We’ve been covering Disney World food for 15 years, and that means we have many memories of things that were…unfortunate in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Mickey Waffle (2009)
Yes, we’ve had our fair share of not-so-great Disney World snacks, but there were two things about Disney World that DID have to do with dining, but not in the way you’d expect, that was ROUGH. These two things went from being constantly complained about to now being non-issues, which shows just how far things have come in a decade and a half. Those two things? Coffee and water.
When we started reporting on Disney World food and snacks, coffee in the parks was basically nonexistent. The first Joffrey’s location opened at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon in 1995, and a second location opened at Disney’s Blizzard Beach soon after. However, Joffrey’s didn’t become the official specialty coffee of Disney World, Disneyland Resort, and Disney Vacation Club until 2012, which was only a few years after Disney Food Blog was created.
Joffrey’s
Can you imagine that? Being in the Disney World parks with no coffee? If you needed a pick-me-up before your park day, your only option on property was instant coffee in your hotel room which was…we won’t sugarcoat it, it was disgusting. It was caffeine, but it was gross. If you were driving in, you could try to stop and get coffee before your park day, but that proved difficult for many guests, so instant coffee it was.
Joffrey’s
That all changed from 2012 onwards when the partnership was made official. Now, if you’re drinking coffee on Disney World property and it’s not from a Starbucks location (which also didn’t exist in Disney World and Disneyland until 2014), it’s Joffrey’s. As Joffrey’s began ramping up its production and working with Disney on the different blends offered, you were able to find coffee around more and more areas of the parks. With the addition of the Starbucks locations, by around 2015, the coffee problems were solved in Disney World.
Starbucks
Now, as for water, you’d think that water was always a good quality in Disney World, right? WRONG. For YEARS. Tap water in Disney World was an absolute joke — so gross that people would be sure they brought flavor packets with them to just make it bearable. And we’re not just talking about what you could get out of a sink on property — no, tap water is used for all those free water cups you can get around Disney World, so any water fountain or cup of water from a quick service location was that disgusting tap water.
Water Dispenser
It was a major talking point on Disney message boards for years, complaining about how gross, swampy, and dirty-tasting the water in Disney World was UNLESS you purchased bottled water. But no one talks about that now, so what changed? Thankfully, throughout the years Disney World has improved their filtration systems both in their restaurants and at the self-service water refill stations/water fountains, so that the dirty flavor of the water is no longer present.
Water fountain and refill station
Yes, the water is still going to taste different than bottled water, because it IS still tap water, but we personally don’t have any issues with its taste now, and we think a lot of our readers would say the same. At the very least, it’s a DEFINITE improvement than what it used to be!
FREE water in Magic Kingdom!
Be sure to stay tuned to DFB as we take walks down memory lane during MegaFest, and, of course, for all the latest Disney news!
These are the 10 commandments of Disney World, and we’re SURE you’ve broken some of them (don’t worry, we have too)
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I tasted worse water. English Garden bottles water taste like hose water. I rather drink actual hose water.
We took our kids to WDW in 2013 and let me tell you, the water was disgusting! I did A LOT of planning and watch A LOT of videos that warned me about it, so I was thankfully prepared for the kids. I brough MIO drops and lemonade/Kool-Ade packets and we used them the entire time. Back then, there was only water fountains so filling up water bottles was a big pain. Fast forward to 2024, we just went with the family again in June. I again, remembered to bring the MIO and this time Liquid IV for my kids (who are now 17 and 22). Thank goodness the water tastes so much better. It’s better cold for sure. However, even out of the water refilling stations, with the MIO and flavor packets, we stayed hydrated and were very happy.
My family would always order drinks with no ice, because it would ruin the taste of any beverage. Thank goodness they have improved it.
Well, I have to admit that I was only in America for the first time in 2019 and therefore also in Disneyworld, and I have to say the water is terrible. Like all over the US, it tastes extremely like Clor, so my family and I always need a small flavor tablet. Good thing I didn’t try it when you still thought it was bad. Thank you for your great reports and happy 15th birthday.
I’m English. I drink tea not coffee. As for the tap water, you’ve obviously never been to Cyprus, Malta or especially Egypt. Florida tap water is just fine.