Free Water in Parks

[donnajz]

I've read you can go to vendors for free ice...but what about a free cup of ice water? We're going in August and I was wondering how much to budget/day for water. If I need to buy it, I'm probably looking at around $20 a day for water...but if I can sometimes get it free, that would be wonderful. Will CS restaurants give you free water?

 

[beaniejawa]

I just returned from WDW. We got free ice water in every single park at counter service, full service and even kiosks (at least in the kiosks that had sinks). All we did was ask for "tap water with ice." They smiled and gave it to us. Nobody ever tried to push bottled water on us.

 

[donnajz]

Did you always make a purchase whenever asking for the tap water with ice?

 

[carriemn]

How did it taste? I have heard it is nasty...?

 

[alldiz]

I always get ice water at counter services....

With or without a purchase....

I think they must have a filter on....because it dosen't taste bad....
not like the water from the hotel bathroom sink..
Kerri

 

[EmptyCinema]

I know the CSs filter the water (they draw from their soda fountains, which are filtered). Not sure about kiosks.

And the CMs have no problem getting it for you. Better that than somebody have a heat stroke.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

We asked for cups of ice and then took them to the water fountains. It never occurred to me to ask for water at the kiosk.

 

[WendyBirdGirl]

Seriously, the weather has been 95 degrees and humid lately. Walk around the crowded parks for a few minutes and see if you care whether the free ice water "tastes bad" or not.

 

[starwood]

If you will have the use of a car make a stop at a supermarket, drug store or convenience store and buy a case of water. You can then get ice at the resort and keep it cold in the ice bucket.

 

[EmptyCinema]

We asked for cups of ice and then took them to the water fountains. It never occurred to me to ask for water at the kiosk.

Some kiosks won't have tap water, like the popcorn stands, but I would think they have cups with ice.

 

[Mickey&Donald]

We carried water bottles and filled them up at water fountains every chance we got last summer -- and neither of us noticed a funny taste. My tastebuds are probably ruined by the taste of the water where we live (Maryland).. I think it tastes like dirt up here!

 

[willful]

We carried water bottles and filled them up at water fountains every chance we got last summer

We do the same. This summer we're using the camel packs.

and neither of us noticed a funny taste. My tastebuds are probably ruined by the taste of the water where we live (Maryland).. I think it tastes like dirt up here!

Maybe that's why we don't notice it either... ...because we never thought the WDW tap water was bad.

If you have dirt water, you must be in Howard County.

 

[honeysuckle_rose]

I ordered ice water w/ all my counter service meals. I carried the individual packets of Chrystal Light to help w/ the taste. Everyone makes a version of these now (Lipton, Walmart, etc.)

 

[yanners]

Another suggestion: Get a backpack with a built in cooler and bring your own water.

 

[ScrapHappyMama]

Any place that sells fountain pop (not bottled) will give you a cup of FILTERED ice water free. It tastes very good. Tap water does not taste very good!!!

In AK they only gave small cups, so I got one for each of us. At MK and MGM the cups were quite large, so we all shared one. I don't remember getting any at EPCOT.

 

[Mickey&Donald]

We do the same. This summer we're using the camel packs.

Maybe that's why we don't notice it either... ...because we never thought the WDW tap water was bad.

If you have dirt water, you must be in Howard County.

Actually, Montgomery.. but pretty close to the Howard line!

 

[chipndales]

How did it taste? I have heard it is nasty...?

It was really gross. Maybe I'm spoiled or something, but I couldn't drink it. It had that rotten egg scent to it so we ended up having to dish out the dollars for bottled which really got expensive.

 

[beaniejawa]

Did you always make a purchase whenever asking for the tap water with ice?

Most of the time I did. But I think a couple of times I didn't.

 

[MassMom94]

If you will have the use of a car make a stop at a supermarket, drug store or convenience store and buy a case of water. You can then get ice at the resort and keep it cold in the ice bucket.

The problem with this is that you can't keep the bottled water cold in the parks. That's ok if you don't mind drinking warm water, but my family won't. Except for me, I'm cheap!

Last time we bought two large (24 ounce) Polar insulated water bottles (we got at REI, you can get at amazon and a lot of other places) which worked great. DH would ask for ice at counter service restaurants, then fill them at water/drinking fountains (bubblers to you New Englanders!). He didn't mind schlepping them around, and we always had ice cold water to drink.

Tip: the drink station at Sunshine Seasons at Epcot is self-serve, so you can get your own ice there.

 

[VW_Guy]

Last time we went, I was dead-set on not having to drink the tap water, but also didn't want to pay $8 for a bottle of water (or whatever they are selling them for now). Our solution was to bring along a Brita pitcher (I filled it with my socks and stuffed it in my checked luggage). Every night, we would fill the pitcher, put it in the mini-fridge, and in the morning, we would fill our bottles with cold, filtered water. Of course, it got warm in about an hour, but we didn't mind--water is water.