Help solve a spouse debate on germs, sickness and Disney

[mydisneykids]

Washing after the bathroom and before eating without question. But I find I pull out the sanitizer or wipes after rides where we are touching something that many hands have touched-the guns on Buzz and TSMM, the the handle to spin on the teacups. The number of times I have seen a little one picking their nose in one of those lines or seen someone walk out of the bathroom without washing their hands, and I am sure those people have ridden those rides. It isn't as much for me about the germs, but hoping to rid my mind of the ewww factor.

 

[epcotfan]

I've gotten sick at WDW so many times it isn't funny. I was recently there about two weeks ago and I took a probiotic with meals 3X a day. I didn't get sick this trip. I also carry wet wipes and wash my hands frequently.

 

[kimieko]

I wash my hands whenever possible, DH carries hand sanitizer and I don't touch more than I need to. On my last trip I was astounded at how many people would sneeze without covering their face, cough without covering their face and pick their noses!!....disgusting disgusting habit. So my germafobia kicks in and I am anal about keeping as clean as possible.

 

[stargazertechie]

Well, based on incubation period, 4 doctors are fairly certain that I got mono from my last Disney trip.

Disney trip required 2 vacation days.

Mono required 20 vacation and sick days combined.

I will be paying MUCH more attention to handwashing and not needlessly touching handrails on my next trip, ESPECIALLY since mono leaves your immune system compromised, making you more succeptible to illness.

 

[Ava]

We just do what we do at home - wash hands after using the restroom and before eating. And try not to let the toddler lick things. We don't take any "extra precautions" beyond that. We live in NYC and ride public transportation every day, so I'm not overly concerned about other peoples' germs at Disney.

 

[disneysteve]

fairly certain that I got mono from my last Disney trip.

Wow. That wasn't easy to do. Mono is spread through direct contact with saliva and the virus only lives on surfaces as long as they remain wet. You would have had to touch something that someone with mono had just licked recently enough that it hadn't dried yet and then put your hand right into your mouth. Ick.

 

[hammie59]

I usually have hand sanitizer with me and we always wash our hands before eating. This is normal everyday life for us when we're out and about. So at a place like Disney where there are SO MANY people touching the same things as us, we're even more diligent. It amazes me when I see people leave a bathroom without washing their hands . I know we can't avoid everything, but I try to minimize the damage.

 

[Roxyfire]

I agree with getting something from air travel or for me, just being on a different schedule.
You can get stuff at the grocery store! I visit the nursing home and touch the elevator buttons etc. I think for me to not touch my face. I just make sure to wash my hands or use hand gel.

Ha my mother volunteers at a nursing home and she always covers her hand with her shirt before touching the elevator buttons. I thought it was crazy at first but it made sense after I thought about how many people come and go from there all the time, just like a hospital.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Wait... you use hand sanitizer after every ride? You know that's not actually good for you, right?

http://time.com/96112/why-im-breaking-up-with-hand-sanitizer/

 

[jenf22]

I've gotten sick at WDW so many times it isn't funny. I was recently there about two weeks ago and I took a probiotic with meals 3X a day. I didn't get sick this trip. I also carry wet wipes and wash my hands frequently.

I start everyone on a probiotic a week or so before we go on vacation. I figure it can't hurt. And I've started wiping down the airplane seats, arm rests, and anything the kiddo could possibly touch on the plane. I also carry wet wipes and TRY to remember to use them before we eat. I also tell our kiddo "stop touching your face" about a million times too

 

[niffer5150]

at home we do the very minimum, just hand washing after bathroom and before you eat.

on vacation(and the few weeks before we leave) we follow a routine that you would follow if you worked at a lab or in a hospital. when you actually know how and why you get sick, you can eliminate a fair portion of the causes. the basics being: stay healthy by sleeping well and not over doing it, don't touch your face, wash hands often and properly, use a alcohol based sanitizer when applicable, and be VERY aware of cross contamination. this however will not protect you from the hag in line on splash mountain who turns around and sneezes without warning into your face.

 

[ttintagel]

I didn't take any special precautions on my last trip and ended up with walking pneumonia on my last day. You get that many people crammed in together, especially lost of little kids, and it's a breeding ground for bacteria. Not to mention the recycled air on the planes so many of us travel there in! Use that hand sanitizer and wipe those Quick Service tables down!

 

[rainboots]

We are in the 'wash at restrooms, maybe before meals' camp. DD5 is a kid who touches EVERYTHING & loves to eat candy she finds on playgrounds/store floors. Yes, dog food, too. She is the reason I'm going gray. She is rarely ever sick. Her habits make me gag, but that is only a temporary illness! Ha! (She has been told not to do these things, but she has always been a strong willed kid!)

My sister is the super OCD hand sanitizer/hand washing/freaks out about her DD touching stuff. She is no less sick than we are.

Different strokes!

 

[bluezy]

Wow. That wasn't easy to do. Mono is spread through direct contact with saliva and the virus only lives on surfaces as long as they remain wet. You would have had to touch something that someone with mono had just licked recently enough that it hadn't dried yet and then put your hand right into your mouth. Ick.

Yet another reason not to lick a stranger's face.

I also got mono after traveling one time (not to Disney but to the Indy 500). My doctor said I probably picked it up from a water fountain. That was the end of me drinking from public fountains.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

 

[stargazertechie]

Wow. That wasn't easy to do. Mono is spread through direct contact with saliva and the virus only lives on surfaces as long as they remain wet. You would have had to touch something that someone with mono had just licked recently enough that it hadn't dried yet and then put your hand right into your mouth. Ick.

Epstein-Barr is also spread via droplet. So someone sneezing in a queue without covering their face properly is also a very real possibility for transmission.

 

[famy27]

at home we do the very minimum, just hand washing after bathroom and before you eat.

on vacation(and the few weeks before we leave) we follow a routine that you would follow if you worked at a lab or in a hospital. when you actually know how and why you get sick, you can eliminate a fair portion of the causes. the basics being: stay healthy by sleeping well and not over doing it, don't touch your face, wash hands often and properly, use a alcohol based sanitizer when applicable, and be VERY aware of cross contamination. this however will not protect you from the hag in line on splash mountain who turns around and sneezes without warning into your face.

I was once standing in line (not at Disney), and the person behind me coughed on the back of my neck. He made no attempt to cover his mouth. I could feel the saliva. I turned around and gave him a dirty look, and he didn't seem the least bit embarrassed. Some people are so disgusting.

 

[AngiTN]

Please help solve a little debate for DH and I. We have very different approaches on germs and Disney.

DH approach: touch lots of things without concern, don't wash hands after rides or at all throughout the day, wash hands before meals if it is convenient, hope you don't get sick, but if you do it's just a part of life.

My approach: try not to needlessly run your hands along handrails, etc, use hand sanitizer/wipes after rides, wash with soap and water before eating, try to avoid sickness by doing what you can (while knowing that you can't avoid everything and want to have fun in the process).

We're truly curious your thoughts and experiences on this and if either approach really makes a difference... what approach do you/your family use and what have been the results on getting sick or not during or after your vacation? Thanks!

We approach everything as your DH does. We never get sick, nor at home, nor at Disney. I truly believe being too clean maskes you more sick

 

[Minnesota!]

I do the exact same things at Disney that I do in the rest of my life - wash hands before eating and after using bathrooms, and don't lick handrails or strangers' faces.

Pretty much!

 

[aleksandr]

I try to avoid touching any surfaces. Not OCD avoidance, just a mental note not to slide hands along handrails, etc.

Have you ever watched folks at the restrooms at Disney (or at ANY public place for that matter)? I can't count the number of times I've seen people exit stalls and walk right out of the bathroom w/o even a glance at the sink. GROSS, GROSS, GROSS. Do you want to touch what they just touched afterwards? I certainly don't.

Many "food poisoning" type illnesses at theme parks are caused by norovirus. They are insanely infectious. A person who has a norovirus and vomits can actually aerosolize the virus and spread it everywhere. It can live on inorganic surfaces for periods of a week or more! You certainly don't want to get that on your hands from touching an infected surface and then touching your mouth, eyes, or nose.

I know this sounds very OCD, but I simply go with the flow. I'm not hyper diligent about things, and if I find I oopsed, I don't immediately break out hand sanitizer. If you get sick, you get sick. C'est la vie.