Staying hydrated in Disney World is CRITICAL and now we’re sharing all the details with you about one key way to do that.
As you stroll through Disney World, you’ll likely notice water fountains in many spots, and while those can be useful to fill up your water bottles, proper water bottle refill stations (sometimes called hydration stations) can be even BETTER. More of these have been popping up around the parks and hotels lately, which might have you wondering — what are they, where can I find them, and how do they work? Well, we’ve got everything you need to know here!
What are refillable bottle stations?
These are water fountains specifically designed to refill bottles.
Whether you bring your own water bottle into the Parks or want to reuse a water bottle you bought in your park travels, these refillable bottle stations make it possible to refill your bottles without having to do that comical and unfruitful bottle tilt at a typical water fountain.
Where can I find these wonders of bottle-filling technology?
There are a variety of spots that have these refill stations, though some can be harder to find than others. And you never know when things might change and more stations may be added, so note that this is not yet a complete list. We’ll continue to update this list as we spot more in the parks.
Magic Kingdom
- By the TRON Lightcycle / Run Restrooms
- Inside Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe (there are 2, one on either side of the food pickup area)
- Inside Pinocchio Village Haus on the first floor
EPCOT
- Inside Connections Eatery (near the restrooms)
- Inside The Odyssey Pavillion
- Next to Guest Relations near Spaceship Earth
- Near the bathrooms around the corner from Refreshment Port
Hollywood Studios
- Near the restrooms in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (there is one near the restrooms in the Marketplace area and another by the restrooms that are closer to the First Order area)
- In the exit to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Outside by the Hollywood Studios bus stop and Skyliner restrooms
Animal Kingdom
- The queue for Na’vi River Journey
- The queue for Flight of Passage
Other Locations
- Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House — by the pool/playground
- Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House — by The Mara
- Readers have also noted that there’s one at the Kidani Village bus stop at Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club Resorts
- Inside the Stormalong Bay pool area
- Four Seasons Resort Orlando — At Walt Disney World
- Within the lobby
How do they work?
Refillable bottle stations are designed to send a single stream of water into the mouth of your water bottle without touching the bottle. There’s an outline of a bottle in the filling station that has a sensor. This sensor recognizes when you hold or place a bottle in front of it.
Once the sensor senses a bottle is in place, it will automatically send that stream of water into the bottle. As long as you’ve aligned the bottle correctly, it should fill quickly without splashing.
What if I like ice-cold water?
We have found that the water in the refillable stations is generally cool (but not cold). So if you’re fine with slightly cooler-than-lukewarm water, you’re set to go.
If you prefer freezing cold water, you may want to find a nearby quick service dining location that will give you a (free) cup of ice that you can dump into your bottle if it has a wide enough mouth. But hey — in zillion-degree weather in Orlando, just about any water is better than no water.
Do I need a bottle with a filter?
The refillable bottle stations do generally filter the water that is dispensed into bottles. However, in our experience, the water still has that distinctive central Florida taste.
So if you can’t stomach that iconic flavor, you’ll want to bring a filtered bottle that helps eliminate it or bring along flavor packets for your water (which you can buy at any grocery store and bring along with you, or order from a grocery delivery service).
Click here to see 8 water bottles that are perfect for the parks
Why would I use one of these?
For starters, they typically refill a bottle efficiently and without wasting as much water as the tip-a-bottle-in-a-water-fountain approach. They also don’t have quite as much danger of someone’s mouth just having touched the spout as water fountains do. But also, the refillable bottle stations typically keep a tally of how many plastic bottles have been saved by utilizing the refill station — it can be great to see how much plastic waste you’re helping eliminate.
We’ll keep an eye on this situation and update this post as we spot more refill stations around the parks and hotels. For more Disney World tips, click here to check out some Disney World essentials for your summer trip.
Click here to check out some of the most popular water bottles on Amazon for hot Disney World days!
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Do you like these refillable bottle stations? Tell us in the comments.
Lisa says
Thank you for this informative post.
Shannon says
We have one of these at my workplace. They are fantastic and I hope to see more of them at Disney World. Thanks for the heads up.
Canda says
I will 4 sure hope Epcot gets some too!!
Erin Norman says
I see the pic that you have had the bottle fill count at 961. I filled last night and the count now is over 22,000. I’m interested to see what the count is when I am back each time. ? Cheap entertainment
Mickey says
Yes, I will. It would be better if they could only dispense icy cold water however.
Sandra G says
One of these was installed at my workplace and really was well-used. Very simple device – just put your bottle where indicated and it automatically fills. Save lots of plastic bottles from going into the landfill. While the water tends to be the same temperature as the room, it is perfectly drinkable. Chilling would be nice but that would mean needing to add some kind of cooling mechanism which would raise the bulk and cost, and likely limit where they could be installed.
DFB Sarah says
Erin, amazing number!
Debra says
We were able to use these in June when we visited Disney.. they are not and should not be ice cold because in the heat of Orlando if you drink it ice cold it can throw you into shock and even cause death ?!
Be wise stay hydrated not over cooled!
Lindsey says
I saw one in the Odyssey building when I was there in June. They are the best.
Sandy says
Will definitely use! Hated that I was given a glass of water instead of staff taking time to fill my bottle when I would ask for water.
Johnny I. says
We saw these in Animal Kingdom while waiting in the River Ride que. Definitely a plus, considering water is expensive – and a waste of a snack credit.
Plus, the water from the fountains around WDW tastes butt-awful.
Nicole D says
I’m not sure why these aren’t everywhere on property. It would save a lot of manpower for ice waters at QS locations and is easier than waiting in line for the free water.
DFB Sarah says
Thanks, Lindsey!
Bill G says
@Sandy says
It’s not because the cast members don’t want to take the time to fill your bottle, it’s because they are not allowed to do so due to health regulations. They cannot introduce non-“sterile” articles into the “sterile” serving area.
Leigb says
I feel like these will have a much bigger impact on plastic reduction than the straw thing (getting rid of straws are fine, but comparatively speaking, water bottles use a ton more plastic). We’re starting to see these all over our here in Seattle and it seems like a lot more people carry reusable water bottles.
Mickey says
Lana,
I wasn’t complaining about Disney supplying the water for guests. I’ve filled up my water bottle from the water fountains many of times. They do what they can do.
Johanna says
Love this, hope more keep popping up. Out here at SFO they actually no longer going to sell bottled water and have these all over the airport. So if coming out to SF make sure to bring your reusable water bottler or you will be purchasing one at the airport.
LB says
FYI there are also 2 in Star Wars Lamd! One at Smugglers Run amd 1 in the land elsewhere.
Dr. Confido says
Star Wars galaxies edge has them in Disney’s Hollywood Studios Florida. I used one near the restrooms across from Black Spire Outfitters. The H2O tastes better than from the fountain right next to it.
(Save Money / Save the Environment / Stay Hydrated)
Win, Win, and Win.
I bring a semi frozen G2 Gatorade and keep refilling it with ice and water. It has a large enough opening for the ice from restaurants. I also carry a few individual flavor packets for when the available water tastes too bad.
I stay cool and hydrated in the Florida sun, and save a ton. I visit one or more parks each week to get the most value from my Annual Pass, and I never pay for drinks.
DFB Sarah says
Thanks, Dr. Confido!
TG says
Do you know the maximum height your bottle can be to fit in order to refill?
Irene says
Nothing is CA yet??
Caitlin Homsey says
Hi thanns for the info to start but does anyone know if its Florida tap water or filtered water not trying to sound stuck up i have a sulfur allergy and Florida water has alot of sulfur in it
RobinS says
We have these at my elementary school too! Surprisingly have held up over years of use so these were a good investment by Disney. Someone keep posting those numbers on the count! That will be fun to watch! Doc you got me jealous with how much you can go to Disney! Then again, I’ve got Dollywood in my backyard so I can’t complain! These refill stations do have a filter that needs changing periodically that helps with the taste of the water. Yeti water bottles will keep ice from your resort all day, but shockingly, so will LUKE!!! I’m talking about the Skywalker $30 metallic looking drink cup they sell at AoA or Pop or other resorts. We didn’t want to risk dropping it and scratching or denting it, so we left it in the car on a 90 degree day and it STILL had ice in it when we returned to the car later that evening!!! Coffee is kept scalding hot just like when it was first dispensed. Best souvenir we bought!
Jude Vecoli says
I had heard about these, but didn’t know their locations. I was stunned to see one halfway through the queue to the Pandora ride. Why would they limit access like that? I am extremely disappointed and hope that they rectify this with more accessible locations soon.
DFB Sarah says
Jude, it is unfortunate that Animal Kingdom so far only has the two refill stations in the Pandora ride queues. Those are very helpful for folks standing in the lines for long periods of time, but no one else can access them. I keep hoping Disney will add a lot more refill stations throughout the Parks, so we’ll keep our eyes peeled.