Bringing your own drinks into the parks to avoid the never ending price hikes

[SL6827]

I know when we went to Typhoon Lagoon this year, I did not care at all for our CS meal there, and the price! I told my husband while we were there that the next time we do water parks, I want to bring in a big cooler of drinks, really good deli meats and cheeses, condiments, and a bag of breads, chips, ect. I was that disgusted with the food there and the price. I had still planned to do this even before these increases were announced.

 

[mommyrosa2]

I have a britta bottle I'm taking along this month. I'm hoping it gets enough of that nasty taste out of the water.

This ...
I can’t stomach the taste of their nasty water. Please report back and let us know if the Britta bottle works!!

 

[StacyStrong]

I so want to try that drink at the AK, I forgot its name. Supposed to be super sweet.

Same!!

I plan on splitting it with my friend though.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I normally bring my own refillable water bottle. And get ice and ice water from the QS places for it. My water is simple - no filter or anything so it's light.

This last trip I messed up and forgot the bottle at home so I bought water and got ice water from QS places.

 

[SaintsManiac]

If it's not hot weather, we just drink with our meals. I have to laugh how everyone needs to have a water bottle with them every minute of every day. When we were kids (before water bottles were invented lol) we played outside constantly and never got a drink until we went inside for dinner or to bed. We even ran track in high school and just got a drink from the water fountain when we were done and never once got dehydrated. Of course during our summer visits we will purchase a water bottle in the afternoon when we get thirsty.

You were dehydrated. You just didn’t realize it. Most people don’t.

 

[snappy]

I may bring lemonaide Mio and make my own Arnold Palmers. Also good with a shot of Grey Goose.

DH uses zip fizz when he feels the heat getting to him from exertion. Especially the orange flavor.

 

[LovesTimone]

DH and I just carry a bottle of water each in, then we fill up at QS, or even ask for water at TS spots. When the grand-kids are with us or family. I have a small insulated cooler that we take into the parks, I use those gel freezer packs and we are good to go. Yesterday I had my sweet little grandson, and I took a Ziploc with drinks and a small gel pack and put them in my backpack, they stayed cold until lunch time, then they were still cool enough for him to drink one on the way home, around 4:00.

 

[kydisneyfans]

If it's not hot weather, we just drink with our meals. I have to laugh how everyone needs to have a water bottle with them every minute of every day. When we were kids (before water bottles were invented lol) we played outside constantly and never got a drink until we went inside for dinner or to bed. We even ran track in high school and just got a drink from the water fountain when we were done and never once got dehydrated. Of course during our summer visits we will purchase a water bottle in the afternoon when we get thirsty.

As someone who was taken by EMS from Disney to the hospital during the April runDisney Star Wars races, I learned my lesson by not carrying water. A $22,000 hospital visit ruined our trip on Saturday, we couldn't even run Sunday due to the ER stay. The cause of the problem: dehydration. I'll carry my bottle with me 24/7 to prevent that again.

 

[angierae]

I bring in a bottle, and supplement with water at meals, but I also don't go in the summer.

 

[pigletto]

As someone who was taken by EMS from Disney to the hospital during the April runDisney Star Wars races, I learned my lesson by not carrying water. A $22,000 hospital visit ruined our trip on Saturday, we couldn't even run Sunday due to the ER stay. The cause of the problem: dehydration. I'll carry my bottle with me 24/7 to prevent that again.

Totally agree. My 12 year old got terrible leg cramps and felt ill from dehydration and she actually was drinking water.. just not enough for that heat.
I used to think people must have been exaggerating when they complained about the Disney water. We usually brought our own. One day I ran out, and refilled my bottle with the fountain outside of the Tangled bathrooms in the MK. Oh my goodness, that water was just awful tasting. People aren’t exaggerating.. it’s really that bad.
I’ll be bringing a cooler backpack with a few bottles of water or we will ask for counter service water on our next trip. We don’t really drink soda anyway.

 

[sandam1]

Brita bottles are the best, IMHO! One suggestion - try to find a smaller (kid's size) version. I have one that fits quite nicely in my purse. It tastes fine and is easy to refill at water fountains as necessary. I just don't get why people buy and/or lug around water bottles when a refillable bottle is such a simple solution.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

We use a small cooler and I pack in at least one soda for each person. I also pack in a snack or two.

But I have a scooter with a basket, so no one has to carry them.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Brita bottles are the best, IMHO! One suggestion - try to find a smaller (kid's size) version. I have one that fits quite nicely in my purse. It tastes fine and is easy to refill at water fountains as necessary. I just don't get why people buy and/or lug around water bottles when a refillable bottle is such a simple solution.

We personally didn't need filters (though we did bring crystal light drink packs in case we just didn't end up using them) but we used basically this:



Wouldn't work for those who like filters since the point it to roll it up, but it was lightweight, bpa free, clipped onto our bag, rolled up when not in use, etc. Ours was actually something my husband had gotten from a vendor so it didn't cost us anything but they aren't expensive at all.

 

[Dakota731]

You were dehydrated. You just didn’t realize it. Most people don’t

Don’t know how I made it to my ripe old age. And my dad did construction for fifty years without a water bottle just a bottle of iced tea in his lunch box. And my grandpa as a farmer who just had a cup of coffee in his thermos. We’ve become an alarmist society. My four year old grandson had to have water breaks three times during his 30 minute soccer class last week on a fifty degree morning!

 

[snappy]

I imagine liability may sometimes be a factor in the number of water breaks. We have become a litigious society.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Don’t know how I made it to my ripe old age. And my dad did construction for fifty years without a water bottle just a bottle of iced tea in his lunch box. And my grandpa as a farmer who just had a cup of coffee in his thermos. We’ve become an alarmist society. My four year old grandson had to have water breaks three times during his 30 minute soccer class last week on a fifty degree morning!

I can't like this enough.

 

[SL6827]

I think I am going to look at the Brita water filter instead of water. Will probably still bring in a few other drinks though. But the water filter thing would lighten the load a lot.

 

[bluezy]

Brita bottles are the best, IMHO! One suggestion - try to find a smaller (kid's size) version. I have one that fits quite nicely in my purse. It tastes fine and is easy to refill at water fountains as necessary. I just don't get why people buy and/or lug around water bottles when a refillable bottle is such a simple solution.

To us, the "simple solution" is to buy water in the parks when we need it and only carry a bottle for a few minutes. A lot of people (our family is part of this group) prefer not to carry *anything* around the parks. If it doesn't lay flat and/or comfortably fit in a pocket it doesn't go with us. I have a clear lanyard phone pouch that holds my phone, credit card, ID, and a little cash. I put a few tissues in my pocket along with my lip gloss. That's all that goes to the park with us. We buy bottles of water in the parks because that's what we choose to do -- just like other people choose to carry frozen water bottles in a backpack or a water bottle that they refill. Everyone does what works for them. Even with 6 teens/adults in our family and always visiting in June, we've never spent more than $150 on water in the parks on a 7 or 8 day visit. That's less than the cost of one sit-down meal for our family...heck, it's only a little more than a QS meal at some restaurants. We're not interested in saving money on bottled water at Disney. We're on vacation. It's all part of the cost. I understand why some people prefer to bring their own water because they can save some money. But when the total cost of a week at Disney for our family is $8,000, I'm not going to try and keep track of 6 reusable water bottles all day (and I know someone would lose theirs by the end of day 1) or lug a backpack full of water in 100 degree heat just to save $150. Like I've said before, I'd rather save for an extra month...or save an extra $7/month between trips so we can just buy our water when we want it.

That being said, I use a refillable water bottle every day at home and while running errands.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I think I am going to look at the Brita water filter instead of water. Will probably still bring in a few other drinks though. But the water filter thing would lighten the load a lot.

It will depend on how bad you think the water is.

We've tried to use a Brita while at Disney. It made sense since we already owned one.

It wasn't enough.

 

[SL6827]

It will depend on how bad you think the water is.

We've tried to use a Brita while at Disney. It made sense since we already owned one.

It wasn't enough.

Oh, really? Ewwwww.