H20

[luvsTink]

Hi all,
Are there water fountains in the parks to refill water bottles? And does the water taste ok?

thanks
Anne

 

[RescueRanger]

We always drink water in the parks. We ask for ice water and have never been charged for it. We have no problem with the taste of the water but I have heard others say that they will not drink it because it has a large sulfur content and tastes bad. I guess you should just try it and see how you like it. Brita also makes a water bottle with a filter built into the spout. We bought one at Wal Mart. Sorry, but I can't remeber what we paid for it.

 

[Eljay]

Yes, there are plenty of water fountains, but the water doesn't taste that great. I do refill though, rather than spend $2.50 for a bottle. We must stay hydrated!

 

[Kaycee]

The good news is yes, there are water fountains in the parks. The bad news is...the water is horrid! We can't even stand to brush our teeth with WDW water - we take a water filter and keep it in the room for water to brush our teeth. Seriously, we think it's that bad.

I love WDW, and I'm usually the first to find the positive side to all things Disney. The water is one exception - yuck!!

In the big scheme of things though, this one is pretty minor. We just take our water filter and a supply of bottled water. And yes, we even pay $2.50 for a bottle of water in the parks when it gets down to it - anything to avoid drinking that nasty water!

 

[kessieann]

Do a search and you will find a thread with well over 100 replies to this very question

I believe it was on the tips board and you could probably just search for water. (FYI searches usually work best in the early morning or late night just from my experience)

 

[pampam]

If you go off site, you can purchase a supply of water much cheaper. I have even heard of people buying big jugs and refilling their water bottles. I've been trying for several months to get the Brita refillable sport bottle , to filter water from the water fountains but they stopped making it in April, I am told, and it is no longer available. Years ago the water in WDW taste much better that off site, but our past few trips the taste of the water has really deteriorated. You could try bringing drink crystals to put in your bottle when you fill it up from the fountains.

 

[Mermaid02]

We couldnt' stand the smell or taste of the water in October when we were there. To me it smelled like it had been pumped out of someone's basement. I had to BEG my 6 year old to take a bath... the water smelled that bad. We bought 2 cases of bottled water off site and yes, we paid $2.50 per bottle in the park. My dh tried to fill his bottle from the fountain, but he couldn't drink it. I couldn't even drink the fountain soda... I swear it had a funny taste too!

 

[Leota]

Not only does the water smell & taste horrid, it can give you some gastro-intestinal distress as well - If your body isn't used to some of the minerals/organisms particular to the FL water, it will react....

We went thru that the first couple trips (my son & I both have medical issues which make us even more prone to this) we had problems - After that, we stopped using FL water & Viola! No more problems!

I grab a case of sport bottled water & a jug for refills/teeth-brushing etc... on the way in to the resort....

 

[goofy4tink]

Wow!! The water issue is almost as 'bad' as the mug issue!! We must have really yucky water in my home town....although the water in WDW isn't crystal clear fresh, we haven't had a huge problem with it. We do start with drinking a small amount on the first day. Then, work up to a normal amount on the second day. We use the fountains a lot. We also use the hand sanitizers too though!! I figure that all that food we're eating at WDW has been prepared using the water. The coffee, the ice cubes, etc. So, while it might not be the best tasting water, there is no way I'm paying $2.50 for a bottle of water that is only going to annoy me by banging around on my hip for an hour or two!!!

 

[WDWisTheBest]

I am going to take the unpopular side of this water issue. It is popular for some visitors to talk about how bad the water is at WDW.

We have been to WDW too many times to count and have never had a "water" issue. The water has to meet standards of purification and safety established by the water company and monitoried by the state. This popular myth of it having "too much sulfur" is just that, a myth.

For those willing to spend as much as you do to purchase bottled water, good for you. It helps the local economy and hopefully makes you feel better. And, if you need to purchase caseloads of bottled water during your stay, great. As an aside, someone on another thread noted that Evian spelled backward is naive. I am not suggesting that one is naive to purchase bottled water but it is interesting about Evian water's spelling.

But, from a water safety standpoint, WDW water is safe to drink.

Does it taste like mountain spring water? I doubt it. But, drink the water in Philadelphia, Baltimore or any of the major cities in the country and I doubt that it will taste like mountain spring water either. Does it taste different from the water you normally drink in your community? Probably. Is it "horrid"? Doubtful.

 

[Leota]

In case I was misunderstood - I did not say it wasn't safe for most folks to drink - What I said is that if your system is not used to the particular organisms/minerals an area's water holds it can react - This holds true when you travel anywhere - not just FL....

For folks who have immune disorders or other serious health impairments, this will be a more pronounced issue & even a dangerous one - Although FL water is safer than the water in our nation's capitol!

 

[luvsTink]

Had no idea how interesting this thread would be! First...everytime I try to do a search (so as to not pose a question that has been asked time and time again...oh, that reminds me, can I reuse my refillable mug? ) I get a message that search has been disabled by the moderator.

I have no doubt but that the water is as safe as anywhere else in the country (which does not give me great comfort! :rolleyes")
However, where I went to University has BY FAR the smelliest, nastiest water I have ever come across. I filtered it and was happy. And Leota is right....drinking water with different balance of minerals, microbes, etc can give anyone "travelers diahhrea" (hence the name). Interestingly, when I traveled to Mexico last year 3 out of 7 of us did NOT get sick. I was one of the lucky ones , so I think my system is tolerant.

Is that Brita sports bottle heavy? Does it really work? I am off to search for one on the net!

Anne

 

[WDWisTheBest]

The $7.7 billion market for bottled water in the United States is fueled by the belief that it is safer and healthier than tap water. A recent study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) demonstrates that frequently the opposite is true.

After testing more than 1000 bottles of water from 103 different companies, the NRDC uncovered microbial content in excess of state guidelines in one-third of the brands it sampled. While tap water is not exempt from contamination, EPA guidelines do call for near constant testing of tap water quality. Bottling facilities are required to test less frequently and if they find pathogens like E. coli or fecal coliform they can still sell their water with a small disclaimer on the label. That tasty bottled water can have E.coli.
The plastic used to package the 6 billion gallons of bottled water sold in the U.S. in 2002 amounts to 1.5 million tons of plastic. That's 30 million discarded bottles a day for landfills.

Taste is a matter of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). The Reedy Creek Improvement District potable water compares favorably in TDS to most bottled waters.

 

[Kaycee]

For the record - I never said the water at WDW wasn't safe. Of course it's safe to drink!! I just happen to think it tastes and smells absolutely awful - that is my opinion, and I stand by it. My DH already has a Brita water filter pitcher that he keeps in his office at work because there's a lot of chlorine in the water there. We simply take this pitcher with us to WDW - no big deal. And we take water bottles with us from home, where we buy them cheaply, since we drive to WDW. The only time I pay the $2.50 in the parks is when we're out of our water. I still say $2.50 is a small price to pay to avoid drinking that horrid (yes, horrid) water.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

It is not Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) that cause problems in immune systems affected persons, it is the microbial content. The minute percentage of minerals in a given quantity such as a liter does not have any effect on the immune system of the person drinking the water. It is the microbial content that would affect someone. And, the potable water at WDW meets EPA guidelines.
So, to say that immune systems are affected by WDW water just is not correct. Here is what the CDC says: "Who might be immunocompromised or have a weakened immune system?
Examples of persons with weakened immune systems include those with AIDS; cancer and transplant patients who are taking certain immunosuppressive drugs; and those with inherited diseases that affect the immune system. The risk of developing severe disease may differ depending on each person's degree of immune suppression. Cryptosporidiosis (krip-toe-spo-rid-e-o-sis), is a diarrheal disease caused by a microscopic parasite, Cryptosporidium parvum, that can live in the intestine of humans and animals and is passed in the stool of an infected person or animal. Both the disease and the parasite are also known as "Crypto." WDW water does not have "Crypto".


Now, taste is a subjective matter to an individual. In potable water, taste is triggered by a combination of TDS in a given quantity of water. Purely objective measurements of TDS in WDW potable water by disinterested third parties would never fall into a "horrid" category, I submit.

BTW, the Brita pitcher filter does this:it is comprised of activated carbon and ion exchange resin. The filter’s activated carbon works to reduce chlorine. The ion exchange resin acts like a magnet, binding to its surface the heavy metal ions lead, copper, mercury, and cadmium, which have already been removed at WDW by the water company. So, the Brita pitcher filter removes chlorine at WDW. The chlorine is added to protect visitors.

 

[luvsTink]

PamPam..
I found the brita sports bottles at Amazon.

Anne

 

[Towncrier]

When I was a boy, we used to visit my grandmother in Florida. One of the highlights of every trip was a visit to the spring just outside of town. At the time, it was the local swimming hole and was always packed. The water was crystal clear. And cold!!!

Oh yeah, did I mention where my grandmother lived?

Zephyrhills!!!

I guess (hope???) that they don't let people swim in that spring anymore.

 

[Xtine76]

We refilled our water bottles throughout the day until we couldn't stand the taste anymore and had to buy sodas. My advice is to buy a Brita Water Bottle (they filter yucky tastes and impurities) out of the water before you drink it and you can buy them almost anywhere (wal mart, etc..). That is what I will be bringing next time, I already had one and just didn't think of taking it. It will save a lot of money and the water tastes just like spring water once it is filtered. It's small also, the size of a sports water bottle.

 

[Xtine76]

I guess i'm just spoiled by the quality of my water (it's awesome) I live in a small community in the Adirondacks and our water is great. It is hard for me to even drink the water when I go to cities anymore, guess that's why the brita water bottle is a good idea for me.

 

[Leota]

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