DEBATE: Send em back

[d-r]

Originally posted by phillybeth

BTW, did you know that any food stand in the parks will fill your mug with ice for free? Then just fill in up with water at a water fountain. Oops, or is that... cheating? I'd be depriving Ei$ner his $3.48 profit on a $3.50 bottle of water.

Honestly, I don't think you have to have a resort mug to get a free cup of ice - I bet if you brought a mardi gras cup or whatever the CM would give you ice - but it might be less effort to just pay the 2.50 for the bottle of water than to drag along a mardi gras cup all day -

DR

 

[phillybeth]

We take our (now illegal, darnit) refillable mugs with us to the parks- backpacks are wonderful things- so we can refill them on the way back to the room. My FIL is diabetic and has congestive heart failure, so he drinks ALOT of water in the parks to stay hydrated. Since we already had the mugs...devious minds put two and two together and got five.
I remember the days before bottled water, when getting a drink was free. Wonder how longit will take Ei$ner and crew to realize the profits they are losing from those FREE water fountains. I guess on my next trip I will have to have a barcode on my chin, proving that I have paid for access to the fountains...

 

[All Aboard]

I remember the days before bottled water, when getting a drink was free.

Huh?

 

[phillybeth]

If you wanted to drink water, you had to get it from a water fountain. Nasty, warm, chemically treated Florida water. No bottled water available back in the good old days for those of us who don't drink soda.

 

[KNWVIKING]

I believe state laws require those "free" water fountains.

 

[EUROPA]

Here is a shocker ....at some parks..cough Cedar Point cough......they give away water for free. In nice big cups with lots of ice. The kicker is that it's not swamp water like at Disney World either it taste just as good as bottled water.

I have been to the food courts at dixie landings, port orleans, coronado springs, and all stars music, and I've been to the fast food "grills" at the polly, cont., grand floridian, wilderness lodge, AK lodge - I've been to tubbies in the dolphin, and I've stayed at the Board walk twice but I have no idea where people get and use mugs -

Wow ! that is one of the first things that we notice when we go to the food courts...in fact we had trouble finding the regular cups.

 

[raidermatt]

For whatever its worth, the BW doesn't have a food court. You can buy the mugs in the bakery, but I'm not sure where else.

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by thedscoop
You're killing me phillybeth. Absolutely splitting my side. I can't hardly stop, umm, laughing.

Funny how a whole slew of people seem to be hyper-sensitive to being called a cheater, when not a single poster on this thread or the related thread has called anyone a cheater who was told by a CM that refillable mugs are reusable on subsequent visits.

An interesting amount of sensitivity over something which doesn't even apply to them.

scoop.

Originally posted by OnWithTheShow
And you are upset because they are going to keep you from abusing the system???

Umm maybe it was the second comment on this thread that set some of us off?

 

[airlarry!]

M. Scoop,

You may not have noticed, but you have been subtly criticizing those of us who have brought our mugs back to the resorts. Just because you say that no one has called anyone 'cheaters' if they had been told by a CM that they could do this, does not make that statement true.
Contrast this:

I don't know all the tax laws, but I'll bet the Tax Man wouldn't give a rodent's rear if I told him that the local IRS guy told me it was okay not to report as income those 'gifts' from clients.

With this:

Conversely, if you really weren't told this and were told to use it until the handle falls off, then by all means, I can't see a thing wrong with that

Hate to do a little cross-ex, M. Scoop, but just thought I'd point out the anomoly. Just repeat to yourself, M. Scoop, "They've changed the official policy, they've changed the official policy"

In the big picture, a little stolen coke is not going to kill Disney....

I would reword this. "In the big picture, a little stolen 'magic' is going to kill Disney..."
The Coke Cup Chaos is not a big issue by itself. At least not to me. But, with apologies to Sir Baron, it is my 'Mickey Head Butter.'

Until I hear officially otherwise, I will go to my grave believing that the original intent at WDW was actually to make money with these, not lose any.

Get guests to buy an overpriced mug, hope they lose them or become sick of the fact that it is a big effort to fill what is only about 12 oz worth of space, or bring them home to show other people and tell them "You can get all the refills you want if you stay on site instead of the Bestwestern Main Gate motel". In other words, Sir Scoop, it is all about marketing.

And AV's words are true enough anyway. Are these mo-mos really gonna save money with this system? I think not. This is one decision that does not send my heart rate up at all. It makes me scratch my head at the incomptence behind the decision...

 

[TiggerFreak]

Exactly how I feel about it.
Along with many others, it's not the "Hand reaching into my pocket" that concerns me. It's the DISregard for the proven DISNEY way of customer service/appreciation/respect that DISappoints and DISenheartens me.

By the way, has anyone confirmed that this WILL be implemented in the resorts (barcoding), or is this just an evil rumor started by _______ (Fill in your favorite Disney Basher)?

Now does anyone have change for the Bus fare so I can get from VWL to Epcot

 

[d-r]

Originally posted by raidermatt
For whatever its worth, the BW doesn't have a food court. You can buy the mugs in the bakery, but I'm not sure where else.

I know that there is not a food court at BW - my point was that the mugs and the process around them is different at different resorts - did you know that the mugs at the boardwalk bakery do not have free refills at all? It is .85 per refill. But then the mug itself only costs 3 or 4 bucks - it is another example that there is NO wdw-wide policy concerning these silly mugs - it is up to the management of a given resort.

there was never a wdw policy about the mugs - each resort did - and i think will continue to do - whatever it wants to do ith the mugs.

dr

 

[All Aboard]

Chad, you know I like you but...

What's driving me flippin' crazy is your adherance to the notion that CM's are "mistaken" when they tell guests that they can return with the mugs and use them in the future.

I would agree with you if it were a few isolated incidences where this has happened. However, it is the rule rather than the exception. I can say with near perfect conviction that if it were a hard and fast policy, management would have stepped in years ago and put a stop to the "mistaken" CMs. Have they? I haven't seen anyone post that they were told specifically "no" when they asked the question.

Hundreds (maybe even 1000) of those mugs are sold each day. I doubt a day goes by that each and every CM in each and every resort isn't asked that question.

It would be so simple to print out a one paragraph communication to resort food court CM's that clearly states to tell guests that the mugs expire when the guest's stay is over. That costs very little. If this is such a big "problem" that management wants stopped, don't you think that might be a good first step before investing in barcode hardware and software???

To let it persist for years and years and years. All those mistaken CMs spouting out incorrect information. "What oh what shall we do about it" they asked in staff meetings. No one could come up with a solution. No one thought to communcate to the CMs. Until, one day somebody came up with the bright idea of the barcodes.

"That's it" they said. We cutoff the misinformation at the pass by rendering the misinformation useless instead of trying to stop the misinformation.

Am I the only idiot to whom this doesn't add up?

I still stand on the notion that the policy (as cleverly written) and the info told verbally by CMs can peacefully co-exist and all be correct and NOT contradictory.

Sure, the mugs are good for the length of your stay. They don't expire after the 1st day. THAT would be contradictory.

 

[mrtoadslastride]

Scoop quick question for you about your last post.

I know what you are talking about all the numerous ways people (unethically???) use to save some money at WDW. My question is this, If you hold guests accountable for unethical behavior, should Disney be held accountable for their unethical behavior? The behavior I am talking about here is the price gouging that goes on at WDW. I personally find some of the pricing at WDW offensive as it appears that Disney does everything they can to make sure that my wallet is as light as possible when I leave their property. To me that is unethical. I understand that Disney is a business and must turn a profit, but some of their current business practices are unnecessary.

While I don't condone it I can see how families that go to WDW on a tight budget can look at WDW as a game of cat and mouse. Disney tries to do everything it can to seperate me from my money, while I do everything I can to keep as much money as I can in my wallet.

 

[mrtoadslastride]

Originally posted by thedscoop

My distinction is that there is a difference between making unwise business decisions versus breaking rules.

I think that is fair, but I would then ask where were the guests breaking the rules? In this case (the cups) guests were told by CM's that they were good for life. If Disney employees don't know the policy how can guests be expected to follow it? During our last five trips I don't recall seing any signs which indicated what the actual policy was, consequently we went with what the CM's told us.

I can't really fault guests and call them unethical for using rules established by Disney to save a few dollars or make their trip a little more ejoyable. However, those same guests should be aware that doing so may cost them. Ie. if a guest reserves a room with an AP discount and doesn't have an AP. They shouldn't be surprised if when they check in they get called on it and are forced to pay the higher rate.

One last point, without entering into an ethics debate, IMO unethical behavior is not just limited to breaking the rules. Whether there is a rule against some of Disney's practices or not, I still find some of their practices to be unethical. Some things are just wrong regardless what the law says.

 

[All Aboard]

As far as I know, Disney isn't sending folks into the resort rooms to take money from the guest's safes, nor are they instructing CM's to intentionally return less change to guests than the bill calls for. Charging prices that consumers are willing to pay for a luxury item (and a Disney trip IS a luxury item) is most certainly not unethical, it's just matching prices to market demand for an item that is not limited in quantity and not vital to survival (though many here may disagree with the latter.)

BTW, Chad, I understand all of your statements and thanks for all of the clarification. However, you've chosen to use the mug threads to make all of the "rules breaking" analogies. It's difficult for the reader to seperate that from a direct application in this case, since these threads are about refillable mugs.

 

[mrtoadslastride]

Originally posted by gcurling
As far as I know, Disney isn't sending folks into the resort rooms to take money from the guest's safes, nor are they instructing CM's to intentionally return less change to guests than the bill calls for. Charging prices that consumers are willing to pay for a luxury item (and a Disney trip IS a luxury item) is most certainly not unethical.

A WDW trip is definately a luxury item, but for some families it is also a once in a life time trip and I just don't see the need to squeeze these types of families for every dollar.

To me a trip to Disney is similar to a trip to Vegas. In both places, I know that the management will do whatever it can to seperate me from my money. I just don't think that is what Disney is supposed to be about. Ethics means diffenent things to different people, but my definition does not limit unethical behavior to robbing guests safes.

 

[All Aboard]

Sorry to persist on this topic, but...

I know that the management will do whatever it can to seperate me from my money.

Seems to me that they post prices for everything and then charge exctly what's posted. Seems fairly legitimate to me. Your statement sounds as if you believe Disney uses unscrupulous methods to bilk the unwary guest out of cash.

To me a trip to Disney is similar to a trip to Vegas.

I guess I'll stop debating here, we DEFINITELY have differing perspectives. When slot machines are installed at the Grand Floridian and the head waiter at Flying Fish starts accepting Benjamins for good tables at the topless review...

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by gcurling
Sorry to persist on this topic, but... Seems to me that they post prices for everything and then charge exctly what's posted. Seems fairly legitimate to me. Your statement sounds as if you believe Disney uses unscrupulous methods to bilk the unwary guest out of cash.

Do they really post the prices for everything?? What about Hotel Rooms, ticket prices, or food prices? Seems that there are tons of "Discounts" out there that really don't get posted. What a great system too. You'll find many places raise the standard prices only to throw the customer a bone by giving them a discount. It happens all over the place not just in the World of Disney.

Do you really pay rack rate when you go to any Hotel not just Disney? I hope not becuase that is not the "real" rates.

 

[All Aboard]

EUROPA, my point was that they don't charge you MORE through unscrupulous tactics such as "resort fees" or "service fees" (except Pepper Market). If you book a room at the All Stars for $49 a night, you pay that plus tax. No extra parking fees (Universal Resorts) or hidden add-on service charges (Marriot World Center) that you get blindsided with at checkout.

I just don't see how having a rack rate of $77 but charging $49 is "using every means possible to extract as much cash from the customer as they can."

No, I don't ever pay rack rate. And I don't feel ripped off because the rack rate is higher than what I paid. Nor do I feel like I got an exceptional deal. WDW is forced to charge what the customer is willing to pay for hotel rooms. Otherwise, they would sit empty.

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by thedscoop
...remind me to introduce you to this other guy that also lives in Greeneville... You two would get along famously!

You might need to be a little more specific....we have a lot of guys that live in Greenville. Maybe I already know him.

OH wait...is that some sort of inside joke? HAHAHAH!