Disney during Flu Season?

[madmadammim23]

We have a trip booked for the first week in February, but now I am rethinking this as I am terrified of our two year old catching the flu. Thinking of pushing until the first week in March, crowd predictions are still low and prices about the same. Anyone have any advice or insight into this? Any pros or cons to going in February as compared to March? TIA!

 

[SEA333]

We have a trip booked for the first week in February, but now I am rethinking this as I am terrified of our two year old catching the flu. Thinking of pushing until the first week in March, crowd predictions are still low and prices about the same. Anyone have any advice or insight into this? Any pros or cons to going in February as compared to March? TIA!

I'm pretty sure one can catch the flu (or any virus) just as much in March as in Feb. For that matter, one can catch a virus any time of the year. My youngest son caught the endovirus the last week of May 3 years ago, just before Memorial Day, which landed him in the hospital for four days and made him miss his last week of Kindergarten and also happened to be 3 months AFTER we came home from a 10-day WDW vacation. The endovirus is VERY similar to the influenza virus, except you get to constantly throw up, too. yay!

The better thing to do, would be to practice good hygiene. Wash your, and her, hands often, use hand sanitizer, and most importantly, teach her to not touch everything in sight, run her hands all over everything as she walks by (a habit my kids STILL have not broken and it drives me CRAZY!!!! LOL), and keep her hands out of her mouth and eyes. Also, the week or two before the trip, limit contact with public germ magnets (like playlands, indoor parks, birthday parties, family get-to-gethers, etc) and be extra careful around anyone who is sick.

This is reminding me of the first time we went to FL with the kids - they were 11, 7, and 6 and it was pouring rain so we stopped at an Oasis on the Tri-State Tollway in Illinois. There was a McDonalds playland there and my kids made a bee-line for it. I swear everyone in the entire place stopped and stared when I screeched "NOOOO!!!!!" All I could see if them picking up some virus on day 1, coming down with it on day 4, spreading it to each other the rest of the week, and having to drive 26 hours home on day 10.

Nightmare city!! LOL

Just be careful in the weeks leading up to your trip and practice good hygiene while you are there, and you should be fine!

 

[Raenstoirm]

I don't think it really matters. 20 some people caught measles at Disneyland last month and noro is a common illness found at disney as well (and cruise ships). As the other poster said, just try to wash his hands as often as possible. if he is going to get sick, he is going to get sick.

 

[sthrnbelle343]

Carry wipes and hope for the best. Really you're at risk for a ridiculous number of nasty bugs any time you go out in public. March is still flu season and Noro knows no bounds...

 

[jll2800]

As someone who hates being sick and tries to avoid it at all costs (because I tend to get sick and stay sick for a solid month each time), I'd say that ANY time you go to Disney you risk getting sick. It scared me beforehand too, and then when we were at WDW last week, everyone spent the week sick despite good hygiene! Our first full day at Disney, we spent 2.5 hours in an urgent care clinic and 2.5 hours in a Target parking lot waiting for a prescription. They tested the older one for flu because they said it is rampant this year and tons of vacationers had it. Thankfully he didn't have it, just some other virus. But the 8 mo old had a double ear infection, and then our last night we had to take the 5yo to the ER in the middle of the night with a severe ear infection. So I guess what I'm saying is that as a germophobe, I am just trying to accept that getting sick can be a part of vacationing with kids, particularly in a place with so many other kids. But if they get sick, it's not like you're in the wilderness. There are plenty of urgent care clinics and ERs in the area (though prepare to wait during busy times of the year).

And on the flip side, I don't think there's anything wrong with deciding that a germ-filled theme park isn't the kind of vacation you want for your family, or that you want to minimize your risk by going during a time of year when sickness is a little less rampant. I don't think February vs. March is going to be a big difference frankly, but whatever helps you feel more comfortable is A-OK in my book.