I’m a coffee drinker, and a morning just doesn’t START for me unless I have that hot cup of Joe to get my blood pumping. It doesn’t even have to be particularly great coffee, which is good, as not many people would consider the stuff you get in the food courts to be “good” coffee. For me, it just has to be caffeinated.
Disney's Refillable Resort Mugs
And the cost of couple of cups a day can really add up! Luckily, Disney offers a refillable mug program to guests staying at one of its resorts.
The History of the Refillable Resort Mug program
The Disney World resorts have been offering refillable mugs in the food courts for years and years. The first one in my collection dates back to 2002 when I went to The World as an adult, but they’ve been around for a lot longer than that.
The mugs were originally themed to the resorts themselves. The Port Orleans mugs were purple and green with the Fab 5 dressed as members of a jazz band, the Animal Kingdom Lodge’s mugs at The Mara were orange and red and had animals playing with Mickey and friends, The Beach Club had a beachy theme, and so on….
Then in late 2006, Disney World went to a “universal” design for all resorts.
The first "universal" resort mug design
At first, many of us thought it was just something they were doing for the Year of a Million Dreams campaign, and that they go back to the resort-specific mugs. But when the YoaMD and its sister campaign ended after 2007, the red “Celebrate” themed mugs popped up at all resorts, followed by the current “resort pool” mug theme that appeared in 2011.
The current modus operandi seems to be that they release a new mug design every two years. They usually begin appearing as an individual resort runs out of the previous themed mug stock – which seems to take until about February.
Will we see resort-specific mugs ever again?
Personally, I would seriously doubt that. From a cost perspective, it makes better sense to use a “universal” design because it means they can do larger orders from the manufacturer, which results in less cost per mug. Plus, they don’t have to maintain multiple designs in their warehouses, worry about inventory management or stocking, and all that transportation around to the resorts.
All of those things bring down the cost/raise their profits considerably with the universal design — even though many guests clamor for the resort-specific ones to come back.
But what *are* the refillable mugs?
They are plastic, insulated mugs that hold about 16 ounces of fluid. They are designed to fit in most cars drink holders, have a variety of handle/lid colors, and hold up well to repeated use — even surviving many years of abuse in a dishwasher.
You can pick them up at your Disney resort’s food court – usually near the cashier stations. Once paid for, the cashier will remove the security catch so they can be used at the beverage islands for fill-ups.
If you are on the Disney Dining Plan in 2012, you will receive a mug for each person in your reservation aged 3 and over. Just go to the food court and present your Keys to the Kingdom resort room keycard and the cashier will get you your mugs.
What drinks are on offer?
Disney World is a “Coke Country,” which means they have an exclusive deal with the Coca-Cola Company to offer their sodas. That includes Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Powerade, Barq’s Root Beer, Dr. Pepper, Minute Maid fruit drinks, Hi-C, and others.
Coffee (and creamer), hot tea, and hot chocolate are also available with the refillable mug program.
In the resort food courts, look for the soda fountains.
All-Star Music beverage island
What drinks aren’t included?
Orange juice, milk and other specialty drinks are not included in the refillable mug program. Those beverages can be found for purchase in the grab-n-go section of the food court.
How many times can I use my mug?
As many times as you want – but only during the vacation in which you purchased the mug.
The Disney Refillable Resort Mugs are no longer “lifetime” mugs. In fact the Disney policy is printed right on the mugs themselves.
Refills available at no additional charge at Resort Beverage Island located in the resort that this mug was purchased through the end of your resort stay.
Do people follow this policy?
Though many, many people do follow the policy, there are those who are not “overburdened with ethics.”
We’ve all seen them – the people who bring in any random container and fill them up with “free” soda, and no amount of my giving them the stink eye seems to deter them.
However, a new program being tested at the All-Star Sports resort may bring an end to this problem. With RFID chips in the mugs themselves, a new dispenser will lock out unauthorized containers, as well as track the check-out date of the mug’s owner so that the mug cannot be used after midnight on the day they leave the resort.
Learn more about it here: Disney World Refillable Mug System Experiment
What about a vacation where I stay in two resorts?
The whole split stay issue is a grey area, about which even Disney’s front-line employees seem unclear. The language of the current policy seems to say you can’t use it at both resorts through a split stay, but some Cast Members (even management-level CMs) tell you a different story.
If and when they roll out the RFID mugs to other resorts, it will become more clear as we learn what guests on a split stay discover about their ability to use the mugs at two resorts.
What about using them at sister resorts?
If you are staying at a resort that is paired with another resort (like the three All-Star resorts, the two Port Orleans Resorts, or the Yacht Club/Beach Club), you may use the mugs at the sister resort(s) paired with your home resort. So, I could be staying at Port Orleans French Quarter and use my mug at PO Riverside.
Disney Food Blog's picture of the current mugs
Are they good in the theme parks or water parks?
No. You cannot refill the mugs at any beverage dispenser but the ones in your resort’s food court.
But you’re welcome to take the mugs with you! Fill them from the water fountains, or from left-over drinks at meals (as, being insulated, they do keep drinks from getting too warm too quickly.) Just keep in mind that they are not water-tight, and may leak if tipped over.
Lots of folks like to take their mug with them on the bus in the morning (though I’ve had the occasional bus driver remind me that I’m not allowed to actually drink from it while on the bus,) and it’s nice to have it with you when you drag your exhausted body back to the resort late that night. A quick fill-up might be just what you need to recoup some energy back in the room.
Are they a good value?
Like all things, that depends on you. If you’re a big soda/coffee drinker and are staying at that resort for a few days, then probably yes. If you don’t like the beverages included in the program, then probably not.
As I always say: do the math.
At between $2.00 and $2.50 per drink (which is refillable for that meal, even with the paper cups), you need to determine if will you puchase enough drinks to match the cost of the mug? With the current price of the refillable mug at about $15 with tax, you’d have to consume just 7-8 drinks in order to make the mug purchase a “wash” — and you’d come away with a nice souvenir that you can use for years to come.
Any other questions, just ask!
I have a son with Down Syndrome and has a very dry mouth. If I bring a bottled water or DisneyMug on the bus for him so the cough that comes with this dryness does not irratate the other people on the bus will I be breaking the rules?
The large percentage of bus drivers have never batted an eyelash when guests drink on the bus, so I wouldn’t worry about it. (The only reason I mentioned it was because I had a bus driver in my Dec 2011 trip who was laughably obsessed about it. He talked so much about not drinking that it actually gave me a bad case of the giggles, and I was sorely tempted to stare him down through the rear-view mirror and take a big, long, obvious drink — just to see what he’d do. 🙂 )
I’m sure your son taking a drink will not be an issue.
I’m glad to hear that you are ok after the storms but sad to hear about your neighbors.
Now as far as the refillable cups am with you..it is a great value and thanks all the wonderful information you share with all of us.
I think maybe you’re referring to Jennifer and Dave Marx, who had a tornado come very near their home. We’re all letting out big sighs of relief that our fearless leaders are okay! *phew*
I do love those cups — aren’t they terrific?!
I agree that its doubtful we will ever see Resort specific mugs again. I miss them,but it is a great cost saver. as for the drinking on the bus. I had that Driver a few years back and only found out as he let me know as I took a swig of coffee from my resort mug, that it was not ok to do so….. So now I try to sit where I am not in the drivers direct view and I ” sneak” my sips when its important they are paying attention to the road lol
Good thinking! 😀
I’m not normally a rule-breaker, but I have never spilled on the buses… so it’s a rule I’m not all that concerned about following. (There’s flexible morals for ya! 😉 )
I hadn’t thought about using the cups at sister resorts. Thank you for that info! We try to get different colored lids for each person so we know which mug belongs to whom.
I’m glad you and your family weathered the tornado well and pray for those that didn’t. We always buy a mug each trip but prefer the resort specific mug. If on the dining plan in Jan. 2013, will we be given a free mug? That’s when we are planning our next trip.
Well, Disney hasn’t announced the details of the 2013 dining plan yet. But, they did include mugs with all categories for the 2012 dining plans and it’s unlikely they will remove any features.
I think you’re probably safe to assume that refillable resort mugs will be included with the 2013 dining plans, but only time will tell.
Concerning “drinking on the buses”, I’m not a “stickler” for rules as they go- but I do try to abide by them even when it may not be convenient for me. Rules are put in place at Disney not only to protect “you” but to protect others that are traveling around you. If the bus has to stop short for any reason, and you’re sipping a “hot cup of coffee”, it could easily spill not only you but a child or adult sitting near by and possibly burn them if it’s hot. Under the same circumstances, I certainly would not appreciate someone spilling their drink on me just because they were too selfish to obey a simple rule. I wish people would spend more time trying to comply with the rules that are set in place and realize it’s not “just about you”, but rules are there for the safely and protection of others too. No, I’m not a bus driver; just a fellow traveler who thinks it won’t kill us if we miss 2 or 3 sips of a beverage until we get to our next stop on the bus.
Agreed. I do not advocate breaking any of Disney’s rules.
However, “the no drinking” on the bus one seems faulty in that even a closed mug will still spill if dropped. Luckily, I have not seen a spill from a mug in at least 8 or 9 years — in fact, I distinctly remember that day because it was so unusual.
Since Disney is so concerned about their guests staying hydrated, I can’t see them banning all liquids from the buses. So, I think the worry of getting spilled upon is always going to be out there. But I do think the chance of it happening is fairly small, which is a good thing. I could be totally wrong in that, but….
What about mugs purchased at a time when they WERE lifetime refills? We are going back this summer, and planned on bringing our Wilderness Lodge refillable mugs, will they not allow us to refill them? Can we exchange them for the new ones?
That’s a “who knows” issue that you’d have to take up with the Wilderness Lodge brass. (Asking a CM in the food court will get you varied results.)
I had some lifetime mugs from our first French Quarter visit in 2002. The policy is not printed on them and they were definitely touted as good for their lifetime. I did bring them back for a few vacations, even after the policy change (which included new signage and the text being printed on the new mugs.)
I’ve asked CMs over the years, including higher-ups and have gotten a wide variation in responses. Truly, until (and if) the RFID mugs are rolled out everywhere, I don’t think we’ll know what Disney’s policy as a *corporation* will be. I’m sure the RFID dispensers will lock out old mugs, and guests would have to get them exchanged for RFID mugs that have no time limit on them. If Disney allows that, then we might finally know the upper-management stance on them. On top of it, because of the ease of making software changes, their reaction to lifetime mugs could even change over time.
I would really say this is up to the consumer whether they want to go into battle with Disney.
For myself, my 2002 mugs finally wore out and I decided that I’d totally gotten my money’s worth out of them. It wasn’t something I was willing to challenge Disney on. Each trip, I’ve happily handed over the money (that I budget for now) and picked up a new mug.
From your reply I just dug out two Dixie Landing(Brer Rabbit)/Port Orleans(Gator) mugs from past adventures…(going in 10 days!) are there any pictures that can tell me if they are the “lifetime” mugs? I actually might still have the receipts… I don’t remember the “lifetime” deal but honestly never looked. Has Riverside started RFID yet?
Many thanks for any reply.
Look all over the design of the mug — if there’s a policy printed on it, it’ll be in small text, usually along the handle or down at the bottom of the graphic. If you don’t see the policy printed on the mug, it’s probably a lifetime mug. If you’re staying at one of the Port Orleans resorts, you could *try* and see if you can use them (as most Cast Members will probably let you get away with it), but expect to get the stink eye from other guests.
The only resort that has been using the RFID system is at the All-Stars Sports resort.
I am concerned that in case I have to cancel my trip with my grandchildren in August, I will lose quite a bit of money. I am using a friends time share and will get the food plan. This total will be close to $5000.00. Can I purchase cancellation insurance and also in case of a hurricane occuring in August what happens to my reservation. Do you have some advice for insurance coverage?
When you say “timeshare” do you mean you’re borrowing/renting points from your friend’s Disney Vacation Club (DVC) membership? The reason I ask is that you’d have to be staying in a Disney-owned property in order to get the dining plan.
Assuming that’s the case, I don’t believe you can purchase vacation insurance when on DVC points. (You could always ask your question in the Owning The Magic forum on the PassPorter discussion boards to get first-hand information from other DVC owners.)
However, Disney is experienced with the threat of hurricanes and knows how to deal with them in relation to their guests. They have kept on-property guests safe during direct hits (which are relatively rare) and have been flexible and forgiving with their cancellation policy as hurricanes bear down on them. In 2004, for example, when several hurricans made direct hits or passed very near, Disney allowed guests to cancel a few days before their arrival (and the arrival of the hurricane) and gave full refunds.
Personally, I found slipping in between two hurricanes a really great time to go. Firstly, because I wanted to support the Florida tourism that took a big hit during that time. But also because very many people bailed on their vacations, and the crowds were really low. Now, I’m not suggesting that you go in spite of an imminent hurricane — we always want people to play it safe! But, if Disney and the airlines are being flexible, then you can play the waiting game and see if you can still safely squeeze in your vacation.
Good luck!
Just so you know: I have a Caribbean Resort mug from 1991 (or maybe 1997), and I still use it every day. So the program has been going on for at least that long. I think it’s 91 as I know I have a blue one and I know dh had a green one which was destroyed just a few years ago (and in 91 we had no kids so I’m pretty sure that’s why we only have 2 mugs) But my blue one still is my water cup and I use it all day long.
I was so excited to see that you have your own Blog for Passporter Eileen! I’ll look forward to reading about all your Disney knowledge! I have many of the old resort mugs but I didn’t know that they sold them as lifetime mugs! I’m going to have get them out and check to see if there is any policy written on them.
Happy to see you found the blogs, Linda! Any topics you want to see me cover in the Disney Queue?
We were onsite just a few weeks ago (Feb 28 – Mar 2) and we were told that the RFID mugs weren’t working out, also that they were only at ONE of the All-Star hotels (we were at ASMu, so it was either at Sports or Movies, but I don’t recall which one). We also had split stays, both with the dining plan, and received mug vouchers at both check-ins. We have always used the basic DDP in the past and never bought the mugs; now that they’re included on all levels of the DDP, as much of a convenience as they were, I don’t think we would have gotten our money’s worth had we purchased them separately.
Oh, and we cruised on DCL in Feb using DVC points and we had trip insurance. IDK if that’s because it was for a cruise that is so susceptible to weather-related issues, or if vacay-ing on points at resorts is also eligible for trip insurance. Good question!
The RFID tests are going on at All-Star Sports, but all reports I’ve seen have been that testing is going well, and they’ve been able to shake out the bugs. Even guests seem to like them (except for those who wanted “free” soda and are being stopped by the RFID dispensers 🙂 ) Hmmmm… I wonder what issues the CM you spoke with felt were holding it back.
Yes — getting two dining plans during a split stay will result in two sets of resort mugs, which is not only a lot of plastic to have to ship home, but also doesn’t feel like a “good value” to the guest. Disney will have to address the whole split stay thing. (Though, many of us who do split stays don’t get the dining plan on both resort reservations for various reasons.)
Thanks for reporting your experience!
We are DVC-ers who were at WDW in August (whew it was hot!). We had the regular dining plan but did not get free mugs. Perhaps the mugs are included only for those there on a package trip. I usually buy the mugs but generally find them an inconvenience to carry. I actually would like to see Disney go to a aluminum travel bottle (like the sell at the stores) as I think the plastic cups spill and leak too much. The cups leak as well on rides, if you are allowed to take them and are a problem if you are not. I also don’t think they are kid friendly I have to carry enough for son as it is. A bottle with a D ring for the belt or bag (with and without a sport pull spout since I’m not 7 but my son is) would be great. We took our own bottles in August and they were great for filling with free ice (available everywhere for the asking) and water from the fountains. I think bottles would be great.
DVC rules and regulations are not something I know much about — as I’m not lucky enough to have been able to buy into that program. Someday, though. SOMEDAY!! 😉
As for not getting the mugs on DVC points in 2011, keep in mind that the mugs only started being offered with the “regular” dining plan as of January 2012. I don’t believe the cost of the Dining Plan for DVCers is any less than for other guests, so I think the mugs will come standard as of 2012 for everyone.
Can any DVCers who’ve stayed on points in 2012 confirm that?
You are correct, we do not get a discount for the Dining Plan because of being DVC members. And if we use our points for our stay, we don’t ever get free dining!
We are going in August. I have reservations for lunch with the Princesses. I am wondering about where I will be able to store her princess dress after the lunch, while she enjoys the park. Also, what do the mother’s generally wear to the lunch.
Ooooh – you have a great lunch planned! I’m totally jealous!
As for her princess dress, each park has lockers for rent (at the front of the park – just check a guidemap.) As for what to wear, I’d say “park casual.” Generally, guests don’t dress up for in-park meals, though kids dress up for certain events, like meeting the princesses.
Have fun!
We will be going to the Boardwalk Inn in June, since they do not have a soft drink/coffee station in there, where can we get our mug filled in the morning or evening before going to our room?? Thanks
I believe you go tot he Boardwalk bakery for free refills. For health code reasons, people have reported that you show them the mug and they fill a paper cup with soda and hand it to so you can transfer it to the mug.
Enjoy your trip!
For Coffee refills in the morning, there is a coffee cart for self serve, on the Boardwalk, no paper cups. For the rest of the day, you have to get your soda or coffee in the paper cups and transfer, it is a bit silly and wasteful, I always leave a suggestion on departure day but so far there hasn’t been any changes
We are going to be staying at the Beach Club Resort next week. Do you know if they have started using the RFID chips in the refillable mugs there yet? Are they using them everywhere now?
No resort (as of 1/19/2013) is using the RFID mugs right now.
With the recent announcement about more RFID technology going into the Resort (for tickets, room keys, charging, etc. through an RFID wristband), we may see the resort drink stations being converted to the RFID machines at some point in the future.
My friends and I will be staying off property, will we be eligable to get a mug and use it during our week at Disney?
Were going to be there on a monday – friday but we couldnt afford the rooms at disney so were staying in Kissemmee.
You can certainly buy a Disney resort mug (as far as I know, they aren’t limited to resort guests only.) But it wouldn’t be cost-effective for you because you’d have to keep returning to the resort where you purchased to mug just to fill it up.
I believe the break-even is that you’d have to get 6-7 refills to off-set the purchase price of the mug (compared to purchasing drinks out-of-pocket.)
The resort refills are worth it. Gotta have that coffee in the morning. (First one up makes coffee run) I take a loose summer dress that I slip on.) Later after getting dress we go get another refill.In the room pour it into the travel cups you buy at the store.( Bring them with you..We enjoy the coffee waiting for bus. back in the afternoon. Nothing better the cold lemonade to sip by pool or in the cool room. Then at night another drink by the pool.