What counts as a soft sided cooler?

Janir

Well-Known Member
I'm looking to get a cooler to bring into the WDW Parks but was curios as to what WDW defines as a soft sided cooler?
I'm looking at a "soft sided cooler" ( as advertised) with a hard insert inside of it so it will hold ice with out leaking all over me as I carry it or store it. Planning to stay in a Deluxe Studio so I won't have a full on freezer for freezer pack to use so was planning on using ice machine ice as needed to keep cold water and other drinks for in the parks. Yeah we get free water at various restaurants but many are hit or miss as to the water taste quality and $4 for a soda gets old fast. Wife and I have spent too much money on just water and soda in a park that we could have another dinner somewhere when you start adding things up or get some Mickey treats to take back.
If anyone has any experience with a soft sided cooler in the parks with a hard insert and was ok with it, I'd lve to know. I've got a email out to WDW Customer Service but haven't heard back yet.
 

larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Premium Member
Just curious as to why that would bother you, I believe the ice machines refill all day long, don't they? Do you think they should go purchase ice from the store?
It's a holdover from the many times I've tried to get ice in the bucket for use in my room only to find someone had just cleaned out the ice bin by filling their cooler to keep stuff cold on the trip home.

Yeah, I'd say that if folks are going to get ice to fill a cooler, they should buy it.
 
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LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
It's a holdover from the many times I've tried to get ice in the bucket for use in my room only to find someone had just cleaned out the ice bin by filling their cooler to keep stuff cold on the trip home.

Yeah, I'd say that if folks are going to get ice to fill a cooler, they should buy it.

I am one of those guilty parties. But I have a small cooler with less food in it on the return trip. So if there's no ice in the ice machine on the 3rd floor at Copper Creek, blame me. 😁
 
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Dave B

Well-Known Member
It's a holdover from the many times I've tried to get ice in the bucket for use in my room only to find someone had just cleaned out the ice bin by filling their cooler to keep stuff cold on the trip home.

Yeah, I'd say that if folks are going to get ice to fill a cooler, they should buy it.
Tat is like saying I should limit the use of Ketchup or mustard or BBQ sauce, mon now, so if you have to go up or down one floor to get ice, its really not the end of the world
 
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Swissmiss

Premium Member
Why not just freeze your water bottles in the room and use them? That’s what we did years ago when we were there in the summer. We carried them in a normal backpack and I don’t recall there being any problem with leaking. If that is a concern, you could put them inside a plastic bag first.
 
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nickys

Premium Member
Why not just freeze your water bottles in the room and use them? That’s what we did years ago when we were there in the summer. We carried them in a normal backpack and I don’t recall there being any problem with leaking. If that is a concern, you could put them inside a plastic bag first.

Most of the non-DVC rooms have fridges without a freezer compartment.

Unfortunately, as they replace the fridges in the DVC studios they are also going the same way.

The 1-beds and bigger villas have a full size fridge and freezer so you can do this.
 
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Swissmiss

Premium Member
Most of the non-DVC rooms have fridges without a freezer compartment.

Unfortunately, as they replace the fridges in the DVC studios they are also going the same way.

The 1-beds and bigger villas have a full size fridge and freezer so you can do this.

We were in a standard room, not in DVC. Our fridge was not a full size fridge but still had an albeit small freezer compartment that was big enough to freeze 2-3 water bottles.
 
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nickys

Premium Member
We were in a standard room, not in DVC. Our fridge was not a full size fridge but still had an albeit small freezer compartment that was big enough to freeze 2-3 water bottles.

Still some, but they are all getting replaced in each refurbishment. Don’t necessarily expect one next time certainly don’t rely on getting one.

Some people with medication that needs kept refrigerated are finding they need to ask the front desk to keep it in the large fridges for them. Or using coolers to keep it chilled.
 
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Janir

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I wonder if anyone else out there shares my pet peeve about people filling personal coolers from the hotel ice machine?
Well since I don't have a full size fridge to freeze ice pack with, one is now down to filling a small cooler with ice from the machine. Not like you can fill a camping cooler and bring that into a park.
 
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Janir

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We were in a standard room, not in DVC. Our fridge was not a full size fridge but still had an albeit small freezer compartment that was big enough to freeze 2-3 water bottles.

Those small freezers in the dorm fridges don't freeze 2-3 water bottles well at all. Let alone any freezer packs. Been there done that and didn't bother with the tee shirt.
I did find a Coleman soft cooler that has welded seams to keep ice metlwater from leaking out. with out a insert. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C3VBD04/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
sys is will keep ice for about 24 hours at 90 deg. Now I'm not expecting anywhere near that, just some cold drinks for two all day in a park without spending $4 a bottle on soda or bottled water and some meds for dinner. I don't need a freezer but just as long as its not warm slush in a locker all day I'm good.
 
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Janir

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The weight of hauling one around would deter me, though I guess there are lockers? Have you considered getting a water bottle with a filter?

We did that. Taste still got us buying water and soda in the park. A full size Britta water pitcher seems to work ok for in room water in most resorts. Only place it didn't seem to help was surprisingly Grand Floridian.
 
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LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
We did that. Taste still got us buying water and soda in the park. A full size Britta water pitcher seems to work ok for in room water in most resorts. Only place it didn't seem to help was surprisingly Grand Floridian.

I have a Zero filtered water pitcher I bring to Disney. I use that filtered water to fill my Brita filtered bottle. No issues with the funky taste. And I refill it from QS counter locations as the water they serve must be filtered to remove the taste.
 
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aliceismad

Well-Known Member
I keep eight frozen bottles in a backpack. It's not so bad.
Maybe I'm a wuss. Carrying the equivalent of a bowling ball sounds awful. I'm sure my DH would do it though. I've never had an issue with the WDW water. (And if I do, maybe I'll just eat Dole Whips instead.)

Edited cause I can spell good
 
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