On other vaping subs, we get questions like "do they sell the juice they put in disposables" or "why don't companies make the same juice that comes in disposables", etc. After forcing myself to vape a dozen disposables (all in the name of science, of course) I think I finally figured it out.
I actually got the first hint from Vype and then confirmed it with a lab analysis of juice from a disposable vape pen. Vype (Vuse) actually adds distilled water to their juice. If you have been mixing for a long time, or read some of the old mixing literature, you would know that at one time it was common to add distilled water to thin VG.
So, the key is to mix at a 60/40 ratio and add distilled water to thin the VG. Many pod recipes call for a 50/50 ratio (or that's what some people think), but that amount of PG also adds throat hit. The key is to reduce how much PG is included, then thin the VG to maintain a lighter viscosity.
Disposables also use "smooth" nicotine salts.
I would also think that the profiles are simple (2-3 flavors) and maybe slightly higher % than what we think. I'm still working on this.
It's also common still in almost all DIY. The #1 "flavor" on ATF and close second on ELR is Super Sweet, which contains water. There are also flavors that contain water. I don't think a lab analysis would determine whether it was added as it's own ingredient or made it into the mix via a flavor/sweetener.
Seems more likely that they're using a lot of a sweetener because, like everything else in those little pods, the effect is muted and needs more to come through. Just my opinion, though.