Help!!water Caution @wdw???????

[7thdwarf/dopey]

I live in the country and we have our own well with a house filter.. my mother -in-law who lives in kissimmiee
florida says dont drink the water at the parks or resorts
same thing with universal or you will most likely get sick.....I find this hard to believe!!!! otherwise wouldnt it have been already posted here ???
IS THERE ANY AT ALL TRUTH TO THIS ???

7th dwarf:confused:

[Geubux]

We were at MK, IOA, USF, and Seaworld last week and didn't get sick. There is an odor to the water at MK, but they have had this for years. By the way, my wife get stomach cramps from well water, and the water down there has never bothered her or the two kids.

[issa]

do not..I repeat do not drink the water!!!

we had bought brita water bottles figuring they would be enough and we would be fine. NOT

Loki was terribly ill one night and one whole day..I mean like a 105 temp and cold sweats, cramps, migranes..horrible.

wensday he had a reoccurance of this

thursday.... we are home..and oh my I am soooooo sick with stomach problems, DD is complaining as well.

We only figured out on the plane ride that it was after a day of drinking from the bottles did Loki get sick, when we were in epcot tuesday he drank from the bottels..wens he was sick. I drank some water right before we left..I'm sick, DD had a little and on the plane ride was complaining about her stomach.

we firmly belive it was the water. We are used to drinking solely spring water.

[D,L and K's Mom]

If the water is "Bad" wouldnt that mean that all the pop (tonic, soda what ever you call it) be "Bad" too?? Don't they just mix the syrup with water and carbonation???? I just assumed this but I have no idea maybe they use special bottled water???? I am very curious as we have a handicapped DS who has a very sensative tummy but the thought of buying hundreds of dollars of bottled water in the park jsut kills me. We were planning on renting a fridge and keeping cold water bottles (Filled from the tap) in there.....now I am having second thoughts:(

[7thdwarf/dopey]

WOW THAT SCARED THE BACHEEBURRS OUT OF ME THANKS FOR THE INPUT . HOPE ALL OF YOU RECOVERED. I'VE READ ALOT OF POSTS ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ALL OF SUDDEN CAME DOWN WITH A HIGH FEVER AND STOMACHE CRAMPS.........:confused:

[karen1]

What about all the people using the Brita bottles that don't get sick ? i can't imagine if the water was really bad that the number of ill people would be astronomically high??!!!

[Geubux]

What a bunch of garbage! One family, I repeat, ONE family comes down with FLU like symptons, and everyone thinks its the water. HMMM, let me think. They get the flu one after another, just like the incubation period so they blame........THE WATER AT WDW! Of course. This is also the state that gives us Ted Kennedy every six years.
\ps you had the flu.

[tink2dw]

The water sucks!!!!! It is full of sulpher!!

But it depends how deep the wells are! WDW the water is worse than at Universal.

But at WDW the bottled water[Z something or other] they sell is worse than the fountain water plus it makes you thirstier!!!!

And D and Ls Mom you are right the ice is tainted too,and tastes as bad or worse than the water!!

WE SOLVED THE PROBLEM BY BUYING CANNED DRINKS AND AQUAFINA BOTTED WATER IN 24OZBOTTLES!!! Aquqfina isn't bottled in Florida like the one at WDW and Universal sells Crystal Gyser also not bottled in Florida.

If you don't have a fridge in your room,put a plastic sack in the sink,and fill the sink with cans and bottles and then fill the sink with as much ice as you can get in there and don't forget to plug the sink. The cold water helps keep them cold!! Do this at night and before you leave for the day !!
And you will have cold drinks when you want them!!

[loki]

listen to the original post he was warned about it to!!... Also while down there The driver from Tiffany also said the same thing... and he had been living there for 5+ years!! I drink nothing but bottled water ... so a high ammount of sulfer would throw my system out of whack!! and I have read other posts that state the water isn't the best... So its not just one family genius

[issa]

I have had the flu

I know what the flu is like...this was not the flu

this is constant and extreme stomach cramps....stomach literally feels like it is "quivering" inside of me, feel better after a tiny bit of soda or food then the cramps come back with a vengence. fever is there... then breaks, comes back, breaks...over and over.

this is not the flu....

again, maybe our systems are particularly sensitive because we only drink spring water and we have excellent tap water that we use for cooking.

ps . I dont appreciate your condencention in your post.
we were warned about the water here and from many people we know..hence we bought the bottles. We had a wonderful Tiffany's driver who also tried the bottles and now only drinks out of state bottled water because of how sick he becomes when he drinks the water.
we also met a wonderful couple down there who were horribly sick because of the water on thier last trip and had bought a case of bottled water ( at this point we proudly showed our brita bottles !!!!! loki was sick 2 days later )

[ceecee]

We have been five times in the last ten years and have not gotten sick. Last year we refilled our mug at the park's drinking fontains and drank A LOT of water. I really didn't notice much of a difference in the water. Maybe I'm used to bad tap water to begin with.

In Mexico I did get sick from the water. I drank bottled water too (evian). When I finially went to the Dr. at home (dehydrated) he said it can be from eating vegetables that were washed in the water....so I guess the same would hold true at wdw.

My sister-in-law lives ten miles from wdw and they do drink tap water. We have other relatives there too and have not been warned about the water before.

[CapeCod53]

Geubux, first I find your remarks about people from Massachusetts uncalled for. There are people whose systems are very sensitive & cannot handle substances that they are not familiar with. My mother travels everywhere with bottled water even to brush her teeth, even to my house from upstate NY. However we have been to Disney 6 times & have had no problems with the water, I have no probelm with water anywhere although I do notice a difference in odor & taste someplaces. I think people with food allergies and/or sensitive stomachs should use bottled water anywhere they travel. For us cast-iron stomach types the water in Orlando is not a problem.

[ABBSMOM]

I don't think the water will harm you, but it sure does have a bad smell.

[merryweather's twin]

We got this 2 years ago with the high fever 104-105 and stomach ach for 5 days apon returning and no other symtoms and after a lot of tests the Doc who is from Orlando asked if anyone in our family is allergic to sulfa drugs or gets the runs from dried fruit.. We have 3 kids who are allergic to sulfa and they ran a blood test on us and found extreemly high sulfa counts in our systems. We had went in the summer and it was hot and we drank alot of tap water ... we had made the kids drink it so they would not get sick..LOL... We now bring small bottled water and juice boxes for the parks and buy canned soda for the hotel and we still drink fountian sodas but only 1 or 2 a day and we do not get sick because we arn't getting to much in our systems. I hope this helps someone.. I think the problem is when you drink the tap all day long and have a sulfa allergy. :)

[Spoony]

I find that the water is absolutely horrible. My family goes to Publix and buys the big, cheap jugs. One year I got pretty sick from the water and have been avoiding it ever since. One day my family and I ate at the Ponderosa and you could even taste the chlorine off the lettuce in the salad. Bottled water doesn't have to be as expensive as you think, go to a grocery store and buy a big jug. Some stores even have machines so you can refill your jug for about thirty cents. If you are wondering if you can handle the water and leaning towards that you can't, I advise you not to take any risks. It's not worth running to bathroom all day because you either have to throw up or use the washroom. And as someone mentioned above, the ice and pop is also bad. My mum wanted an MGM-mug so she bought one with Diet Coke in it. The pop was terrible and we dumped most of it out into the sink. BTW, does anyone know if they would let you get popcorn in it instead of pop? We never thought of asking until we left the park.

Of course, it really all depends on the water you are used to drinking. I went to Greece one year on a tour with my school and we were told that we would not be drinking local water, we would be drinking "good" water. I guess it was considered good compared to tap water, but it taste quite similar to WDW water and again, I suffered the consequences and was sick and spent the day in bed when the non-sick people went to the Acropolis. (Yes, there were other sick people.) Sorry for rambling, but I think people should be warned.

[Ahrizel]

We've been to Disney the last 2 June's, and used water bottles the whole trip. All the water came from the hotel or the fountains at the park. We never had a problem with it, and trust me, we we're inhaling it in the heat. I never noticed a particularly bad taste or smell from it.

[pamom]

After reading this post I am really scared. We are leaving on May 21st (only 10 days!!) and I was planning on using Disney water to fill up water bottles to carry with us through the park. Now I don't know what to do. We are staying at a Disney resort and will not have a car to drive to a store to buy bottled water. Help!!! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. I certainly do not want my two DDs, DH or myself to get sick. This is our first trip since my DH and I honeymooned there 17 years ago. We survived the water back then, but I hate to take chances now with the kids. :confused:

[7thdwarf/dopey]

I originally posted this as a QUESTION !!!! and so many of the replys have actually gotten insulting and down right hostile .......first , if i can i withdraw my question i wud!....
this was an honest, bonifide , legitament question!!!!!!for those of you who took it personally , ( i dont know why , unless you hold stock or something ) you shud be ashamed of yourself........ I know it wont make a difference , but if this is the type of response one gets, when one is encouraged to "ask away" ............... well quess what ..............!:confused: :eek:

[jesdmill1]

I personally haven't gotten sick from the water. But then, I never noticed it tasted bad or made soda taste bad. I do think it could be sulfa sensitivity in some people - I don't have it, and never have a problem with water (though I won't drink the tap water here, it is terrible - worse than DW!)

When in doubt buy bottled drinks. It will cost more, but it will be worth it if you dont get sick.

[Dizzy-Disney4]

Thanks for the info guys. My DS is allergic to Sulpha, and I would hate for him to be sick on our trip. We'll have to run out and buy some bottled water for him.

[Lorix2]

I too had the same thoughts about the water, but anywhere I go really. I think you're system gets used to you're own water and when the levels of sulfur or whatever else is in the new water changes, it throws you off.

My DH has a chronic illness that leaves him with cramps/nausea daily (Crohn's disease), so I cannot leave this to chance. I am sending a package to myself with the Poland Springs water bottles we always drink here in NH. Although they just flouridated our water, with higher amounts than allowed, so I'm disgusted about that, so I buy the spring water. But - you can never tell what you're getting in there either, but so far this is the brand I like the most and tastes very good warm or cold.

I don't think anyone should panic, but consider where you 're taking the water from, public fountains are just thriving with germs, so while filling the bottles, the top touches the "fountain" where a million mouths and dirty hands have been and there you go - germ central.

Fairs that come to town are the places I worry about....they are usually on farm land where animal droppings can get into the water by runoff and where they tap in for drinking water, soda machines, etc...are not usually regulated and ecoli is present in the water, therefore making people seriously ill. I bring my own drinks for this reason, I'd rather hike them around than risk illness.

[D,L and K's Mom]

7th dwarf Dopey. Thank you for asking the question!!! I am glad you did! DS is allergic to sulpher drugs and I never would have even thought about the water until it was discussed here. I am not happy about buying all that bottled water BUT, I would much rather have him healthy and happy. It is a very small price to pay. Better safe that sorry. So even though some posts wer "nasty" some had very valuable info in them and I have made a decision to buy bottled while there. So again, thank you for posting the original message. :D

[jfulcer]

I know Issa mentioned this before, and I was one of the people that recommended it to him, but try one of the Brita Fill N Go bottles. We take them with us ALL the time at WDW and use that to fitler the water from the tap. DW hates the smell/taste of the water and won't drink it any other way.

Now, I don't know if it removes ALL the sulpha, but an email to the people at www.brita.com should answer that question. It filters it well enough that we can't really tell the difference between it and bottles of water we bought sometimes.

Please note, I do NOT know if this works for people that are sensitive to the sulpha - you might have to resort to bottled water. But for those of us who just don't like the taste, it's an option.

[SueM in MN]

The water at WDW is not provided by the same water utility as Orlando is. It is part of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. If you would like to contact the water department there, here's a link to the RCID page with that information. (http://www.state.fl.us/rcid/departments.html)
I also found their year 2000 water quality report. Click Here to for link. (http://www.state.fl.us/rcid/WaterQuality/2000WQR.html) There is no mention of sulfer and when I checked the US government site (EPA), it is not something that is required to be measured.
Bottled water is also not necessarily any safer than tap water. It depends on where they are getting their water from. Link to 1999 story from ABCNews. (http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/DailyNews/bottledwater990330.html). I couldn't find the stories, but remember reading a few years back about a taste test comparison of bottled water to some city tap water; New York City tap water won. There was also a scandal a few years ago about contaminated water (I think it was Evian) that had to be recalled. If you normally use bottled water, I would stick to the same brand. That should help.

[CapeCod53]

Just a note about Brita filters. They are a charcoal filter & work to remove some metals etc that affect the taste of water. But charcoal filters also trap certain contaniments as we discovered at our family's cottage when my mother became so sick. The filtration system on the water was charcoal based & we were told both by the state labs that tested the water for us & her doctor to get rid of the charcoal filter system. So Brita works when you don't like the taste of perfectly safe water, but not when there might be any bacteria, etc.

[Monica]

Just a note to Lorix2 I have Crohn's and have been at Disney during an extremely bad flare up in January. The water didn't not bother me at all, although it does smell bad. I did not really drink any of it (due to the smell) but having ice from it, brushing my teeth, ect didn't bother me at all. I used to live in a small city where even making ice from the water would really upset the Crohn's. My advice is to go ahead and bring your water but just be aware the first few time your husband brushes his teeth. ect.

[Sherrilatte]

While I didn't get sick during our visit, nor my family, I found the taste of any beverage not pre-packaged at WDW tasted like rubber!!!. I didn't drink anything that wasn't pre-bottled at WDW after a 2 or 3 drinks. We stayed at the Grand Cypress resort and the water did not have this rubbery taste. I just figured the machines that mixed the carbonated drinks at WDW all needed a good cleaning.

[tink2dw]

As I stated here in an earlier post It is about how deep the Wells are!! Really deep wells the water is fine, But if the well isn't that deep THEN the water is SMELLY and TASTES bad.

And with the DROUGHT in Florida the water table has dropped Drastically!! Affecting water quality! And as stated above they don't even test for SULFUR!! so it can't be stated that sulfur isn't in the water!! And what else don't they test for?? One town here found Birds nesting[and using the bathroom] in their Water Tank!! They were told to use Bottled Water till the water was ok!

While water companies do report the Quality of the water Every year or two,Do you know exactly what those counts mean????

This doesn't just affect Florida. Here in Oregon where I live,they switch between wells,and a reservoir and Each has a different taste!!! WE can tell by the taste!the very day they switch!!

For those of us who have returned recently[2001] I would heed our Cautioning Words!! WE were there during this bad Drought,and the Fires!!

WE aren't going to Make you BUY water[I know I don't own any stock in water,so it's no skin off my nose!!]

All we are doing is OFFERING A WORD OF CAUTION BASED ON OUR OWN LIMITED EXPERIENCE AND OUR GENUINE CONCERN,SO OTHER FAMILIES CAN HAVE A HEALTHY HAPPY DISNEY VACATION!!! then You decide how your Family will preceded!

[loki]

the britta water bottles made a world of difference the water had NO bad taste and NO bad smell after being filltered... maybe my stomache is sensitive to sulfer but i know it made me sick with a fever... only lasted a little over 24 hours...

Now to respond to people getting upset...well heck ya im upset!!! He belittled my situation when the thread was just opened... oh look now not just one family huh!! All im saying is be careful.. The water is not the best quality!

[nab486]

We buy Sams brand water from Wal Mart. It is filtered by reverse osmosis ( the same filtration system they use for kidney dialisys--squeezing one molecule through at a time). It is cheap and it is the same filtration system we paid a lot of money to put on our tap before we found out we could get this. Anyway, it tastes good and I am picky about water.

And 7th dwarf/ ... don't let negative posters bother you.

most people on this board are very nice and will nicely respond to any question.

Jamie:wave:

[vmkids]

I have to go with don't drink the water. We felt light headed after we draNK IT AND CRAMPS IN THE BELLY. We did sooo much better drinking gatorade. I would say take lots of it. We even had problems with fountain pop and koolaid mix, slushies ect. I will pack way more gatorade next trip.

[Buckleybunch]

I have to say I have noticed the water smelling.. and the water from the tap being BAD! We have started buying bottle water and using that even when we brush our teeth. We were at Cont, when we first notice that it tasted bad. We had froze some water in bottles and the next day at the parks we tasted it and tossed it just as quick.. I haven't noticed the bottle water that you buy at the parks to be bad or make you more thirsty that I can recall. I know a few times I had gotten water and wished I would of gotten a coke instead..

[MAKmom]

If the water comes from wells. I wonder if each resort has its own well. Last Nov we stayed at the GF. We drank the water with no problem, but it was cool out so we were not drinking alot of water. We are staying at AKL & BWI in June I will take note of the water smells. If you stay Concierge they will give you bottled water & juice boxres to take to the parks.

[DawnCt]

The water at Disney is treated and clean. It may not taste the same as your water at home because the only water that is truly tasteless is distilled water and you probably wouldn't want to drink it because it is tasteless. I personally do not like the water at Disney. It doesn't taste good to me. That doesn't mean that it is contaminated or tainted. It just means that the naturally occuring minerals and perhaps chlorine is something different from what I am used to. Florida isn't a third world country. Also, someone mentioned an allergy to "sulphur drugs". Sulphur, the element is very different from the class of drugs called "Sulfa" drugs or sulfonimides and the terms are not interchangable. If you think the water will make you sick..it probably will. If you think it won't...you will be just fine.

[Alice in Lawyerland]

This is really starting to make sense to me now. I have stomach problems and just thought that my getting sick was....well....just me getting sick again! Now that I think about it, I always got sick after drinking things with ice in it. I never drank the water, or the bottled water. I tried, but that Zephyr Hills stuff is terrible - sort of like swallowing chlorine water from the pool! So, for the past two years, I have been shipping bottled water (Poland Springs - what it means to be from Maine!) by UPS down to the hotel. We ship 2 cases and it costs us $25.00. The hotel holds it for a few days until we check in and then we just grab a bottle when we leave the room.

This wasn't because I thought the water was bad, just because I didn't like the taste of it. This year I'm going to try drinking things without ice and see what happens.

:earseek:

[tink2dw]

I really think the drought must be reasonsible for the worsening of the water!! I know when we went in '90 we drank alot from the fountains and none of us got sick.

but when we went mar.2001 my Dd and I both got sick,we were the 2 forcing water intake to advoid dehydration and we were the 2 that puked and puked!!:earseek: :earsgirl: :earsgirl:

[loki]

I drink poland springs as well funny thing is I hear its not the greatest either...but hey it tastes fine right

[akdisneyfan]

I live in Alaska, which has the best water, and while the water tastes awful at WDW it has NEVER made me or any of my family sick from drinking it. I am sure that there is no actual problem with the water causing illness or Disney would have taken care of it to avoid any kind of controversy or complaint. If you are really worried about it, go to Walmart and buy bottles of water to carry into the park with you.
Kim
DVC member since '93

[Sean23]

I go to WDW world at least twice a week and drink the water. I have never been sick from the water, I try to find a fountain that in the shade it seems to taste a little better cold. The water in Orlando does not taste that great even if I am not at WDW.

[MICOL]

Our family of 4 used the Brita filters and we were all fine never a problem and used the fountains at the parks and drinking water at AKL. I even checked with Reedy County the water supplier for Disney and they had a recent test that was very good. I checked due to my Sulfer alergy.

[The Hunt]

As the link from the water authority shows, the water is not contaminated (at least at the source). When you get sick from drinking the water in a foreign land, it is because of microorganisms in the water. Public water in the US is treated to remove these organisms, and unless there is some problem with the treatment system, you won't get this kind of illness from drinking water. (For more general info, see http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/faq/faq.html#2ndary)
However, water can have strong tastes and smells, and can have different levels of various chemicals that are not believed to have adverse health effects. It is certainly possible that some of these could make a few people sick--indeed, some people may feel sick because of the taste or smell alone.
A number of posters have stated with some certainty that the water at WDW made them sick. It's possible, but there are other possibilities too, such as food poisoning, an infectious illness (like the flu or even a bad cold), allergy, etc. Millions of people visit WDW every year, and I am confident that very few of them get sick from the water. So I'd say that unless you have some condition that makes you especially susceptible to changes in your water, don't worry about it.

[RoseNJ]

I have well water at home in NJ and I really can't stand the water anywhere else I go, including Disney. To be perfectly frank, I get constipated ( and my family does too) when we switch water. I started buying water and using that a couple of years ago and that helps a little, but not much. I too try to avoid the ice and fountain drinks as much as I can on vacation but I do that everywhere. Ever taste NYC water? It makes WDW water seem like Evian!:pinkbounc

[jaletu2000]

My! this has been a really interesting and informative post. I have really just started to drink water all the time instead of cola. The tap water here at home is great if it's cold. When we go to WDW I'm going to be sure to bring some bottled from home. I don't like the bottled at WDW - the taste is not too great. But last year we refilled from the fountains and had no problems. It's possible the lower water table makes the taste even worse. I'll certainly be thinking of this next time I pack! Thanks for the tips!

Jaletu

[georgiapeach60]

I guess we were fairly oblivious to stuff like that on our first trip. We didn't get sick and I didn't notice that the tap water tasted or smelled bad. Now, if you really want to get sick, drink the water in China!

[FBZ]

The wife was in bed sick on our last trip to WDW.
It was not until the day before we left that we figured out it was the water. She drank only bottled water the last day and she was fine. We have since bought Brita filtered bottles and hope they work. We leave in 8 days so I will let you know. Also bought the brita pitcher so we will double bang the water. :rolleyes: :bounce:

[buzz5985]

What Ted Kennedy has to do with the water at Disney?
Did I miss something? Are the Democrats being blamed for that now, too?

When we visited in March we went to Walmart and bought Bottled Water by the gallon. Waited in line for hours - couldn't believe how bad customer service is outside of Disney. I had 5 people in line ahead of me, waited 45 minutes. Can you imagine that up here? Be out of business in a minute. Can you tell I hate standing in line - outside of Disney of course. LOL

Janis

[cottontail]

What about the water they give you in the wdw restaurants and hotel restaurants, do we have to keep away from that water as well.

Deb.

[RweTHEREyet]

that if there truly was a water problem that was Disney's fault and it was causing so many people to get so terribley sick, that someone would have already filed a class action suit against Disney.

My husband was hospitalized years ago with a very severe case of food poisoning, and as a result, has a very, very sensitive stomach. in our 30+ trips to WDW, he has never had a problem with the water there. No one in our family has.

[jenbren]

We just got back and we drank the water. It does have a taste and smell of sulpher (not awful but there) and we drank bottled water when we could but in the restaurants etc. we drank what they gave us and we drank out of the fountains and no one had a problem. If you know you have a sulpha sensitivity then I would avoid it but otherwise I would say it is a matter of taste and not health. Remember that there are many other ways to get an upset stomach - rich food, dehydration, too much sun, excitement, over-exertion etc.

[summerrluvv]

This thread was actually posted before we went to Disney World, and it got me really paranoid, so we sent down a bunch of bottles of water to arrive before we got there. I must say that I was paraonoid over nothing. My hubby drank soda, ice tea, etc. and it all had ice in it and he was fine. I of course just drank the bottled water we had sent down.

I had heard so many horror stories about how the water smells, even in the hotel rooms, and how it makes people sick, but none of this happened to us. Maybe they did something about the smell in the hotel rooms, because when I brushed my teeth the water smelled and tasted fine to me, and we come from a place where we have city water, not well water. I even drank all that coke in Epcot in the sample area, and i felt fine.

[RamVA]

I am really stumped about this, and don't know whether to take my own water or not!

I have chronic stomach problems--hiatal hernia, non-ulcer dyspepsia (symptoms of an ulcer with no ulcer!)acid reflux; and IBS, which causes cramping, nausea, and diarhea--and it can be triggered by stress, fatique, certain foods, and changes in water! I am also allergic to supha drugs, but as one poster said don't know if that's the same as the mineral sulphur. However, even though I have had some occasional tummy upsets while at WDW (every year for the last 10 years) find it hard to believe it's the water, or I'd be sick all the time--and I have the most sensitive stomach of anyone I've ever met.

Also, would just like to mention, that several years ago I came down with a bad case of "giardia"; it's a bacteria found in water (usually stream/spring water, and water in 3rd world countries) but can be passed through food preparation as well. The symptoms are as has been described here--flu-like, cramps, nausea, diarhea, but it doesn't go away; and it most definitely can be found in any municipal water supply, although not common. Bottled water DOES NOT protect you from giardia or other bacterium(nor do filters). The only sure protection you have is boiling your water, which I did for several years after this, til I finally figured what were the odds of getting infected again? Who knows; maybe the water at Disney had some bacteria contamination; my doctor told me he had a friend on the water authority board and this is something that does occur.:confused:

[tink2dw]

All anyone here is saying is be cautious!! Then you are at least aware. No one Wants to be sick at WDW!! And then you decide how best to precede with your family.

If you get there and the water smells funny to you,then you can decide. If it doesn't fine. But some of us got ill from what? it's anyones guess. But there is alot of it out there!!

But you have read the Caution. and will be better prepared to cope than if no one had said anything about it.

Go Have Fun!!! and Do whats right for you! :earsgirl:

[Jane and the Pixies]

I have never gotten sick from the water at the parks. I avoid certain water fountains that have a bad taste. Others are fine. The well water here in Orlando/LVB is nasty and can make you sick, in fact we are currently having our water switched to the county line because our well has made everyone in my family sick.:rolleyes:

[Dr. Cocktail]

Drink plenty of sissy foo foo drinks at the hotel bar!!!!

[idontknow]

I haven't read all of the posts, yet, but I'm jumping up and down screaming "I'm not nuts!"

so sorry to hear about those of you that have gotten sick. I get sick, like everyone else with stomach problems, when ever I drink lots of Florida water. I have chalked it up to clorine poisoning. My dog went thru the same thing I did when he went swimming in the neighbors pool. He swallowed a lot of water and he was horribly sick. (vet said it would pass and give him fresh water and watch him for dehydration) I have been sick twice at WDW until I figured out it was the water! I've bought bottled water at the 7/11 since this has happened, and I've not gotten sick.

I used to live in Cocoa Beach, so there must be a difference in the clorine levels.

[tink2dw]

or the sulfer? and chorine!!!!! :bounce: :smooth: :bounce: :smooth: :bounce: :smooth:

[cottontail]

Hello:

I know nothing about wdw water but, last year here in Ontario Canada, in Walkerton about 8 people died from their town drinking water.
We had had an unusual amount of rain in may and this is in a rural area, I guess some of the manure from the farm animals got into the ground and into one of the wells that the town drew their water from. It was very sad for these families and townspeople, something simple as getting a drink of water killed all those people.


The government has spent a year trying to get rid of the ecoli that was apparentenly in the pipes as well. It was the largest number of people in Canada that have died from drinking water here ever. Just thought I would share this information. But again it was ecoli that was in the water.


Deb.

[tink2dw]

:Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc up for new look.

[starwood]

Just my 2 cents. I have been to WDW more times than I can count and have NEVER had a problem with the water. It seems to me if the water was bad everyone would be getting sick. The symptoms described sound more like some kind of stomach virus than bad water. Water taste is purely a matter of opinion. I personally can't stand the water in NY.

[Steffi]

I drink from the water fountains at WDW, and have never gotten the least bit ill from it. The same goes for my husband & DD7, and my daughter has a very sensitive stomach. I guess it just affects different people differently. The best way to set your mind at ease, I'd say, would be to just bring plenty of pre-bottled water.

I live in Tampa & they've recently changed switched from using plain chlorine for cleaning the water to, I believe, a chlorine-ammonia mixture. My whole family is completely unable to tolerate the tap water around here anymore. I don't know if they've switched in the Disney area as well, but if so, I can imagine that it may have something to do with the stomach ailments.

I will say, though, that my daughter HAS fallen ill with stomach ailments after our every visit to Busch Gardens. I don't know why, but I think it might have something to do with the water in the children's play area.

[jaletu2000]

Well,
I know this we are definitely taking bottled water with us in May. We will stock up in Walmart and cart that plus alot of other goodies with us when we drive down. Think it might be prudent for anyone who even thinks they might be made sick by WD water to do the same. Water at Walmart is pretty cheap and you can always send it ahead (UPS) if you are flying. Better safe than sorry!

[KJMAX1]

I too have gotten sick from the water. We live in Seattle and are not used to the harsh chemicals needed to clean the water there. The smell from teh water is enough to make you sick in the first place, imagine that going into your system. After buying bottled water and sticking with that for the rest of my trip I felt fine. The same thing happens to me when we holiday in Los Angeles.

BTW, we just shipped water on the same flight we took in a box with bubble wrap around the inside of the box. As long as it weighs less than what they say the limit is, there is no problem with this. Ours never broke either.

[ckr]

in an extra suitcase. We do that and then have no problems bringing home the 'extra' stuff we've picked up while on vacation. Or use the extra suitcase for your dirty laundry and put your souveneirs in with the leftover clean clothes.

[Mogs30]

Our trip coming up in Feb will be our 1st one and man--you people are scaring the heck out of me. I have read on other boards about the bad water and my family-myself included DO have very sensative stomachs. I do bring bottled water along wherever I go to brush my teeth too. I also take Immodium on a daily basis so I am NOT running to bathroom every hour. I have already planned on picking up bottled water from here--minnesota and bringing it along, but now people are saying to NOT do ice-cubes either??? That was how I was going to keep my water cold-by getting glasses with ice in them and filling up from bottled water. I hope it is cooler when we go so we don't have to worry about drinking so much water, now the pop will be bad also, I love pop and was going to get re-fill mugs, which I still will. How bad is the Pop????? an ounce of prevention can go a long, long way.

[KJMAX1]

The ice wont hurt you. Remember, this IS the United States of America, and we have treated water. The reason the water affects myself and family is because we are from Seattle and we are not used to so much sulfur or minerals in our drinking water. I drank the ice cubes just fine and didn't get sick. The only time I got sick was when I actually drank the tap water straight and believe me, if you arent used to hard water, it is REALLY hard to choke it down!. Just ask for little ice, and start out small, then work up to full cups of ice.

[figgy4me]

My husband and I have been going for over 16 yrs. and neither of us has gotten sick from the water -- much less the ice... We have also taken one adult and two children ,(all in different years), and they did not get sick.

The water from those fountains is mighty refreshing when you are hot and tired....

[Joyfulsnuff]

We have never had a problem and refilled our bottles at the fountains in the parks. Maybe we were lucky, but now I'm wondering about the ice we put in our refillable mugs at the resort. Does anyone have any thoughts about the ice? We are bringing our own bottled water this time.

[tink2dw]

ice down the bottles over night so they are cold when you leave the room. or use a plug in cooler in your room to keep things frosty.
we buy coke and rootbeer in cans.so we have our own soda.

[ebutte]

Thank you we are comming down withour whole family in May and our DD whos 21 has Lupus and gets stomach and cramps as it is. We will for sure be stopping and buying her H2O. I just want to know in all the times we have been there my DH and younger DD we have NEVER had a good cup of coffee now i know why.:) So how can i get one?
Lisa

[maepartner]

I bring my own dunkin donuts coffee,,,,ahhhh. Need my jumpstart in the a.m. and usually, as you say. its hard to find a good cuppa. I also bring those big 2 something gallon containers with a spout....use it for the coffee as well. I fill my water jug with "iced coffee" and freeze it for when I go to the parks, that way I have nice cold iced coffee that you just cant find in DW. Thats what amazed me about FL when I moved here.....everyone drinks iced tea, but hard to get iced coffee. The usual response when I ask for iced coffee anywhere is "sorry, but I can put ice cubes in a cup of hot coffee if you like" Doh,,,,,no thanks,,,,I like a little coffee with my water and cream. Mae :Pinkbounc :jester: :bounce:

[GlennandAnn]

I never have to worry about this problem, b\c when I go to WDW all I drink is BEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

[Kitten516]

I live in Tampa, and have a very high sensitivity to something in all water except distilled. It runs in my family. what we do is take gallon jugs of Distilled water, and fill up our bottles with them, and then at the end of the day when we get back to the hotel we drink a great deal of water, since I had to drink sodas and teas during the day. The sodas and teas do not seem to bother me, but plain water messes me up badly. If you are highly sensitive then be careful, and if you are used to a certain brand of water try to stick to it. Orlando water is not bad for tap water if you can drink it.

[madcoco]

Here is a drinking water report from last year which covers WDW.
http://www.state.fl.us/rcid/2001%20Water%20Quality%20Reportrev3.pdf
Might not help much, just got interested and started searching.

[DVC-LEROY]

The last couple of trips to WDW my stomach bothered me - I assumed it was from over indulging but it sort of makes sense since I did drink water, coffee, ice tea etc at the restaurants for dinner and never thought twice about it not being bottled. We always bring bottled water - but I never thought about the times I was drinking rot water. Not that our water here is much better - I think I'll always have my little bottle of Poland Springs with me and see if it makes a difference.

[BedKnobbery2]

Just throwing another possibility out there for people who've gotten sick at WDW, and think it was the water....

Please remember that you are in a place where there are thousands and thousands and thousands of other people. And many of those people are touching the surfaces you are touching. Diarrhea is one of the MOST contagious diseases out there, and the germs that cause it can live for a long time on surfaces......so it is entirely likely that what made you ill is not the water, but perhaps the water fountain, or the salad you ate, or the fact that you pulled down a pull-down bar on a ride and then ate some chips or something similar.

As someone else pointed out, it is pretty darn unlikely there are health issues with the water at WDW. They'd have a class action law-suit slapped on them so quickly, it would make their heads spin!! Also, if the water was truly contaminated, then there would be hoards of people sick simultaneously, not just one or two here and there.

Your best protection against these classic symptoms of diarrhea is to WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN, or use an antibacterial gel often. And remember not to touch your mouth or anything going into your mouth before cleaning your hands--this includes utensils, straws, etc. Even then, it isn't a sure thing....but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as they say. :)

Don't mean to gross anyone out, but just wanted people to be aware of what is that is probably the cause of their ills.

BK

[IowaGirl]

We took a lot of empty 20 oz drinking bottles with us, with wide mouths, like Gatorade, powerade, nestea 20 oz and filled them with ice each morning from the ice machine. I bought two little cooler bags at the Goodwill like the kind they give you at the hospital to put baby bottles in, and carried our ice bottles in those. Even in the great heat in early May, we still had ice in these bottles in the afternoon. We carried these little bags on our stoller, and we each took a bottle in our packs.

I had a friend who went in April and spent 40 to 50 dollars a day on bottled water at the parks, and I was determined that money was going to buy me some mouse-ears instead!

We just left the bottles at our hotel, instead of bringing them back.
Our water from our hotel was a little funky smelling, but the water that melted from the ice did not have the same smell or taste.

[LucyStorm]

I am allergic to the sulfa drugs and have never had a problem with the water at WDW.

[alleluia5]

Please be assured that those of us who live out here "drink the water" and are just fine. While it may be different than the water you are use to, Disney takes care of their guest and cast and would never allow anything to endanger them.

[trayletha]

And now there is a possible terrorist threat against the water in Orlando.

Most travel guides say that "new" water can upset your system, particularly if you’re sensitive. So we will be picking up water on our grocery stop, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Does anyone know what bottled waters are available in Orlando? We'll be doing the towncar bit with Tiffany's, and we don't have either of those stores in Virginia.

Thank You!

[vacationwoman]

I think tap water in different cities or different brands of bottled water affects everyone in various ways.
In Philly our water has high chorline content that doesn't bother me, but it does other people.
Two of my sons live in NJ, one area I can't stand the tap water but the other area is fine.
We go to WDW every year and never has the tap water or bottled water bothered anyone in our family.
It just depends on the individual.

[Wish Upon A Star]

We drink the water when at WDW and its fine . . .we have never experienced any ill affects from it. My DS says it tastes like "banana water". :p

[bwvmary]

I have always heard that "distilled" water is what you want to buy if you are worried about what might be in bottled water. Not sure what the regulations are, but I guess that the distilling process will remove all the "bad stuff" that might still be in "spring" water. I've never had problems at WDW, and we drink a mix of bottled and tap water. Better safe than sorry, if you have a sensitive system.

[GeoffM24]

This thread has been very entertaining. Lets try to sort out some of the BS though.

1) Yes Florida water smells bad, you can even smell it in things like fountain Cokes etc.

2) Just because it doesn't smell wonderful doesn't mean it will make you sick.

3) Quite a few brands or bottled water are NOTHING MORE then charcoal filtered municipal water or PLAIN OLD municipal water (psychological benefits only), read the labels.

4) If it is so hot that you are drinking large amounts of water you could EASILY be suffering from dehydration, heat stroke or food poisoning, lets not forget mayo + sunlight equals upset tummy.

5) If it were THAT BAD Disney would do something about it and EVERYBODY would be sick.

6) The water is why the pizza tastes so bad :)

[tink2dw]

AquaFina is NOT bottled in Florida and contains 0 anything but water.

We were bothered by the water at WDW. But Aquafina from Walmart in Kissimme got us on the right track!!

[Conure]

As far as I know, the water won't hurt. I've been to Poland once, and Disney World six times, and believe me, the water in Poland will make you sick. Disney's will not. Any cramps are probably heat related, or travel sickness.

[Buz]

I just have to chime in here. My family and I have not gotten sick from WDW water, but we do not like the taste. We got the Brita fill and go bottles for our trip last year and fixed that problem.

That said......

We all spend a lot of $ to go to WDW to have a good time, not worry and God forbid, get sick. I am not a doctor, but my suggestions would inlcude:

1 - If you don't like the taste, use a brita or bottled water.
2 - If you think you will have a problem, bring, ship or buy water.
3 - Minimize the amount of caffeine you drink. It dehydrates you which will not help in the Florida heat.
4 - Practice 'Texas walking', stick to the shade!
5 - Take breaks in the airconditioning, see a show during the heat of the day.
6- Wash your hands often.
7- Ask your Dr for Cipro in case you get a bug from the water or off of a surface.
8- As the Boy Scouts say, "Drink lots and lots of water!"

I personally like GlennandAnn's suggestion, lots of beer!

Harold
:)

[cottontail]

Hi: Great tips. I took an antibiobic with me, as I am from Canada and didn't know how hard it would be to get a prescription, drank lots of water. Anyways I did not need the antibiotic, neither did my daughter, so we were healthy the whole time, except for her regular migraines.

Deb.

[TinkerbellRules]

We have always brought in a bottle filled with water and refilled it at the parks. No problem for us and we've been 5x. Maybe someone was sick, probably a child, and put their mouth on the faucet. Gross, I know, but it does happen. I also order water in the restaurants. One of our local restaurants has horribly tasting water. They don't know why, but have had it tested. Weird.

[GeoffM24]

Well,
I thought I would post a little follow up to this. After speaking out so vocally on this topic in defense of WDW and their water I wanted to let you guys know how sick I got last July.

I NEVER get sick and on the third day of our trip I got the worst food poison/sickness I have EVER had. I couldn't leave the room. Was it the water? I don't know. All I know is that I was in very rough shape.

[luvflorida]

The water in the Orlando area, (not just WDW), definitely has a different taste to it, different than what we're used to anyway. In fact, it has become something of a running joke with our family. We forget what the water taste like until we take our first sip of it, usually in a fountain soda, and we just nod our heads and say, "Yep, we're in Orlando now!" Our last trip was at the end of January and we stopped at a Wendy's restaurant on the way to our hotel and we all had sodas with our meals and we all had that "Ahhh! Yes!" Florida water moment. Nobody in our family has gotten sick from the water, but we all agree that it has a rather 'funky' taste and it definitely changes the taste of fountain soda. We prefer to buy canned soda when visiting Orlando.

By the way, I know I said we joke about the water, but I'm sure it's no joke to anyone who gets sick from it. Please don't send any mean posts my way! And of course, I'd rather spend January in Florida drinking a strange tasting Cola than spending January in Maine drinking a familiar tasting Cola!

:p

[dianna112198]

I went down to Disney Wold last August and I got EXTREMELY sick from drinking the water. How do I know it was the water? Well, first of all, I shared a room with my best friend. We ate the same food, spent the same amount of time outside (ruled out heat stroke)...we did everything the same.....Only difference...I ordered water everytime we went out to eat, he ordered soda. Plus, my father is a DR and I explained to him what happened to me and he said it had to be from something that I ate or drank. It was horrible. I have never been so sick in my life. I had the thermostat turned down to 60 degrees in my room and I was still sweating due to my high fever! Yuk! what a horrible memory of Disney World....but I would do it again in a heartbeat....6 wonderful days in Disney World for one day of being really really really sick. I'll risk it again!::D

[starwood]

It sounds like everybody had the same disease that was going around on the cruise ships this fall. Maybe it wasn't the water at all but a virus.

[Chloesmom]

Something else to think about...I never drink or let my DD drink from a fountain. This includes filling cups or bottles. I have seen people put their lips straight on the whole water faucet deal and ...yuck. Lord only knows what kinds of funky germs are being brought to disney from all of the travelers. Think about a single drinking fountain being used by hundreds ( maybe thousands) of people on any given day. YUCK!

[Pienut]

I'm not too sure about the water but here is my experience. I went with my family the youngest being 3. It was hot and we all drank alot and we all had some stomach complaint not major and not enough to really tell everyone but after a day I noticed my daughters poop turned green...like bright weird green. Well I went out and mentioned it to everyone in a hah isn't this funny and well her older brothers had had the same problem for a few days but didnt' mention it! So out came the bottled water and the green went bye bye. Now it definately could have been something we all were eating too...but enough was enough. I think it tastes funny. I don't think it will kill you it probably just has to do with what you are used to but if you come from well water you should probably skip it.

[deirdrefitch]

My family has gone to Disney for the past five summers, and are headed that way again in June. We buy bottled water to carry with us to the Parks. This is only to keep everyone hydrated, and because the Pediatrican told me years ago that all the cold drinks could poss cause a kidney infection if you are not used to ingesting this amount of caffeine. When our water bottles become empty, we refill our water bottles from the fountains at Disney and Universal. We replace these bottles daily. We have never had stomach problems on any of these trips. The water did have a funny odor a couple of years ago, and a native floridian advised us it was due to the drought and low water levels.

[crazymomof4]

This thread is making me nervous! I've got an upset stomach just thinking of one (or more) of my kids getting sick on our trip.
I've always read that to save $$ carry water bottles and refill them at WDW fountains. I would imagine a lot of people do this and don't get sick. We had planned on doing this.
Something I thought of has already been mentioned: food poisoning. When in WDW most persons are eating in restaurants much more than they would in a whole year at home. Everytime you eat in a restaurant you are taking a chance. Sad to say, many foodservice workers are not as aware of food handling safety as they should be. I'm sure Disney is no exception here. Esp. during busy times restuarant employees may leave food at room temp for extended periods or use a knife on raw meat and then cut lettuce for a salad. Inspectors can put up a dozen posters in a restaurant kitchen, but when rushing, workers cut corners.
BTW- The Sulfer in the water is not a microorganism, ie: virus or bacteria. If you had a fever it was caused by one of those two, not Sulfer. (I learned this when I got sick drinking lake water in Canada.)

[Hawk]

This post is making me sick!!!!!!!!!!

[Norrisca1235]

I'm not a water scientist, but I think since I'm used to drinking my own tap water at home, I will bring a few liter bottles of my own tap water for brushing my teeth and for my daughter who only drinks water or juice. That way I'm sure of what were drinking.......and there won't be any problems.

[blackshirt]

The water in Orlando is different than what we are used to and it does have an unpleasant odor. We always freeze bottled water before our trips. These act like ice cubes in the cooler and as they are used more space develops in the cooler. On an unrelated note, the water at Universal and Disney is pathetic. The water is usually warm and smells bad. The water pressure of the fountains is usually weak. Call me cynical but something tells me this might be a ploy to raise the sale of beverages within the parks. BTW the water at Wet and Wild is wonderful. Its cold and tastes pretty good(can't comment on Seaworld). Go figure, the ONE park that has decent water is probably the one that needs it the least. Just an amazing coincidence I guess!

[rachael95]

My sister lives in WinterPark, very close to Disney. She said her neighbor had gotten so tired of her water tasting bad, she decided to have it and her pool water tested. Guess which one had less cholrine. The pool had 1/2 the amount of chlorine in it than the straight tap water.

When we go, we're bringing bottled water that we bought from Sam's in a 24 pack case.

My sis also says Florida is supposed to run out of drinkable water soon because of too many people living there. One reason they're getting so many sink holes is because they've drained so much of the wetlands to support new residents.

[mcnuss]

The symptoms described sound exactly like the Norwalk virus. I was on one of the affected cruises, and these are exactly the symptoms that the ship's doctors told us about.

I do not want to offend anyone who became ill on a vacation, but if there is so much bacteria in the water to cause such high fevers & the other symptoms, then Disney would have a public health crisis on its hands. It is far more likely that people who got sick picked up a germ from a ride, a railing, a counter, a doorknob -- you name it, than from the water.

Furthermore, the Brita filter does not remove sulphur, or bacteria or germs in any way. From their web site "Fact is, the quality of U.S. tap water is quite good. However, BRITA Pitcher and Faucet Mount Filtration Systems can improve taste by reducing chlorine (taste and odor) and may help avoid health risks by reducing 98% of lead that may be in your tap water. The innovative BRITA systems also reduce bad tastes, sediment and odor." www. brita.com In other words, it does nothing to make the water safer.

Having said all this, the water in the parks is icky. Florida water is sulphuric, then they process it and treat it with chlorine which makes it clean but really icky tasting. If you have a sensitive tummy, then you may get diarrhea from it, or it may make you queasy. I really do not think you are going to get a 105 fever! (Those of you who got sick in Mexico or anyplace where the water is untreated, then your sickness is likely due to germs.)

[strawberryblonde]

When DS was 2 we went to WDW in March. He got the runs from drinking the tap water. No fever, just crampy tummy and runs, runs, runs. When we went back in Dec. 2002 (DS was 5) we took cases of bottled water and didn't let him have a sip of tap water, no problems. Same thing in March 2003, no tap water, no problems. We just went for a couple of days this last week to show the MIL around, and DS had some tap water at dinner. Sure enough, he got the runs and crampy tummy. His sister, who is 3, also had some tap water at dinner, and no problems. We were very careful to take our bottled water into the restaurants with us for him for the rest of the trip and he "cleared" up. I believe he is sensitive to the water. Have no idea why but I won't be taking any chances in the future.

[CK1]

I have 3 kids and 1 dh, and a whole mess of family I'll call the "others"! Now, Son #2, dh, a niece (an "other") are incredibly predisposed to stomach-flus (i.e., they get them more than anyone else, and usually 10 times worse... dh usually gets hospitalized). Amonst the others, several are Florida residents... my fam of 5 is from W.V., none of us ever having lived in Florida.

Our 1st family trip to Disney -- Dh, son#2 and niece get really ill on Day #5; everyone EXCEPT the Florida natives gets mildly ill on day 5 or 6.

Second family trip: Only at Disney 4 days, but on the road back home on day 5, dh and son #2 very ill, son #1 and me mildly ill, niece who has never lived in Florida is ill, but her family (who lived in Florida for about 12 years before moving and then having her) remains seemingly o.k.

3rd trip: We try to get smart. Only bottled water, canned or bottled soda, etc. It's January and cool, so it's pretty easy to manage. We escape illness-free on day 5, and get home still well -- Yahoo!

4th trip: A big 10 day vacation, so we were extra cautious, or so we thought. Bottled water all the way. But this was August, we had 3 kids now, and just as I was rejoicing on day 5 that we had made it... son # 2 gets really ill. We had all eaten the same foods that day, had same bottled water, etc. And it was the same stinkin' symptoms as always. He admitted a truth, however, at 2 am as I sat with him in the bathroom... water fountains he drank from, and a snowcone his dad got him. Ooops.

It may be like carrying a rabbit's foot, or similar superstition, to believe in the bottled water. Certainly we know all big public places are crawling with germs, travel wears your body's resistance down, and stomach flus aren't out of possibility. But why aren't we all also getting colds, or strep, or pinkeye, or similarly contagious infections? And why aren't our Floridian friends affected?

It sure seems like more than just coincidence. Tell ya what, next time I'm at Disney, I'll bring back a bottle or two of their infamous water and drink it daily for 5 days, just to see what happens. I'm not usually one to get stomach flus, even if my whole family gets them. If I get problems after drinking it, then we'll know for sure, and without wasting a vacation! (What can I say, I'm a science geek, willing to donate my gastrointestinal tract for data....)

CIndy :cool:

[jaletu2000]

Cindy,
That is a great idea and I, for one, really appreciate your "scientific" spirit. That should set the record straight as far as the water question is concerned. Keep us posted on your results;)

We are going in June and there's no way I'm trying the water! Will be taking bottled water.

[mitros]

:eek: I would also suggest not under ANY circumstances should you drink out of any of the fountains. My wife has an extremely sensitive stomach and as long as she doesn't drink out of any of the fountains. , she is fine. There are a LOT of germs floating around theme parks because of a lot of people from a lot of places. I am not even going into detail about something I observe each time we are at WDW because it is so gross, but suffice it to say, keep your hands OFF of hand rails, and if you accidentally do touch a railing keep your hands away from your face until you can wash your hands. Just a word of warning:eek: :eek:

[DaveH]

The only thing I would like to add is that I use Brita filters to get rid of the taste and odor. It does work for that. Make sure you have an idea how much water you put through your filter to know when to change it. Another way is the water starts tasting bad anyway.

[Whosemom]

finally a reason to be glad my water is sulfery!! I'll be ok at Disney World.

Seriously, my kids always get sick after a trip to any amusement park. I blame it on their little faces being level with the hand rails. And grossly enough - how many times a day do I say "get your mouth off there - EWWWWW"

Micki:crazy:

[Hollie in NH]

Just got back from Disney on Sunday. I read this post before I left and thought how bad could the water be? It tastes AWFUL!! I am not picky about my drinking water- I drink tap water all the time. Not in Florida I don't. Stop at a store on the way down and buy a case of bottled water or pay the $2.50 at the parks. That water is yucky, yucky, yucky!! :(

[MelissaS]

My 8yo dd is allergic to sulpha drugs..........definitely will purchase water this year....:rolleyes:

[beattyfamily]

The water at WDW is disgusting!!! I'll NEVER drink it again. This past October I was thirsty in Toontown by the train station and tried the fountain water and had to spit it out!

Both my DDs and myself got sick during this trip with throwing up and the runs but I don't blame the water. I blame it on not washing hands enough and there's lots of sick people and germs there. I believe we all got that virus that was on on the cruise ships actually.

My younger DD has gotten sick on all three of her WDW vacations. We just expect it now and we don't blame the water.

[casidy]

I was at disney last may and there were days when the temp was well over 95 and at 3.50$ each bottle of water I just got used to refilling it at the water fountain. nither me nor my husband go tsick from the water. yes the water does taste funny but it does not make you sick.
don't you think that if the water really was bad for you that disney would say something I mean think about it if everyone got sick that would mean a lot of people staying home and not comming to the parks because they would be too sick. I don't think disney would let all the millions of people that visit there every year get sick from bad water.
so if you have a sensitive stomac maybe you will want to buy bottled water but honestly I think the water may taste bad but I don't think it dangerous.

[gonga]

Everyone's systems is different and many people are sensitive for one reason or another. I personally do not drink tap water even in my own home - I have bottled water delivered. I think after years of drinking only spring water, as many do, then drinking Florida water would make someone very sick. The great and beautiful state of Florida is famous for many things, their tap water is not one of them. I would NEVER drink it. I am one of those sensitive people. I have had food poisoning 3X, and an intestinal parasite. The absolute worst - I don't know where it came from, and the dr. asked me if I had been to Africa recently, because after testing that was the only place I could have gotten such a thing. The scary thing is - I had not been anywhere. So you never know, if you are sensitive, when travelling keep your food as pure and simple as possible. Do not eat anything raw or undercooked and never drink the water. Just a few things to keep your trip healthy and happy.

[LBCmd]

We went to disney last year. First my 1 year old got very sick throwing up high fever a day later my 3 year old we flew home early because we were worried. I got it the day we got home and my husband the day after. We drank a huge amount of water at the parks. Especially the kids. I believe it was the water because all of their symptoms match those listed here. At the time we didnt know what it was. Now after reading all thes posts i believe it was the water. So I bought a brita bottle for our trip next week. However on the back of the box it says it only filter the water for taste and asethetics it does not filter out the water for bacteria etc... It is on the back down near the bottom of the box. Now I am worried that it wont filter out what made us sick last time. I think some peoples bodies are just more used to the water where they live and this other type of water can have something in it that affects people and makes them sick. We have lived in dallas and houston and use osmosis filters for all the water we drink at home. I guess I will just have to stock on bottled water from the grocery store.

[kessieann]

Well after reading this post and weighing our options we will be getting bottled water when we get to FL. (Just our personal choice here) My question is for those of you who are using bottled water. How are you schleping it around? Obviously one bottle each is not enough for the day so do you put it in a vehicle and go out to get more? Do you get a locker? What is the most convenient way with bottled water to stay hydrated?

[Minniespal]

Thanks for the info!!!

[jaletu2000]

kessieann,
By all means, rent a locker at the parks. Take some extra bottles with you and put them in there. Not everyone will agree - some prefer to carry it around in a soft sided cooler or backpack but I say use the locker. Those lockers save my aching back and arms.

Quick question: those of you who became sick while at the parks, did you drink from the fountains? Or did you drink from cups served at the counter restaurants? I'm just curious because if you used a fountain - then there is your culprit. Germs are easily spread at fountains. But if you had a cup of water or got sick from soft drinks (ice) served to you then ??? Can't imagine why.

Personally I'm bringing my own water.

[GeoffM24]

Originally posted by jaletu2000
kessieann,
By all means, rent a locker at the parks. Take some extra bottles with you and put them in there. Not everyone will agree - some prefer to carry it around in a soft sided cooler or backpack but I say use the locker. Those lockers save my aching back and arms.

Quick question: those of you who became sick while at the parks, did you drink from the fountains? Or did you drink from cups served at the counter restaurants? I'm just curious because if you used a fountain - then there is your culprit. Germs are easily spread at fountains. But if you had a cup of water or got sick from soft drinks (ice) served to you then ??? Can't imagine why.

Personally I'm bringing my own water.

I have no idea how I got sick. My wife ate and drank the same things as me and she was fine. I don't think I have EVER been more sick.

[LBCmd]

yeah we are going to bring our own this time. We have a stroller with basket to carry it around in. About the fountains I am kind of a fanatic about not putting my mouth or anything else on a fountain. So I filled up our water bottles making sure no part of the bottle touched the metal of the fountain. On another thread it talks about the problem being the sulfur in the water. some people dont realize they have an allergy or problem with sulfates especially if you dont get them normally in large doses. The other thread was saying drinking so much of the water at the park that has sulfur in it is what makes people so sick. sulfur poisoining almost. I think that is why some people get it and others dont. Im not taking any chances this time.

[Muffy]

FL water taste nasty (sulpher). I can't drip a drop of it. We always buy bottled water.

[AliciaS]

We have never gotten sick off Disney water but perhaps that is because it tastes so disgusting we can't drink it. And yes, the sodas also taste awful because they are made from syrup and water! The only soda I could sort of sip a tiny bit of was Sprite or 7UP because they hid the taste a little. Even that was not all enjoyable. We just got it in our head that we would be spending money on bottled water. Last time we went it was 95 degrees and they gave it away!

The one water fountain we found that tasted perfectly fine was on the platform at the transportation center! My theory is that since it is high, perhaps the minerals don't make it up there. I know that's probably ridiculous, but my husband agreed that that was the only fountain we could drink from.

[maciec]

I was there last week and the water tasted fine to me. I didn't get sick and I am also 5 months pregnant. I just wish that it was a little coler.

I think it is all based on the water you are use to at home. This water wasa whole lot better than the city water we have at work and that is in a major resort town.

[shay425]

My daughter, son-in-law, grandsons 1 yr and 4 yr and I just came back from DW. We drank the water the whole time while in the parks, especially the 1 yr old and didn't get sick.

[BCVOwner2002]

While the water may taste and smell funny I don't think that's what is making people sick. Several years ago DS was sick for Thanksgiving and the following day with a stomach bug. I would recommend people buy bottled water or bring some from home but the most important piece of advice I can give it to make sure you wash your hands often!!! Last year we brought hand disinfectant with us. Think of how many people touch the hand rails, rides, etc. If you are not washing your hands enough you could make yourself very sick!!! Yuck! Annmarie

[twinmomplus2]

FYI this is the infamous Norwalk Virus, that was on the cruise ships. You are getting it by touching somthing, someone infected has touched, Not From WDW's water supply. It is a virus, Which explains the high fever, It runs the gammut the same as a traditional flu. Some people have milder cases than others, Some get floored by it. The hallmark of this is the intense stomach cramps. Like labor or kidney stones, I swear I have had all 3. Case in point. Three of my kids had this on our last trip in May. Baby number 1, 104.5 fever times 3 days, horrible stomach pain, continual vomiting and the runs. 2 ER trips. CHILd number 2, the day we arrived home. Vomited 1 night, 102.5 fever times 2 days. Cramps and the runs. By the time it made it to child 3. he was the luckiest. ! sick day, slight fever, no potty problems. The exact same virus, and 3 differant experiences. It is A virus. Bad water does not give you a fever.

[DOCLINGER]

Our family took dry gatorade mix in some baggies and added it as needed. It didn't completely kill the sulphur but it made it bearable. My inlaws use well water, one has gastric reflux...never complained. We use city water, no complaints.
Our thought was a day in the parks in July...probably could use some Gatorade anyway.

[7thdwarf/dopey]

When i started this thread 2 years ago the warning was given to me by my MIL (lives in kissimmee) because the well's there were getting very low. The state had been in a state of severe drought for a very long time. Since then i think they have been recovering steadily. We did bring a few cases of water with us. We stayed at the WL and when brushing teeth and showering the sulphur water was obvious but tolerable.
A tip we learned from all the posts here before we left was to bring the pump hand wash that killed bacteria. Now, they have chlorox wipes, i've heard. It makes sense.....100's of 1000's of people...germs ..germs..germs.....an ounce of prevention is worth..........jeez i forgot, whats it worth these days??

I love you guys,... germs and all ....but you still cant have my last "BUD Lite".

hey tink.....

[Hoosier_Girl05]

we went to all of the DW parks, and to universal, and drank out of every water fountian we seen. We constantly filled our water bottles up with it. It didn't even taste bad! It was really nice when there was water fountians in line at universal! It helped a lot. Don't believe any of that bull crap about the water being "unsafe"

[Geoff_M]

Amazing thread.... Simply amazing.

My family is from the Mid-west has been to WDW four times in the past four years with no problem what so ever. We'll drink the water down there again next time too. Part of me wonders if the craze of drinking bottled filtered/distilled water has made people more sensitive to municipal water. Sorta like they're now "bottled water dependent". For the people that claim that the sulphur is the problem, I wonder if they have the same reaction when they eat broccoli, cauliflower, or other foods that naturally contain sulphur. I gotta believe there's a lot more sulphur in those foods than you absorb when you brush your teeth and take a few swallows of water from a fountain.

[7thdwarf/dopey]

speaking for me only!!!!!! sulphur doesnt affect my body adversely. however the smell is unappealing to me, wether its the shower or in my mouth when brushing. 2 years ago when this thread was started it was at the height of floridas water drought. anyone with some "well" savy knows when wells get low, bacteria levels rise. which could have been the problem 2 YEARS AGO! some old timers have told me they would open their well cap and pour chlorine bleach into their well when these unfortunate times happen.
there is no more drought..........so take this post for what it WAS worth.....and for those that have sensitive systems still.

[mitros]

:( "bull crap" may be a little harsh. While there may not be a whole lot wrong with the water itself , drinking out of every fountain could, although in your case, luckily, did not, cause you any problems. You have got to remember, that{and I am not a germaphobic}that a lot of mouths and hands wind up touching those fountain heads which can and do spread germs and illness. Consider yourself lucky so far. :(

[Geoff_M]

You have got to remember, that{and I am not a germaphobic}that a lot of mouths and hands wind up touching those fountain heads which can and do spread germs and illness. Consider yourself lucky so far.If water fountains posed as great a health hazard as you imply, I can assure you that public health codes would not allow their existence. My guess is slightly more people have gotten sick from human-to-human transmission via a water fountain that people that have gotten STD's from toilet seats. If you want to trick bottled water... more power to you, but don't tell someone that are "lucky" to not get sick after using a water fountain.

[mitros]

You sound like an angry person. I just don't think it's necessary to call someone else'a thoughts "bull crap". Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, aren't they?

[Hoosier_Girl05]

Originally posted by mitros
You sound like an angry person. I just don't think it's necessary to call someone else'a thoughts "bull crap". Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, aren't they?

the fact that the water its self is bull crap... the water is not unsafe.... the FOUNTIANS may be unsafe because yes lots of people do touch it, and if you drink only bottled water then it maybe rough on your system since your body has been only given purified water. thats what i was stating.... sorry if i offended you

[cook4you]

I was sick after three days of drinking the water at wdw. I also used the Britta bottles and water from the faucett, My husband drank sodas with ice and he was sick also but not as severe as me, kids not at all sick but they drank soda from the can with no ice. I also have had the flu and this was not the flu. I had no fever, but I had the worse of stomach cramps and could not leave the bathroom on the third day of my sickness. I know it was the water. So be aware and take care to drink the bottled water not bottled in Florida.

[mitros]

;) That's OK! :D

[ilovefh]

I tend to believe that you would ave to be severely allergic to sulpher in order to be affected....and blame it on allergies. I am allergic to sulpha drugs, I get VERY bad hives, but I have never had a problem with the water. There is nothing wrong with the water, but I think what people have said is true...if you are used to PURE spring water then any change might be a shock. I personally don't drink it unless I have to because it tastes icky.....but I did drink the soda's and even use their ice in my bottled water.

There is nothing wrong with the water....if there were they would have fixed it by now....it has been this way since I started taking trips in '83.....20 yrs!

[cook4you]

I drink well water at home and dh says we have what is called sweet water in our part of the state. I know the water in the hotel when we bathed smelled like the pool water, alot of chlorine, but the taste from the fausett was not bad.

[HunnyPots]

We just came back from six days of drinking the water and had no ill effects at all. The taste? That's another story! Here's what I noticed: the water at Magic Kingdom and Epcot had a really strong sulpher odor and taste. My dd seemed to think it tasted more like rubber; like when you blow up a balloon. Whatever. Anyway, we discovered that if you squeeze a lemon wedge into your ice water, it is more palatable.
The water at MGM and Animal Kingdom did not seem to have that taste at all. What a relief!
In short, the water (at MK and EP) wasn't great tasting but it kept us hydrated and was much easier than carrying around water bottles all day. Just MHO...

[BCVOwner2002]

We just got back too. I bought brita water bottle filters and they worked perfectly! I also purchased a lemon to add to the water (just in case) but actually only used it in my diet coke! Annmarie

[MariaE]

I must admit I'm a little scared about the water situation. We're going to WDW for the first time next month and now I'm afraid we'll all get sick and have a miserable time. I had heard a little about the taste, but not to this extent. I also had planned on buying the Brita filters, but it sounds like they don't really work that great.

[BCVOwner2002]

MariaE - welcome to the DIS. I already responded but wanted to assure you that we used the brita filter and it seemed to do the trick. We have been going to WDW since the mid 80's and there was only one time that DS got sick. We do not believe it was from the water but rather from touching handrails and then not washing his hands prior to eating. This past trip, I brought along some hand disinfectant liquid and we ALWAYS make sure our hands are washed thoroughly prior to eating anything. Have a good trip. Annmarie

[Geoff_M]

Man, you don't know how lucky I feel! I just got back from a 5 day stay at WDW and it was so hot that I constantly drank from water fountains ALL over the place... and I didn't get sick once! We've been back two days now and (knock on wood) still nothing!

Was it the best tasting water I've ever had? No. (The winner is still the water out of a water fall in the backwoods of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky). But it still hit the spot when it was 90 degrees out and humid.

As for the idea that using a Brita system will keep you from getting sick, it's been pointed out that those filtration systems will NOT filter out bacteria that cause water-borne illness.

As for the sulphur. Again, there's no connection between a body's reaction to sulfa based drugs and sulphur. Case in point... everyone is "allergic" to cyanide. A little tiny bit of the stuff and, boom... your dead. But the toxic stuff is made of one part carbon and one part nitrogen... that's it: CN. You draw lots of nitrogen into your lungs with every breath and also ingest lots of carbon when you eat toast that's a little burned, well done steak, etc. But just because cyanide is lethal, doesn't mean its components are. The same is true with sulfa drugs. It's the way the elements are bound in the compound that causes the allergy, not the mere presence of sulphur.

So if you're body has become bottled water dependant, or you have deep seated fears of people slobbering all over WDW water fountains, or your stomach turns at the taste of WDW water... then you'll get no arguments from me about lugging around your on personal water supplies or taste filtration systems.

Dittos for the hand sanitizers when soap and water isn't nearby.

But also keep in mind that you're in the parks with 10's of thousands of other people from all over the world. Often times, you're in tight pre-show areas for periods of time... all the while inside the breathing space of those people around you. Anyone for wearing those cute little face masks that were all the rage in Asia during the height of the of SARS outbreak??? ;) Remember, sometimes "Illness Happens".

[MariaE]

I planned on taking the Brita bottles in the beginning not for the taste, but for cost reasons. I've heard buying bottled water there is very expensive and I'd rather fill up a bottle than try and remember to tell my kids everytime to be careful what they're touching on the fountain. I don't plan on taking one for each person, but a couple is better than none.

Thanks for the input!

[Magickndm]

Originally posted by Dizzy-Disney4
My DS is allergic to Sulpha, and I would hate for him to be sick on our trip. We'll have to run out and buy some bottled water for him. I haven't read all the posts, but I am a native Floridian, I am allergic to sulfa, and my parents had sulfur water for the first 5 years they moved into their house. Just because you are allergic to sulfa has no bearing on how you will react to sulfur water.

[HokieDad]

We drank the water and it was fine. No problems.

[chamonix]

We drink bottled or filtered water all the time, so being on vacation is no different. I would advise anyone to drink bottled or filtered water, just as I would advise everyone to eat organic food too. :)
Actually, it is more important to drink bottled water when on a trip, since your system is used to the particular mineral content, etc. of the water at home, and might not be used to the higher or lower mineral content of water somewhere else. We buy cases of bottled water (and those big gallon jugs) for our room at Disney, and always carry them into the parks. We are never without a bottle when walking around wdw. Of course, we are not big soda or juice fans, we prefer to drink water, so that is just what we buy when we want a drink while in the parks.
We also take great care not to unnecessaily touch surfaces like handrails, etc. while waiting in lines for rides, etc. and we use hand sanitizer constantly. Better safe than sorry and sick while at the happiest place on earth!

[GAIL HAYDEN]

I have never really noticed a bad taste to the water at Disney.
I run it at the fountains until it gets cold and it tastes fine.
We fill a pitcher when we arrive and put in the fridge and it tastes fine.
We buy bottled water, freeze it and take it to the parks, but, refill the bottles with Disney water and I cannot tell the difference.
Luckily, I have yet to get sick from anything at Disney, but, there again, I wash my hands often.
Guess it is safe to say different people have different tastes or taste buds and different systems.

[7thdwarf/dopey]

Originally posted by issa
do not..I repeat do not drink the water!!!

we had bought brita water bottles figuring they would be enough and we would be fine. NOT

Loki was terribly ill one night and one whole day..I mean like a 105 temp and cold sweats, cramps, migranes..horrible.

wensday he had a reoccurance of this

thursday.... we are home..and oh my I am soooooo sick with stomach problems, DD is complaining as well.

We only figured out on the plane ride that it was after a day of drinking from the bottles did Loki get sick, when we were in epcot tuesday he drank from the bottels..wens he was sick. I drank some water right before we left..I'm sick, DD had a little and on the plane ride was complaining about her stomach.

we firmly belive it was the water. We are used to drinking solely spring water.












Considering the Hurricanes and the possible contamination of the wells, is it possible this could happen again? The last time was due to the droughts. But, the in-laws are warning us again.

I really dont mean to open a can of worms here, but since WDW water table is touchy at best........I am considering bringing our own bottled water again this trip....

[CarolA]

WHY DOES THIS KEEP COMING UP???

The water in Orlando and all of the civilized US is safe to drink. You are not going to a third world country.

[7thdwarf/dopey]

Originally posted by CarolA
WHY DOES THIS KEEP COMING UP???

The water in Orlando and all of the civilized US is safe to drink. You are not going to a third world country.

ouch.........its cause i need to know.....

[Deb & Bill]

If Disney has their own water treatment plant (which they do), they must test the water constantly to make sure it meets the Clean Water Act. If it does not, they would have to issue a Requirement to Boil Water before consumption.

They will provide clean and safe drinking water.

By the way, the Brita bottles will filter out the fluoride out of the water (also not in bottled water) and your kids' teeth will rot. Unless you use a fluoride toothpaste.

[metivier]

Brita filters only remove a trace amount of flouride.

Brita Flouride Q&A (http://www.brita.com/227.html#fluorideQA)

[Feralpeg]

I just moved to Orlando with my DD at the end of May from Missouri. Needless to say, we've been drinking the water. I don't particularly like the taste, but it certainly hasn't made us sick. I think people come down and overdo. They eat things much different from their normal pattern and push themselves to hard. They get sick and then blame it on the water.

[7thdwarf/dopey]

Originally posted by Feralpeg
I just moved to Orlando with my DD at the end of May from Missouri. Needless to say, we've been drinking the water. I don't particularly like the taste, but it certainly hasn't made us sick. I think people come down and overdo. They eat things much different from their normal pattern and push themselves to hard. They get sick and then blame it on the water.

Feralpeg.........at last a local. Are you using town water or well water?

The word going around is that the sea water has contaminated different water tables. My MIL lives in Davenport, they have been told to drink bottled water until further notice. Granted we are not leaving for another 90 something days and hopefully everything will work out. Even if I decide to bring my own bottles, it'll be cheaper than buying bottled water at the world.
:wave:

[Feralpeg]

We are on town water. All new construction or remodeling must add water filtration systems. It really does help with the taste of the water. I can drink the water at my house. It's not great tasting, but tolerable. At restaurants and such, I usually order drinks without ice because the ice makes the soda taste bad. We've not had any problems physically due to the water.

[laceemouse]

I read Organic Living magazine and they had an article on various water systems throughout the US in a recent issue. The Orlando city water system was rated very highly as far as low bacteria, ect. I know Disney has their own utility systems, but they still have to check their water. I would guess that if the current weather problems had made the water unsafe they would BY LAW have to tell all guests. We have moved often, used to live in North Florida, and I guess we are not so picky about how any water tastes. We always think it is fine at WDW. We have been to Disney dozens of times, and once our youngest DD got sick, but there is no evidence that water had anything to do with it. I blame the millions of folks and their germs. I guess people who have been drinking the same water all of their lives are more sensitive than my family. I think it is a stretch to blame the water for illnesses at WDW, but in other countries I do feel that their government regulations are different from ours and I would be more wary....JMHO.

[chrisn]

DON'T DRINK THE WATER! I learned the hard way and I do mean HARD! DON'T DRINK THE WATER!

[ginna74]

They eat things much different from their normal pattern and push themselves to hard. They get sick and then blame it on the water.

I haven't even been there yet but I have heard many people complain but yet from what I see it is very safe water, just tastes not the best. I don't think Disney would have not safe water in their parks. I would assume there would be many a lawsuits also if it was soooo dangerous. It is just a "old wives tale" type of thing and as said above people eat different things and are tired and dehidrated and they get sick and it HAS TO BE THE WATER lol.

[Mad4Mickey]

It smells wierd but I think it is safe to drink. I only drink bottle water at home so that is what I do there . My family will drink the water there and has never gotten sick .
I think it is all about your tummy and what it can take . Some folks have a sensitive tummy and some dont:D

[disneyfanz04]

We also have never gotten sick from the water, and refill our water bottles from the fountains and the sinks...it smells a little funny, but no sickness here.......

[NotUrsula]

If central Florida water tap water causes you digestive distress, you are most likely reacting to the chlorine content, NOT the sulphur content. The problem is usually caused by a sudden die-off of bacteria already in your system, what is known as "intestinal flora". This is exactly the same thing that happens to people who get diarrhea after occasionally eating food containing hot red pepper. (That is how I learned about it. When I moved from S. Louisiana to the midwest, people would always beg me to make them Cajun food. People who regularly ate hot Mexican or Chinese food would be fine, but people who thought that my Cajun food was very spicy would invariably end up with a case of the collywobbles the next day, even they had eaten soup from the same pot. After a while I started using small amounts of black pepper in the soup and offering cayenne hot sauce as a condiment, and it stopped happening.)

Warning: I'm going to talk about digestive mechanics now!
You have intestinal flora, the "good" bacteria that help you digest food. Millions of the little creatures live in your gut. Everyone has them, and everyone is supposed to. People who live in a given place usually have a similar population of intestinal flora, largely because they eat a similar diet and also ingest it in the local water. A change of diet that includes something capable of killing a lot of this bacteria at once WILL cause gas and diarrhea for a few days, while you get rid of the decomposing dead bacteria, and your body gets used to whatever that new substance is. Chlorine is notorious for being one of those substances that kill off intestinal flora. If you lived there, you would get used to the water after a couple of weeks, and it wouldn't bother you any more.

Right now there could be some residual water supply contamination that is related to the hurricanes, which is always an issue after a hurricane strikes. However, the water supply is normally perfectly safe in Florida. If it makes you ill during every brief visit, it is not that the water is bad, it is that your digestive system is more delicate than most. Using a Brita water filter will usually be effective to help you avoid the die-off effect, as it removes most of the chlorine from the water.

[squidgyfish]

My husband wears a camelback that we fill from the tub each morning before we head out into the parks. He drops a bit of water purifier in there that we use when we go camping. Then we squeeze in some fresh lemon juice. Now we have fresh, clean lemony water that is FREE, we're not sharing any germs with millions of strangers at fountains, and we never get sick or have to taste yucky water. We are leaving for our third trip to the World in four years TOMORROW and I've only seen one other person with a camelback there ever. It really works out great - hands free and DH doesn't mind carrying it. I think it's the smartest way to go....

[7thdwarf/dopey]

Originally posted by squidgyfish
My husband wears a camelback that we fill from the tub each morning before we head out into the parks. He drops a bit of water purifier in there that we use when we go camping. Then we squeeze in some fresh lemon juice. Now we have fresh, clean lemony water that is FREE, we're not sharing any germs with millions of strangers at fountains, and we never get sick or have to taste yucky water. We are leaving for our third trip to the World in four years TOMORROW and I've only seen one other person with a camelback there ever. It really works out great - hands free and DH doesn't mind carrying it. I think it's the smartest way to go....


Hey, what a great idea! I especially like the lemon idea, since I just love lemons.

BTW, welcome to DIS!!:wave:

[sskem96]

It just depends on your system. I have a very sensitive stomach. I can't eat any Chinese, Mexican, or anything deep fried. I also can't drink the water at WDW or many other places. I can't get fountain drinks made with water either. It is a pain to have to go to a certain vendor cart so I can get a bottle of pop instead of getting a fountain drink with my meal, but I know the consequences. I will end up in the bathroom all day with labor-type pains. If you've never had a problem drinking water at other places you vacation, you'll probably be fine. But if you have a weak stomach or irritable bowel, or you've had similar problems with water in the past, you should probably avoid it.