Keeping hydrated

[Figment1989]

Alright - one month from tomorrow is our honeymoon! (and there's a little event the week before that, but shhhhh ) One consideration we've had while planning is hydrating as we are going at the end of July and temps will likely be at least in the 90s. Definitely not complaining - I knew what I was getting into when we booked this.

I personally HATE how the water tastes from the water fountains, so I got a collapsable water bottle and some flavored powders.

My fiance is thinking about bringing one of our Camelbaks for him primarily.

My main questions are:
Does the water from the fountains still taste kinda funky and warm? I was last there in 2011 (and 2009 the time before that)
Does anyone have suggestions about how we can keep the water in the camelbak cold?
Is the free water from the restaurants the same as the water fountains?

Thank so much! Everyone is being so helpful

 

[cw1982]

When we were there two weeks ago, all QS food places would cheerfully give us cups of ice water. The water came from the soda fountains and did not taste like water fountain water and was nice and cold. Personally, I wouldn't bother with the camelbaks. It's one more thing to keep up with, and the ice cold water is free for the taking on demand. Drink what you want and throw the rest away if you are about to get in line for an attraction and can't take it with you. No big deal, because the next place will give you more no questions asked.

The water cups they give you tend to be about the right amount of water for the flavor powders. I did this several times and it worked well for me. Just use the straw they give you to mix it up a little, and there ya go

 

[CheshireCat12]

When we were there two weeks ago, all QS food places would cheerfully give us cups of ice water. The water came from the soda fountains and did not taste like water fountain water and was nice and cold. Personally, I wouldn't bother with the camelbaks. It's one more thing to keep up with, and the ice cold water is free for the taking on demand. Drink what you want and throw the rest away if you are about to get in line for an attraction and can't take it with you. No big deal, because the next place will give you more no questions asked.

The water cups they give you tend to be about the right amount of water for the flavor powders. I did this several times and it worked well for me. Just use the straw they give you to mix it up a little, and there ya go

This. They usually give out a tall (21 oz) paper cup with a lid and ice, and it is plenty. They will give you one for everyone in your party too, so don't be afraid to ask for as many as you want. AND no need to buy other food!

 

[cw1982]

This. They usually give out a tall (21 oz) paper cup with a lid and ice, and it is plenty. They will give you one for everyone in your party too, so don't be afraid to ask for as many as you want. AND no need to buy other food!

Yep. I forgot to add those details. The vast majority of out trips to qs places was for water only. I'd walk away each time with a cup full for each of us without spending a dime.

 

[Jahona]

Last time I was there I carried a nalgene bottle and carried Mio with me. I prefer a water bottle and filling it up over getting a cup. Also if you start to get dehydrated ice water is terrible. I'm planning on doing the same thing when I go back in July. As for a camel back, If you are going to use a backpack that has the pocket then I say go ahead, carrying extra water doesn't hurt at all.

 

[Master Yoda]

Another thing to remember is to actually be hydrated before you get there. Once you are actually dehydrated, getting back to normal can take some time. Start with a decent routine about a week before you leave and stick to it.

An electrolyte supplement is not a bad idea either as you loose more than just water. My wife used Electrolyte Stamina Tablets from Trace Minerals when she was delivering mail last summer in North Florida and it made a world of difference.

 

[DManRightHere]

I think the resort has good fountain drink water.

We usually bring our own bottled waters, 2 or 3 bottles last us till we head back to the room. Get them close to freezing or frozen. That will keep them cold longer.

Whenever we eat, we ask for free courtesy waters.

We bring flavor packs as well, we didn't use them much this last trip as we've been drinking more water nowadays and notice we are a bit less thirsty when staying away from the sugary salty drinks.

I personally think a camelback is overkill.

 

[DManRightHere]

Last time I was there I carried a nalgene bottle and carried Mio with me. I prefer a water bottle and filling it up over getting a cup. Also if you start to get dehydrated ice water is terrible. I'm planning on doing the same thing when I go back in July. As for a camel back, If you are going to use a backpack that has the pocket then I say go ahead, carrying extra water doesn't hurt at all.

Oh yeah that makes a lot of sense. If you backpack can double as camel, do it!

 

[disney4life2008]

Usually about a week or two before I leave I start walking for about 30 to 60 minutes a day and loading up on water. This way my body is prepped for the heat of disney. Once there, I drink several cups of water in the morning and am usually good to go until early lunch. The key is to stay hydrated with water - stay away from soda and juice (though once I am in the resort I drink a lot).

 

[pug]

Alright - one month from tomorrow is our honeymoon! (and there's a little event the week before that, but shhhhh ) One consideration we've had while planning is hydrating as we are going at the end of July and temps will likely be at least in the 90s. Definitely not complaining - I knew what I was getting into when we booked this.

I personally HATE how the water tastes from the water fountains, so I got a collapsable water bottle and some flavored powders.

My fiance is thinking about bringing one of our Camelbaks for him primarily.

My main questions are:
Does the water from the fountains still taste kinda funky and warm? I was last there in 2011 (and 2009 the time before that)
Does anyone have suggestions about how we can keep the water in the camelbak cold?
Is the free water from the restaurants the same as the water fountains?

Thank so much! Everyone is being so helpful

No the free water from the food places is a lot better and not tap but instead better because it comes out of the pop things

 

[cw1982]

I suggested relying on the QS places for two reasons:

1) it would be hard to keep water cold for more than two hours outside of carrying around a cooler (and as the water condensates, if it's not in a cooler, it will get everything else in your bag, or just outside of your bag, wet). The ice water at the stands is always cold
2) the camelbaks can be heavy when full. They may not feel that way at first, but it adds up when you carry it around all morning.

@Master Yoda is right. It's much better to be well hydrated before you get to the parks, so that you're not having to work as hard to stay on top of your hydration while you're there. The less you have to carry in the parks, the better IMO.

 

[Christine in NJ]

I realized after our 2nd trip, that even when we were going and it wasn't so hot, I was having problems with my ears and feeling exhausted not because of low blood sugar, but because of dehydration.

Last trip I used a collapsible water bottle like the picture and filled it when I saw a fountain. Then I could drink it slowly for a bit and then fold it back up in our little travel bag until we hit another fountain. I think if you don't like the fountain water, you could add a little mio to flavor it to your liking. This way it doesn't get warm because you aren't carrying it all day and it doesn't get too heavy and I can drink as I go.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

Our experience is that some fountains are very cold and some are pretty warm-really depends on who knows what and why. We get Bobble bottles before leaving home and fill them at the fountains and it really does a good job of filtering the taste out.

Congrats and enjoy your honeymoon!!!

 

[zurgandfriend]

On our “Disney moon” my DW did not hydrate properly and it wasn’t pretty. The water in Florida is very sulfur tasting. I recommend buying some Propel water drops to flavor the water. Speaking as an old infantryman it’s a lot easier to carry a small bottle in a pocket or purse than carrying a gallon of water around all day.

 

[Figment1989]

This is great guys! I had no idea that the water from QS was better - it's great to know! And we are starting a nice regimen soon for the trip. Great point about needing to be hydrated before the trip.

As far as the camelbak - it's this one: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Came...=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=03350340&rid=40

we're definitely going to need some sort of backpack, so we were thinking of water + storage. We might just go with a super-light knapsack now that we know about the water though!

 

[DVCPluto]

I'm a water snob. Not sure how it happened, but it did. I'm also an addict who needs water on my person at all times... 24/7

We order a few things through garden grocer which always includes 4 cases of water. It basically pays for itself compared to buying bottles in the park.

That being said, I very much enjoy the CS waters - I think it's the ice. So, we do both. Poor DH carries around an obnoxiously heavy back pack that gets lighter as we drink through the day. We try to freeze them and keep them with a hand towel so other stuff doesn't get wet.

Happy anniversary!!!!!!

 

[dreamfinder]

While the CS locations will give you free ice water, you still need to wait in the food lines, so it isn't always terribly convenient. Some locations also only give you the kiddy sized small cups. The water in the fountains isn't bad, and not that warm. Especially if you use a small bottle, the chances of you drinking it all before it warms up increases significantly. A 1 or 2 liter bladder in a Camelbak will almost definitely warm up throughout the day unless you load it with ice before your start in the morning. Get a small 16oz ish sized bottle, and just carry that in your bag. Small enough to quickly refill, lasts you while waiting in line, and not too big/cumbersome. Not to mention it is way better for the environment than going through a dozen paper cups.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

What I used to do is get a cup of ice water and then bring a thing of MIO flavoring and add it! Makes the water taste so much better!

 

[LudwigVonDrake]

While in your hotel room fill your ice bucket with ice. Once it's completely melted you have drinkable water since the water in the ice machine is filtered

 

[ml123_9]

Personally I wouldn't want to carry a camelback around all day, it's going to be hot enough. Just imagine the nice sweat stain that thing will leave on the back of your shirt. We do QS water when we go and it tastes pretty good. Last time we went, we brought the flavor packets and never used them. So, I guess that means that we didn't have a problem with the taste.