How to stay hydrated in Disney

I received free samples from Drink in a Box, but all opinions are honest and my own.  Contains affiliate links.

If you travel to Disney during the summer, or really any time of year, it’s so important to stay hydrated.  You’ll be doing a lot of walking, the sun is strong, and if you sweat you’re losing water that way.  I also go down to Disney for a lot of race weekends and it’s even more important for me to stay hydrated in Disney  because I need my body in good shape to run!  However, it’s sometimes one of those easier said than done things.

Buying bottled water in the parks is expensive.  You’re paying $2.50-$3.00 for one bottle of 20 oz. of water.  I generally try to consume 75 oz. of water on a normal day (when I’m not in the hot sun and walking around a theme park all day!).  So if I bought bottled water every time I’d be spending $12+ on water per day.

One decent alternative is buying a case of bottled water if you’re driving down or you have a car and have the chance to go to a grocery store (or you’re getting groceries delivered).  The downside of the bottled water is that you’d have to carry around multiple bottles if you want them throughout the day.  I’ve done this before where I’ll carry 1 or 2 bottles and then buy more throughout the day which cuts down on the price a little bit.  You could also refill the plastic bottle at the water fountains, but I’ve found that they cheap bottled water bottles don’t hold up that well to multiple refillings.

Another solution is to bring a refillable water bottle.  The problem I’ve always had with this is a couple of things. I’m worried about it spilling in my bag.  I have no great place to put it – the backpack I use has side pockets, but the typical round water bottles don’t quite fit well.

And then I was introduced to Drink in the Box at Blogger Bash.  The concept is pretty ideal for Disney trips – it’s a refillable water (or juice) bottle that is unbreakable/unspillable.  I used it on my last trip and absolutely fell in love with it.  There are a couple of things that put it over the edge for me compared to a regular water bottle:

It’s smaller.  For some this may be inconvenient, but I loved the small 12 oz. size (they make an even smaller one at 8 oz which is perfect for kids).  It was easy to fill up at a water fountain whenever I ran out, and the smaller size meant that it was easier to carry around.  I carry so much camera stuff and other items already so I don’t want something taking up a lot of space.  And it even fits in the side pouch of my backpack!

It’s a one-handed operation.  This is probably my favorite thing about Drink in the Box.  It’s got a flip top that opens with the push of a button, and then there’s straw to drink out of.  Since I was able to keep it in the side pocket on my backpack I would just reach behind me, pull it out, push open the top and drink.  I usually always have a camera or something in my other hand, so it was great for me – and I’m sure it would be really helpful for parents trying to keep a hold on their children, too!

It really doesn’t spill.  Granted I don’t have kids to see if it’s kid-proof, but I’m pretty clumsy enough myself.  Not only did Drink in a Box put up with me, it also survived on roller coasters like Space Mountain, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, and Expedition Everest.  I did not at any point have a spill.  The only thing I will say is that when you’re filling it up for the first time, pop open the top at first over a sink – I noticed that sometimes the pressure when it was really full would make a little bit squirt out the straw when I first opened it.  But once I did that, problem solved!

The company also makes a product called Snack in the Box.  If you like to bring in little snacks to the theme parks this is another great item.  It’s a tough box so stuff won’t get beat up or turn into crumbs.  And it’s divided into two sections so you can carry two different snacks with you.  I brought mine on the plane so I would have something to snack on.  I filled it up with cereal on one side and cheese-its on the other and it was very convenient.  I imagine those with younger kids would really enjoy it.

When you’re in Disney you need to be drinking lots of water, no question about it.  Drink in the Box made this a much easier process for me, and I would recommend it to you too!  You can get their products through Amazon – they have the Drink in the Box 12 oz, Drink in the Box 8 oz, and the Snack in the Box.  My Drink in the Box will be coming on all m Disney trips now!

How do you stay hydrated in Disney?