Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

One of the most common topics I see in many of the various Disney forums today is, "What's the best way to stay hydrated at DisneyWorld, and how can I make it affordable?" Well, after asking around in a number of forums, I've seen a lot of ideas:

• Bottled Water - Purchase Cases and freeze the bottles overnight.
• Purchase bottled water with snack credits
• Make use of the water fountains - I believe there is one in particular that some recommend, but I can't recollect where I read it.
• Hydration packs

I'm going with the hydration pack this year. I was able to purchase 2 Camelbak Mini Mules from Sunnysports for just under $35.00. Since my order was over $50.00, I got free shipping. I received them via UPS in about 5 day's time. They did offer some other shipping options, but I wasn't in a hurry to get them, and I'm trying to save every penny I can. ( Yes, I know that statement was probably an oxymoron in the present context, but hey you can't blame a guy for trying.)

Now the thing I loved about these packs was that the packs were smaller ( 50 oz water supply), and built better for the girls' small sizes. I have a large pack that I hunt with that carries much more water, I couldn't imagine either one of them carrying that.  Each pack has a small pouch at the top that you could probably put an MP3 player in, along with a zip pouch perfect for, Disney Keys to World Cards, Gift Cards, Fast Passes, a camera, sunscreen, and chapstick. An open outer-pouch that expands might be perfect for a stow-away poncho. You could probably even put some snacks in here.

We're giving this one a try for the girls this year. We will fill it up with ice in the mornings at the resort, and be off to the parks. I think we will try using some crystal light or tea in them too to see how that does.

One thing to keep in mind is to make sure you clean them out each evening. This is very important, especially if you put some flavored drink in them. I've simply used dishwashing liquid in the past, and cleaned them out as soon as I was finished with them for the day. You can also purchase some of the cleaning gear that is available at most sporting goods stores, as well as Sunnysports.