1st trip home was a disaster!

[Tiger926]

Having just returned from our 1st trip home to Wilderness Lodge safely was a feat for us considering the baby (21 months) had to be hospitalized! My DH had planned a surprise trip for us last week during Spring Break using our extra points from becoming new DVC members (Saratoga) this past fall. I had intended on doing a full trip report with dining etc... but we have been through hell the past week, so I can only muster a short report as I have to return to work today. Here is our story:

- Sat. Mar. 12 @ Pop Century one night - great night as the baby loved the resort (and so did we!)

- Sun. Mar. 13 @ VWL 5 nights - got the last non-smoking room at check-in (baby & I have asthma, so this is a problem). It was a handicap accessible room which didn't work as baby almost knocked herself out in the shower on the bench. Immediately called Mon. morn to see about being moved, couldn't do it as resort was full, so they sent up a baby tub which worked ok. Didn't care for being separated from rest of resort at first, but by end of week, we warmed up to it. Also, couldn't believe how small Roaring Forks is (my kitchen is bigger!) - food was also an issue for us at this resort. Lastly, my baby's Minnie topper was stolen our 1st night from Wilderness parking lot - not a big deal, but it made the events of the day even more frustrating as we felt that perhaps VWL was not the right choice for us.

- weather was bad throughout the week to say the least. Got stuck on Safari @ AK in a torrential downpour!

- by Wed. morn baby was at the Centra Care clinic (Disney sets it up). Didn't care for it at all as it was not only busy with emergencies (lots of them!), but it services Cast Members for all appointments as well. Very long wait! Baby was diagnosed with strep throat, so back to resort to rest. Housekeeping at Lodge completely sanitized our room - excellent service! They thanked us profusely for calling them, as they said most guests don't do that - this left us stunned as our baby was contagious, so we didn't think twice about it.

- she started to feel better on Thurs. but took a turn for the worst on Fri./Sat. She was admitted to hospital (Arnold Palmer Children's hospital) for 2 days on IV. She picked up a bunch of other viruses and had severe dehydration, plus Strep. Needless to say, we were beside ourselves! Being Canadians, we can't say enough good things about this hospital. She was discharged Sun. night for our long drive home - we made it safely home on prayers, thank goodness!

Needless to say, the events of the past week were very frightening and frustrating. We are extremely vigilant parents who clean everything, and especially don't let our baby crawl, walk or touch anything while @ Disney (this is her 2nd trip, and she, as well as ourselves picked up viruses last year as well), but we must have missed something, and here we are. She is feeling much better now, but we are not feeling very magical about our favourite place at the moment. All of the health care professionals we dealt with said the amount of germs spread @ Disney is incredible, especially on toys, biometric scanners (yuck!), characters and autograph pens. We are still pondering whether we are going to Saratoga for 2 weeks in July or not, as we just don't want to keep getting sick. All of our friends and family always get sick as well - and they are as vigilant like us about handwashing etc... but unfortunately, most people aren't and that is the problem.

I am not looking to be flamed here as I have had a terrible week. Just wanted to give my praise, and list some of our concerns for our 1st trip home. We are only speaking of the positive points of the 1st few days to our DD, so that she won't have bad memories, and so far she seems to be talking about Minnie and Mickey a lot, so she seems ok - it's Momma & Daddy who are freaked! All in all, our week @ VWL turned out ok, and we really warmed up to this resort as it is quite charming. This may be our last trip home for awhile as our baby's health is more important than experiencing Disney magic!

Tiger

 

[minkydog]

What a terrible experience! Going from one part of the country to another exposes you to lots of "foreign" germs, stuff that may not be circulating back home. Strep throat is one of those things that can be transmitted just about anywhere--and folks that insist on bringing their sick kids to WDW just add to the pain. Glad the healthcare system worked well for you, I'm glad your baby pulled through well.

 

[sandieb]

I am sorry that you had such a difficult experience, and I am glad that your baby improved over the course of your stay.

I am perplexed by the number of folks though that connect WDW wirh illness. It may be true, although I have lugged kids of all ages there without a sniffle. Certainly, as a nurse I know that handwashing is vital, and your experience reenforces that.

Good luck with your decision for your July trip. Sandie

 

[minmate]

Sorry to hear your baby got sick. It's never fun when they get sick. However, as they get older, often their immune systems grow stronger, so don't give up hope on Disney just yet!

 

[Tiger926]

Thanks for the well wishes - but as a point of clarification, our baby didn't improve over the course of our stay, she got worse to the point of hospitilization. She had one day where she seemed to be doing ok, but by morning, she was very bad.

You are right about handwashing, as it is the number one way to fight germs. The healthcare people all praised my DH and I as we didn't catch anything from our baby, so we will continue to practice good hygiene for ourselves, her and those around us. It really is too bad that so many people have no clue about how germs are passed or really don't care for that matter. Orlando has an outbreak of Strep and Rotavirus at the moment and both are passed by the hands, so people really need to watch out!

Tiger

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Sorry your first trip home wasn't a better experience, to say the least. I'm glad to hear your DD is feeling better because it's so hard to watch when your child is sick like that. Lots of towards your next trip.

 

[3DisneyNUTS]

awww your poor baby. Being away from home, in a hugely populated area with all the excitement makes our immune sustems weaker. I am glad she is ok now but Oh man a hospital stay. That stinks. Maybe see how the next vacation does before you write Disney off.
Ds got an ear infection on our cruise in NOv and it was a rough week for us too. But we returned in Feb only to deal with an insane amount of seizures (he has epilepsy). Our docs seem to think that travelling affects kids differently than adults, their schedules being all out of wack and their eating also. So we are booked in Sept for another cruise. Even though our circumstances are different I totally feel your pain about a child getting sick on vacation. Although ds had a bad amount of seizure (3-4 a day) he still had fun because he wasn't 'sick" So maybe try it again and you will have fun I am sure.

 

[Pluto4Pres]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. I wouldn't worry about your baby's memories of the trip, she probably won't have any. My 2 DDs were 3 on their first trip and they don't remember any of it. The only way they remember is from photos that they saw later on. Hopefully you were able to get a few smiling snapshots before she got sick.

I never thought about the germs being passed on the autograph pens before...yuck! We put hand sanitizer in our commando backpack. I'll make sure we use it more next trip.

Hope you have better luck next time. You deserve a super trip after this.

 

[Terry S]

Sorry to hear about your baby. I am glad she is feeling better. My kids also seem to get sick on every trip we go to WDW. The first time they came down with the Chicken Pox about a week and a half after we returned from WDW. We knew the exact little boy that they had been sitting next to on the bus that had given them to them too. Other trips it has been things like colds and coughs which turn into ear aches and sinus infections. We are so insistant on hand washing. My kids also touch nothing in the bathroom. We use the paper towel to open the handle of the bathroom door and then throw the paper towel away. We also all carry around small bottles of purell in our fanny packs and use them throughout the day in between hand washings.

 

[dis-happy]

The germ count on the biometric scanner grosses me out too. Too many people don't wash their hands and who knows where they have been.

I never use community pens when I have to sign for things (cc or autograph or otherwise)---always pull out my own. Figure it can't hurt.

Maybe the one good thing to come out of this---the more your baby is exposed to early on will give her immunity to things as she gets older.

Hope you all recover, emotionally and physically, very quickly. 2 days in a hospital with your precious child suffering is enough to break the strongest of parents. (hugs)

 

[roelongo]

We were at WLV over Presidents week My DS14 came down with strep throat als. I took him to Centra care also, waited three hours. I asked the front desk for new sheets because my son was sick with strep and I wanted to change the sheets so we all didn't come down with it. They never even mentioned cleaning the room. I just assumed he caught it at home and it came out during our trip. Now I'm wondering.

 

[Beca]

I am SOO sorry to hear that!!! My dd (11 months at the time) was hospitalized for the last three days of our trip in 2002 (which made us miss our DVC appt to buy BCV...I tell her, if it wasn't for her illnesses...I could've got BCV at a MUCH cheaper price!!! LOL!!!)).

Seriously...not to be "flip" about this. We were TERRIFIED at the time!!! She was first admitted to Celebration hospital, but when nightfall came, the doc on call was worried because there was no pediatric internist on staff in the evenings, and he felt "unable" to care for her adequately....WHAT???!!! An ER doc is worried about my baby getting thru the night without a specialist???!!! So, we were transferred via ambulance to another children's hospital across town (I am assuming Arnold Palmer...I guess I really never learned the name of it...I was really sick, too.) They released her in time for her to go home, with the stipulation that we would go straight to her Dr. when we arrived home, and see if she needed to be re-admitted.

It's funny how God watches out for you!!! This was the ONLY trip we have ever stayed offsite at WDW, and we originally didn't have a car. But, when we arrived, we didn't like the hotel's shuttle schedule (once a day, to ONE park...then you had to use Disney transportation to get anywhere else), so we rented a car.

I cannot IMAGINE what we would've done without that car!! This last trip, DD ended up getting sick, so she was put on antibiotics (omnicef) which gave her diahrrea....which in turn gave her a bladder infection. So, back we go to the emergency room at 2AM.

Now, we are just looking forward to the trip where we just end up in the minor emergency center...and, eventually...no Dr. at all. THAT will be a great trip!!

I agree with the other posters who say WDW is just a "melting pot" of germies....I think it may be awhile before we go that no one gets sick!!!

I'm glad you are all safe!!



Beca

 

[greenban]

Hope your baby is doing well, now back at your home!

FWIW:

Strep is primarily transmitted by the respiratory droplet method, where you (the victim) walks through the infected person's droplets from a cough (rare with strep) or a sneeze, or when a person speaks to you, and you breath in their 'exhaust'. Hand to hand can occur, but is not the primary method.

Incubation (time from exposure to onset of disease) is 2-7 days, with 2-5 more common. It takes 24-48 of antibiotic therapy to make a sick person non-infectious, but untreated individuals can remain infectious for 14-21 days.

There are a group of 'carrier's' out there, who are not sick, but have live strep in their oral pharynx (throats).

Unfortunately, immunity if any (controversial topic) is slow to develop, and most people have more than 1 case during their lifetime. Although, adults get strep very rarely, even when their children have it.

Hope the 411 helps!

-Tony

 

[momsully]

Sorry to hear about your daughter. We have used this afterhours clinic in the past and have had good service. I have it in my address book so I can find it if I need it.

After Hours Pediatrics
12535 State Road 535
Orlando, FL 32836
407-827-7113

 

[lllovell]

I am glad your daughter is safe and doing better now that you are home. I cannot imagine your anxiety and concern.

I honestly cannot think of a single time we have gotten sick at WDW (10 trips - always with my two sons - now ages 3 and 5), however I do know that lot of people report illnesses on vacations to WDW and other places. Lots of people have also been concerned about the biometric scanners now and we take a long a little bottle of hand cleaner to use after that (sometimes we remember, sometimes we don't), but I get concerned about OVER applying things like that. The reports and studies I have seen bascially say we are overusing anti-bacterial supplies and making these "bugs" become monsters again.

I am not belittling your experience.

 

[spiceycat]

So sorry you had a horrible trip!

Don't give up on VWL it can be a wonderful place.

I hope your little one is fine now.

 

[Tiger926]

Thanks for all of you well wishes. As someone with a weakened immune system, I am very knowledgeable about viruses, germs, etc... so that is why we use our Purell, wipes, don't touch doorknobs, use our own autograph pens (you need to clean it each time you get it back from a character signing). We must have missed something in regards to her touching a toy or something - the Rotavirus is transmitted this way for sure, and the doctors are pretty sure that she caught Strep this way as well seeing as how she is so young and it's rare, as we don't remember anyone coughing on her. Most people around us seemed pretty healthy, come to think of it. In regards to cleaning hotel rooms, please please please, call housekeeping if you or your children have a contagious illness as they have a special protocol in which to care for linens - as well they will completely disinfect the entire room.


Beca - this sounds like exactly what happened to my Princess! She didn't tolerate the Omnicef very well at all (I am very allergic to this as well), but she did respond well to IV drugs thank God. She is feeling better today, so we will be resting up this Easter weekend for sure.

Thank again, Tiger

 

[NMW]

So sorry you did not have a great trip. My kids always got sick when they were little if I took them someplace like that. Chuck E Chese was the worst! Three days after attending a birthday party at that place they'd be sick. My kids are now 8, 6 and 3. We are doing much better with germs! They do use antibacterial gel whenever they get in our minivan and my older ones carry it in their backpacks. During cold/flu season they bring their own water bottles to school so they don't use the water fountains-yuck. The biometric scanners gross me out too. I'm bringing hand gel on my next trip.

 

[ptrbryant]

I get so angry when someone posts something along the lines of,"Trip tomorrow and DS has high fever!" Invariably, 90% of the responses say,"Just give her some Tylenol or Motrin and have a great time!" Excuse me? What about all the other people at WDW she's about ready to infect? It's sad how thoughtless some people can be. We all know that WDW trips are expensive and usually planned out for months ahead of time. But if you have a sick child, it's just common decency to stay in your resort for a day or to and see what's what.
I'm so sorry you had such a scary time!...especially being so far from home. We're big believers in the Purell-after-touching-anything plan...mainly when we're on trips or attending events where there are large amounts of people from many different places.
Glad to hear your baby is better!
Karla B.

 

[CarolA]

I am going to be honest. I have friends who are "extremly Vigilant" and friends who aren't. Guess whose kids always seem to get sick? The Vigilant group. One girls MD actually told her to send the kid to mother's day out and get one with it. He felt that by "protecting" her they were not allowing her immune system to develop the natual immunities. (She won't do it... child is overprotected to the extreme which means he is not allowed to even play with other children and adults are quizzed about their health before visiting. Now, the child has NO health issues.)

I am glad your child is well, but I don't think that what happened is normal and hopefully it won't happen on your next trip. Kids get strep all the time and rarely wind up in the hospital. I had it constantly growing up and the only time I went in the hosptial was to have the tonsils removed.