Okay, this is unofficial because apparently the people don't know the status of the stein club or the pint club. If you ask different people, you get different answers or no answer. The current "card" that was handed out to begin this year's club price will expire on 12/31/2021. If you check your card, it is clearly printed on the card. Since the inception of the stein club, current members were given the opportunity to renew their membership. That hasn't happened this year, so far. Doesn't look like it is going to. There was a loyalty discount to renew. With the stein club you took your stein home at the end of the season and a new stein was issued at the beginning of the new year. So, this is what I have been able to "find out". There will no longer be a stein for the beer. There will be a glass just like the pint club at Grogan's. There will no longer be a loyalty discount. Everybody will ultimately pay the same for membership. Now for the real kicker. There are no current plans to start the "new" membership before the stein club expires in 2 weeks. That apparently means there will be no discount for beer. When I pointed that out, they said they hadn't thought about it. Also, for those who had premium membership that has been discontinued.
Brauhaus Craft Bier Room
- Thread starter Jrbgwfan06
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Still not as bad as Seaworld Cancelling their steins a couple months after selling 1 year memberships. Definitely fits in with the current SEAS MO of screwing over pass members for pennies.
Can't go too far into details but you have some small pieces correct. A program is still currently planned for next year for both locations. They are working on making some changes which is why there isn't any news, yet. If one were to be cancelled, it would be the pub as it is far less popular than the Stein club.
It's likely that there are some changes to program. There might still be a card as that proved popular. However, if the card stays then it's likely that they won't allow it to be used at other locations during F&W and BF. It would simply give you the ability to get a drink at both locations for the refill price instead of full price. It's possible that they wouldn't do a cup for anyone as they could then sell a lot more memberships to people than they currently do. Or they would do a tier with a cup and a tier without one.
That's one of the options that I know to be under consideration. I could go further but I don't want to get anyone into trouble by staying more.
2 weeks prior to the end of the current program and still no definitive resolution or continuance of the current program is a pretty sorry assed excuse IMHO. They have had months to discuss and implement a new program or renewal of the current program. Just another fine upstanding example of how dysfunctional this management team is.
Just a heads up for Stein Club and Pint club members. The card that entitles you to discounted beer throughout the park will expire when the park closes on Friday, 12/31.
I saw a wrap sheet explaining the new glasses and glass mugs for the pint/Stein club. The breakdown is very much akin to what @BGWnut layer out. They mentioned being able to sign up in early January, with the cards being valid early to mid January through 12/31/22.
Hopefully they’ll expand the locations that the $5 fills will be available, since the BrauHaus has been closed most of our recent visits, leaving only one refill location.
Hopefully they’ll expand the locations that the $5 fills will be available, since the BrauHaus has been closed most of our recent visits, leaving only one refill location.
I have been told the same thing, but the beginning date seems to be elusive. I have been told the middle of January to the middle of March. Nobody seems to know for sure. So, what is the plan if you go in January? Pay full price or don't drink? The glass mugs will have your name engraved into it so you can figure there will be a delay between when you join and when your mug is available. Also, there will be no loyalty discount. What I mean by that is if you renewed your stein club membership over the years, they discounted the price over new membership as a loyalty benefit. That "benefit" is gone. there will be no renewals. Everybody will be treated as a "new" member at whatever price they decide on for 2022. Apparently, that is why they are letting ALL memberships expire this Friday.
Just FYI they now have draft beer served In front of where the food lines are at the Festhaus. They also honored the $5 fills. Same with the draft beer at San Marco. The restaurant might have been closed but the few draft taps they had would give the discount. Basicall,y anywhere that had draft taps would give the discount.
Just FYI they now have draft beer served In front of where the food lines are at the Festhaus. They also honored the $5 fills. Same with the draft beer at San Marco. The restaurant might have been closed but the few draft taps they had would give the discount. Basicall,y anywhere that had draft taps would give the discount.
In the past, you could still get your discounted refills, while you waited for your cup to be engraved. They just had placeholder cups.
They are not delaying anything to ensure that you are a new member. They could roll it out today and still say no renewal discount. It wouldn't change a thing. It wasn't a benefit that was offered, it was an incentive given to grow the program.
I'll just add that if go before the program is restarted then you won't get your $5 refills nectar there won't be a membership to give it to you. Once you can sign up for one, then you can get the discount. However, don't expect to get it everywhere like this year. That was as COVID decision to add value for those that decided to keep their memberships instead of cancelling them. You will likely be restricted to the two locations like before COVID
You know there used to be this thing called customer service where there was a certain amount of give and take. Apparently BGW seems to think that take, take, take has become the new normal. Think about how many benefits have been lost in Premier and Platinum memberships and now you can add the stein club membership to that list. It is really making me regret I renewed my membership for another year a few months back.
I won't even get started on the math of how much they charge for a beer as opposed to how much they pay for that beer but the fact a 12oz draft beer cost about $10 without stein club membership is crazy. Even at $5 BGW was still making a good return on their investment.
I see this as just another way BGW has decided to screw people out of more money. This program was in existence long before Covid so to use Covid as an excuse to make a new program and discontinue a program that worked for 5 or 6 years is disingenuous at the very least.
I don't care if the program is only good at Grogan's and the Brauhaus. Before Covid and the card the only way you could get a $5 refill at Grogan's was to take your stein with you. At least there was a program and it worked. Why change it? I know, a one-word answer will suffice. GREED!
I won't even get started on the math of how much they charge for a beer as opposed to how much they pay for that beer but the fact a 12oz draft beer cost about $10 without stein club membership is crazy. Even at $5 BGW was still making a good return on their investment.
I see this as just another way BGW has decided to screw people out of more money. This program was in existence long before Covid so to use Covid as an excuse to make a new program and discontinue a program that worked for 5 or 6 years is disingenuous at the very least.
I don't care if the program is only good at Grogan's and the Brauhaus. Before Covid and the card the only way you could get a $5 refill at Grogan's was to take your stein with you. At least there was a program and it worked. Why change it? I know, a one-word answer will suffice. GREED!
Universal at Moe’s - $11
WDW at most restaurants - $5-15
WDW draft beer - $10.50
WDW frozen cocktail - $15
Most Six Flags parks - $10+
Cedar Park has a fill your own glass station that’s $10-20 for a card and starts at $0.50 an ounce. Most research puts Cedar Fair chain at $10-13 a beer.
So BGW isn’t crazy, they are in line with the market price. And honestly I got a feeling that’s what BGW is going through right now. They are trying to match what the market rate for many things is right now.
And I’m not defending them to the hilt with saying this. But it seems as though long time members are used to seeing the experience improve without prices changing. I don’t see why they can’t be a business and raise rates to match what the market dictates.
And not calling you out specifically, but parts of the greater amusement fandom and society in general here:
Lots of companies did some things never done before to help account for the effects of COVID to deliver services. Take this for example. Likely BGW felt they couldn’t guarantee there would always be beer or that singular location available, so they expanded where you could use the benefit to ensure it was always available. Most likely they decided to keep these spots fully staffed and prioritize in park beer flow. Not to mention they made that decision pre-vaccine and during-restrictions when they were unsure how many people could get into or willing to go into those locations.
I'll just point out 2 things. I'll ask a question. Have you ever bought a keg of beer? Even at $100 there are 250 12oz. beers in a keg. That excludes spillage and waste. That comes out to less than 50 cents a glass. Buy a case of beer. It works out to less than a dollar a bottle. My point is that it is already a BIG moneymaker for them. Even at $5 a fill instead of $10. You probably know this already but the reason they charge the prices they do is to discourage too much drinking. Doesn't seem to be working for a few people but that is the reason but that's another issue altogether.
I understand all of your examples do it. I'm just saying look at the profit margins. Alcohol sales of any kind are big profit for anyplace selling alcohol.
I was told the reason for the card was because of a cross contamination issue. Even if you wanted to use your stein, they poured the beer into a plastic cup to prevent any contact contamination with the tap. They could have easily programmed their computers to limit where the card worked. That was their decision. As for getting the card you had to go in person to the Brauhaus to get it so not sure I can agree with people not wanting to go to inside locations.
I was just responding to the fact they seem to want to change the program. Why? It's not like they are losing money.
I understand all of your examples do it. I'm just saying look at the profit margins. Alcohol sales of any kind are big profit for anyplace selling alcohol.
I was told the reason for the card was because of a cross contamination issue. Even if you wanted to use your stein, they poured the beer into a plastic cup to prevent any contact contamination with the tap. They could have easily programmed their computers to limit where the card worked. That was their decision. As for getting the card you had to go in person to the Brauhaus to get it so not sure I can agree with people not wanting to go to inside locations.
I was just responding to the fact they seem to want to change the program. Why? It's not like they are losing money.
No one is using COVID as an excuse to cancel anything. What is being removed is the extra policies that were put in place to help ensure that you could still use it during COVID.
As far as the cost of beer, you are mistaken about the costs to BGW. Most of the beers that are served at those locations are craft beers which get much more expensive and BGW has to provide a minimum order which might not all get used. There's also a lot more that goes into the cost of the refill than simply the beer. It's definitely nowhere near as cheap as you are suggesting. Plus they need to fund other projects like roller coasters that don't directly show up in revenue. There's a lot of other costs that get added to an item then just the wholesale cost of an item.
Also, BGW doesn't try to price beer to discourage sales. They price it so that they make money off it. That way they can actually pay for other stuff.
I dont care what park it is, if beers are $10 or more each I may have one on occasion.....but almost never two or more....Wellexcept NYE at Epcot..lol. However if beers were like $5 I would probably have one every time I went to BGW,....maybe 2 or even more. I just feel like if prices made you feel like you werent getting screwed over people would buy way more and they would make more.
Prices are calculated to a point that maximizes the money being earned. Just because you sell more at a lower price doesn't mean more money is made. In fact sometimes it can cost you more.
Everything has an equilibrium point where it makes the most money and that's where any business that has a basic understanding of economics is trying to get their prices to be. That's why alcohol is priced where it is. If it was higher they probably sell less and won't make as much. If it was priced lower then they might sell more but it's cheaper and they won't make as much.
I feel that BG prices are inline with local and regional restaurants and microbreweries. I don't feel as though they are excessive. $10-$12 is reasonable for the craft and specialty beers. It may be high for mass produced domestics, but those are not what I buy at BG. We routinely hear complaints of drunk and obnoxious guests. Cheaper beers will only amplify that problem.
Maybe I'm mistaken, but I remember even in the AB years that they had high prices for regular Bud products (I'm thinking it was $6 or $7 for a 12 oz pour, which given the time period would probably work out to close to what they're charging now), so this is not a new phenomenon within the park.
Are we so entitled as enthusiasts that we forgot we're essentially a captive audience for F&B purchases if we don't want to leave the park, and that pretty much any entertainment venue is at will to charge whatever they want?
Are we so entitled as enthusiasts that we forgot we're essentially a captive audience for F&B purchases if we don't want to leave the park, and that pretty much any entertainment venue is at will to charge whatever they want?
Just to be clear. I'm not advocating for cheap beer. They started the stein club and THEY set the price for refills. It came with a beer stein and that was the way it was set up. If they are going to change the membership where you get a glass, and the price of the beer is $10 then what is the use? An engraved glass/mug is not worth a $100+ yearly membership IMHO. I get a discount with my membership and there should be a like discount for membership in the stein club. They want to raise it to $6. Fine. I just don't see any reason to continue the program at all if you don't receive some sort of benefit for it. You get a discount/benefit with your pass, and you don't seem to have a problem with that. Why do you have a problem with a discount for the stein club? My argument for the cost is based on the fact they are not losing money on the program. Not how much they charge for a beer.
My routine when I would go would be to get a beer and food in the Brauhaus. Of course, that was when they had good food in there. Now, we get a pretzel and beer. I always get something to eat while I drink my beer. I guess simply put; they do away with the stein club or change it drastically, and I'll have no reason to go into the Festhaus and subject myself to the loud music. At that point I will walk through the park with my refillable drink cup and fill it with water. Net result is they get nothing for my admission, and they get nothing for my parking, but I get the use of the park and I spend no money at all.
I guess if you don't agree then we'll just have to agree to disagree.
My routine when I would go would be to get a beer and food in the Brauhaus. Of course, that was when they had good food in there. Now, we get a pretzel and beer. I always get something to eat while I drink my beer. I guess simply put; they do away with the stein club or change it drastically, and I'll have no reason to go into the Festhaus and subject myself to the loud music. At that point I will walk through the park with my refillable drink cup and fill it with water. Net result is they get nothing for my admission, and they get nothing for my parking, but I get the use of the park and I spend no money at all.
I guess if you don't agree then we'll just have to agree to disagree.