Florida can be a pretty steamy place — especially in the summer!
Magic Kingdom
In addition to following all the new health and safety measures Disney World has recently implemented, you’ll want to make sure you’re still drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated in that blazing Florida sun! Now that masks are required to be worn at all times while in the theme parks except when eating or drinking, you may find yourself feeling even hotter and thirstier than normal, so you’ll want to take those water breaks frequently!
Luckily, there are still plenty of ways to find water at Disney World right now. Let’s explore each one!
Bottled Water for Purchase
Bottled water is always available for purchase throughout the parks at various locations. It’s chilled and available to grab-n-go — plus you can use a contactless method of payment such as your MagicBand of Apple Pay to buy it!
Harambe Fruit Market at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The only downside is how expensive bottled water is! On average, bottled water costs about $3.50 per bottle at Disney World and you’d likely need to buy A LOT of it to stay hydrated all day!
Refillable Water Bottle
Bringing a refillable bottle from home is a more economical approach and still makes good sense if you’ll have access to a bottle refill stations. We’ve passed by several stations that are currently operating and the best part is they are contactless! Each refill station is equipped with a sensor and will begin dispensing a stream of water when it senses a bottle’s presence underneath the spigot!
Water Bottle Refill
But there are a few issues with relying on this water source. There aren’t nearly as many contactless water bottle refill stations as there are standard drinking fountains, and we’ve noticed that some of the refill stations aren’t currently operating. Because standard drinking fountains require contact, many people will likely want to avoid these for now.
Drinking Fountains Are Still Working
It wasn’t that big of a deal to refill your water bottle at a drinking fountain before, but ever since the closures, we’re being super mindful about not coming in close contact with frequently touched surfaces. In addition, we were never huge fans of the drinking fountains because the water isn’t very cold and sometimes has a funny after-taste!
Free Cups of Water
That brings us to our last, but certainly not least, water source, which is always ice-cold and totally FREE: a cup of ice water.
Free Cups of Water
Before the closures, every Disney World quick-service restaurant gave out free cups of water. Guests could walk up to the counter and ask Cast Members for one any time they wanted! And now that the parks have reopened, we are happy to confirm free cups of water are alive and well! Just keep in mind, not every dining location has or will be reopening during Disney World’s initial reopening period.
Casey’s Corner is Still Closed
Fewer restaurants might be open, but we spotted free cups of water at plenty of places at Magic Kingdom today, like the Popcorn Cart next to Cinderella Castle, Pinocchio Village Haus, and Joffrey’s Revive in Tomorrowland. We’ll do some more exploring this weekend, but it appears smaller kiosks and stands with soda fountains might be able to provide you with a free cup of water!
Free Cup of Water
And here’s another thing you need to know — many quick-service restaurants are now strongly encouraging guests to use the contactless Mobile Order feature on the My Disney Experience app to order and pay for their food. Guests must show their order to a Cast Member at the door before they’re allowed inside.
Satu’li Canteen
So what happens if you just want a free cup of water at one of these locations? Let the Cast Member at the door know you need one, and they’ll direct you to the appropriate pick-up window. Several restaurants had free cups of water pre-made and ready to give away.
Satu’li Canteen
And just like that, you can pick up your free cup of water and enjoy a quick cool down! Remember, since the tables are socially distanced inside the restaurants, you’re free to remove your mask once you’re seated while you eat and drink. You can also locate a nearby Relaxation Station where you can temporarily remove your mask if you need a break!
Free Cup of Water
Nothing hits the spot quite like an ice-cold cup of water and we’re so happy the free ones are still a thing at Disney World. To see what else we’ve been investigating at the newly reopened theme parks, click here!
Two more restaurants at Epcot have just confirmed they’ll be reopening soon! Find out which ones here!
Disney Park Reopening Details and Info
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Click HERE To See FULL LISTS of the Rides, Attractions, Shopping, Entertainment, and Restaurants Opening in Disney World!
TUTORIAL: How To Use Disney World's NEW Park Pass Reservation System
ALL Disney World Reopening Procedures
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We’re LIVE in Disney World's Magic Kingdom For the FIRST Time Since the Closures
We’re LIVE in Disney’s Animal Kingdom For the FIRST Time Since the Closures
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Everything You NEED To Know About Wearing Masks in Disney World
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How do you like to get your water at Disney World? Let us know in the comments below!
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If I am walking and need a sip of water, what is the protocol? Can I pull my mask down while walking to drink? Should I pull over somewhere to drink?
Is Disney still allowing guests to take food and water into park? We use camelbaks filled with water and want to make sure this is still allowed with current changes.
Ilene, I believe so. If the on-site team says anything different, I’ll update.
Christina, you can pull your mask up or down to drink while on the move if you want!
The free cup of water is not on the menu when I go to order from the Quick Service restaurant. How do I get a cup of water with my meal, if I don’t want to pay for bottled water??? Do I not order it and just ask when I pick up the order?
Debbie, you ask when you pick up your food. 🙂
Under normal circumstances, if I’m not ordering food do I need to wait in line? Or can I just walk up to the pick up counter and ask for water.
Cherise, this post tells us “So what happens if you just want a free cup of water at one of these locations? Let the Cast Member at the door know you need one, and they’ll direct you to the appropriate pick-up window. Several restaurants had free cups of water pre-made and ready to give away.” You can speak to the CM outside the restaurant and let them know you just want a cup of water. They should allow you to pass into the restaurant, and there may also be specific lines just for those cups.
Yes, I did see that in the post Sarah. I just wasn’t sure if under normal circumstances (not covid) when they don’t have cast members at the entrances if I needed to wait in line for water. Didn’t want to cut in front of anyone! (Nor wait in line needlessly.) Haha. Thank you for the clarification.
Cherise, thank you for clarifying! Our experience has varied depending on location and day of the week. In some locations, we could talk to a CM out front (yup, even pre-COVID), and they’d tell us to go a certain side for water (either asking a CM for it or finding pre-filled cups waiting). Other times/places, we would have to wait in line. The reporter I just spoke with tells me that water was often easier to procure on weekends (pre-filled cups) than weekdays.
Ok, that makes sense. Thank you for your help! Us newbies appreciate it! 🙂
What about water for your resort room? We drink a LOT of water and need it to take supplements. Do the resorts sell water by the gallon that isn’t distilled?
Natalie, we have seen large bottles of Dasani in the grocery coolers at Resorts, and it’s possible you may find gallon jugs. However, I can’t say with certainty whether that would be something other than distilled. If you’re concerned, you might plan for a grocery delivery upon your arrival or give your Resort a direct call to inquire.