We’re coming to you today from Saratoga Springs Resort, where an updated version of the Refillable Resort Mugs has been spotted at The Artist’s Palette (the Counter Service restaurant for Saratoga Springs).
The Artist’s Palette Sign
Now, typically when we talk about updated Refillable Resort Mugs, we’re referring to new graphics on the mug. For instance, the most recent design change took place last October when the artwork on the mugs was updated to depict the Fab Five driving under the famous Walt Disney World entrance gate.
This time, though, the change is not to the graphics, but to the structure of the mug itself… which might be referred to as a cup or tumbler at this point, since the new cups no longer have handles attached.
Handle-free Refillable Resort Mug
Again, we found this mug at Saratoga Springs; reports vary as to whether or not they’re available at other Resorts at this time.
There is also a limited amount of mugs with handles left at The Artist’s Palette. However, according to a Cast Member we spoke with, all mugs will be strictly handle-free once those are sold out, and it’s anticipated that this will be a change across all Disney World Resorts.
Many guests might enjoy the change, as the cups may now fit easier into things like cup holders in cars or on strollers. Others, though, prefer handles which offer a way to attach the cups to their bags with an added strap or carabiner, or for ease in carrying.
Handle-free Refillable Resort Mug
But we’re curious to know what YOU think. Though guests participating in the Disney Dining Plan automatically receive the Refillable Mugs as part of the plan, they also remain available for individual purchase for Resort guests not utilizing the Plan.
Refillable Resort Mug Purchase Sign
Would this change affect whether or not you would purchase the mug?
What do you think of the handle-free Refillable Resort Mugs? Please let us know with a comment!
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Well there goes my plan. Was going to use it as my in park water bottle & just connect the handle to a detachable S hook. Wanted to keep it simple and not have to go back to the room for the mug when it comes to eating back at the resort. Not a good change for me.
So I am for keeping the handles, when your hands are already full the handles have been a dream. I am sure it is a cost saving measure for Disney, I have paid for my share of the mugs, not they are not mugs but tumblers. It just is one more thing in a long line of things that makes me think my upcoming trip to WDW in December just may be my last trip to WDW, not that tumblers vs mugs tips things it just seems the powers that be are no longer keeping the guests comfort in mind.
I don’t like this handleless mug idea. I can’t imagine my trying to carry four Mugs with no handles. Why don’t they offer both with and without handles?
I love the handles, it makes them different!!! Agree about how it makes it easier for kids to carry around too. So sad, but we have no choice to go with their change.
Get a cardboard cup holder from McDonald’s and bring it with you then you can carry everyone’s drinks and now they fit in cup holders 🙂
Far better to have the handles, easier for small children to use the mugs and with the handles it is easier to carry two or three especially when carrying food for the family
Let’s be real here, the reason the mug won’t have handle any more is because it’s cheaper to produce a mug without a handle. This will help Disney cut costs on the “free” Dining Plan mugs. I’m sure Disney will come up with some rockin’ handles you can add to your glass to make it a mug. Yeti or giraffe shaped handles for Animal Kingdom. Sorcerer Mickey’s broom and Slinky from Toy Story for Hollywood Studios. Tinker Bell and a Magic Wand for Magic Kingdom. In Epcot each country can market their own. This could be a huge, untapped collectible market for Disney!
I don’t see Disney producing and stocking both handled and handleless mugs – that’s just twice as many color/handle combos to keep in inventory at every location. If they get enough negative feedback maybe they will just bring back the handles.
What I think is more likely though, is that they will provide them without handles but produce clip-on handles that you could buy if you wanted them. I’m thinking it would be in the line of magicbands, that you could get a solid color handle free with a mug purchase. But also, similar to magicbands, I could see them making character handles or ones that are otherwise personalized or “plussed”. People seem to love anything with a character on it, and if each mug-handle combo was unique it would make it easier to know whose is whose in your room.
My wife and I always get a ” length of stay” option with our cups. We are usually there anywhere from 8-10 days and have our beverages a couple times a day while there. I will personally miss the handle that the current cups had but will still purchase it with or without the handle. Its cost effective for us both.
YA so, exterely NOT happy . That is putting it mildly . Iam fuming. We do not put our drinks in pocksttof the side of our backpack. They go inside it. We do NOT use a stroller anymore . People do go to Disney that are older than stroller age . It HIGHLY upsetsme, and anger me that they would even try this . I am known at home for always –24 hrs a day –having my my Mickey cup with me . (holding onto the handle ).
I wonder about hot liquids in the cup , the handles always kept hands from the hot cup.
I am not sure I will like the handless ones BUT there are a couple minor benefits so I am anxious to see how it goes in September. They’re bound to be out of handled by then. I can tell your my DH will hate it!! Lol
I’ve noticed a number of people are mentioning the idea that a handle might/could be made available for purchasing. My question now is…if we are given no choice but to buy/use the new “tumbler” style, does that mean the cost of this item will go down?? I mean, after all, we are “losing” a portion of what we’ve been paying for!
Let me answer my own question…no.
It seems that the “THE MOST WONDERFUL PLACE ” may be losing some of the MAGIC
I like the handles. I have hot tea in the AM and hot chocolate in the PM. My special needs son, loves to get me these beverages, along with his own. He would not be able to carry two handleless mugs at the same time. Will the oz’s be the same? The ones without handles look smaller than the ones with handles. Less liquid per mug? I do not like the new “tumblers”.
I like the ones with handles. I have severe arthritis in my hands and the handle makes it easier to hold. I am sure others have good reasons as well. I hope they reconsider.
Seriously people–it’s a cup. Is life that uneventful that you are getting your shorts in a twist over a handle vs no handle?? Without a handle it will fit into cup holders (like in the car) as well as a side pouch of a backpack way easier. Several times we’ve been there and using at home and never had an issue with the exterior of the cup getting hot from coffee/tea/cocoa –it’s insulated for a reason.
Change is inevitable –if you don’t like it then don’t participate in purchasing…it’s really that simple!
Back in the day we picked up the mugs because they were resort specific and a great keepsake to remember the resort we stayed at. Then they became generic but were still handy. We just didn’t really need that many of them so we got them sometimes, maybe. We have only done the dining plan once and it really didn’t fit our style so odds are we won’t do it again so we’d have to purchase these containers now. Simply not something we would use without the handle. Inconvenient to carry both filled and after they are emptied now that they’d have to be contained themselves rather than attached by the handle to a bag or belt loop or any other handy attach point. Nope, not a fan of this idea.
I was at Disney last week and watched as a guest filled 4 of her own cups with one paid for cup. Another guest called her out on it and she finally stopped. Everyone is quick to say Disney is taking away the magic. Maybe we should put some of the blame on the guests that steal. We were able to get the cups with the handle. I guess next time we go it will be like getting a cup at Starbucks.
What is the point of this change? Why do they have to make changes to a tradition like this?? And why does it always have to be about more money for them? I wish they really cared about their consumers.
If they want to save money and keep the cost down for a disney vacation, maybe they should look at the CEO salary. I bet some employee got a bonus for the cost savings idea. What about what the guests want.
I do NOT like the no handle mug idea. Most people, not all, are already carrying around lots of stuff for the day. Why are they making it harder for their guests to maneuver. Oh, I know, because it’s cheaper for them to produce and they’ll probably save money on the refill part too since people won’t use it as much because they can’t carry more than one mug and other things. To bad they can’t just reactivate old mugs, I’d be happy to recycle and reuse ones we already have. In fact, there should be a program that gives guests a small discount if they reuse their old mugs. Disney help our planet, RECYCLE, REUSE, REACTIVE!!
No way! I always hang my mug from my cross body bag so to have upon my return to our hotel. Now this makes it impossible to not take a backpack or some other type of bag to store the mugs while visiting the parks or other resorts. Really bad idea!
We usually stop at refill station in morning to get coffee. Then we take the mugs with us to the parks hooking them on belt loop. On way back to our room for the night we fill them with soda. We usually get the dining plan or else I wouldn’t bother. If our room is far from the refill stand it’s not worth going back and forth.
I understand the reasoning behind trying to make it cheaper to make the mugs by removing the handle but……if fewer people purchase the mugs they haven’t saved a dime. I know when I would go down to fill my mug I always bought other numerous spare of the moment items. Handle make it easy to carry all my purchases. You took away my handle. ….you lost my spare of the moment purchases. Just saying.
We still have our Polynesian mugs from the early 1990’s as
Well as our Hilton Head mugs. They all have handles and I think we
Will continue to use them.
Why would they do something so stupid that inconveniences guests? If you are at the parks and resorts with a handled cup, each child, even a 2 or 3 year old, can carry his or her own. Without handles, sweaty hands won’t have much security in holding on to the cups and there will be cups dropped. I pity the fools if they ever come face to face with a mom trying to hang on to multiple cups- added trouble and inconvenience. This is NOT a good idea.
Wow – people are really upset about this.I could care less. It’s a cup. Really what’s the difference. Handle or no handle it’s a pain to carry around all day. I would never strap it to anything and have it be in the way all day – I can’t imagine how you guys do that. Sometimes I get a mug sometimes not – but this handle/no handle would not make a difference to me. Will this really make or break your trip? I doubt it.
Obviously cutting back, cheaper to produce! They may have an idea to produce a holder with clip or strap which could be sold as an extra accessory, at a price!!! I’ve still got my previous mugs which travel with me on holidays looks like they’ll be crossing the Atlantic again, when I return to Disney
Hang on a sec while I adjust my tinfoil hat…
I think Disney’s doing it so in the gift shop they can sell you handles like character, resort, or attraction-themed ones.
I don’t think that the no handle will lead to people not liking them. I like the handle leave it don’t be cheap about it.
horrible idea I am going in Oct and I will not buy a TUMBLER I will purchase my drinks as I want them
I love the mugs as they are a great souvenir and gift for friends!
I don’t mind not having no handles, but wish the cup was wider and taller to get more beverage in my cup!
I’m actually looking forward to the handleless mugs! I’m hoping they’ll now fit in the side bottle pockets on the bag I carry at the World, and if not, it won’t take up quite as much real estate inside the bag. But in the end, whether it works for me or not, it certainly isn’t a deal breaker for going to Disney World. I’ll still be able to get my coffee in the morning, and I can find somewhere in my bag to stick it on the way to the park. It’s not going to stop me from going, handles or no handles.
I think that the handles are very handy and since they come with the dining plan (which we have gotten EVERY time except one and we go every 2 yrs.) – we will have no choice but to take what they offer. I hope, however, that they either give us a choice (not likely) or make handles available.
Barbra hit it on the head. Its cheaper to make with out the handles, and they late they can make carry custom handles you can buy for extra $$.
Very bad idea!!!! It makes it impossible for a family to bring their cups with them to the parks ….too cumbersome to keep in the backpacks and too difficult to hold for a longer period of time. Handles can be made available for purchase but doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of keeping the prices low? Why should the consumer pay additional money for a handle when the cup is provided in the Disney food plan (which I have been doing for almost 20 years)?
They still have the in park mugs with handles (non-refillable) as far as we know for now. I am going to buy one to see how I like it when I’m there in 3 weeks but I have plenty with the handles 😉
This may be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. A mug without handles?! Really! Surely whoever came up with this has never tried to juggle these babies when you’re filling them. Also, the mugs with handles could be hung from your backpack or tote. Not so anymore. Now I will have to bring my old refillables just so I can have a handle. Why not sell both and let people make a choice. Thanks Disney!
As far as people saying that without the handles they can use them when they get home. Seriously? These mugs are not very reusable as they don’t hold enough to use on daily basis. I certainly wouldn’t be putting my morning coffee in these things once I get home. Also for others who have a problem with people’s comments, here’s the thing, if you’re paying for something, you have every right to complain.
Just got back from Port Orleans: Riverside. I was surprised by the missing handle when I picked up my cup. My family’s consensus is that they miss the handle. The next morning, I saw a guy filling up with a handle, so I went back to see if I accidentally acquired the handle-less version, but all of the stands still had tumblers. He must have picked up one from the last batch earlier in the week. Here is the number one problem with the tumblers: when one person makes a soda run for four, they have to use a tray to bring the filled tumblers back to the room. The handled versions allowed two cups per hand easily. We ended up doubling the drink holder trays because the single tray can’t handle four filled tumblers. I also saw a customer bring 6 drinks back on a plastic tray. The tumbler does fit better in my car tho.
Thank goodness they removed the handles. The handled cup never fits in the water bottle sleeve of my purse, and takes up too much space ever inside a bag. I’m thrilled to see the handle removed and the cup looks so much more elegant. Happy!
I had posted a while back that I want the handles.
And from the most recent comments I use Jedi as the reason, I go and get everyones breakfast while they are getting ready. The handles are SO much more convienent to carry with than without when this is the case.
And instead of all the bickering back and forth of which style is better than the other…..and why doesn’t Disney do this…..MAKE IT A CHOICE……CARRY BOTH OPTIONS.
Why they are totally replacing them and force feeding you with the non handles baffles me.
My family and I usually walk from our room to the main dining area, or I do it alone if my daughter and wife are tired from the day’s adventures.
If I am carrying 3 mugs, I definitely need a handle.
The new cups just won’t work for us.
AND if they plan to charge for an attachable handle then that just smacks of a money grab to me. And considering what Disney is making off of all of us, that is just plan ludicrous and trying to rip us off even more…
I have to agree, make both a choice. I know, especially for hot drinks like coffee (something my family uses them for, even when we get back from the Mouse House) it is a dream to just use the mugs. But, so is life, we can’t change everything.
We just stayed at Saratoga at the beginning of the month. I preferred the handle less version. It fit easily in my stroller, side pockets and I have been using it since I’ve returned home.
For those wanting to attach it to a pack, just bring a thick rubber band and attach it with a carabiner.
I do like the idea others have mentioned of offering “re-activation” if you bring old mugs. We go every 2 years and always get the mug option. I’d pay a smaller fee to not have to add more mugs to our overflowing cabinets. I’ve already gotten rid of all of the old “fat mugs”
A CM we spoke to yesterday at SSR said they’re bringing back the mugs with the handles after receiving so many complaints.
I Love the Idea of the Tumbler!!
Apparently I’m in the minority, but I like to put it in the side pocket of my bookbag. I’m super excited to get mine in 23 days 🙂
I feel like I need to add my voice to this discussion since I am one of the few that is looking forward to the tumbler. I have 4 refillable mugs from our last trip to WDW and I hate how much room the handles take up in the cupboard. Also, I would only ever buy a tumbler for my daily coffee and I hate the handles on the old refillable mugs, so I never use them…I only keep them because my husband likes that they are from Disney World.
I don’t feel like I am “losing” anything or care if Disney is doing this to save money. I much prefer a tumbler to a mug.
Keep in mind, we don’t use these mugs at the park, only at the resort. At the park we use spill-proof water bottles.
Some of the comments above mentioned that handles are easier for kids, but my kids (ages 10, 7 and 4 all have water bottles with no handles and have never had a problem with them. They fit into cupholders and cupboards much better 🙂 I have also hear that those with arthritis have a much harder time without the handle, which is a totally different issue and completely understandable.
I definitely think there should be the option of buying a refillable mug or tumbler…even though I don’t think that will actually happen. Or redesign the handle so that it is only attached at the top, making it easier to stack (when empty) and fit into cupholders.
We just got back from a 4 day stay. We definitely missed the handles and want them back. It is much harder to carry more than one full mug without the handle. They get especially difficult when you have wet hands or are wearing sunscreen. We like to fill our mugs then hook them on a bag to refill later. Often we will bring them to the park, go to lunch at a resort and refill and then refill when we get back to our resort. The new tumblers take away this convenience. I noticed more spills in the refill areas this way. It was also more crowded as each family member was there. Even the rinsing takes more time because you can’t hold them all in one hand. Now that we have tried both ways I can say that I will be less likely to purchase the tumblers again. Bring back the handles!