Fodor's Travel Talk Forums

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)
-   Air Travel (https://www.fodors.com/community/air-travel/)
-   -   Pack water (https://www.fodors.com/community/air-travel/pack-water-524009/)

jacquipals Apr 25th, 2005 09:09 AM

Pack water
 
Has anyone ever tried to pack bottled water in a suitcase before? I need lots of water for my babies' bottles and am afraid it will leak. thanks.

Flyboy Apr 25th, 2005 01:58 PM

Sealed plastic water bottles are fairly durable and you shouldn't have too many problems if you don't overpack. The issue that you may not have considered, however, is weight. While bottled water is available almost anywhere you would care to travel and prices vary, an overweight suitcase could be the most expensive bottled water you could ever use. Bring what you need for the actual transit and perhaps a little margin, but do yourself a favor and don't try to carry the stock for your stay.

AAFrequentFlyer Apr 25th, 2005 02:12 PM

I agree with <b>Flyboy</b>. Why the need to pack bottled water? It's available anywhere in the world.

FainaAgain Apr 26th, 2005 08:18 AM

You have at least 2 babies as you said &quot;my babies&quot;. Will you rent a car at the airport? Can you stop at a supermarket and get gallons there instead of lagging the suitcases?

jacquipals Apr 26th, 2005 12:37 PM

I am traveling to Disney World and will not have a car. I am estimating spending about $50 a day on water. The good thing with Disney is that once I check my bags at the airport, the Disney resort we are staying at picks them up at the airport and automatically brings them to your room. My only hard part will be lifting it out of the taxi to the check-in at the airport. I'm not a cheap person but $50 a day for just water is hard to swallow (pun not intended). Thanks for your advice.

clevelandbrown Apr 26th, 2005 01:14 PM

I think most of us are thinking about the liter bottles, or smaller, when we say we carry them without leakage.

I wonder if you are talking about the gallon bottles, or larger, which I would guess would not be up to the rigors of being bounced around by the luggage handlers, and if you are carrying that much water, I would be concerned that your suitcase itself would be damaged.

You are going to have to buy the water somewhere, so I would suggest you lug a nominal amount, then get a taxi at the resort and go to a grocery there and stock up. Save yourself the hassles of trying to carry so much weight.

Water weighs about 8.5 pounds per gallon, and I think a common limitation on checked baggage is that you are allowed two bags, neither of which can weigh more than 50 pounds, so if you put six gallons into any one bag, you will be hit with an excess weight fee. I don't know if you are buying tickets for your children and what the weight limitation for them would be; you could look it up.

Sunnyboy Apr 26th, 2005 02:12 PM

Your babies must consume a lot of water for you to be thinking it will cost you $50 per day. Even at inflated resort prices I can't imagine anyone carrying that much water in their luggage. Even if you were only going for a few days you wouldn't have enough room for the water let alone clothing. As others have said you will have to travel from the airport to WDW and on the way you will pass many supermarkets where you can buy bottled water for about the same price as you would at home. Just ask the driver if he would be kind enough to stop while you pick up your supply. If he/she declines the worst case scenario would be you'd have to take a cab from the resort to make a water buying run. It would still be easier than lugging water in your luggage and much cheaped when you factor in the excess baggage fees you'd surely be assessed if you carried as much water as you imply that you need.

NoFlyZone Apr 26th, 2005 02:55 PM

$50 a day!!! At those prices feed 'em diesel!

Jeesh, what is this world coming to?

AAFrequentFlyer Apr 26th, 2005 03:56 PM

This is got to be some kind of a joke, but if it's not, you still have to take a taxi from the airport to the resort, don't you? If that's the case, have the cabbie stop at a market, 7-Eleven or something similar and stock up. It may cost you extra couple of $ for the cabbies extra time, but that's it.

If you still insist on carrying it with you, then you are an idiot! Sorry, but it's that simple. Also consider the fact that TSA agents may want to investigate why you have all this water in your suitcases. They may think it's something else. Just a tought.

J62 Apr 26th, 2005 05:09 PM


This is no joke. Bottled water at Disney costs $2.50/bottle (20oz) which is a lot considering that when you can buy a case (32 x 0.5lit) for $5 at the supermarket.

OP estimates for 2 babies she uses 12 bottles a day (previous post). I'm not sure if she meant 12 x 20oz bottles or smaller ones (one would assume). I know it's hard for me to drink 6 x 20oz bottles (that's ~1 gallon water) per day without having to go every 2min.

Jacquipals - perhaps if you rerun the #'s you'll come out with a much smaller number that'll calm your fears about paying $50/day on water.

kp Apr 26th, 2005 05:29 PM

If the children will be drinking that much and the family can't stop at a store to pick up water---think of how many diapers will need to be packed!!!

jacquipals Apr 26th, 2005 05:42 PM

Honest, this is not a joke. My girls consume 7 to 8 8 ounce bottles a day, so am assuming I would have to buy 16 little Poland Spring bottles which I've been told sell for $3 each inside Disney World and this is the only size you can buy. We are taking Disney transportation from the airport because they pick up our luggage from baggage claim for us and that would be easier with all the other stuff we have to lug around. The last time I was at Disney I remember it taking forever to get outside of Disney itself because it really is it's own little city. I really just wanted to take a 2-3 day supply and try to save at least some money. Giving them tap water makes me nervous.

KT Apr 26th, 2005 06:08 PM

Does it have to be spring water or would filtered water do? If filtered water is okay (and a lot of the bottled brands are no more than that), it would be a lot easier to buy and carry a Brita filter and then you'd be able to use it at home, too.

gail Apr 27th, 2005 01:06 AM

I do not know how old your babies are or if they have special medical needs - but why do they need bottled water? I can understand not wanting them drinking from random water fountains, but what is making you nervous about tap water?

jacquipals Apr 27th, 2005 06:03 AM

Years ago the town next to where I live had contaminated drinking water which the city ignored and dozens of children wound up getting cancer because of it and died. Because of that I would never drink tap water again. But the filter is a great idea, I never thought of doing that. Thanks.

wally34949 Apr 27th, 2005 06:45 AM

Can't you go to the bathroom at Disney and fill up a bottle with tap water? I believe in tap water and not bottled water because it helps build one's immune system. Just think about those people in South America, swimming, bathing, peeing and drinking the water. Their system is used to it. Maybe you should bring some bottled air for your kids, too.

FainaAgain Apr 27th, 2005 07:45 AM

I think what Jacqui is not explaining in this post, but mentions in another one, that the water is not only for drinking, but for mixing baby formulas. Now consuming 7-8 bottles a day doesn't look like too much, right?

rb_travelerxATyahoo Apr 27th, 2005 09:40 AM

I've not changed my original position about municipal water (yes, freak things like in Woburn MA happen) but if you (jacquipals) feel it necessary for all that water, then:

Why not purchase larger gallon+ sized jugs of water and refill those smaller bottles?

btw, YOU (jacquipals) didn't grow up on bottled water, did you?? So assuming you're in good enough condition for a couple of births, couldn't your little ones survive non-bottled water too???

NoFlyZone Apr 27th, 2005 01:28 PM

I can assure you that the tap water in Florida is completely safe. If it weren't we would be insisting that tourists drink it.

CarolA Apr 30th, 2005 04:11 AM

A few suggestions...

Ship the stuff to your hotel.

www.wegoshop.com They deliver to Disney hotels and have great reviews

www.netgrocer.com They will ship it for you.

Brita water bottles are purification tablets. (And then calm down. Statisticially a week a Disney even if the water was horrid won't give your babies cancer. Those kids drank that water for years. And I have been drinking tap water all over the world for 40 plus years and don't have cancer yet)


You don't want to lug all that water. Chances are you will be over the weight limit on your luggage and that will cost you lots more then Disney water does.

Have you been to www.disboards.com?


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 11:22 AM.