5-second rule doesn't apply at WDW

[DJR]

As a public health official who has been involved in restaurant inspections for over 25 years, I'm not too worried about picking something off the ground and eating it, especially compared to what I've seen in the "back of the house."

A place with a score of 90 can still be a food poisoning waiting to happen, and most of the food service employees these days are not as diligent as they should be.

 

[yasuern]

A little dirt builds healthier children! IMHO

Sue

 

[PB'sMOM]

I started this thread because I couldn't believe that someone(grandmother & the father) would let the girl eat the hot dog. I am pretty sure that they could have received another one-if they had gone to the counter.
I know there are worse things and that we probably do eat a pound of dirt in our lives and I do use the 5-second rule at my house, but not at a public restaurant/place. I agree with the OP who states you don't know where everyone has walked and in keeping with that-you would esentially being eatting whatever they have walked through-YUCK.
True-that some tables are disgusting and full of germs, that is why I try to keep from touching them and in eating at fast food/quick serve places I keep my plate on the tray. I also use the disposable placemats for my DD baby-why expose her to more germs than neccesary.
By the way my DD baby came home from WDW with a viral-she could have picked up the germ anywhere-from before we left home to any number of places or people.
Germs are good, to some extent-but I won't let her eat off of public floors-ugh.

 

[laceemouse]

No, I would not let my kids eat it, nor would they want to at the age of 5 (maybe younger, but by then not.) My problem would not be the money, but I would not be happy if I had to wait in a long line again to get a replacement. We do follow the 5 second rule at home, but everyone must be aware that if the dog is shedding a lot you are taking a risk LOL. My kids did, in the toddler years, eat some pretty gross things and have been pretty healthy all along. None of the four have ashtma or alergies, so I guess they got enough dirt coming up. But a hot dog off a public floor, I don't think so. BTW, babies who are breast fed statistically grow up to have less allergies, ect. All of mine nursed a year or more. Just had to put in a plug for breast feeding, off my soap box now.....

 

[jsmla]

Unless you drop it in a bathroom and then really...you shoudn't be eating in there.

A little OT but.....

One of my kid's classmates did her science fair project on which school restroom was "cleaner" the boys' or the girls'. She swabbed the floors and ran cultures. The boys' room was much cleaner! My mom's a virologist and told me that it was all the urine on the floor that probably semi-sanitized it. Urine is too alkaline to support germ life.

So, I guess it's okay too eat offf the bathroom floor, if you're a guy.

Jennifer

 

[lovethattink]

The movie Osmosis Jones comes to mind...

 

[threeboysmom]

Germs are everywhere and our bodies were created to fight off these germs & bacteria. You try to rid yourself of germs too much and you will weaken your immune system.

I probably would not have a problem with my kids dropping something and picking it up and eating it depending on what it was. I'm sure by that time they've already encountered many, many germs already throughout the day by touching ride handles & rails, then touching their faces & mouths, etc. *I* would probably eat something off the floor too - not a hotdog - not worth it. But if I dropped say a piece of homemade fudge, I'd be tempted to pick it back up, wipe it off, and eat it when no one is looking of course! As long as the bacteria it may encounter doesn't affect the taste of the chocolate, I'm okay with it

Now I did have a friend who whenever her baby would drop her pacifier on the floor anywhere, she would pick it up, put it in her own mouth to clean it, then give it back to the baby. I found that gross!

 

[Hippychickali]

Originally posted by Mymatisse
If you see your child has dropped a hotdog on the nasty ground in WDW and they have not put it back in their mouths, don't encourage it.. just get the kid another dog.

It must be nice to have that option. Obviously, if the parent was able to spend money frivolously, this wouldn't be an issue.

Ali

 

[seashoreCM]

Originally posted by threeboysmom
Now I did have a friend who whenever her baby would drop her pacifier on the floor anywhere, she would pick it up, put it in her own mouth to clean it, then give it back to the baby.

There is one theory going around that childrens' mouths are free of tooth decay bacteria until the child has eaten or sucked on something that somebody else had sucked or licked (including cigarettes).

 

[macraven]

if my boys did not eat what was dropped on the floor, they would be thin.

thin they are not

 

[chrisn]

however, I would NEVER let my child eat a hotdog off the ground at WDW. We do pick food up off the floor at home but ONLY at home and only if it's a dry food like a cracker or M&M or something like that.

I've read many times that your safer eating off the toilet seat then you are the kitchen counter with all the bacteria from sponges and dishclothes and such.

My kids boy-7, girl-16 have both eaten more then their share of gross and nasty things. My daughter had a liking to big bugs. She ate a huge fat grasshopper and chomped down 3/4 of a preying mantis before I pulled the back legs out of her mouth. She thought they were yummy! My son ate a few of those oversized houseflies, you know the big, fat and hairy jobbers. He also loved dirt and lint and tiny rocks and sticks. Yes, I freaked but they both lived through it.

While I certainly would not pick up dropped food for us out in public, I agree wity some of the others in being more concerned about the workers not waching their hands after using the bathroom. Do you know how many people don't wash their hands or just run them under cold water for like 2 or 3 seconds? EEEEWWWWWW! Think about how gross your hands feel while in the park. I mean you can feel the grime. We carry around wipes and wipe several times a day. I'm also more concerned about the germs on your hands from the rails from the hands of the people who didn't wash after using the bathroom and then continued to touch everything all day long. EEEEEWWWWW!

Anyhoo, that's my .2

 

[lark]

Technically, since the child in the original post actually took a bite of hot dog, shouldn't the dining board have jurisdiction over this entire thread?

(Tounge in cheek, here for the sarcasm challenged.)

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Originally posted by Hippychickali
It must be nice to have that option. Obviously, if the parent was able to spend money frivolously, this wouldn't be an issue.

Ali

Like has been stated here, I'm fairly certain that if a person dropped a hot dog at a counter serve WDW restaurant that they would be given another to replace it without question, so it wouldn't cost them anything but the time to walk up to the pick-up window and ask.

Any CMs reading that would confirm what would be done in this situation?

T&B

 

[Hippychickali]

Why would Disney replace a hot dog that someone dropped on the floor? I mean this would be very kind but this is foreign concept to me in the business world.

Ali

 

[HollyJoy]

That's just gross! No 5 second rule outside the home (unless at a friends house that we know very well, and know that it's clean! LOL)

 

[FatCow]

Originally posted by Hippychickali
Why would Disney replace a hot dog that someone dropped on the floor? I mean this would be very kind but this is foreign concept to me in the business world.

Agreed. Once you've purchased the food, it's your responsibility. Now, does anybody know whether Disney sells cars? Imagine the convenience, I don't even need insurance. Even if I'm PO-ed and drive my car to a pole, it will be replaced by Disney.

okay... sarcasm mode off now

 

[Micca]

Disney has a "guest recovery" concept. It means when you buy a Mickey ice cream bar from the vendor and your 3 yr. old drops it on the ground, they replace it. I believe you would find that program in place at Pecos Bill's and any Disney eatery. They probably won't do it at your local Burger King(although they should) WDW is good with this. They are also lenient about returns and exchanges at the shops around the property.

 

[Hippychickali]

Bah...it's just a pet peeve of mine, I guess. People who want something for nothing.

Ali

 

[peg2001]

Originally posted by melindaandrob
When my son was 18 months he picked up a bird poop and stuck it in his mouth. I can still see it, in slow motion, me trying to reach him "Noooooooo"

I have tears of laughter running down my face and my DH is wondering what could possibly be so funny.

Thank for the laugh.

Peg

 

[disneyjunkie]

Originally posted by Hippychickali
It must be nice to have that option. Obviously, if the parent was able to spend money frivolously, this wouldn't be an issue.
Ali

Frivolously

Replacing a frank that has fallen on the floor is spending money frivolously? I can't imagine someone allowing their child to eat off the floor so that they could save a few bucks.

I'm sure that a CM would have replaced the frank.

It's no different from a child dropping an ice cream at Baskin Robbins. It would be replaced free of charge.