Filtered H2O? Does the water taste Bad?

[mamahauldren]

I read in some recent threads about bringing filtered water bottles to the parks. I was planning on bringing normal bottles that attach to our fanny pack. Does the water taste bad at WDW? I hate water that is foul and will bring the filtered bottles if they are really needed. Are they expensive?

 

[whozit]

A lot of people on these boards comment on the poor taste of the water at WDW, but I didn't find it any different than the tap water I drink at home (or in other cities I travel to). I guess it just depends on how sensitive your taste buds are.

 

[Blueeyes101817]

i didnt like the water at all..thankfully we brought our own water!

 

[HunnyPots]

We found that the water at MK and Epcot tasted worse than at the other two parks. It seems that the water has a fairly high sulpher content and you may or may not be used to that in your regular tap water. I am not used to it and found it very hard to drink. My dd called it "balloon water" because it reminded her of the taste you get in your mouth after blowing up balloons!
One thing that helped was to add a slice of lemon to ice water at restaurants. That would probably not work in a water bottle, though. Some people find that the Brita bottles help filter out the taste but I have not tried it so I can't say for sure.

 

[georgina]

We didn't have any problem refilling our water bottles at the drinking fountains in the parks. Some people don't like the taste.

 

[molly213]

I don't mind it as long as it is very cold. I get ice water at every fast food place we stop and when you are thirsty it tastes GREAT!

 

[GlennandAnn]

Two words: swamp water.

And I drink Lake Michigan tap water on a daily basis!

Ann

 

[NotUrsula]

To us, the water tastes faintly of the smell of sewer gas. We found that since we disliked the taste, we were not drinking enough water. We bought one bottle in the park and made it last as long as possible, then refilled it from the fountains and only drank it when we were desperate. (I find it utterly impossible to pay $2.75 for a bottle of water more than once in a day. I'm just too cheap.) Dehydration became an issue; our joints were killing us by the end of trip.

Next trip we brought 2 Brita bottles. HUGE improvement. The fountain water in the Disney parks is usually very cold, and fountains are plentiful. Now we not only had decent-tasting water, but it was cold, too, and we never had to carry around the weight of bottled water.

Britas range from about $5.50 to $8 each, depending on where you purchase them. Walmart is usually the cheapest, they stock the bottles in their plumbing dept. However, if you want Britas, DO NOT wait until you reach Orlando to buy them; the stores can't keep them on the shelves at all. We left ours at home by accident one year. We tried to replace them in Orlando, and gave up after trying 14 stores and finding them sold out at every one. We were finally able to get a replacement in Sarasota when we took a beach break there mid-trip.

 

[tinkerb]

I have heard the Orlando water referred to as "Orlando sewer water", I have to agree any water that I have gotten from water fountains is icky........make sure you have some bottled water....

 

[Flower4Pwr]

Another vote for Swamp water.But I think if you are going to be there longer than a week though I think you just "get used."

 

[webmomom]

We have never found anything wrong with the water. We were just there and now you can buy two sizes of water the large 20oz for 2.50 and the small individual size for 1.25. I like my water very cold and if I bring in it from the hotel, first of all I have to carry that bottle around all day. I know they make straps but I am one of those people who do not want to be bothered with anything hang off, around me.

Yes I know also you can get a cup of ice, but having owned my own rest. I know how all of these little free things cost the owner (WDW) or anyone money to supply it to you. then the customer starts to complain about the price of items going up. It costs them money, so it then is passed on to the consumer. There is nothing free.

 

[Kaycee]

Yuck!

We can't stand the taste of WDW water. We don't carry water bottles around the park with us because we like to travel light when park touring. I build the expense of paying $2.75/bottle into our budget. It's worth it to us. But if we were going to carry a water bottle around to refill, we would absolutely invest in a Brita water bottle. In fact, we do take a Brita water bottle with us to filter water in the resort room for drinking and for brushing our teeth - we think the water is that bad!

 

[Luv2Roam]

From our experience, the WDW/LBV water can effect people -- and animals.

We use to vacation here. I found out at the end of our first week long trip that bottled water is a safe bet.

After that, I stuck to mostly bottled water on trips and was fine.

The first of this year we relocated to the Orlando area.
During the transission, we lived in an apartment near the intersection of International and 535. (Around the corner from LBV Outlets.)

I found soon enough -- don't drink the water. Not only that -- the tap water effected the dogs! Luckily I was not working at the time and could take them out -- often!

After a few days I switched them to bottled drinking water and all was fine.

We moved to a small community north of WDW, and we have no water issues here, as far as drinking tap water. (DH has been a water snob for years and always drinks bottled water, period. Our frig has a filter for drinking water -- if that really does anything.)

I don't know what the WDW water source is. But in LBV it was no better. It may be the same source.

I know when it hit me the first time I attributed it to over tired, eating off schedule, anxiety, etc. Maybe even a little virus. Now I am sure it is the water.

 

[maine_jennifer]

I am a big water drinker. At work, I drink only poland spring bottled water. At home, we have a filter at the place the water comes into the house and another at the kitchen sink.

Last August, I knew that I had to drink more water with the heat/humidity, however, every time I drank water or anything with ice in it, I felt ill afterwards. Nothing bit, just a little off. Even the bottled water made me feel off.

I ship my lovely maine water to my hotel through netgrocer.com

 

[Luv2Roam]

That's the way the water hits -- makes you feel like you have something viral.
Digestive problems alll the way. With me it always took about 5 days to catch up with me. Started in the stomach and worsened ech day. And that appeared to be the same with the dogs too.
I wondered when we moved to that apartment and I kept on eye on them. Sure enough I could tell later that week it was hitting them and immediately stopped giving them tap water and switched to bottled drinking water. The problem cleared up.
If people let it go and shrug it off, it just worsens. I suppose guests counteract with Pepto, antacids and Immodium and assume they have the flu.

 

[DisneyLisa]

I hate the water at WDW. I've never noticed it on previous trips but in October I could even taste it in the diet coke.

 

[rhanditresmom]

Yeah, the water has a distinct taste to it. I have never liked Disney water (my DH thinks it's that way to get people to buy more concessions!). We solved this problem by purchasing the Brita filter bottles. They were great! Completely removed that sulfur-y taste from the water. Makes for a less expensive trip, that's for sure!

 

[NotUrsula]

Digestive upset from the water is really a temporary thing. It happens because the content of the water is not what your digestive system is used to, and it kills off certain of the bacteria that are always in your digestive tract. THAT is what causes the stomach upset. If you regularly drank that water for a month or more, your innards would grow a new crop of bacteria, and it would cease to happen. (The avg. Mexican drinks Mexican tap water with no ill effects, but look what it does to Americans. Same phenomenon.) Of course, living with the smell of it would be something else again.

Another activity that will do exactly the same thing is eating food containing hot peppers when you are not used to it. Keep eating it regularly and it will stop; only do it once in a while, and you are doomed to endure an after-dinner date with your toilet. I live in the midwest now, but I grew up in Cajun country; I long ago learned not to offer my native cuisine to people with unadventurous eating habits; I made them sick every time, while my family ate the same dishes and were never affected.

Interestingly, I find that the people I know who regularly eat very spicy food do not experience stomach upset from the water in Orlando. Our only issue with it is the smell. However, the only people who have ever personally told me about having tummy trouble from the water at WDW are also people who I know would not eat hot peppers if their lives depended on it. I don't think it's a big enough sample to really draw a conclusion on, but I find it interesting.

 

[Grumpy92]

Zepherhills and Dansana water is sold everywhere at WDW.

Guess it all depends on where you are from. I have never had a problem with the water there, but then I am from Florida. Our drinking water mainly comes from an Acquifer (spring underground) that lies underneath the state. But I have seen some guest bring in cases of their own bottled water. Again I think it is just personal choice.

 

[karemore]

It wasn't just the water at WDW, we stayed offsite for half our stay and the water at the motel and restaurants was just as bad.

I would invest in the water filter bottles, or stock up on bottled water to bring into the parks with you.

I didn't pay any attention to the threads on here about the water, and I drank the water the first day or two I was at the parks in April.

I was surprised at how horrible it was.

I always drink tap water or from water fountains at home (NY) but the Florida water was awful.

Karen