“Disney Rash”???

[amberpi]

We always wear sandals and flip flips and never get any kind of rash.

Same here and we're all incredibly fair and I've got sensitive skin...never had an issue. I'll take avoiding the rash even if I have no idea why

 

[amw]

Generally there are 2 possible conditions that people conflate as "the Disney rash". The most common is exercise-induced vasculitis, which as noted above, comes from unaccustomed walking in warm weather. The giveaway for this one is that if you are wearing socks, the rash will normally form a line where the sock tops are. (This is because the socks cause compression of those small blood vessels, which helps to suppress the swelling.) The best treatment for it is cool compresses, cool foot baths, & elevating your feet. Aloe vera will usually cut down on the burning sensation. Taking NSAIDS ahead of time helps some people. Wearing long pants won't prevent it. It happens most often to people who don't spend much time on their feet, so getting into the habit of walking before a trip will usually help.

The other cause is Polymorphic Light Eruption (PMLE), which is caused by unaccustomed exposure to UV-A radiation. It most commonly happens to people who are fair-complected, and most commonly when they travel from a colder climate to a warm one. Wearing long pants WILL help to prevent this one, *if* the fabric is rated to filter UV-A. (Many sunscreens work only against UV-B, so sunscreen has to be the right kind, too.) In this case, "hardening" by getting gradual exposure to UV-A before you travel (either sunlight or artificial sunlamps) tends to help most, and an anti-histamine taken ahead of time may help as well.

If you are out-of-shape AND fair-complected, it is possible to get a combination of both conditions, which becomes especially hard to treat effectively. Usually they will fade away completely on their own within 2 weeks of getting away from the situation that caused them.

IME, prevention is more effective for both of them.

I was just going to type this for @Simba22 We are from Canada and pale-skinned. One of my daughters always gets the rash on the back of her hands. For her it is PMLE - a reaction to the uva that is much stronger in Florida. It is an allergic reaction. We have to use broad spectrum sunscreens. Cheaper ones have uvb protection but not so much uva. She is also sensitive to ingredients and scents. The best sunscreen for her has been the Neutragena beach Defense which I can only find here at Shoppers in season. I still need to pack the Benadryl for every vacation though. It will get itchy if not treated immediately.

 

[LuvMyEAR]

On our very first WDW trip in 1994, I listened to DSIL's advice to "protect yourselves" from the reflected heat from the the pavement with shoes and socks. I paid for it dearly. First few days, I dressed as normal, good walking sandals and had no problem. On Day 3, we planned a marathon park day and I wore <shudder> socks. By midday, my lower legs were painfully swollen and rash-covered. That rash burned and itched miserably through the rest of our trip. The skin on my legs felt like it would split open with every step.

I don't care if it snows... I will never wear socks again in WDW. I have spent far longer, hotter days in the parks in the years since then, and had pinpricks of the rash show up in small areas, but nothing that won't disappear overnight. I soak or at least rinse off in tepid or cool water before bed and try to avoid soap on the area.

All that aside, I think you need to go with what works for YOU. DH always wears socks and sneakers. He hates sandals and he has never had an issue. I am never comfortable in socks and peel them off my feet as soon as I am in the door at the end of a day, even in the dead of winter. We have two DDs; one takes after her father and the other after me in the toes exposed or not camps. As long as we wear good footwear and stick to our own comfort zone, we don't encounter any foot or leg issues, including blisters.

Good luck, and remember that any one solution may not be for you. Be sensible, stay hydrated, and don't physically push yourself beyond your comfort level in any aspect. You will thank yourself and be able to enjoy each new day!

 

[mcd2745]

We just got back from a long day walking in the parks and I had very bad footwear ( flip flops) - I now have an angry looking red rash on the inside of both my swollen ankles. Is this what people call the Disney rash? What do I do about it? We just got here!!!!

Hyracortizone cream will help it and putting cool towls on it. My dw had it during our trip in August.

 

[RedK]

These stories are really interesting - I get a rash at Disney, but not on my hands, on my face! The detergent in the sheets and blankets makes my face break out in a rash. I have this happen in about half the hotels I stay at, if I stay for more than 3 nights. I've learned to bring my own pillow cases. That seems to prevent it.

 

[Ensusieasm]

OK so I always get these weird bumps that I have called The Disney Rash since the first time I went in 2001... but it's completely different! I get these weird little bumps, almost like teeny tiny little blisters, allll over the tops of my hands! That's the only place it manifests and I only ever get it in when we're in Disney. I used to think I was allergic to something in sunscreen, since basically the only time I use it is when we're in Disney, and then maybe I thought it was something in their water... but literally it only happens to my hands. It usually crops up within a couple of days of us arriving and then just disappears on it's own within a day or two of getting back home. I have no explanation for it! I got excited when I saw this thread because I thought other people were having the same thing but you guys are getting something totally different, it sounds like. So weird!

Maybe you are allergic to the type of soap Disney uses in restrooms. Just a thought.

 

[Dezign]

I have been to WDW many times and had heard of Disney rash but never experienced it until our trip in December of 2017. Because of a serious injury (and overeating, obviously, lol) I had gained about 30 pounds and was uncharacteristically inactive in the months leading up to our trip, due to the injury. So I blame the weight gain and lack of physical activity leading up to the trip for the rash.

I'm happy to say, though, that because of the misery I was in during that trip, (disney rash was the least of it) I decided to take control of my life again and I got back in the gym. At first it was incredibly difficult and painful, but I stuck it out and have lost @45 pounds and am very active again so I am curious to see if I suffer from it next trip to Disney.

I'm not saying everyone that gets it is overweight/inactive as I was, but I do think that is what triggered the dread Disney rash for me.

 

[NuJoy]

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[Huff]

Nobody in our family has gotten the Disney Rash. However, most have gotten blisters and sore spots. I've found this is greatly reduced by using Foot Glide. https://www.bodyglide.com/shop/foot/

 

[KidaniZen]

Maybe you are allergic to the type of soap Disney uses in restrooms. Just a thought.

This was my first thought. I am sensitive to so many things and have to be careful with public restroom soaps, many are harsh.

 

[anut4disney]

I am so glad I found this because I have joined the club. Swollen feet and rashes on both lower part of the legs. I am at Disney and it is hot and humid.

 

[Prose]

I am thinking about bringing a couple of small ziplock bags in my bag to the parks and then asking for a small cup of ice at QS spots to make impromptu ice packs to use once or twice in the heat of the day.....just to cool off my ankles and try to ward it off.

 

[NuJoy]

()

 

[Srbright]

Hydrate hydrate hydrate; elevate your feet and use ice packs to reduce the inflamation.

Stacy

We just got back from a long day walking in the parks and I had very bad footwear ( flip flops) - I now have an angry looking red rash on the inside of both my swollen ankles. Is this what people call the Disney rash? What do I do about it? We just got here!!!!

 

[Prose]

Quick report back from last week’s trip - I fully expected to get the evil rash, since it was in the upper 80s and sunny every day. I used a very thick, broad spectrum 50 sunscreen for the first few days and never got the rash. On the last day I ran out and had to switch to the much thinner ‘NoAd’ brand - voila, rash! So lesson learned - don’t go cheap on sunscreen. Luckily Aloe Vera Gel seems to be the trick for quelling it quickly.

 

[Lovinallthingsdisney]

I started getting “the rash” a few years ago. I only get it on my right leg (inside ankle), but each time the affected area seems to grow a bit more. I was in Italy two summers ago and it was VERY hot and we walked many miles a day and sure enough, there it was. I soaked my feet in the tub and then elevated for relief. It helped some. I bought Kalagel for our September Disney trip this year, but ended up with a knee injury, for which I had to wear a full compression stocking. That solved the rash problem for sure. I will have to wait for our next trip to see if the Kalagel works as well as they say.