Using mugs in TS?

[Her Dotness]

This is really really not a big deal, I promise.

I wonder if it won't be a big deal when Disney decides there's too much gaming the system, which eats into TS profits, and limits or ceases to offer unlimited refills.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

Oh my goodness people. Mountain, meet molehill. OP don't worry about it. People carry those mugs around everywhere. Throw in an extra buck for your server's tip if you're so inclined. It is not uncommon for people to get a drink while they're waiting for a table and then bring it into the restaurant with them. It's a 12 cent beverage, not an $80 steak. This is really really not a big deal, I promise. Have a great trip...and cheers!

Agree. I have seen people with mugs at Epcot TS. You carry them into the parks so if you do TS while in the park what is the big deal. Victoria and Alberts…No. People also bring food into TS for their kids. Not a huge deal….imho.

 

[nw6675]

Regarding previous posts on B&C being a refill location - I just happened to see that the mugs are listed on their menu.

 

[gmi3804]

Agree. I have seen people with mugs at Epcot TS. You carry them into the parks so if you do TS while in the park what is the big deal. Victoria and Alberts…No. People also bring food into TS for their kids. Not a huge deal….imho.

I'll bet you'd have a different feeling about it if you owned the restaurant!

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

I'll bet you'd have a different feeling about it if you owned the restaurant!

I’m a shareholder and I’ll let Disney worry about people bringing in purchased , at a Disney location , mugs to a TS. Bigger things to be concerned about…like the high temps right now. Bringing a cold drink, could be water, to your lunch or dinner is better than being dehydrated.

 

[gmi3804]

I’m a shareholder and I’ll let Disney worry about people bringing in purchased , at a Disney location , mugs to a TS. Bigger things to be concerned about…like the high temps right now. Bringing a cold drink, could be water, to your lunch or dinner is better than being dehydrated.

 

[Leight19]

I wonder if it won't be a big deal when Disney decides there's too much gaming the system, which eats into TS profits, and limits or ceases to offer unlimited refills.

There’s no evidence at all provided by any critics that Disney table services care at all. There’s no reason to believe the owner views it as loss sale or server as missed because someone has some leftover soda in a mug. I can’t believe there’s people who even remotely care enough to act like this is some issue at all.

 

[focusondisney]

because someone has some leftover soda in a mug.

See, the OP didn’t ask about “some left over soda”. She specifically intended to make the effort to fill their mugs & drink their free beverages instead of purchasing a drink. Not the same thing as finishing up a little “left over soda”.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Wonder if the server would prefer guests who bring their pre-purchased Disney specific beverage vs those that drink only water? Same $0 but water requires more effort.

 

[musicguy856]

Wonder if the server would prefer guests who bring their pre-purchased Disney specific beverage vs those that drink only water? Same $0 but water requires more effort.

This. If you don't bring in a mug and order water, now the server has more work to do for no extra tip. If you bring in a mug, the server has no extra work to do for no extra tip.

Which would you prefer if you're a server?

 

[nw6675]

We always tip on water as if we ordered a soda so the server is getting their fair share of the work they've done. That's why (pot stirring) I always thought restaurants should charge for water, too. Same level of service, same cup, water bill, etc.

 

[HopperFan]

Yes. They're designed and marketed for the refill stations. You can say, "Who cares what people think," but it's still not what the mug program was designed for, even if all the restaurants are owned by the same entity, regardless of the price point of the restaurant.

And all the restaurants are independent profit centers. So the quick service mug would not be under the same profit center as a table service restaurant.

The mugs are part of an agreed upon contract across quick service restaurants at the resorts.

 

[Mle8308]

Would you bring cans of soda from home into a restaurant when you go out to eat?

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Would you bring cans of soda from home into a restaurant when you go out to eat?

Not unless I was getting food to go. But at an expensive place, or anywhere without free refills, I will just drink water.

However, I view the refillable mugs as intended to be used throughout Disney property. For the daily price of the resort mugs, I would expect to be drinking all my drinks from it -that's the whole point. Otherwise you're paying twice. If you're only getting one or two drinks a day in the mug, it's not cost effective. Well, it is for Disney. But it's dumb to pay more to lug around a mug than to just buy 1-2 drinks throughout the day.

I for sure would not order a drink if I had the resort mug with me or waiting back at my room for me. At which point, the question goes back to whether it is preferable for the server to spend their time bringing me water, vs just drinking from a prefilled mug. I would not expect the restaurant to fill it for free, but I would expect to be able to drink from it during the meal (and then I would refill it on the way out of the resort).

If you're visiting a resort and have your mug with you when you go to the restaurant, what are you going to do with it? Put it on the floor next to you while you eat?

Should you also not bring a can of soda into the park, because they sell soda too? They also sell bottles of water in the parks. Should you not bring that in either?

 

[gmi3804]

If you're visiting a resort and have your mug with you when you go to the restaurant, what are you going to do with it? Put it on the floor next to you while you eat?

Yes.

 

[bsmcneil]

So - I haven't ever cruised but I have read a lot about them in considering a vacation, especially lately. And it seems like a soda drink package would be akin to what this person is asking if it's appropriate. While WDW doesn't offer a drink package and isn't all inclusive, I feel like a fair number of people are acting like this is completely unheard of and a sign of bad character. But obviously there's a model for it.

Coincidentally, I never separately get the mug (I have gotten it with the dining plan) because I'm rarely at the resort and feel like it's way too inconvenient to deal with (but if they had a parks-inclusive mug, even at a - obviously - higher price point - I'd buy that in an instant because I'm more likely to have a drink there). I also get really uncomfortable with getting a benefit that isn't, necessarily, obviously okay. For instance, if a server asks if I want my drink to go - I will almost never say yes because it feels like I shouldn't (even if I wouldn't care if others did, a server made the offer to me, and I would like it). I was also the kid who went to a friend's house every day for 4 years of HS and for those 4 years, my friend's mom would say, "Help yourself to anything in the fridge" and for the first 3.5 years, I'd still ask if I could get water or a drink with my meal, or anytime. It's just me.

So, if it were me, I wouldn't do it as I'd feel uncomfortable and care a lot about what other people think. If I saw another table doing this, I absolutely wouldn't care or make it my business. If I were a server and/or worked in food service (which I have been, in different settings), I'd absolutely want guests to do this to maximize their benefit/minimize some costs so they could spend that money in another way or simply enjoy themselves. If I were in some form of leadership*, I wouldn't care because to me the guest satisfaction would matter more than the 3 cents of cost (that said, this is why I've generally chosen to opt out of leadership in organizations where I would need to be more aligned with capitalism than customer-service).

 

[bsmcneil]

Would you bring cans of soda from home into a restaurant when you go out to eat?

I would not (although most often, I don't buy sodas at restaurants precisely because I don't enjoy fountain beverages and I do prefer canned soda). Would I be happier bringing a soda? Definitely. And while it's very different (TS vs QS), I am definitely at the stage of parenting (and income) where I will nudge my kids to not order a soda with a fast food meal because we have drinks at home and I don't want to pay for the markup .

 

[bsmcneil]

Heartily agreed.

There's also the factor of cheating your server on their tip. For a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids), if they all bring full mugs, that's around $16 less than they'd otherwise have spent.

As tip-dependent as many servers are, the loss could be significant.

I disagree because there are way too many variables at play here (I think it's a logical fallacy intended to give emotional weight to your perspective). Someone who refills their mug may have gotten water (as others have said). They also may come from a culture that values tipping at 20% or a culture that is not used to tipping. They may decide not to order dessert or an appetizer (or order less because drinking soda instead of water has a diuretic effect and they're ready to go - pun intended). Or they may spend more because they feel comfortable and enjoy their time there and extend the meal (which could lead to a bigger bill and therefore a bigger tip) or since many places desire turning over tables quickly, may result in a server getting fewer tables (or since all of this is random, perhaps their next table comes in and tips 50%).

I also think the slippery slope stuff is challenging (well, this might lead to WDW never giving a refill again). We've all seen situations that have led to changes in policy; at the same time, cost-cutting measures might've happened regardless of the situation due to other causes. I feel like this is grasping at straws for reasons to back up the fact that you disagree (when it's okay to just disagree). Some places give away a free dessert for someone's birthday - and it reads as though if you ask for this, you run the risk of no place ever doing this because it's taken advantage of (vs. being something the restaurant offers). If this has ever come up with me, I lead with, "I'm happy to pay for a dessert - but do you all do anything for birthdays?" But - what if you're out of town on your birthday and want to go the next day - is that okay? Or the day before? Lots of places send emailed discounts for your birthday but logistically, it's hard to fit them all in on the same day. Might places stop offering any discounts if someone utilizes their birthday discount the following weekend? Sure - but somehow that seems unlikely on a macro level (and yes, I'm aware most of the time those emails come with a wide range of when they can be used). Anyway, it seems like there's some pearl-clutching in this thread but maybe I'm misreading it.

For the OP, if you want to do this, I think ask the server if it's okay and follow their lead. If they say no, they say no and don't argue - if they say yes, consider that they may have just taken 1-3 dollars off of their tip by not charging you and tip accordingly. I wouldn't (as I've said otherwise) for a variety of reasons (including I'm obnoxiously a rule follower and I believe the mug is specifically listed as being for resorts/QS, which also means that I'd feel uncomfortable ordering QS at a park and using my mug since it's not a resort and I'd feel equally uncomfortable ordering it from a resort TS). You may have a server that minds; you may not. I don't think you're bad for asking or shoplifting (specifically because shoplifting usually means taking something without the approval of a business/its employees and I don't believe you suggested you'd bring your mug and sneak back to the kitchen to get your soda). I know it's a little more complex than this - but generally, we should be able to ask for what we want and (this part is important) be okay with being told no.

 

[meremac]

I wonder if it won't be a big deal when Disney decides there's too much gaming the system, which eats into TS profits, and limits or ceases to offer unlimited refills.

I'm sure it'll be ok.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

We always tip on water as if we ordered a soda so the server is getting their fair share of the work they've done. That's why (pot stirring) I always thought restaurants should charge for water, too. Same level of service, same cup, water bill, etc.

We don’t drink soda and order water with our meals. Most restaurants that we go to only give water if you ask for it. We still tip 20% at home and Disney. With the high price of TS the water is probably factored in.