Menu Monday: When It’s Hot, Save Some Dosh at Walt Disney World (Pt 2)

Well, like Toy Story 4 or Frozen 2 I am back, with a sequel to my previous article on free water at Walt Disney World. I would kindly ask that you read that article first (if you haven’t already) as this will help you understand how my harsh judging system works. It will also enlighten you to the best places go get free water in the Magic Kingdom. In this follow-up, which I hope does not go straight to DVD like Simba’s Pride, I am going to review the free water options in the other three main Disney theme parks. Wish me luck.

As you all know, Christmas is getting nearer so really there is no better time to do a saving money article. Who couldn’t do with saving up to $40 a day on your Disney holiday (vacation)? (Price based on a family of four each drinking four bottles of water each a day at $2.50 a time). Water is a necessity when touring any Disney theme park, but why pay out every day when Disney offers free water?

So without further ado, I will start with Epcot and everyone’s favourite; yes it’s Club Cool. If you have yet to experience this then you really need to. Coca-Cola have (Ed. – note British English uses plural possessives to refer to companies) set up a number of sample stations for their drink products around the world. OK, so it is not technically “water” but it’s free and it is a drink, albeit in mini cups, but they are limitless. I would definitely recommend Italy’s famous Beverly, but if you have already tried this, maybe taste all the different flavoured Fantas. Just remember that there is no limit to how many you can have.

The World Showcase is different, though because you can order and receive free water in most of the Pavilions, especially if you are dining in one of the many gorgeous options spread around World Showcase Lagoon. When you leave Future World and enter the World Showcase, the Refreshment Port is a great place to start as its queue is never too long and the water is filtered, served in large cups with lids and straws. This you will recall from my first article is  more formally known as a “Full Package Water”. The Refreshment Port is located on your way to the Canadian Pavilion but please do not confuse it with Promenade Refreshments, otherwise you will be drinking beer rather than water…. Some of you might believe this is a serious upgrade but no, for me that would be a little bit illegal. (Ed. – Another great place for water in Epcot is Sunshine Seasons at the Land. You may fill your water bottles from the self-service fountains there or use one of Disney’s cups.)

Disney’s Hollywood Studios has a few more places to go for a lovely cup of refreshing ice water than both the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  ABC Commissary is probably one of the best (although not my favourite as you will find out), located by the old American Idol Experience (that is now a sort of mystery as to what it will be turned into, but I suspect it will be something Frozen which would go well with ice water). It is very much like the situation in Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café in the Magic Kingdom because you have to squeeze (no shoving please) in and out of the railings (and other guests) to the front counter where you can then have to just catch the eye of the Cast Member, who is manning the soda machines, and politely ask him or her for your required numbers of iced waters, hopefully this should quench your thirst.

If this is not effective enough, or you need another quick and free hydration boost throughout your stay in the park, then why not go and grab some refreshments and have a cheeky snack simultaneously?

The Starring Rolls Café http://touringplans.com/hollywood-studios/dining/starring-rolls-cafe is perfect, however the service is slow inside because they are extremely busy and it does close at 4:00PM. The early closing always caught us out when we were in the Park as we used to go along at about 5:00PM and were then of course disappointed. This is the best option for an early morning snack and hydration boost, rather than going at 2:00PM and not being able to enjoy and admire their ButterFinger cupcake skills (and as I love a cupcake, this is my favourite).

I did say that Disney’s Hollywood Studios had the most options didn’t I? Well here are a couple more. If you venture behind Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Playground Adventure, you will find the Studio Catering Co. which is a great quick stop; but not during the typical lunch or dinner hours because this is when it is at its busiest. The Backlot Express, Echo Lake, is probably one of the best places in the park for ice water. It is often overlooked, but has a huge seating space that is not very busy. The reason for me rating this so highly is because they just hand over the empty cups for you to fill up at the soda machine. They do only give you small cups though but the water is filtered with lids and straws, once you have filled it up at the soda fountain. However this is an article about free water that is legitimate, please do not use this for anything else.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a slightly more tricky. This Park has to be one of the worst for overheating, especially in the humidity high months that Florida kindly provides. So it is really important to keep the liquid levels topped up. Good quality free water is rather scarce at Disney’s Animal Kingdom which is not helpful for this article. When you do manage to locate somewhere that provides free water (and do not worry I do have a few tips), it will not be a “full packaged water” as they will always provide them in small cups without lids or straws (for the protection of the animals).

As a family we always find that we do the most snack stopping in this park so we load up on those yummy Mickey pretzels, ‘Jungle Juice’ slushies and animal themed cupcakes. Every time you sit down and take a rest, whether it is with a snack or not, it is best to just ask the nearby counter service for a few cups of ice water. Also remember that in places like Pizzafari and Flame Tree Barbecue you can walk straight up to the counter and ask a Cast Member for the waters. The ultimate, not so well known stop for water, has to be Kusafari Coffee on the way to Kilimanjaro Safaris. Here you receive nearly full package water (no straw) and if you have noticed in the picture there might be the animal themed cupcakes I previously mentioned. But there is a time catch, just like Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which is that the animal cupcakes are not on the menu until after 11:00AM. (Ed. – Restaurantasaurus has the same self-service beverage stations that Sunshine Seasons does. This is a big favorite for TouringPlans researchers on the go at Animal Kingdom.)

I thought I should also just add this little note on the end here because a few people commented on my last article saying how they usually bring sachets and drink mixes into the theme parks to mix with their ice water.  Or they bring water bottles already prepared with frozen water. These are both really good tips for remaining hydrated and adding a blast of flavour to non-filtered water really helps. If anyone else has any helpful tips they would like to share please feel free to comment below.

Love Alex x