Any allergy/asthma experiences at any WDW resorts?

[ptrbryant]

DS9 has asthma--often triggered by allergies. We've stayed at WL 3x, the 1st 2x, no problem, the 3rd time, we had problems. The 3rd time, we were there in late Jan. - early Feb. 2004 and 4 of our 7 days there we had cold, rainy, windy weather. On the warmer days, we'd noticed green pollen coating surfaces---not just at WL, but also at the outdoor tables by Pizza Planet, etc.(I also ended up with a sinus infection!) This year, we're trying for early Oct.---less chance of cold weather, though I don't know about pollens, etc. that time of year in Orlando.
ALSO, I was wondering if anyone else has had any similar experiences. I'm starting to wonder if we'd be better off at a less "verdant" resort--even though we love the feel of it. I'm trying to remind myself that the 1st 2 x, we had no problem at all at WL.
Still, for our budget, I'm thinking of a split stay with WL and: POR (mansions)--or--POP--or--ASMo--or--???

Any opinions?
Thanks!
Karla B.

 

[JJsmama]

I have not had experiences with allergy triggers there. However, as the mother of an asthmatic / seasonal allergy child, I clearly remember a post in which someone said AKL made their allergic / asthmatic child VERY sick. It was definitely enough to make me not want to stay there. She seemed to blame it on cleaning products, I think. I would be more worried about any hay or dried grasses which they feed the animals. Hay REALLY makes my child wheeze. Maybe you'll find it in a search (?)

 

[lmhall2000]

Our 9 year old son has had severe asthma since he was one...two of our three trips to Disneyworld have included a trip to the ER...not fun..especially the one down there...we now take our nebulizer and all that goes with it even a bottle of Orapred, too..All that said...here's what helps us...

Always stay at an "enclosed" resort...those that open to the outdoors like POFQ or POR just bring all the pollen in doors and they settle on the beds...you may not see it but if you could you'd understand my concern. WL makes me wary because of all the trees...my son has been tested and is allergic to ALL TREES/GRASSES and cats. So we're okay hanging around beaches or buildings... The Poly was fine for us..we just don't open our balcony door to keep pollen out...we were at the AKL and within one night had to go to the ER....the kids couldn't help looking out on the Savannah and we think all the animal dander/grasses really socked him. Antihistamines do not work well with my son...we've tried over 7! We're planning our last trip to Disney right now and want to make it great....the GF or YC is at the top of my list because of the lack of trees and tall grasses...some may think I'm a little extreme on my criteria...but seeing a son struggling to breathe and having to take 2 days off to rest makes for a pitiful time for him. The last trip to Poly was the first time we did not go to the ER! YEAH!!!

Tara

 

[princesskatie]

Stayed at the AKL in Dec 2004 and my DD6 with asthma had bad reactions. She even turned into a itchy big red rash. We won't be staying here anymore.

 

[missypie]

The drawback of the lovely grounds with something always in bloom is that there is always something to which to be allergic!

 

[ptrbryant]

Interesting posts because, intuitively, I've wondered about the animal dander, unusual grasses, etc. and have stayed away from AKL. It's sad because otherwise, we'd love to try it!
Hmm, I'm wishing you hadn't mentioned the door-opening-to-the-outdoors issue because that rules out my split stay with a MOD/Value idea for our budget. I was thinking of staying in one for only 2 nts. of our stay, so maybe that would be okay? I know I'd stay away from POR-AB---the idea of swampy plants (combination of pollens AND molds!)would be awful....I wonder about POP or ASMO, where there isn't a lot of vegetation?

Thanks for the input!

Karla B.

 

[wld]

As an adult asthma sufferer I have really only had alot of problems once. We recently went to CSR and it really set me off. I have the coughing kind and I was miserable. We weren't staying there just went to eat at Pepper Market, but I used my rescue inhaler more in that night than a whole year. I have never been officially tested but know that hay, old grass, mold, weeds set me off. We were at AKL this January and I had no problems. I think it depends on the weather, if it is too damp or too dry, etc.

 

[nwdisgal]

I have three out of the four in our house with bad allergies and asthma. One thing to keep in mind too is that Florida has high mold count. So that may affect allergies too. I think YC and BC are good suggestions, because there are less trees, grass, and pollen producing stuff.

 

[pennyplanner]

No problems for us at the WL. I have both an asthmatic and an allergy child. Both were fine. We traveled both times in November.

Of course, we bring everything we need, just in case.

Good Luck!

--penny

 

[dixipixi]

Hi Karla!

I'm just throwing out an idea of mine here. I would probably bet that your bad experience was due more to the weather at that time of year than anything else. The reason I'm saying this is because we live in Louisiana and have just about the same exact climate as the Orlando area. January and February are the absolute worst months for us. Both my son and stepson have allergies/sinus conditions and this can trigger asthma with them as well. As a matter of fact, we are all just recovering from an episode. Our weather/climate really changes this time of year and with the high humidity, allergens just stick to everything!

I know you probably don't want to hear this, but summer is always the best time for our travels. It seems like once it finally gets hot and the weather is not constantly changing, their reactions to allergens are not so bad. We don't really have winter here, just a lot of changes from cold to warm, sunny, windy, and rainy. We have ALWAYS had a lot problems that seem to stem from the weather than any particular allergen floating around.

 

[mickilovesmickey]

I don't have bad asthma...just a few attacks throughout my life. I don't even carry an inhaler. But when we stayed at the All-Star Sports, I ended up in the ER, with what they believe was an allergic reaction to whatever they treat their pool with. I woke up in the night and couldn't breathe. It was really scary. I haven't had the same problem with POFQ. But on the same trip, Typhoon Lagoon seemed to also set me off.

 

[ptrbryant]

Yeah, I felt that the weather really had something to do with it. This winter has been really bad for DS as well---we're in Kentucky and have not really had a hard frost. The weather keeps changing back and forth and, for whatever reason, the windy days when weather fronts are moving in or out seem to make his allergies flare up.
I'm hoping that early October will be ok...I'd even brave the Sept. heat, but I've heard it rains so much then.

MICKILOVESMICKEY

Wow, that must have been really scary! We haven't had any problems at WL...didn't realize they may use different chemicals at different resorts!?!?

Karla B.

 

[dixipixi]

I've never been during October but the weather/climate doesn't seem to trigger our probems here too much during that time. The main thing I would be concerned with from late summer on would be hurricanes. Especially if you're in the direct path. The pressure changes wreak havoc with your sinuses.

 

[Kristi1357]

I have asthma & pretty bad allergies - I get 3 allergy shots a month.

Anyway, we go to WDW about 3 times a year for many years and I have never had a problem related to a resort / time of year. I have even stayed at AKL, although I probably really shouldn't have since I am allergic to every animal, plant, tree, grass, etc. The only resorts we haven't stayed at yet are the YC and CR.

The one time in the Orlando area that I did have a problem, we stayed off-site. We unknowingly stayed in a hotel near Crossroads to save a few bucks. Well, this hotel was "pet friendly" and I did not know it! Nothing against pets, I just can't stay in a room that they have stayed in.

Have a great trip!

 

[ducklite]

I'm asthmatic, and am allergic to feathers as well as some scents (perfumes), grasses and hays.

I've had problems at WDW as follows:

1. Bad asthma attack in Epcot in August a couple summers ago. I literally collapsed in Morrocco, and they had to call the paramedics. It was blamed on one of my triggers--direct sun on a very hot day, as well as possibly a reaction to something I had eaten (I also have a wide variety of food allergies).

2. Bad asthma attack in the MK, same trigger, not as bad of a reaction, I managed to walk to first aid, and using my inhaler while resting in the cool first aid station took care of teh problem.

3. Reaction while on the backstage safari in the AK. We were in teh building that they keep all the feed for the animals in, we entered one room FULL of hay and Timothy grass. As soon as the smell hit my nostrils I made a beeline out of there. Got a sinus headache, but used my inhaler immediately and didn't have an asthma attack.

That's it! I've stayed in every deluxe plus POFQ and AS Sports. I've visited during every month, including during freezes and heat waves, rain, drought, and hurricanes. The two full blown uncontrolled by my inhaler attacks were caused by my #1 trigger, the sun!

I've stayed at the AKL three times, never had a problem. I've stayed at the Polynesian twice, never had a problem.

Keep in mind that everyone is different, and might ahve different reactions to different things. Just because one person reacts to something at a resort, doesn't mean you will.

I don't think there is a resort that is overall less allergenic than the others, it's going to change from person to person. I'm also fairly sure that the same "chemicals" are used throughout the entire company to clean and sanitize. In other words what they use to clean the toilets at the MK is the same that they use to clean the toilets at the AKL.

Anne

 

[deelam]

I have asthma. My asthma was once classified as servere. Now it is very managable. The key is to prepare about a month or two in advance for the Florida climate by adding meds. Those with asthma often have mold allergies. Florida has to have high mold spore counts because of the heat and humidtity. Along with pollen and weeds, the conditions are good for an asthma attack.
I add meds like Flonaise to my daily sinulair. That works for me. I recomend letting your Doctor know you are going to Florida.
As an Asthmatic, I am scared to stay at Animal Kingdom. I heard something about the treated wood at that hotel that can trigger breathing problems. I love the Contemporay. But I have stayed at every class of Disney resort and never had a problem. If you treat the allergy part of the asthma before you go to Florida, I think staying at WL logde will not be a problem.
Also, drink water. It really does help.

 

[Huey Dewey&LouiesMom]

My oldest son has severe asthma, allergies, and food allergies. He got sick during our April trip 2 years ago (after we visited Animal Kingdom). Luckly, we packed his breathing treatments and it helped a great deal. I wouldn't stay at AKL, because of all the animals, grasses, etc... that are there. Animal Kingdom is a nice place to visit for the day, we just have to be extra careful and make sure we bring along his medication just in case (Epipen). We went back last June and had no problem with his asthma. I do think he did much better in the June weather (even though it was HOT) than in April. Just as long as you are prepared, you should be fine.
JMO

 

[ptrbryant]

because my DS had an asthma issue in the afternoon. Along with allergy triggers, any kind of respiratory virus seems to trigger his asthma. Well, this has been a rough season and even though he had to go on a week of steroids last month, we went to the pediatrician's and he's back on them. In fact, since he's had 3 flare-ups within a year, he's now going on daily inhaled steroids (Flovent) in addition to his Singulair, Nasacort AQ and Claritin. Anyone have any experience with Flovent?

Anne, I'd never heard of the direct sun being a problem--always reading about the extreme cold being a trigger. I have to say that DS seems to become markedly lethargic in very hot weather and now I wonder if there could be any link. In general, would you say your condition got better, worse or the same after moving to Florida? I sometimes wonder if we lived somewhere with more consistent weather if it would help...I have terrible allergies here in Kentucky (weren't as bad when I lived for 20 years in Philadelphia) and now take shots 2x a week along with 3 daily meds. I wish I could ignore the fact that molds probably ARE worse in Florida as that's my main allergy!

'Thanks, everyone, for your input!

Karla B.

 

[ducklite]

Anne, I'd never heard of the direct sun being a problem--always reading about the extreme cold being a trigger. I have to say that DS seems to become markedly lethargic in very hot weather and now I wonder if there could be any link.

Well...cold weather is also a major trigger. It used to be #1, but since I've been on Advair and learned to wrap a scarf around my mouth and nose before going outside, I've had minimal problems with that.

In general, would you say your condition got better, worse or the same after moving to Florida?

I'm not in FL f/t yet--hopefully in about two months if all goes as planned!

As long as I stay out of the sun on HOT days, I've felt great when I've been there though. On moderate days where the weather is in the 60's and 70's I feel like I'm breathing better than I have in years when I'm in FL. I think the air is far less polluted there than it is in NYC/NJ. I've also had much fewer problems since I stopped working in NYC and started to work in NJ about five years ago.

One tip--did you know that they feel there is a corelation between soda and asthma attacks? They think the carbonation decreases oxygen capacity in the lungs. I've pretty much stopped drinking soda. Maybe every other week I'll have a glass, and NEVER when it's hot and I'm going to be outside. I also don't drink champagne (or mimosa's or bellini's) when I'm wandering through Epcot these days, unless it's winter and cool.

Anne

 

[ptrbryant]

I think I've got the only child in the world who actually LOVES drinking water! He's a very picky eater and has always refused to try any kind of soda---not that I've tried to force him, but occasionally his disbelieving friends try to encourage him to take a sip of Coke. At a birthday party, all the cups had been pre-filled with Sprite (I didn't realize it) and when my DS took a sip, he shouted,"This water is all spicy!" So, I'm glad the soda connection is one thing I don't have to worry about. DS also has marked auditory-processing issues (which has made homeschooling our best option), so I figure that and the asthma create enough worry for one mom!

Karla B.