Please Explain To This Newbie About Orlando Water!

[JustGottaGoDisney]

What is it I don't know but I feel like I better know before leaving. I would really like to avoid stomach upset due to the water if I can avoid this. Afterall, it is our first trip and you know what:
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We leave in 6 days!

 

[raven69david]

Everytime we go we notice the water smells funny from the tap. It's the same at every off-park hotel we've stayed at thus far in Kissimmee. After our 1st trip we always just purchase alot of bottled water in advance. No problems after that.

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

Florida water is not so good (taste wise) out of the tap. It won't make you sick, it is just yucky tasting. If you order water at a restaurant it is not straight from the tap, just FYI so don't worry there, just if you are at your hotel and want a drink of water, get a bottle. I have lived in FLA for 23 years and still can't drink the stuff (YUCK)...it has to be filtered first but again you don't get sick, but you will taste the difference if you venture straight from the tap.

 

[JustGottaGoDisney]

Whew! Thanks for putting my mind at ease! From some other posts, I could not really determine if they were getting sick or not.

 

[wdwgoofeeee]

I agree that the drinking water in Florida is bad tasting. For whatever reason, I do not find that same bad taste from any of the drinking fountains in the WDW theme parks. I know it's from the same source, but does not taste as bad. Maybe because most of the fountains cool the water? Anyway, I agree with the rest....buy some bottled water.

 

[Rella Bella]

We always buy a case of bottled water and pack it in our suitcases. I just divide it between all three. That also forces me to save room to pack all the souvies I buy. I agree however the water won't make you sick... it just has a bit of a funny smell and taste.

 

[eeyoreiscool]

We have never noticed anything different about the water. We go and drink it just fine. I guess it depends on what you are used to. The water itself shouldn't make you sick. The grimy hands that rub the water fountains on the other hand...

 

[Leota]

I have to disagree that it won't make you sick. It depends where you are from, what organisms your immune system is used to & how sensitive you are.
The first 3 times we went to WDW, at least one of us would have tummy troubles. We were drinking tap water. Then we started using bottled water only & never had tummy troubles after that unless we had FL water.

It's not dangerous sick, but just your body trying to process a different blend of micro-organisms. Travelers Tummy.I have talked to my Doctor about it as I have other health issues & needed to make sure nothing serious was happening. I know I have always been sensitive to Travelers Tummy ever since I was a kid.

If you don't know how you're body reacts with Travelers Tummy, you might want to play it safe by sticking mainly to bottled water.

In defense of WDW water - It has improved greatly over the past couple years. I can have a couple fountain drinks or smoothies without really any issues, whereas even that much used to cause me some problems. I have also noticed it doesn't smell as much as it used to. You used to be able to smell that swamp smell even in a glass of soda.

 

[safetymom]

We didn't ever have a problem with the water in Orlando. We did have problems in other cities that we visit.

 

[Lucky4me]

I get stomach problems when I drink the water in Orlando. I buy bottled water and soda and can't even have their ice cubes. Good thing they have the light up plastic ones for their foo foo drinks now.

 

[Leota]

Lucky - We must be spoiled by our local water - the difference between here & FL kills me.

 

[Misty89]

LOL, not to laugh, but DH and I have a running joke about Florida water.....our first trip to florida we went to Fort lauderdale and orlando....we could not get used to taking a shower in "stinky" water and never felt clean, one time when we had filled the tub at the hotel for DD ( 2 then) the water seemed to be yellow
so we always joke when we get home from Florida that we cant wait to get clean
i realize that thats just the way it is, but for 2 people that dont travel a whole lot it is kind of funny to us.

 

[EthansMom]

Water in Orlando has a high level of sulfur. When you drink it unfiltered, you can taste the sulfur. If you get water from a restaurant, it is filtered and should taste fine. You may not want to drink out of a drinking fountain or the spigot in your hotel bathroom, though, as that water is not filtered. Public drinking fountains and bathrooms are two places I avoid drinking water, though, anyway.

 

[Feralpeg]

Building construction codes have changed in the last couple of years in Orlando. All new buildings and any remodeling of buildings require water filtration systems to be installed. When I first moved to Orlando, I noticed the water tasting bad in many places including resort restaurants. Now, most of these places have been upgraded with the water filtration systems. You may still find some drinking fountains without in WDW, but most all of the resorts and restaurants now have the filtration systems.

 

[GoofyDad869]

Yep, and speaking from experience - the water filtration systems are NOT cheap. Explaining the necessity of the system to an out-of-town owner is not an easy (or pleasant) thing to do.

 

[Leota]

Building construction codes have changed in the last couple of years in Orlando. All new buildings and any remodeling of buildings require water filtration systems to be installed. When I first moved to Orlando, I noticed the water tasting bad in many places including resort restaurants. Now, most of these places have been upgraded with the water filtration systems. You may still find some drinking fountains without in WDW, but most all of the resorts and restaurants now have the filtration systems.

That explains the changes I've noticed in the water quality there lately. I did mention the difference at one of the WDW restaurants last year & the CM said they were filtering the water now.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

It is not "Florida" water you are talking about, it is "Orlando" water. Every city in FL is different, and mine up here does not have the sulfur smell that you sometimes get down there. Actually, I did not smell sulfur this trip and we stayed in CSR. Must be the new system.
It is not a third world country though, and it is safe to drink. Your body may not be used to other cities water though, this can happen anywhere you travel. Tummy troubles can also come from all the various new foods or eating too much!

 

[ReAnSt]

Or if you want to drink the tap water get a Brita pitcher or Brita bottle. It makes the water much more palatable. Orlando tap water also tastes much better cold than straight from the tap.

Becky

 

[Golf4food]

Florida water is not so good (taste wise) out of the tap. It won't make you sick, it is just yucky tasting. If you order water at a restaurant it is not straight from the tap, just FYI so don't worry there, just if you are at your hotel and want a drink of water, get a bottle. I have lived in FLA for 23 years and still can't drink the stuff (YUCK)...it has to be filtered first but again you don't get sick, but you will taste the difference if you venture straight from the tap.

CITY water in Florida might be bad, but good, fresh water from a real well in the rural areas of Florida is great. Hence the idea to start bottling some of it from a particular hilly location in Central Florida and sell it - Zephyrhills...

While I agree that most city water in Florida (and likely every other city in the world) doesn't taste very good, a nice well tapping fresh aquifer water in Florida is a wonderful thing.

 

[Terri C]

I'm not sure where you're staying ,but if you're onsite and buy a refillable mug, you can fill your mug with filtered water from the food court. At least you could at POR. We did that occasionally and it was great!

Terri