Disney Needs to Take Notes from Universal’s Refillable Mug Policy

It’s hard not to compare Disney World and Universal Orlando to each other, especially with Epic Universe. We think this feature that Universal has might get a point up on Disney.

Both parks have refillable cups, but there is a pretty stark difference between the two.

Let’s start with the basics. Both parks have refillable mugs, but they are not the same.

Universal Orlando allows you to fill up the mugs all over the parks. Almost anywhere that offers fountain soda will let you refill your mug, even in a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine!

You can refill in Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and yes, even Epic Universe. Unfortunately, though, you can’t fill up your cup in the resorts! That includes the brand new Stella Nova, Terra Luna, and Helios Grand, too.

Disney World is almost the opposite. They call their refillable mugs “resort mugs,” and that’s exactly what they are. They give you access to the fountain drinks at any resort. It doesn’t have to be your own resort, but it does need to be at one of them.

While it’s up to you to decide which of these locations works better for you, guests typically spend more time within the theme parks versus the resorts during their vacations. Being able to fill up a cup inside the park is more convenient than just at the resort, which you’ll be at in the morning and night.

Both theme parks manage their prices differently as well. At Universal, you pay around $19 for the cup and about $2 per refill. You can bring your cup back to all the parks time and again.

At Disney, you can purchase your mug for about $23 and get free refills at hotels for 14 days, even if your stay is longer. It’s nice not having to worry about paying every time, but you’ll need to reactivate them if you want to use your cup again.

We love that Universal’s cups are forever! They have an easy handle we can clip onto our backpacks, and whenever we need a quick drink, we can fill it up before hopping on the next ride. It’s also so nice to be able to refill drinks in the parks at a discount!

That’s how we feel about the refillable cup policy, but you tell us: which park does a refillable cup policy better? Tell us in the comments, and be sure to keep following AllEars for all of the theme park news you love.

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