for our size of keep, however you may wish to inform the Solid Member your ultimate checkout date when buying the mug. If you happen to run into points at your second (or third) resort, somebody can at all times repair it for you.
Can previous mugs be introduced again and reused?
Sadly, no.
That reply doesn’t change even for those who’re prepared to pay once more and simply wish to preserve plastic otherwise you favor certainly one of your previous mug designs. The reason we’ve been given for this coverage is that the Fast Fill RFID chip (see under) both gained’t final lengthy sufficient or there’s no solution to activate it once more. Might be each.
The place are the mugs accessible?
They’re accessible on the meals court docket and/or reward store at each Disney-owned lodge at Walt Disney World. They aren’t accessible at Shades of Inexperienced, the Swan, the Dolphin, third-party Disney Springs space inns, or that random shady motel you discovered for $35/evening up I-Drive.
Are the mugs microwavable?
I do not know why that is such a typical query (Individuals like to microwave stuff?), however it’s. In keeping with Google, they’re BOTH microwave and dishwasher secure. So celebration down! Woo hoo!!!
Nonetheless, please remember that Fast Fill mugs have RFID chips in them (extra on this under) and microwaving them might need adverse penalties, so don’t go wild microwaving your cup throughout your journey. Wait till you get residence. Then you may microwave that sucker for hours on finish.
What’s Fast Fill?
Fast Fill is the RFID-based refillable mug program at Walt Disney World that ensures that visitors have “legitimate” refillable mugs earlier than permitting the refill. If you happen to’ve been to Hurricane Lagoon or Blizzard Seashore in the previous few years, you’ve in all probability seen one thing much like this method in motion.
Mainly, it’s know-how to make sure that your cup is legitimate earlier than beverage is distributed. How a lot know-how is an excessive amount of know-how for a soda machine? Nicely, “Fast Fill” is likely to be the reply to that query…
How does Fast Fill work?
Magic. If that’s not a adequate reply, once you set your cup down on the stand under the soda dispenser, some type of RFID-science senses that it’s there, and is legitimate. At the moment, you may start dishing out your soda. If you happen to do one thing incorrect, it gained’t dispense, and perhaps (or perhaps not) the Fast Fill LCD display screen will inform you what’s incorrect.
As we mentioned within the final reply, a bit an excessive amount of tech for a soda fountain…
How a lot filling is just too fast beneath Fast Fill?
That may appear to be nonsense, however for those who’re attempting to fill your cup too quickly, Fast Fill gained’t will let you fill your cup. You need to wait 2 minutes between every full refill. That is to forestall teams from sharing a single Fast Fill mug: getting one drink for one particular person, pouring it into one other cup, then rapidly getting one other, and so forth.
Is Walt Disney World nonetheless utilizing Fast Fill?
Rumors have began to floor of lodge managers turning off the Fast Fill system at numerous inns. At current that is neither widespread in any respect inns or perhaps a majority of them. If Fast Fill is turned off once you go to, the mugs nonetheless work–the RFID chip simply isn’t being learn.
Apparently, Fast Fill was seen as an excessive amount of of a trouble (having used this method ourselves on just a few events, we wholeheartedly agree) and theft was nonetheless occurring, it was simply costlier drinks like sizzling chocolate being stolen as an alternative of soda, because the Fast Fill system didn’t monitor these dispensers. (Gotta love the resourcefulness of soda thieves!) Time will inform if that is/was a short lived factor or not. It appears unlikely that particular person lodge managers might choose out of this system, and equally unlikely that Disney would revert to the previous system lower than a yr after rolling out the brand new one, however who is aware of.
Is the RFID chip within the Fast Fill mug microwavable?
That’s query. We haven’t gotten round to doing complete testing on the results of microwaving RFID chips, however we’re betting they don’t work after being microwaved. In order that’s a bummer for all you microwave aficionados on the market.
Truthfully, although, who needs to stay in a world the place you may’t microwave your Disney cup? It’ll solely fry the RFID chip, and also you gained’t want that chip when you get residence out of your trip (after I assume you’ll be doing the majority of your microwaving actions…except you really want to get your microwaving repair on trip) so I say MICROWAVE AWAY!
Refillable Mug Designs
About 20 years in the past, every Walt Disney World lodge had a unique design on its refillable mug. This period of ‘resort-specific mugs’ is one thing we glance again upon fondly as one thing of a golden age. That was adopted by the darkish ages, throughout which the identical generic designs have been used resort-wide, generally for a number of years with out something new.
Now, we’re at a crossroads. Resort-specific mugs haven’t made their overdue and triumphant return, however we appear to be inching in that route. Within the final yr, practically a dozen completely different refillable mug types have been launched, together with designs for Mickey Mouse’s birthday, Star Wars, Pixar, and different characters.
New designs have additionally been launched for the Halloween and vacation seasons the previous few years. The art work on a few of these, particularly the Christmas ones, has been fairly good.
All of those designs have been accessible all through Walt Disney World, at each single counter service restaurant and meals court docket within the inns.
One other cool choice extra lately has been the chrome steel mugs. These mugs are vacuum insulated and might maintain your drinks sizzling for as much as 4 hours or chilly for as much as 12 hours, because the case could also be. (To our information, these usually are not at present accessible as of 2023.)
Very like the MagicBand Improve Choices for Walt Disney World lodge visitors, these can be found for an additional $10. This mug is much nicer than the traditional refillable mug, and nicely well worth the $10 to us. Nonetheless, these chrome steel mugs aren’t dishwasher or microwave secure. So not like the common refillable mugs at Walt Disney World, these usually are not appropriate for a microwave (or dishwashing) celebration.
Previous to this, two new mugs have been launched for Walt Disney World’s fiftieth Anniversary. That resulted in Spring 2023, and the designs have been changed by the Disney100 mugs at most resorts. We actually love these designs, which included enjoyable visuals and nods to WDW icons organized in a intelligent method. As of Could 2023, you may be capable to discover just a few fiftieth stragglers at numerous resort lodge meals courts, however don’t depend on it.
Walt Disney World has been doing an increasing number of mug designs within the final a number of years, which is basically nice to see. Our hope is that these new mugs show to be an enormous hit, and Walt Disney World follows these mugs up with a brand new line of resort-specific mugs and even larger selection. After years of the identical recycled design, it certain looks as if we’re (lastly) heading again in that route!
Economics
I feel one of many large explanation why these mugs have so many “moral dilemmas” related to them is as a result of individuals understand they aren’t worth, and due to that, individuals wish to “power” extra bang for his or her buck.
Conserving in thoughts that these mugs value $23 after tax (for a median trip) and an everyday sized soda at Walt Disney World is about $4, you’d must buy over 6 drinks on separate events (since you may refill the paper cup on the identical go to) at your lodge to “break even.” To reiterate, that is simply drinks at your lodge.
Since we don’t suggest taking the refillable mug to the park with you (one thing you can do with a paper cup since you may throw it away once you’re achieved with it), this implies getting up early 6 days of your journey and filling your mug up and taking it again to your room, or utilizing the mug on the pool, and many others. 5 or 6 days of use might not appear to be a lot, however in observe, for lots of people it’s.
There’s additionally the argument that the refillable mugs have worth as a memento, however I can’t think about that this is the memento many individuals would purchase if given the selection. Walt Disney World has some significantly nice merchandise, and these mugs merely aren’t that cool.
If you happen to’re actually into saving, the most economical factor to do is purchase just a few two liters of soda and name it a day. Even at a excessive worth of $3 per bottle, a two liter is a a lot better worth than the refillable mug. There are roughly 4.2 “mugs’ price” of soda in every two liter. In fact, packing two liters of soda in your checked again isn’t precisely handy, however fortunately, that’s not your solely choice.
We’ll as soon as once more reiterate our suggestion of having groceries delivered to Walt Disney World resorts at a affordable value (we’ve lately up to date this with completely different endorsements of the varied companies). Doing breakfast in your room, bringing your personal snacks to the parks, or shopping for drinks (whether or not they be soda or alcohol) is a good way to economize.
You possibly can purchase ~40 “mugs’ price” of soda through two liters for a similar worth as one single refillable mug. Until you want to noticeably tweak on caffeine, chances are high that you simply gained’t be ingesting 40 refillable mugs of soda in your trip.
Ethics
Ethics is the world of philosophy in regards to the ethical ideas of proper and incorrect. I took a lot of lessons on ethics in school, and I can’t actually say I view refillable mugs as an fascinating space of ethics. The “moral” debate surrounding refillable mugs is basically whether or not it’s morally okay to deliver again your refillable mugs from previous journeys to reuse on subsequent journeys regardless of Disney’s said coverage that the mugs are legitimate for the size of your keep.
Somebody with a severe curiosity in ethics may take a look at the refillable mugs debate as an fascinating case examine within the area, however I’m not that particular person. True moral ideas are nuanced, subjective, and never practically as minimize and dry as both aspect of this little on-line spat wish to assume them. Sorry to disappoint, however I don’t actually care what individuals do with their refillable mugs.
There are loads of issues on the planet, and I don’t see Walt Disney World’s insignificant misplaced income on soda through this loophole as one thing that’s in any method price my consideration as a 3rd celebration who has no vested curiosity within the scenario. Disney might have simply closed years in the past if it so selected–and did briefly with the fully-enabled Fast Fill system, however they’ve since rolled that again.
It’s not even a blip on my radar. It’s extra fascinating to me that folks get so labored up over one thing through which they haven’t any vested curiosity. Even the Disney stockholders on the market are at most dropping $.000001 per yr because of the mixture of the misplaced soda income.
Be at liberty to argue amongst yourselves about this extremely vital ethical challenge within the feedback for those who really feel so inclined. Bear in mind to face agency in your convictions: both re-using refillable mugs makes somebody on par with a financial institution robber or it makes them the Robin Hood of soda. There isn’t a place for cool heads on this dialogue. Use outlandish analogies! Personally assault your opponents! Make ridiculous assumptions! Disregard logic! Condescend as a lot as attainable! 😉
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study inns on our Walt Disney World Accommodations Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To economize on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a novel take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Experience Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every thing you want to know!
Your Ideas…
What do you consider Disney’s present refillable mug system? What about Fast Fill? Do you assume these refillable mugs are “price it” to buy out of pocket? Hoping resort-specific mugs make a comeback? Any remaining questions on how refillable mugs work at Walt Disney World? Share your ideas within the feedback…however for those who do go down the moral street, please maintain it civil.