What do you drink at restaurants?

[scrapquitler]

Non-alcoholic that is. From our last visit I seem to remember that the cheapest drinks were soft drinks like Coca Cola and Fanta, they often came with a free refill. Orange juices and water on the other hand, cost a lot more, and had no refills. I presume it is still so.
We tend to get fed up with all the sweet stuff after a while, and I am just curious to know if there are other drinks that can be ordered, or is the cheapest alternative always the soft drinks?

Water is free. And FYI, any of the counter services or snack carts that do fountain drinks will give you a free cup of ice water.

 

[nalajms]

I know a lot of places with free refills or self-serve do this to prevent people from ordering free water and then getting soda or tea. I get it, it just annoys me especially since I'm buying a meal and they give free refills because soda is so cheap so how many water scammers are there really?

The only place I've seen this is at QS places, especially resort food courts. And that's because they only have the small plastic, semi clear cups without RFID chip. In those cases, we bring our own reusable water bottles. I actually carry one regardless so we can put leftover soda in it.

You can also ask for multiple cups of the small water

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I've never had this happen. Wow. Really...water scammers. lol

I always get the same size cup as everyone else at the table who orders soda or lemonade.

This doesn't happen at standard sit down restaurants but it does happen, in my experience, quite often at counter service restaurants.

Some off the top of my head outside WDW that do this are Lime, movie theaters (which I understand as all their $ comes from concessions), McDonald's.

I'm kind of surprised nobody else has ever experienced this. Oh well sorry to hijack

 

[DarleneW]

I don't actually drink with my meals (Gastric bypass surgery), but I always order a glass of water anyway so that I don't have to explain to the waiter every meal why I don't want a beverage, haha. I tried just saying "no beverage, thank you" a few times in the beginning, but waiters think that is SO weird and always ask questions, so now I just order water and don't drink it. Glad to know that it is as free in Disney as anywhere else! Phew!!

EDIT: the water doesn't get wasted, don't worry - my husband generally drinks his water AND mine!

I have a friend who also had the gastric bypass surgery and she does the same thing she just says she'll have a glass of water because otherwise they will keep asking if she's sure they can't get her something to drink.

 

[dashofsunshine]

I have a friend who also had the gastric bypass surgery and she does the same thing she just says she'll have a glass of water because otherwise they will keep asking if she's sure they can't get her something to drink.

Haha it's definitely the easier way to do things! People ask so many questions these days - although I know that a lot of the time, they are just trying to be sure I'm comfortable and happy, which is nice! Usually my husband and I share meals, but on the very rare occasion that I want my own dish for leftovers later, I eat about 5 bites and that's it. Every time, I get "is there something wrong with your food?' Do you want something else?" One time even when we were sharing, the waiter came over and said "is he giving you enough food?!" Hahah!!! I about died laughing!

 

[angierae]

Whatever I feel like at the moment. Sometimes unsweetened iced tea, sometimes water, sometimes soda, sometimes I'm in the mood for a flavored lemonade.

 

[staceyeileen]

I've never had this happen. Wow. Really...water scammers. lol

I always get the same size cup as everyone else at the table who orders soda or lemonade.

I think this person is talking about a "water cup" at a quick service location (both in or outside of Disney) and you're talking about table service. Most fast food/CS type places have specific tiny cups for people that just order water. I think this is usually because the soda fountain stations are usually self-serve, so they don't want people to order water, get the same cup as everyone else, and fill it up with soda instead.

 

[staceyeileen]

I generally order tap water. Soda is so ridiculously expensive when you get it at a restaurant.

 

[bbarba]

Switching to water with a lemon at restaurants has been a big bonus. Casual dining soda is expensive, approaching $3. Saved sugar calories and a few bucks.

 

[eliza61]

Non-alcoholic that is. From our last visit I seem to remember that the cheapest drinks were soft drinks like Coca Cola and Fanta, they often came with a free refill. Orange juices and water on the other hand, cost a lot more, and had no refills. I presume it is still so.
We tend to get fed up with all the sweet stuff after a while, and I am just curious to know if there are other drinks that can be ordered, or is the cheapest alternative always the soft drinks?

Depends on what i'm eating. lol

Nothing goes as well with a Pizza or Italian imo than an icy cold coke.

I hate water so rarely will I drink that with a meal. it's too tasteless

other than that usually a strawberry lemonade or regular lemonade

 

[Colargol]

I am starting to realize that we spent a whole lot of money buying soda we really did not want, because we thought ordering tap water was not a thing to do ;-)

 

[Disneylover99]

My whole family orders tap water when we go out to any restaurant at home or in our travels to Disney. We've never had a problem.

 

[dashofsunshine]

I am starting to realize that we spent a whole lot of money buying soda we really did not want, because we thought ordering tap water was not a thing to do ;-)

If it makes you feel better, I spent a whole lot of money in Italy buying sparkling water that I didn't really want, because tap water WASN'T an option sadly, neither was ice... Haha!

 

[Pesky]

Usually a glass of water -- plain ol' tap water, not the bottled stuff. Occasional soda or tea but usually just water. Cheap as they come!

 

[disney world dreamer]

it depends on what i'm eating, how dehydrated i feel, and whether or not i'm on the dining plan.

if i'm eating something like a BBQ pork sanwich or pizza i have pop like coke or sprite.

if i'm eating something that would taste fine with water and i'm dehydrated and i'm on the dining plan i get bottled water.

if i'm eating something that would taste fine with water and i'm not on the dining plan i order filtered water which is free.

sometimes i already have a bottle of water that i took to the park in the morning and then refill it at a water fountain and drink that with a meal.

 

[Tiffylv]

.

 

[crazelion]

Summertime water more water powerade maybe soda.

 

[AnnaS]

Lunch/dinner - I drink water at home. Very, very rarely a glass of wine. So this is what I usually order at restaurants. A glass of water. If we are away for a week, I might get unsweetened iced tea once or twice and if we go to a nice/r restaurant - a glass of wine. I always get water regardless.

Breakfast - coffee and maybe sometimes cranberry juice.

 

[North of Mouse]

This just had me realize that we probably never ordered a glass of water, we always had a bottle. And they did not come cheap!
Is it ok to order just water when at restaurants, and not the fancy bottled water they have in the menu?

Absolutely! That's all dh & I ever drink with our meals at restaurants - it's what we prefer - don't want, or need, the extra calories or the sugary drinks.

 

[robinb]

I usually drink wine or beer. When I don't want (or can't have) alcohol, I drink unsweetened ice tea or just tap water.