Ok here's a big tip for saving money on drinks at Silver Dollar City.
There are several kinds of refill mugs/cups to do this with. Each choice is very different. This post is designed to break down how each works, so you can figure out what the best option for you and your family might be.
1. Current plastic discount refill mugs.
2. Plastic Christmas mugs.
3. VIP metal Tumbler.
4. Grandfathered mugs A & B
A - Plastic, prices varied.
B - Locked in to specific prices, for lifetime, plastic and glass.
1. Current plastic discount refill mugs are probably the least expensive initial investment. They run about 18 dollars retail. But, there are many ways to get them for less. They come free with Gold and Diamond season passes. Also when you buy 1 they will Discount all additional mugs bought at that time. And they give a significant discount when purchased as a bundle with a Tasting Passport - 13.50.
They are around 2.00 to refill with soda, Coffee, tea, Cocoa and such, and about 3.00 to refill with a specialty drink - frozen lemonade, icee, floats, Boba etc. They do NOT include Starbucks. Any drink from Sulivan's Mill or Clara Belle's is considered a Starbucks drink.
In my opinion, I kind of like getting my complementary one we get with our Diamond Pass, but we rarely use it to actually pay for refills. Lol we use it to pour our less expensive refill mugs into it. So we can re-use our less expensive Grandfathered mug quicker, or put it away to avoid losing it or it getting stolen.
The biggest pro - is it can be bought pretty inexpensively. And if you are only going 1 or 2 days a year or ever in a lifetime. Just getting 2 or 3 specialty drinks in it will save you money that one or 2 days you go.
The cons - only good for 1 year. Does NOT include Starbucks, even if you aren't a Starbucks fan, this can still be a con if you want Cocoa or some other drink and are near Sulivan's Mill or Clara Belle's, but have to walk further away to get a refill in your mug. The price of the refills. I personally like cheaper refills.
2. Plastic Christmas mugs. Most all the above - they do not come with season passes, but you can get them at cheaper rates by buying more than 1 at a time.
The biggest pro to this one is - they are good for the Christmas season you buy them in, and through the entire following year. So if you buy one at Christmas Fest 2023, you can use it the rest of the 2023 year, plus the entire 2024 year.
They have all the same cons as the regular refill mug basically though. Only good for Christmas season and the next year, after that you must buy a new one, still kind of expensive refills, and still no Starbucks.
3. VIP metal Tumbler - free refills on all drinks, except for ice cream.
This is extremely literal. I see people asking about every single specialty drink at Silver Dollar City, asking if it's included. Yes, as long as it does not have ice cream, it IS included. Frozen lemonade, Boba, icees, do NOT have ice cream, so yes, they are free. And it also includes Starbucks!
The cons - to the VIP Tumbler, it's the most expensive initial investment, they only last 1 year, you have to buy a new one each year, if you want to continue to get free refills. No ice cream, meaning no floats! We love floats during the Saloon Show!
The pros - it includes literally everything but ice cream. If you love Starbucks, it is the only way to get a discount on Starbucks, and this discount makes them completely free. If you live close and are going every week (I know many people who do), or every day (yes I know a few), you will for sure get your money back and more! I have a friend who goes every day, and gets at least one, and usually 2 Starbucks a day! He probably got his money back the first week Silver Dollar City was open. I think you have to go at least 5 days a year and get at least 2 Starbucks each time to break even. After that it's all gravy. Another pro, at the do it yourself refill stations you don't have to go stand in the pay line for a refill. Go directly to the drink machine line! And you never have to worry about digging money or a card out to pay for refills.
So it's worth will depend greatly on how often you will go, and exactly which drinks you want.
4. A - Grandfathered Plastic Mugs - discount refill Mugs that were sold previous to 2012 - with screw on lids, priced at the current refill price each year.
These are a bit harder to find. But, sometimes you can score at a garage sale or estate sale. Also thrift shops and ebay. Apple Mall almost always has them.
Any Grandfathered mug will get you discounted refills of both regular drinks and specialty drinks, but do not work st Starbucks.
However, here is where it gets tricky. Some Grandfathered Mugs are locked in to specific prices, but most are not. Most the grandfathered mugs are refill price the same as the current years mug refill price.
If you have more than 1 person in the family, I highly suggest just buying or at least only bringing one grandfathered mug at a time with you to the park. Buy a refill in it and then pour that refill into a different cup/mug so you only have to keep track of 1 mug. They do sometimes get stolen. So after child number 5 or 6 we started just leaving all but one at home. Everyone else in the family brings a different mug, that isn't valuable if lost or stolen to pour their drink into. It got to be too stressful to try to make sure, that many mugs didn't get lost or stolen.
The cons - initial investment can be a little steep. I usually see them in the 20 dollar range. But, some people score them at garage sales/estate sales for free to 50 cents too! Can not get Starbucks in them, nor a discount at Starbucks. The refill prices are subject to change to the current refill price each year. Specialty drink refills cost more than regular drink refills. (Still at a discount, just not as cheap).
Pro - never have to buy a new mug again! Can bring year after year. Discount refills, on absolutely everything, including ice cream. Just not Starbucks.
4. B - Grandfathered Mugs with locked in refill prices! Glass and plastic with pop in lids - not screw on.
The plastic versions are mainly pre2001/2002 (before 2001 or 2002). The glass ones I'm pretty sure started being sold in the 70s, continued to be sold through 2021!!!
The plastic ones that are locked in at 1.00 refills for both soda, and specialty drinks, including ice cream (except Starbucks does not include Starbucks) are the kind with a pop in lid, mainly sold before 2002. I believe buzzsaw fall mugs may of been the last year they were made.
12 oz (could be 16 oz, I will have to measure) glass mugs are locked in at .75 cents for both specialty, including ice cream and regular drinks, just not Starbucks.
There is also a locked in huge glass mug, weighs at least 3 lbs!! Not kidding, for 1.50 refills but there isn't photos of them in the books and some of the employees really don't know about them, and it's hard to carry them around or get unknowing employees to give the correct discount. (My dad, brothers and husband insisted on buying them..I hate them..lol heavy!!!!)
The cons to this is - the plastic pop in lid mugs normally start at 40 each on eBay, so initial investment can be costly. But, again can be found sometimes at garage sales or estate sales. I scored two small glass ones for 50 cents at a local estate sale! Glass is harder to carry around. However we have rarely ever ever broke any. Beware of them not getting stolen or lost. Again I just bring one, use it for the discount then pour it into a cup that I don't care gets lost or stolen. You will probably need a card at most the stands for the refills. And if you are ever going to only go once or twice to Silver Dollar City in your entire life, than not worth the investment. The glass ones you cam usually also score for less than 15 on eBay, and there are a lot more of them around since they continued to sell them up through 2021!
The pros are obvious! Never have to buy a mug again, never have to worry about a higher price for refills, they remain 75 cents and 1.00 forever! The plastic mugs are much much lighter and easier to carry.
