Water Fountains in the Parks?

[forever a child]

I have read that there are water fountains in the park, is this correct? If so, why would so many people buy a $2.50 bottle of water?

Are the fountains easy to find and are they functioning? I can only remember one of them I used close to restrooms by ToT. Would they be on park maps?

Anyone have thoughts on fountains vs. bottled water?

[MegaDisney]

Tap water tastes gross.

[hubbyofadisneyholic]

I guess it depends on what you are used to.
Whenever this question pops up there are people that say the water from the fountains is just fine.

I agree with MegaDisney...

[seanyred]

Florida Water doesn't bother me. So often we refill water bottles while at the parks. The only thing is some fountains have really cold water and others have warm/room temperature water.

Another option is at any counter service location you can ask for a cup of ice water. The only thing that varies here is what the cast member uses either a small child's cup or the med/large fountain drink cups.

[forever a child]

LOL, Well I agree that not all water tastes great. However, I work for a non-profit that supplies clean drinking water purification systems to countries that are dying from bacteria and parasites in their drinking water (we just recently returned from Haiti).

For those that are interested in the "bottled water industry" I suggest you watch a movie called "Flow" you might learn that bottled water has it's own health issues and there is a fight currently going on for ownership of the world's drinking water. I come from the Michigan so the Great Lakes is very important to me! So I will "suffer" with gross tasting water occasionally knowing that at least I have clean drinking water available.

I will have a bottled water bottle, but since I only want to carry one bottle around, I will not have a problem in refilling it from water fountains or at counter service locations if it is available!

[joonyer]

There's nothing "wrong" with the the water from the fountains at WDW, except:

1. The municipal water in Central Florida, as in many other places in the the south, has a higher sulfur content, so it has a distinctive odor and taste. and
2. Most of the fountains at MK especially are not very cold. When I'm hot, I like my drinking water to be ice cold. It's hard to find a fountain at WDW with ice cold water.

But you don't have to buy bottled water. You can get a cup of ice water at any restaurant or counter service spot for free. It's just not advertised. (the colder the water, the less noticeable the sulfur smell & taste)

[sainter]

If you don't like the taste of the water, you can use a bottle filter. Brita used to make one called "Fill and go" filters. They are not available in the store anymore, but I have bought them on ebay. One filter is good for over 1000 20 oz bottles! OR you can always add the little single serve packets of flavoring or teas to a bottle.

[mom2morgan]

LOL, Well I agree that not all water tastes great. However, I work for a non-profit that supplies clean drinking water purification systems to countries that are dying from bacteria and parasites in their drinking water (we just recently returned from Haiti).

Well THAT sure puts the whole "Gross Orlando Water" in perspective!!
I do have major issues with bottled water - but I admit I buy it occasionally when there is nothing else handy. In WDW I carry packets of Crystal Light if I need to mask the taste of the water.

[PETE FROM NYC]

What we found out last September was that Epcot was the only theme park with cold fountains.
BTW, the fountains in the lobby of Pop were cold too.
DW and I are both ECV users, so we each had a 1/2 gallon insulated jug filled with either ice water or a cold drink riding in the basket.
That worked out great and saved money.

[Seasonscraps]

For me it's a taste preference - I like ice cold water without flavoring to disguise the nasty taste I experience when I drink FL tap water.

[joelkfla]

To add to the quick serve option:

More and more quick serve locations are getting self-serve beverage bars. You only have to ask for a water cup or BYOB, and then help yourself to all the ice and water you can drink.

[DizneyRox]

As with most others, Florida tap water doesn't agree with me. If it doesn't come out of a bottle in Florida, I try not to drink it. This includes the coffee and fountain soda. Even the OJ and other reconstituted drinks. The ice is enough to makle me gag at times...

[dnickels]

LOL, Well I agree that not all water tastes great. However, I work for a non-profit that supplies clean drinking water purification systems to countries that are dying from bacteria and parasites in their drinking water (we just recently returned from Haiti).

For those that are interested in the "bottled water industry" I suggest you watch a movie called "Flow" you might learn that bottled water has it's own health issues and there is a fight currently going on for ownership of the world's drinking water. I come from the Michigan so the Great Lakes is very important to me! So I will "suffer" with gross tasting water occasionally knowing that at least I have clean drinking water available.

I will have a bottled water bottle, but since I only want to carry one bottle around, I will not have a problem in refilling it from water fountains or at counter service locations if it is available!

Good to know I'm not the only one who thinks drinking bottled water is for the birds! The last info I saw on the US is that less than 20% of the bottles from bottled water in the US gets recycled. 80% of 28 BILLION single serving bottles is a lot of trash I'm happy to have no part in contributing to. Even in Disney I see a lot of those bottles in trash cans or getting vacuumed up at the end of the night. Dollars to donuts says Disney doesn't sort through that to pull the recyclable stuff out of the trash.

There are plenty of drinking fountains around the parks so you shouldn't have a problem. I'm not picky, I drink out of streams and rivers all the time when I'm camping (after treating for microorganisms) and I don't even notice the sulfur smell some people mention in Florida water.

[poeticeclipse]

I don't like waste. If i'm on the DDP and i'm at a CS restaurant I get a bottle of water and then reuse that bottle for the rest of the day. When I get back to my resort at the end of the night I toss the bottle in the recycle bin.

We refill our water bottles at the drinking fountains. Staying hydrated is far more important to us than enjoying the taste of our water. I do have to say that Epcot has the best fountain water. MK is definitely the warmest. I have a hard time drinking it if it's warm. I'll just poor the warm stuff on the back of my legs and neck if I get hot. Haha!

[DisneyFr33k]

Tap water tastes gross.

And, it's warm gross water.

[divinedi]

I also don't buy single serving water bottles any longer, unless there really is no alternative. I have reusable water bottles at home that I fill up before I leave home and drink that when I'm out. The very odd time that I do buy bottled water, I make a point of making sure it goes in the recycling, even if I have to bring it home to do so. On that note, I was very concerned and surprised that DW didn't have more recycling bins around.....so when we took the Keys to the Kingdom tour Jan. 2009, I asked our guide about this very thing. She explained to us, and I certainly hope that this is the truth, that they don't bother, because of the fact that a lot of people will just throw everything in the trash and don't use the recycling bins, but that all trash is sorted through and anything recyclable does indeed get recycled! It certainly made me feel better, but I will still walk out of my way to find a recycle bin!!

[DizneyRox]

Recycling is big business, I'm sure Disney does this, even if it's after the fact. There are probably different costs associated with recylcable vs non recyclable waste, and Disney only wants to pay what it needs to.

[Scar]

When I'm hot, I like my drinking water to be ice cold.

Not me. I got a headache just reading that.

[Mitzie]

As a cost cutting measure we purchased an aluminum/stainless bottle from the Disney store(it was cute with Mickeys all over it) and fill it up at the drinking fountains. It became a fun thing with the kids. Whoever saw a fountain would go and fill the bottle. It wasn't always that cold but when you are thirsty- hey you take what you can get.

[Julie_Mouse]

Agreed. Fountain water is usually warm (I don't specifically remember cold water at Epcot, but I will take your word for it ). But like Scar, I also get really bad brain-freeze from guzzling cold water so using the water fountains doesn't bother me too much