Who still brings water bottles into the parks?

[DisneyRobin]

My kids are 9, 11 and 14 and we haven't carried anything into the park in years. Just our phones. We like to get into the parks quickly with the bag-less people. Lol

You can have each kid carry their own waterbottle if it's really hot and you think they'll want to drink a lot. Otherwise, just ask for ice water at any place that serves fountain drinks.

Have a great trip!

 

[Lumiere Lover]

It's not about the taste to me - I drink a lot of water and would never go into the parks without a bottle. I almost always have a bottle of water with me (but not in church).

 

[worm761]

This past trip we took one of our Camelbacks and DH wore it. I had the regular backpack. We also brought a Brita filter pitcher. We filled the Camelback with ice and then with water. It kept the water cold until we ran out. We also brought Tervis water bottles for DH and I and DD had her Thermos water bottle on a strap. We refilled our water bottles from the Camelback and would get ice to put in our water bottles when we ate CS lunches. I need my water really really cold so love to fill my bottle up with ice then add water. It saved a ton of money. I don't like Dasani water so would have been buying the Smartwater at $4 a pop. Figure we filled our water bottles up at least 4 times each a day. That's $4 x 3 people 4 times a day. That's around $50 a day on just water alone. On a week long vacation that really adds up.

We liked it so much that our plan for our next trip is to get DD her own Camelback and bring all three. She can carry her own snacks and whatnot.

 

[Canuck16]

Hello all! First trip to Disney since my kids were in a stroller. Back then, I didn't worry about hauling stuff into the parks - snacks, extra clothes, cooler for drinks, etc., because I had a stroller basket to haul it all in. Now, as my kids will be 11, 10 and 7, I am trying to minimize what we bring in. I know we will bring a backpack for all of the necessities and some snacks but I am back and forth on beverages. We have the DDP but don't want to waste snack credits on beverages. I know you can get a glass of ice water at any QS counter but how does it taste? I don't want to bring in 5 water bottles. Do you drink the free water? Bring in water? What do you do? I even thought about just bringing in 3 portable water bottles - a Brita filter one and two others that we can share. Just trying to see what other people do. I don't want to be a pack mule!

We bring in our Platypus refillable water bottles in with us as they collapse down so small that they take up hardly any room. We also bring a bottle of Mio to flavour the water.

 

[SaintsManiac]

We are bringing Brita bottles that will clip to our bag. I don't leave my house without some type of water cup or bottle, so I know I will need one at Disney.

 

[caroline1851]

When DS13 and I went in June, I brought 4 bottles in my backpack every day. We drank them! but also, everyday, we went back to resort mid day and when we headed back out at night, I didn't bring anything with us.

 

[North of Mouse]

Hello all! First trip to Disney since my kids were in a stroller. Back then, I didn't worry about hauling stuff into the parks - snacks, extra clothes, cooler for drinks, etc., because I had a stroller basket to haul it all in. Now, as my kids will be 11, 10 and 7, I am trying to minimize what we bring in. I know we will bring a backpack for all of the necessities and some snacks but I am back and forth on beverages. We have the DDP but don't want to waste snack credits on beverages. I know you can get a glass of ice water at any QS counter but how does it taste? I don't want to bring in 5 water bottles. Do you drink the free water? Bring in water? What do you do? I even thought about just bringing in 3 portable water bottles - a Brita filter one and two others that we can share. Just trying to see what other people do. I don't want to be a pack mule!

My take, don't make things harder on yourselves than necessary. The free ice water is readily available whenever you want it. I'm picky about taste as we have great well water at home - the water in the parks is filtered and tastes just fine. Take advantage of the one free thing offered by Disney that we can all benefit from!

Because of sanitary reasons (some awful things I've seen people do) we would 'never, ever' drink or use water from the water fountains - just use CS.

 

[toni nicole]

I usually bring one water bottle (for two people). To drink, while waiting to get inside the park, in line at our first couple rides, just so we don't have to stop and lose time at rope drop. After we finish this one water bottle, we drink either bought drinks or free water. No need to haul all that water, but maybe bring one or two.

 

[ton80]

a friend of mine actually got sick and passed out from drinking the water out of the fountains at the MK. Hospital said it was because there was too much cholrine in the water.

 

[EmotionLord]

I usually like to bring one or two bottles of water with me when I go to the parks, and when I run out I buy another bottle or get free water from CS.

 

[SA mom]

When our girls were 5, we went to mom-&-me day camp at SeaWorld. They gave each of us a reusable water bottle in an insulated lanyard. Best thing ever. We have not carried water for our children since they were 5. Now at age 14, we still take those lanyards every where. I bought fuel belt pockets for each on and everyone takes their own snacks, too. After finishing a bottle, if someone is thirsty, we buy a fresh one. In any other park, I would refill from the water fountain, but Disney World water is yucky.

 

[whitney37354]

I put a couple of water bottles in a gallon ziploc bag in my backpack. DH usually puts a bottle in the cargo pocket of his shorts. If we need more hydration before eating a meal, we buy bottles of water. Might want to pay OOP for the water instead of using a snack credit.

 

[EricInPA]

We bring a refillable water bottle for each of us, along with a couple extra bottles of water for refills (from a case that we pack in a separate bag, another advantage of packing light!). We don't use the dining plan and only buy drinks when we're at a table service meal, so this saves a little cash too.

 

[bookgirl]

Because of sanitary reasons (some awful things I've seen people do) we would 'never, ever' drink or use water from the water fountains - just use CS.

I taught in elementary schools for 9 years, seeing a class of kids basically French kiss a spout to drink water, I'd have to be desperate to drink from a public fountain ANYWHERE.

 

[becca0831]

Thanks for the suggestions, all! I didn't really mean, pack mule, as I fully expect everyone to take turns carrying the backpack. I want to only bring in one backpack to save time in going through security lines. I decided to buy one brita filter bottle and 2 other polar bottles for all of us to share. When we fill from the fountains, we will use the brita and fill the others from it. I don't want all of us to carry our own backpack. I plan to only bring in some snacks, basic first aid stuff, water flavoring packets, camera and the water bottles.

 

[Cynister]

We bring bottles in & everyone carries their own bottle using a caribiner water bottle holder clipped to their belt loop. Especially in the summer we'll freeze them to have cold water throughout the day.

 

[Flamingeaux]

We bring extra water bottles are refill them and use kool aid singles. At some QS places you can substitute a dessert and get an extra water. Ask.

 

[CodeGoddess]

We carry platypus flat/flexible water bottles. Fill it when we want water. Dump it out if we don't want to carry it anymore. It super light and pretty much folds up to the size of a small billfold.

 

[Bullseye]

I used mule around a twelve pack backpack cooler with water bottles. It was great having icy cold water/Ice tea/Lemonade whenever you needed it. Then a couple years ago I stopped bringing it and I don't think I could ever go back. It's so nice not having the extra load. We just buy a soda/water every once in while and then you get one when you stop for a meal so that keeps us hydrated. I still bring the cooler to the waterparks but there I don't have to tote it around.

 

[DavAlb]

Took one of these per person, would leave the hotel each morning with them full of ice and then would get the free QS ice water cups everywhere we went (except for table service restaurants).

http://www.rei.com/product/852356/rei-nalgene-wide-mouth-loop-top-water-bottle-16-fl-oz


Having smallish bottles (16 oz) weren't too much to carry in small backpacks and a wide mouth made refilling with ice water easy. The fountains all had a nasty taste but the QS water cups were fine. Probably saved $20/day on drinks and stayed hydrated in that heat.