Be aware if traveling to WDW within the next few days

[TheLittleRoo]

We haven't gotten sick on WDW vacations since we started using our giant hamster balls. They are really good at preventing contact with germs!

But seriously, one thing my mom always harps on (that's actually true lol)is the spoons and tongs on the buffet lines. You wash your hands before you sit down to eat, but then you go to the buffet and touch all those utensils other people have touched and who knows if they've washed up? You really should wash your hands after you go through the buffet line before you start eating.

Honestly though, WDW is teeming with germs, more so than the usual places, imo. Because people invested a lot of time and money, and are not inclined to cancel just because little Jimmy seems to be getting sick. Plus, everyone is excited and this stresses our systems as much as negative stress, so it's easy for bugs to take hold. So many people touching seat bars, trays, railings, handles, door knobs, it's almost a miracle people go without getting sick.

Looking back, someone always got some kind of sick by about day 4 of our trips almost every time...

 

[Family24]

We are planning on going next year at the end of January. I hope this bug is not here again next year. I think this time we will try to avoid the buffet's in the beginning of our trip. That is the only bad thing about January that many people are sick. If our family gets colds or sore throats - I am ok with that but can not stand the vomitting. My kids are now at the age 11 and 7 where it is alot more manageable. Hopefully, the virus is on it's way out for all that are going this year.

 

[pepe of ohio]

We've logged 42 trips to WDW, just returned home Monday from WL, 7 nights/8 days and saw no one sick, vomitting or the like. In all our stays, even long ago with the children, no precautions were ever taken. We just wash our hands, same at home too, no wipes, never wipe down the room and we like the buffets. If I had to jump thru all these hoops to go on vacation, I'd stay home. If your body immune system is up to par and you're basically physically fit, why worry. We don't go licking banisters and such but we're there to enjoy the sights and not walk around in a plastic bubble. No one has ever gotten sick of any kind in all our stays, we don't eat things there we don't eat at home, spicy foods, exotic foods etc. We go and only worry about things we have control over, things will happen, no matter what but we'll take our vacations with only an ounce of salt, no other preps needed.

 

[DisBiff]

I almost didn't want to respond because it bumps this thread back to the top...but...

This thread and others like it almost ruined my vacation! I got so stressed reading about all of this I had major anxiety the day before we left and the first few days of our trip...I was so paranoid my kids would get sick and it would ruin their vacation. We spent 8 days (5 at the parks and 3 on the Disney cruise) and saw NO sign of this...I'm sure people get sick and that is unfortunate, but with regular hand washing I'm sure 99% of the people will be fine...remember the people posting on these message boards are less than 1% of the people visiting Disney each and every day. Enjoy your trip...don't spend the whole time worrying about it!

PS...My 2 kids (8 and 5) probably ran their hands over every square inch of handrails at WDW waiting for rides and walking around...we ate at buffets and did everything we normally do...they are very good at washing their hands, so I'm sure with that you will be fine. Have fun!

 

[disneygirl1024]

If you think about it (coming from me who works in the healthcare field and notices everything), if you go to wash your hands and then open the restroom door, you just dirtied your hands again cause not everyone uses soap to clean their hands and who knows why they were in the restroom (i.e. brushing hair, changing baby diapers, etc), that door handle is nasty. Your safe bet would be to wash your hands, dry them, then when you get outside, use anti-bacterial hand spray, but even then it's a mute point cause of touching handrails, ride cars and whatever else.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

I almost didn't want to respond because it bumps this thread back to the top...but...

This thread and others like it almost ruined my vacation! I got so stressed reading about all of this I had major anxiety the day before we left and the first few days of our trip...I was so paranoid my kids would get sick and it would ruin their vacation. We spent 8 days (5 at the parks and 3 on the Disney cruise) and saw NO sign of this...I'm sure people get sick and that is unfortunate, but with regular hand washing I'm sure 99% of the people will be fine...remember the people posting on these message boards are less than 1% of the people visiting Disney each and every day. Enjoy your trip...don't spend the whole time worrying about it!

PS...My 2 kids (8 and 5) probably ran their hands over every square inch of handrails at WDW waiting for rides and walking around...we ate at buffets and did everything we normally do...they are very good at washing their hands, so I'm sure with that you will be fine. Have fun!

Well, we could always start a new thread called "Anxiety Attacks Caused By DisBoard Threads and How To Cope/Self-Medicate/Flip Out"...

 

[Princess_Jo]

I just returned from six days at the World and no one in my party got sick or saw anyone get sick. I did carry a small bottle of Germ-X with me and we used that before eating but that was it. We ate at mostly buffets too!

 

[Bushman15]

"People get Norwalk virus infection by swallowing food or water that has been contaminated with stool from an infected person." This off the CDC website.

Now who is walking around Disney crapping in the food and water???

Then on the other hand.... I'm in a stall at the office and the guy next to me craps a load and then walks out the door, no washy of hands or anything.... gross.

No way I'm touching that door handle on the way out. If everyone would just have a brain and wash hands with warm soapy water... problem solved.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

This thread and others like it almost ruined my vacation!

The information here is good information.

How each person responds to it is up to them.

 

[Pakey]

Just back on 2/1 and 4 of our party became very ill after second day there. Both couples came in on same flight, but ate at different WDW restaurants and were not sick before so I have to assume they had the "virus" and probably caught it on the flight into MCO. Both couples were extremely ill.

 

[minniebeth]

I must admit, I AM a germophobe and reading this thread did make me a little uptight. BUT I'm glad I did, just to take extra precautions. I took a can of Lysol and did spray down the room several times. I used Clorox wipes on our tables before we ate, but most importantly, it reminded us to wash hands and use antibacterial soap OFTEN. Not that we wouldn't do this anyway, but it minds you to be vigilant because it is really easy to slack on it after a few days. For me, it just made me more aware.
BTW, we were there from 1/23 to 1/29 and we DID see several incidences.
We stayed at POP and a young boy next to me on line at the bus stop threw up next to me. I felt bad for him and the mom apologized but just left without telling anyone. I got out of line to tell a CM to have someone clean it up.
I saw another young boy in the women's bathroom throwing up in the sink.
Also, saw a CM with the sawdust outside of the MK cleaning some up...
Also smelled it on a bus as well, so my experience that something was still around since all the times I've gone to WDW, I've never seen that before....not to make anyone uptight, just aware!

 

[sammi]

Does anyone in the heath field know just how long something like this usually hangs around for?

Our neighbours just got back on Tuesday and there were 6 of them (2 kids) and had no probles but again they did see kids throwing up in bushes etc.

We were all down (6 of us) in Mexico a few weeks ago and my poor son's girlfriend was sooo sick 48 hours after flying in and then my son got really ill 48 hours after that! Ughhhhhh it really is your worse nightmare when on vacation and it can cause alot of anxiety for everyone.

Those of you that did come back from WDW and had no problems would do well to post here too as this might help those of us that are very anxious for our upcoming vacations!

 

[nathanyell]

My nephew got sick in the first days of every Disney trip until a few years ago when we had him stop drinking anything with the water in it. He stays away from Iced Tea and even Ice. The interesting thing is that he has not gotten sick since. His symptoms were stomach cramping, vomiting and the runs.

Who knows if that is the real reason he was getting sick...

 

[Novinha]

My boyfriend and I just got back this past Sunday and we didn't get sick at all. I did bring a can of lysol and sprayed down door knobs, sink/tub faucets, toilet and remotes in our hotel room. Of course, I washed my hands after every toilet use and before eating. I also brought an alcohol based hand sanitizer and used that after touching a lot of handrails and ride restraints. It may have been a little overboard. But I didn't feel like I was constantly thinking about germs (I am not a germ-a-phobe at all), and it was nice to have our vacation and not get sick.

 

[kadesha]

My nephew got sick in the first days of every Disney trip until a few years ago when we had him stop drinking anything with the water in it. He stays away from Iced Tea and even Ice. The interesting thing is that he has not gotten sick since. His symptoms were stomach cramping, vomiting and the runs.

Who knows if that is the real reason he was getting sick...

At least one of my kids ALWAYS gets sick the day after getting in the pool at the resort!

 

[JenniBarra]

Just got back (1/26 - 2/2) and neither of us got sick. We did exercise some precautions: ate yogurt every day for the week leading up to the trip, used hand sanitizer periodically, and wiped down our room with Clorox professional wipes upon arrival. At the same time, we did eat at a buffet (Boma)- twice - but I sanitized my hands each time I came back to the table.

If you're planning to take wipes with you and are flying, consider yourself forewarned. Since we wanted to have the wipes with us when we first went to the room, we had to pack it in one of carry-on bags. On x-ray, it just looks like some large solid object so this particular bag was subjected to an additional security screening.

Aside from some vomit just past the Epcot entry gates, I did not witness any sick people (or evidence thereof).

 

[my3sonsagn]

We got back last night after being at Pop since 1/28. Our first day there we saw one pile of vomit on the stair landing in one of the yo-yos and smelled it several times around the bushes lining the sidewalk to the 50s/60s parking lots. My toddler woke up vomiting 4 times in 2 hours Sat. night but was fine and eating on Sunday, so who knows what that was, but we kept him in the room until late Sunday evening just in case. Thus far that has been it, but I'm not calling us spared just yet because I don't want to jinx us.

I will say that I am hugely grateful for this thread - because of it I took a couple of vomit basins with me just in case (if even 2 of us had gotten something at the same time it would have been miserable with only one bathroom), and they saved me when my toddler got sick since he can't tell me in time to make it to the toilet!

Also, we washed hands fairly diligently, touched rails and other objects (did I mention the toddler? lol), rode the bus a few times, did as many rides as possible, ate at a buffet, and used sanitizer (I found a foaming one with the same ingredient as the Wet Ones) when we remembered to.

I hope all the nasty bugs spare everyone!

 

[monicastanner]

Were there January 12-18 and we were fine. I didn't see this thread, didn't prepare anything extra. I'm preggers and being sick woulda been terrible since I'm over that. We didn't see a hint of anything, nor hear a word.

 

[hoosiergirl7]

I so can't be a germaphobe. I don't wash my hands in the bathroom - instead I come out and squeeze some hand sanitizer. I don't worry about spraying things down with disinfectants. Don't get me wrong, I clean and keep my house clean but a long time ago I was told it's good to have good hygiene but it's bad when you over do it. All the anti-bacterial stuff is actually doing your body more harm than good. It suppresses your immune system therefore making it harder to fight infection when you do get sick. I get sick twice a year - in the fall and in the spring in the form of colds. The change of weather, pollen just take a toll on me and boom, I'm sick. It's gone in a week.

My son is 5 and has never had the flu, diarrhea, vomiting and only a handful of colds. We're letting our bodies do what they're supposed to.

I'm not saying that we wouldn't be immune to the bug that is/was going around at WDW but I think we'd have a better shot avoiding it.

Please don't flame me saying I'm disgusting or I'm doing damage to myself, my son, etc. We're healthy, we're happy and we don't sweat the small stuff.

 

[CLR4321]

Thank God all 3 of us have had this virus already! How horrible to have to deal with being sick at Disney!