If this is true, I do hope they wait to make this change until 2018 passes go on sale. 2017 all-season bottles have been available to purchase for a while now. This doesn't need to be another example of selling something and changing the rules later.

They could make the option with the cups available as well as the all-season drink pass and give people who already purchased the option of redeeming for one or the other.

 

I would say that perhaps they could do both, give you a cup but also allow you to swipe your pass, but I think that would open the door to fraud wherein someone could buy it and then give their cup to someone else, effectively resulting in them having TWO drink plans.

 

You could also just make it where per day, you can use one or the other but not both. That would effectively be no different than what they have now, as I have definitely loaned out my all-season souvenir cup to friends and family who I knew were visiting the park.

I hope they make it optional this year and years to come. I'm one of the weird one's that like the souvenir bottle and would be sad to see it go completely. However, I like this idea because my friends can't stand carrying a bottle around all day. I don't mind it, I just need to remember not to forget it before going to the next ride/attraction.

My issue with the bottle has been that I always bring the bottle, and therefore can never get on Banshee without using a locker (something I have no desire to do, which then prevents me from riding Banshee). A card-based system definitely has advantage in this situation. And to having both bottles and plans, I'd imagine one possible solution is to make the bottles valid refillables, but remove the barcode so you still need a plan to get the drink. It's not a perfect system, but it's functional.

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!

 

...er, what I mean is that this solution, if implemented, is a vastly superior option to the current souvenir bottle, and something that I would certainly consider spending money on if priced appropriately. Or something like that.

I thought they were lined with wax? Which explains why paper cups eventually fail. I've also seen the recycled logo/explanation on many cups before including the current plastic souvenir bottles. Plastic or paper I think you are likely using a cup containing recycled materials. I would also say that my souvenir bottle was used more than 50 times at KI alone. It may not be the norm but its worth keeping in mind when determining which is the better balance. Do you have a source for your 50 cup claim? I'm no expert but that seems a bit more extreme than I would have thought.

 

It's also worth keeping in mind that most recycled materials require more energy to make than harvesting fresh ones albeit fresh has the obvious con of needing the new resources. Metal tends to be one of the few exceptions and makes a lot of sense to recycle. Of course there are obvious reasons for not using metal cups. 

 

I think we (or at least I") would need more info on this idea before forming an opinion. How big are the paper cups? How long do we have to wait for refills? Will it work at every park?

 

Edit: Looking at the cups more closely I think they are just completely recycle able rather than actually recycled.

I like the idea of having the option of doing both.  Either you can do the refillable bottle or if you don't have the bottle with you then you can do the disposable cup.  This would give the person the option of what they want to do.

I hope they offer both options as well. I have considered getting one of the souvenir bottles in past years but always decide against it because I don't like the idea of leaving it in a station where it can get tampered with or stolen for the rides that allow items left in the stations and to get a locker kind of eliminates any cost savings from bringing the bottle. For now I just get a free cup of water with my meal but would pay for season long drinks if they offered them in a disposable cup.

I doubt the bottles would go away completely.  Holiday World and Kentucky Kingdom still them and people buy them.

The bottles aren't going anywhere. This would be an option in addition to the bottles.

No no no no. Simply put, this could develop into a system to which you must buy a meal and get the drink cups. I, along with many others, utilize thd drink cups often, I saved hundreds of dollars in drink refills this year, when I chose to. Not to mention the fact that this would effectively end my souvenir cups and I collect those.

No no no no. Simply put, this could develop into a system to which you must buy a meal and get the drink cups. I, along with many others, utilize thd drink cups often, I saved hundreds of dollars in drink refills this year, when I chose to. Not to mention the fact that this would effectively end my souvenir cups and I collect those.

I don't see them getting rid of souvenir cup personally. It is to successful.  I think this would just be an added option. I could be wrong though.

No no no no. Simply put, this could develop into a system to which you must buy a meal and get the drink cups. I, along with many others, utilize thd drink cups often, I saved hundreds of dollars in drink refills this year, when I chose to. Not to mention the fact that this would effectively end my souvenir cups and I collect those.

I'm curious as to how you think this would develop into a system where you must buy a meal to get a drink. I can't envision any scenario at any establishment where they would say, "Oh, you just want to buy a drink? Buy some food first." Seems like it'd be illegal to me. So, how do you think that would happen?

 

No no no no. Simply put, this could develop into a system to which you must buy a meal and get the drink cups. I, along with many others, utilize thd drink cups often, I saved hundreds of dollars in drink refills this year, when I chose to. Not to mention the fact that this would effectively end my souvenir cups and I collect those.

I'm curious as to how you think this would develop into a system where you must buy a meal to get a drink. I can't envision any scenario at any establishment where they would say, "Oh, you just want to buy a drink? Buy some food first." Seems like it'd be illegal to me. So, how do you think that would happen?

 

 

Ok, let me revise my statement. You must​ buy a dining plan to get the drink plan under this new stage. Now, that basically implies somewhat part of the hypothetical given. I only got a season long dining plan because of the few times I eat at a Cedar Fair park and to save money, but I might not want it anymore after this year if something bad happens. Effectively, in 2018, I would be left out of the drink plan given in the past few years if it were to be enacted, that is if I do not like the service given. I personally believe that the system they have now works, and saves a lot of time and not to mention money. In contrast to plastic to paper cups, I would see the constant use of a paper cups more costly than using just one plastic cup for every some odd family or individual. Now I gather that as the topic poster stated that you would have two beverages, with implications of both being paper. In response to legality, it is perfectly legal to state for a certain plan you must follow guidelines. It would be under contract as the outlines of your purchase, if you buy it, you adhere to the policy. If a system works, let it be, that's my motto and has been for years, I am happy with what I have and I don't want to see it changed.

If they scan your pass and give you a drink (or even do a drink for $1) then I'll go for it, but if they opt to continue with the whole drink cup mess then I'll pass again this year.

Given that the condition a lot of those season-long cups looked to be in on my visits this past year caused me to get a drink elsewhere in the park, I'm in favor of each beverage being served in a 1-time use paper cup.  Disney and Universal do just fine using paper, so no reason that Mr. Ouimet could find a way to do the same.

Well, it looks like our poll is very much in favor of this option!

Us the refillable cups but have the option to tie the cup to the families season passes. Just scan the cup and the holder pass. If they match, they get to use the cup. This would make stealing a cup fruitless because it wouldn't match your ID.

Us the refillable cups but have the option to tie the cup to the families season passes. Just scan the cup and the holder pass. If they match, they get to use the cup. This would make stealing a cup fruitless because it wouldn't match your ID.

Does help for those of us who do not want to carry a souvenir cup around all day.

This past season was the first I found caring the refillable bottles along to be a hassle. Maybe because now I have 2 kids tall enough for Banshee, I found myself asking if we were planning on riding that, and if so, we didn't bring the bottles in. Plus, am I the only one who thinks the quality of the bottles has gone down each year?? Seriously, scan my pass, give me a paper cup, and let's move on with our day!

I agree that the quality of the cups has gone down continually.  I found a Diamondback cup from several years ago in my basement recently and the quality difference was crazy how much better they were just a few years ago.

Offer both. I like my cup, I keep them as souvenirs. Can you imagine the amount of waste this would create? One cup I wash every day and refill 5-6 times (I drink a lot as a diabetic), vs a probably smaller paper cup I'd toss and get a new one 10 times?

 

I'd have to refill more often, which means more wasted cups, more time in line simply waiting on a drink, less times on rides.

 

I'd prefer them to offer both, order the deal and get it on the plan, then if you desire go to a vendor and exchange my pass deal for my big ole' cup deal.

I just can't get on board with this idea. It's just so resource-intensive to make/ship/store/dispose of the potential amount of what are single-use items. Not that any amusement park is going to be particularly "sustainable" but I'd like to see parks doing more in that direction, not less.

A waiting period between beverages would reduce some of that waste.

 

Holiday World famously provides unlimited self-service drinks for all guests (in disposable cups), though they explicitly reserve the right to eject anyone abusing the privilege.

Confused. How does one abuse the privledge? It's soda and for everyone, there is no one to sneak it to.

Abuse, i.e. standing beside the drink shed and spending a few hours doing nothing but people watching and drinking free drinks.  The same principle of how a buffet can ask you to leave if you decide to stay there for 6 hours straight.

 

 

Ive got no problem with them putting a REASONABLE waiting period between refills, and to me, reasonable is defined as no more than 3 hours, preferably 2.   The paper cup SP plan, with that waiting period, would convince me to start buying drinks at a park again.

Less souvenir bottles = less chances for the bottles to spill in the ride bins on the platforms. #efficiency

Abuse, i.e. standing beside the drink shed and spending a few hours doing nothing but people watching and drinking free drinks.  The same principle of how a buffet can ask you to leave if you decide to stay there for 6 hours straight.

 

 

Ive got no problem with them putting a REASONABLE waiting period between refills, and to me, reasonable is defined as no more than 3 hours, preferably 2.   The paper cup SP plan, with that waiting period, would convince me to start buying drinks at a park again.

 

But what if I buy the new plan, it's really hot out, decide to get a Powerade while I wait in line for Diamondback, and then decide to eat after the less than hour wait for the ride? With that waiting period, I wouldn't be able to get another Powerade to go with my meal. 

I don't think that's fair or right. 

^^^ Holiday World isn't going to kick someone out for drinking too much soda.

Deliberately wasting drink or taking stacks of cups out of the park would constitute abuse.

He asked a question, I gave an answer that I felt current Management would consider abuse , and what you said would also be considered abuse.

 

And Chris, I gave n example of what I felt/feel would constitute reasonable, using the time it would take to wait in line for, and ride Beast on a busy day.  Your example works for you, mine works for me... in both cases.

 

 

EDIT... edited the first statement to eliminate hair splitting

I have read that the current wait time is anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. While I have never done 5 minutes it is very possible I have refilled within 15 on a hot July day, though it was probably with ice water.

As I have mentioned before instead of buying one plastic cup I would likely buy the plan for each in the family so I doubt 15 minute or even 30 minute wait time wouldn't be a problem for me.

2 hours Sparky? Dude, you are a camel.