diabetics and Disney

[indy4192]

In Oct I will be taking my mom to disney for her birthday gift. She is a diabetic, we are staying at the Pop Century, is there a way or place she can store her medicine so it stays cold?

Also, how do you transport medicine and needles now a days when flying?

 

[ducklite]

Make sure you put a request for a fridge for medication on your reservation. The medication fridges are the size of a shoe box and there is no charge for them. If you want a larger fridge you may or may not be charged $10 per night.

Most (not all) insulin doesn't need to be kept cold until it's been opened. Unless you are coming from outside the country, put it on an icepack in a softsided lunch cooler and it will be fine. Carry the syringes with the insulin. The TSA doesn't require a note from a doctor for syringes.

WDW used to provide sharps disposal containers for guest rooms, I've recently read they no longer do so, but I imagine any first aid station in a theme park would still ahve sharps containers she could dipose of her syringes in. You can also buy a small portable one at most pharmacies.

Anne

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Anything you have medical should be in your carry-on. Do not even think of checking any medicines or medical equipment.

 

[pumba]

my mother in law is on insulin and we had no problems with it. She took her syringes and insulin on the flight in a carry on ........She did not need to put her insulin in the fridge either......Just kept in an area that was cool enough.....SO AC ROOM was fine.....she did not need insulin during our days in the parks but we always went back to the room to rest during the heat of the day. She had a great time. Because you use up your energy walking and doing stuff.....make sure she has plenty of snacks in her fanny pack or back pack...

 

[Selket]

We keep our insulin (novolog) in the fridge until it is opened and then we leave it out. I think whether or not you want to keep it cooled down depends on how you normally keep it at home. I would suggest that you bring back-up bottles of insulin if she actually takes insulin. Is she on insulin or another med that needs to be kept cold?

With insulin to keep it cold I wrap it up and put it in a little cooler bag that fits in my purse along with a frozen ice pack. Problem is that when you come home you don't have a place to refreeze the pack. The hotel fridges do not have a frozen area (in the room). I think i got a ziploc bag of ice to use to get home with. We normally drive and not fly.

In the parks you can keep refrigerated meds at the First Aid station if you wish. If you have a really good small cooler you can keep them in there and keep it with you but that is a hassle to bring unless you have a place to put it. There are these water-activiated cooling cases called Frio packs http://www.coolerconcept.com/ I have no personal experience with them but since they are water activated and reuseable it would work for carrying insulin on the plane and at the park in theory.

If you are carrying byetta that is a different issue. I had a link to how to keep it cool so I'd have to look for it - let me know.

 

[DisneyFanGuy]

My son has Type 1. Everytime we go through bag check they advise us about storage facilities at the first aid station. They didn't even blink at the supplies. He uses pens 100% now, and keeps them in a fanny pack with him in the parks. We never had a problem with anything.

Also, several times over the years, we ended up missing our meal reservations, and couldn't find a opening. When we mentioned that he had diabetes, they found a spot for us every time. In the early days of his disease, we requested special meals. They accommodated us every time.

We have found Disney prepared and eager to assist in any way possible.

 

[Zurg]

Most (not all) insulin doesn't need to be kept cold until it's been opened. Unless you are coming from outside the country, put it on an icepack in a softsided lunch cooler and it will be fine. Carry the syringes with the insulin. The TSA doesn't require a note from a doctor for syringes.

Funny our insulin is the other way around as is most I have heard of. Keep cool until open thne room temp is OK. It goes bad if it gets hot.

This site may help: http://www.diabetes.org/advocacy-and-legalresources/discrimination/public_accommodation/travel.jsp