The Rapid Fill mugs at Walt Disney World are a controversial topic. The mugs are essentially plastic travel cups that can be filled at hotel food courts and are attached to your hotel stay via RFID technology. Guests using the refillable mugs can get unlimited refills on fountain drinks, coffee, and tea for the length of their stay in a Walt Disney World hotel. Here are 8 helpful tips and insights about the Rapid Fill mugs.
8. Buy Them A La Cart
The Rapid Fill mugs are included in all levels of the Disney Dining Plan. But, you can purchase them even if you didn’t get the Dining Plan. Just stop by your resort’s food court and have them activated right there. This is a great option for families who may not benefit from the Dining Plans in their entirety, but will get lots of use from the mugs. That said, crunch some numbers before deciding whether to buy a mug. Folks on short stays may not get as much value from them. It really depends on your family’s eating and vacationing habits.
7. Take Them With You
Picture this: you finish your breakfast in the hotel’s food court, but before you head out for a bus, everyone in your party fills their cups with their drink of choice, thus negating a need to stop immediately upon arriving at the park. Sounds great. It can be really nice to start your day knowing you don’t have to stop for a water, tea, coffee, etc.
6. Or Leave Them in the Room
Honestly, I hate carrying my mug all day. It just takes up room in my backpack. I usually drain my coffee while waiting for the bus, so I don’t benefit from my own advice above. Instead, I pack disposable travel cups. In the morning, I fill my mug with coffee, then pour it into a paper cup back in my room. That way, when I finish my coffee, I can toss the cup and not be stuck with it all day.
5. Get Double the Drink
When using Quick Service Dining credits at a resort hotel food court, you actually get double the drink! That’s because the dining credits entitle you to a beverage, beyond the refillable mug. I like to get a bottle of water at breakfast, and fill my mug with coffee. Then, I know I have a water bottle in my backpack for later in the day. This tip only works at the hotels though, since other quick service locations don’t have fountains for the refillable mugs.
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4. Souvenir
My favorite kind of souvenirs are the kind that I can use at home. I love my Mickey cookie cutter, keychains, and hand towels, because they are part of my regular life. In that vein, I also treat the Rapid Fill mugs as souvenirs. I continue to use my mugs in the “real world” long after my vacation ends. I’ve been known to bring Fab Five emblazoned mugs to class!
3. Label Them
A major downside to the mugs (in my opinion) is the lack of design diversity. The mugs designs change from time to time, but guests are limited in color choices. This can make differentiating mugs within your party tricky. Surely you don’t want to take a sip from a mug you think is full of your hot coffee only to find it’s actually orange soda! Use Sharpies, electric/Duct tape or something to label your mugs.
2. Pack Dish Soap
Rinse sinks are available in the resort quick service restaurants for guests to rinse out their mugs between uses. But that’s not really going to clean your mugs. I like to bring a small sample bottle of dish soap with me. Then I can wash our mugs every night back in my hotel room. It also helps get rid of the plastic-y smell when they’re brand new.
1. Buy Them On Your First Day
If you’re purchasing a Refillable Mug separately from a Dining Plan, do so on your arrival day! The mugs cost $16.99, and are active for your entire hotel stay. The cost is the same whether you buy it on your first morning, or your last. To get the most value from the mug, buy it right after you check in. The same goes for guests using the Dining Plan: you still need to activate a mug in the food court. Do so even if you arrive late at night. I know you’re tired, but trust me, you don’t want an extra task when the food court is busy at breakfast time!
What do you love about the refillable mugs? Let us know!
