Scared to go back to WDW?? :(

Yep.
Illness happens. It's part of being alive. Your immune systems got a workout, and they are all the stronger for it. There's nothing different about WDW vs commuting and going to work, apart from probably getting nowhere near enough sleep, and possibly eating junky food the whole time.

The people that commute to Seattle with my husband are exposed to whatever is at his work, and his job involves 10 guys traveling ALL over the world. They bring stuff home, they breathe while on buses, etc. You're exposed all the time to everything. IT wasn't WDW's fault. Next time get more sleep, eat proper food if that was an issue, don't burn the candle at all ends if that was an issue (my family has a tendency to WANT to do early mornings as well as late nights, and it's almost impossible to do it all and not collapse). Have a better trip.

No, you're not better off after getting complications from the flu such as pneumonia. Not at all. That's a really callous thing to say to someone who watched her kids be so sick.

And yes, I do think that WDW is different than regular life, specifically that the risk of contracting an infectious disease is much higher there. Very crowded, people all touching the same things, people from all over the world sharing viruses with each other, people who don't want to cancel their trips going there sick when they should be home, lots of kids and their hygiene issues, the list goes on and on.

As far as your lifestyle advice, thank you very much. We got plenty of rest and ate very well.

It's obviously not WDW's fault, but again, I do think there are very concrete factors that raise one's risk of contracting an infectious disease there, which I listed above.
 
It's obviously not WDW's fault, but again, I do think there are very concrete factors that raise one's risk of contracting an infectious disease there, which I listed above.

Very real -:thumbsup2- you got all those people from different regions, passing germs and viruses to other from different regions, and none of them have any systemic immunity to them...

It's a literal bacterial melting pot! So before you go, make sure you're in the best shape you can be, take supplements to bolster your immune system, practice good hygiene, and try to avoid people who are obviously ill.

Get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, eat several small meals instead of fewer big ones, and keep your "city ears" on -- thieves know about the "theme park IQ drop" and count on it to make their pickings easier.
 
When you have lots of purchases, ask that they be either sent to your resort for pick up the next day OR have them sent to the front of the park for pickup as you leave for the day. That way you don't have to take them with you on the attractions or leave them unattended.
 
Safer way to climb or descend stairs if you can't reach the handrail or if lighting is poor: Put both feet on each step.

That is, after putting one foot on the next step, bring your other foot to the same step, not the one after.

To further reduce the chances of getting sick, don't touch food with your bare hands or fingers even if you just washed them. Learn how to use a napkin to pick up food items. Yes this requires practice to avoid dropping the item.

Health hints: http://www.cockam.com/health.htm
 


Thank you all so much for the advice and pep talks. Sometimes you just need to hear it from someone else to make you feel a bit better. I will be taking some advice away from here like maybe ditching the stroller, and just moving at a slower pace for my kiddies (not that we ever ran them rampant before, but I'm sure you get my point!). I also will be doing the backpack or cross body bag thing!!! As for the germs, yes they or us can pick them up anywhere... But I do agree that in Disney it's a multitude of things happening when you have that many people, all touching and sharing the same places, and people from all over the world who may not have the same health practices or hygiene practices as others, coming together....well ya gotta just hope for the best. We do get plenty of rest, take vitamins and probiotics and are sticklers for hand washing, but I guess sometimes you just can't help it! It happens!!!! I hope that when I go back in April it's an event free trip!!!! :) :thumbsup:
 
OP, I got the stomach 3 years in a row on our Disney trips. Kept on going though. It hasn't happened again for the past few years. Maybe I have immunity to the Disney bug. :)
 
Seeing all the things that people leave in their strollers and go merrily on their way, I am just surprised that more of this theft of strollers doesn't happen. Just because it's Disney does not mean thieves are not there watching for opportunities. I have seen very nice cameras just hanging there, lots of packages, clothing, you name it.

Most people wouldn't dream of doing this at their local mall, but yet common sense seems to go out the window at Disney.

People just watch for opportunities - like seeing someone walk away to more than one attraction and just leaving their strollers in one spot.

Just leave things in the stroller that you won't mind terribly if it goes missing.
Also, I would never bring a really expensive stroller to Disney - just MHO.
 


This is actually the first time I've ever heard of a stroller being taken.
My MIL left a bag at a table I'm Epcot ..10 mins later when we went back it was nowhere :(

I too always forget that Disney will deliver purchases to your room...take advantage of that.

Sorry you had bad trip
 
nan1217 said:
But you still hang out on DISboards?

Right! What is that all about?
You can get sick anywhere and catch the flu anywhere. Sorry you all got sick but unless you live in a bubble you are going to catch something sometime. Blaming "foreigners" for strange germs seems wrong me. Just my opinion.

Go back to WDW and have a great time!!! Good luck
 
Our third trip in 2010 (1st 2 weeks of December) was a tent camping trip at fort Wilderness. (We'd done it before same time of year, it was bliss and beautiful and perfect.) Here is a list of what went wrong:

-It was the coldest winter in Florida in 25 years. There were highs in the 30's and lows in the LOW 20's. We were in tents. Could not find another room.

-stroller was stolen.

-We All got a hideous stomach bug. I puked on a boat from MK to Fort Wilderness. After finally feeling well, I got sick on a bus. The baby (16 months) exploded with, well, he just exploded and needed new clothes at Downtown Disney. All we could find was a $60 track suit.

-We're all finally recovering in a tent in the freezing rain on what was going to be a down day anyway when the baby has a SEIZURE. An ambulance came immediately and we were transported to Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital. He FINALLY regained consciousness after what felt like 100 hours. we were sent back to Disney. (they put us up in a cabin, thankfully!)

In the cabin, the one child who had avoided the stomach bug (it was a NASTY bug) got sick. i stayed in the cabin with her for the rest of the trip. DH took the middle child out. Middle child has one leg that is shorter than the other, so he needed a stroller for long walks. Stroller got stolen.

That trip cost us $25,000 in hospital bills alone.

We just went back on our 4th trip in October, because I had to avenge my stupid 13 day trip from hell. I'm happy to say it was our BEST TRIP YET!

We're headed back this December!

You deserve a do-over!

VP



Someone please help me get over this....our last trip was 11/27-12-3. I'm sad to say for the first time EVER it was a nightmare. But a nightmare I'm having a hard time getting over! We had our double jogging stroller stollen, and everything in it, went with the thief. After waiting nearly 45 minutes for security to come, and giving a report, my husband found the stroller outside of the new Jack Sparrow experience upside down and completely wiped out of all of our belongings. My kids Christmas hats, sweatshirts, extra clothes and basically everything we had was gone. We went on with our trip and tried to forget it. It was my DD's 5th birthday and it was just a crappy way to spend our day at DHS! To top it off, on our trip home, my DS, 7, fell ill that morning with a stomach virus he had picked up somewhere on our trip. Poor kid was sick from Orlando to NJ. HORRIBLE! I think that has me more traumatized than anything else! He was just so sick! I really don't like traveling during this particular time of year because of the increase in colds, flu, and tummy bugs and now I will probably never do it again. The Christmas parade taping was on my bucket list so that's why we went, along with it being DD's birthday! We have a 5 day 4 night trip planned in April and I'm already panicked about germs, and thieves! Help!!!!!!! I love Disney so much and don't want to feel like this! I'm usually super excited counting the days an now I'm just nervous!!!! :sad:
 
Sometimes when things go wrong its what you remember years later and laugh. From my childhood the thing we laugh about most is going camping and getting caught in a cyclone-terrible at the time hilarious now....
 
I know how you feel! On my last trip, I got violently ill about an hour or so after getting to the resort (at 1 am due to a late flight) and was so sick the next two days I could hardly go out of the room to get food (I went alone for this trip so I didnt even have anyone I could send for me!). Thankfully, I was feeling better by the time the runDisney events rolled around (the WHOLE purpose of the trip). All I can say is that really, statistically, the odds of getting sick on your next trip are relatively low, so just go and dont worry too much!

Make sure to wash hands EXTRA leading up to the trip and have an EXTRA strict frequent hand washing policy while you're there! That's about the best anyone can do!

Good luck and hope you're next trip goes better!
 
Safer way to climb or descend stairs if you can't reach the handrail or if lighting is poor: Put both feet on each step.

That is, after putting one foot on the next step, bring your other foot to the same step, not the one after.

To further reduce the chances of getting sick, don't touch food with your bare hands or fingers even if you just washed them. Learn how to use a napkin to pick up food items. Yes this requires practice to avoid dropping the item.

Health hints: http://www.cockam.com/health.htm

This food tip totally scratches my inner OCD itch lol
 
Me too. Scared as all heck. We all got the flu when we went in October. I would never go back to WDW again, even though we did have a nice time (it was my first time there). We got sick on the last day, and yes, we caught it there.

It was my first trip there, and my last. I know you can get sick anywhere, but I think there are some unique conditions at Disney that make it much more probable.

There are just too many people there, it's too crowded, too many people touching the same things. And no offense, but too many people from all over the world, bring all sorts of foreign germs, crammed into one place. (again, not a diss on the people, just the exposure to strange germs that everyone is getting, including the international visitors).

Can't believe you are serious!:rotfl: You can get sick anywhere. As an AP holder I go to WDW 4-6 times a year. The only time I've ever been sick down there, I apparently took it with me, as I felt fine when I left home that morning, but got sick my very first night down there and was stuck in bed for several days with a severe upper respiratory infection (fever, chills, body aches, sore throat, cough, etc).

Sometimes when things go wrong its what you remember years later and laugh..

True! In my case that I mentioned above, I felt fine when I left Dallas early that morning and fine when I went to California Grill that night. However, it was pouring down rain and not wanting to have my credit card charged I decided to go in the rain. By the time I got to the restaurant I had developed a scratchy throat and was starting to feel achy. Despite the rain, I knew symptoms don't start that quickly, so know I must have been getting sick at home and just didn't know it. The rain just aggravated it and cause everything to escalate. During that first night I developed a sore thoat and chills that just got continuously worse. I was solo that trip and just wanted to stay in bed and be left alone, so I left the Do Not Disturb sign on the door. Three days later I heard a knock on the door, but knowing I had the sign in the door, just ignored it. I don't know who was more surprised when that door opened me or the poor housekeeper. I know we both screamed.:rotfl: Anyway, she said if the room hadn't been accessed in several days that they are required to check it. When I assured her I was fine, just not feeling well, she offered to go to the food court at CSR and get me something. I told her no, that I had just been snacking on some pop tarts and granola that I had brought from home, but didn't really feel like eating, as my throat was too sore. She kept insisting that I needed to eat and drink something, but I just wanted her to go away and leave me alone. Later that evening the phone rang and it was the head of housekeeping checking on me and asking if I was going to be in the room for awhile. She said my housekeeper was concerned about me and so had told her I was sick. I assured her I was feeling better and would probably be going to the parks the next day, but just wanted to stay in that night, so yes would be in the room. She said they wanted to bring me something. When she knocked a few minutes later and I opened the door, I saw the head of housekeeping and also the housekeeper who had walked in on me earlier, standing there with two gifts. One was a WDW bag that had the most intricate clown towel animal had ever seen, (with pleated legs, movable eye, a paper cone hat and really pretty glittery stickers and pipe cleaners). The other housekeeper had a large wicker Mickey Mouse head shaped basket full of fruit, chips, candy, a cake, cans of soda, and several other items. They just said the housekeeper was worried about me and they wanted to make sure I had something in the room to eat and drink. The next day I finally felt like going to the parks and when I got back found another cute towel animal with a really sweet note from the housekeeper saying she was glad I was feeling better and hoped I enjoyed my treats. That was one of the worst trips I have ever had, but then again it was one of the best, because I got to experience some great Disney magic from a wonderful, concerned housekeeper. That clown is still sitting on a chest in my computer room and the large Mickey head shaped basket is hanging on a wall across from it. Everytime I see them, I think about that trip and that wonderful housekeeper, alot more than how sick I was that trip.
 
It sounds like those are the only two things that really went wrong. To be honest, illness is just luck. April is really the end of flu season and such, so his chances of getting ill will be significantly lower.

Regarding the stroller, it happens to the best of us. Ten years ago, ours was stolen but we didn't have anything in it. I would just carry around a backpack and put everything in there. You can take it with you on all attractions and if you want to take if off for a minute as you sit down for lunch or watch a parade, just put your foot through one of the straps (where one of your shoulders would normally go). And always think, it could be work...
 
Relax. April will be better. Keep the items of value on your person at all times. Take a cheap stroller. We always used the old one ready for the trash. Kids get sick cant really help that.

We had one trip where my daughter threw violent tantrums almost the whole trip. It was a nightmare and I was so happy to leave on our last day. We have gone 3 times since and have had good times.

Things happen. Don't get discouraged.
 
Someone please help me get over this....our last trip was 11/27-12-3. I'm sad to say for the first time EVER it was a nightmare. But a nightmare I'm having a hard time getting over! We had our double jogging stroller stollen, and everything in it, went with the thief. After waiting nearly 45 minutes for security to come, and giving a report, my husband found the stroller outside of the new Jack Sparrow experience upside down and completely wiped out of all of our belongings. My kids Christmas hats, sweatshirts, extra clothes and basically everything we had was gone. We went on with our trip and tried to forget it. It was my DD's 5th birthday and it was just a crappy way to spend our day at DHS! To top it off, on our trip home, my DS, 7, fell ill that morning with a stomach virus he had picked up somewhere on our trip. Poor kid was sick from Orlando to NJ. HORRIBLE! I think that has me more traumatized than anything else! He was just so sick! I really don't like traveling during this particular time of year because of the increase in colds, flu, and tummy bugs and now I will probably never do it again. The Christmas parade taping was on my bucket list so that's why we went, along with it being DD's birthday! We have a 5 day 4 night trip planned in April and I'm already panicked about germs, and thieves! Help!!!!!!! I love Disney so much and don't want to feel like this! I'm usually super excited counting the days an now I'm just nervous!!!! :sad:

Honestly, I don't think anyone on the DisBoard is qualified to help you. You should look for professional help to overcome your fears. Good Luck, and God Bless you and your family. I hope you are able to find piece. TDBIASWS.:thumbsup2
 
We had a trip from hell. And to top it off the weather was hot as hell and the crowds were chanting Brazilians. Everything that could have gone wrong did on that trip. Our worst event did happen at HS too! We saw 2 girls beat each other up- full on fist fight while cm's just stood around watching. (this was right at the gate- we were all inside already-) I took my then very little kids to a store and requested security. It seemed to take an eternity for anyone to arrive. And then it was a very older security guard. Who really couldn't break up the violence that was happening.

FINALLY! The "guards" appeared from an alley and removed the girls from the park. But it really made me realize that things are not as safe as they would like you to believe. Stuff happens. I was not looking forward to going back there.

But we did. On the next trip and it was great.

We would never leave anything in the stroller. That's just too tempting. We always lugged it along. Leaving behind only what we could stand to lose. We also had a stroller disappear but I do believe it was an accident. As we found an identical stroller- but with someone else's name on it. It was pouring rain so they must have grabbed the wrong one!
 
Maybe everyone needs to put these things that have happened on their vacations into perspective. Are they bad? Yes, anyone can have a bad trip. Are they horrible? Not really.

I've been sick on vacations, my family has been sick. I have had to go offsite to pick up prescriptions our pediatrician has called in. My MIL spent a trip with pneumonia and had to ride home (12 hours) with that. We have had rental car problems a few times and had to go return them. Lost some nice jewelry and that left me bawling.

None of these things has kept me from being happy to go on another vacation. These things are not tragedies. Young kids get sick at the drop of a hat. They really are susceptible if they haven't been to school and aren't exposed to viruses and germs there. We just have to clean up the mess and move on!

This is why I bring a variety of meds with me, prescription and OTC.
 

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