Does anyone ever get sick?

[Tigger031266]

OK so I am sitting here is Wisconsin almost dying from a virus. Fortunately, I have 12 days until we go to WDW. I am always worried traveling this time of year to WDW that someone will get sick.

How do you handle illnesses (extra vitamins, extra sleep, hand washing....)? What do you do when someone does get sick? Does anyone buy the insurance?

 

[1000th happy haunt]

This year both DH and I got flu shots. We also drink Danactive each day, it's supposed to help build up your immune system. And since we rent a car when at WDW, we purchase Danactive at the local Publix and keep it in our room.

Washing hands more often can't hurt either.

 

[bluedoggy]

Hi Tigger - I grew up in New Berlin - now live in Tosa. As far as your questions goes, we did buy the insurance this year for our trip, due to elderly family members, but fortunately didn't need it. As far as fighting off flu bugs, colds, etc. we take supplements to enhance our immune systems, use Purel or wash hands alot. Sometimes you just can't avoid getting sick, but there are so many products that can help shorten the duration. Wishing you lots of PIXIE DUST that you will be well by the time you leave.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

At mass during the winter, I don't shake hands with parishoners that are coughing and blowing their nose, and I don't drink the wine at communion. I know this sounds crazy. I hope mjy is not reading this......

 

[DVC Grandpa]

Hi Tigger and Bluedoggy. Just thought I would send a cold HI from Waukesha.

 

[AKV707]

Knock wood, we havem't felt ill leading up to a trip. We do take vitamins, exercies and follor the Real Age diet. We are also avid hand washers. If the day ever comes when i don't feel well leading up to a DVC trip., I will get rest, and stay up with my vitamins and pray. But I will still go!

 

[Kathi OD]

Five years ago I got very ill just before a trip. We had planned our vacation for the week before Labor Day and I fell seriously ill in July. By the first week of August I was in the hospital with doctors really not knowing how long I would be ill or how long it would take to recover. According to the resident, in medical school they were told "they would never see a case of it." Well there I was, and no one could project what was going to happen. Of course I had a severe case of denial, I WOULD be better before my trip to WDW!! I WOULD! Alas, I was not and the week before our trip I conceded that even if I were able to get out of the hospital, I was in no shape to be walking around theme parks for a week. DH called MS (hahahaha.....would've loved to be a fly on the wall for that conversation), explained the situation and they allowed us a "once in a lifetime exception" to cancel within our 30 days without penalty. I thought that was pretty nice as they didn't have to do that. Next time, I'll not be so stubborn and call sooner.

 

[starbox]

OK so I am sitting here is Wisconsin almost dying from a virus. Fortunately, I have 12 days until we go to WDW. I am always worried traveling this time of year to WDW that someone will get sick.

How do you handle illnesses (extra vitamins, extra sleep, hand washing....)? What do you do when someone does get sick? Does anyone buy the insurance?

Granted, I'm a little germ-a-phobic - but we carry Purell hand sanitizer and don't eat without hand-washing. I use Clorox wipes on stuff like the remote control and phones when we get to the room. I also avoid heated pools during cold/flu season - the warm water is for breeding all sorts of nasty crud - DD got a horrid staph infection from a pool a few years ago

 

[Coll0610]

A couple years ago, DH got sick after we were there. Without getting too graphic, had we been in Mexico, we would have called it "Montezuma's Revenge". Anyway, we were so glad we had the 1 bedroom (at WLV). DH was able to borrow movies from the store, and we had a kitchen to prepare him snacks in when he started to feel better. Obviously it would have been better if he hadn't been sick, but if it had to happen I'm glad we had the DVC room.

 

[disneykid4ever]

Well at this point since you are already sick I would suggest lots of chicken soup, tea with honey, vitamins, and rest. If you have other people in your household, remind them to wash their hands often. You might also want to wipe down surfaces with lysol; areas like tv remotes, doorknobs, countertops, etc . . .

To ward off getting sick to begin with we wash our hands frequently, have purell or anti-bac hand wipes with us whenever we are out in public places, take a daily vitamin, and eat Activia and drink Danactive (even while at WDW). We also keep Zicam on hand all the time and take it with us to WDW. It's great to take with the first little sign of an illness and for us, it has really shortened anything that might have started to latch on.

 

[melanie18]

Hopefully you will be fine in 12 days. We wash our hands a lot and carry Purell in the parks . DD7 got horribly ill on the day we were supposed to check out of VWL last month. So bad that we missed our flight home. After a trip to the hospital, they ended up moving us into the lodge (concierge level, no less). Southwest was not able to get us on another flight for 3 days so we ended up driving our rental car home.

 

[rocketriter]

We Chicagoans tell ourselves the Florida warmth will "bake out" our illness when it happens. It's not scientific. But we'd rather be sick at Disney than sick at home!

 

[PEANUT1]

I was so worried about this before our last trip in October...and low and behold, our 1 year old had a 102 fever the night before we left. The morning of our trip she was 103...I didn't know what to do. she was acting fine...just a little sniffle. I loaded her up on tylenol and ibuprofen and by the next morning she was normal. It was touch and go and I was really nervous but as my mom reminded me "they do have doctors in disney". Try not to worry too much. There is really nothing you can do to totally prevent illness unless you live in a bubble. Have a wonderful time.

off the actual topic...I always come home from disney sick. I don't know if it is the rooms or the flight... but always come home needing an antibiotic.

 

[wildernessDad]

DW and I both got sick during our September vacation. Wife had the doctor come to visit and he set her up with antibiotics. I did not get treatment, just coughed my head off all day and night. It turns out that I had bronchitis and I needed antibiotics as well. Found this out after I got back home. The castmembers at AKV probably knew when I was around by the sound of the cough.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I'm like the OP. I am getting my illness out of the way now. I have been on an antibiotic for a week with one of my chronic sinus infections. My antibiotic ends Thursday. I plan on taking Airborne next week before we leave. I'll also take Purel and maybe some antibacterial wipes. We have battled illness our last 2 trips. In April DW took Aleve, which we found out she is allergic to, and it ruined our day. We stayed in the room all day and ended up getting room service at BWV that night. In 2005, we both came down with a moderate flu bug while at WL. We both had a fever, aches, and no energy. Luckily, we bought Robitussin flu and it got us going again in a couple of days. I will also be taking that with us just in case.

 

[Inkmahm]

*waving hello from chilly Menomonee Falls!*

We did the flu shots, of course. I also take multivitamins, zinc, vitamin C, etc. and drink lots of water. I have my first cold in a very long time right now but I'm sure I got that on the plane ride HOME from WDW earlier this month. Planes are deadly this time of year for passing on germs.

I've been sick at Disney before but never with anything more than a cold. We've been lucky over the years, I guess. Unless you count the one injury where my mom dislocated her shoulder falling over the stupidly placed barriers at the top of each handicap parking space at MGM (they have them now at MK, too.) We ended up in Celebration's hospital emergency room for that one and she had to stay for a visit to the operating room the next day to put her shoulder back in place. It was the day before we were leaving to go home, so only the last day of vacation was ruined.

 

[jbrowna]

I wonder how much worrying about it contributes to it? I grew up in an era -- or maybe it was just my family, me being the youngest of six -- where we didn't worry so much about it. Sure, we got sick. But we also got dirty and didn't stress over it. Growing up, we were all exposed to countless germs -- playing with our friends -- that probably should have killed us ten times over! But they didn't. My theory is that this exposure strengthened our immune systems, so we rarely got sick and when we did it wasn't so bad.

With all the sanitizers and anti-bacterials nowadays, I suspect that immune systems are being weakened. Any little bug that gets through all that prevention is enough to cause serious illness. Either that, or the bugs that do make it through all that stuff are pretty potent. Maybe fighting little illnesses trains the body to combat the big ones. Take away the little ones and the body has no chance against the big ones.

Just my ramblings. But I am certain that stressing over it doesn't help it! Go with happy thoughts and plenty faith, trust, and pixie dust -- after all, you are going to Disney World!

 

[Pakey]

With the 7 1/2 hour flight to WDW, the recycled air on the plane usually gets me. I'm never sick until I fly. I'm going to try Airborne this time (leaving in 3 weeks) to see if that will help.

I just returned from Las Vegas where I got sick so I'm hoping going again this close will mean I get to skip the illness this time.

 

[buzz5985]

<<I grew up in an era -- or maybe it was just my family, me being the youngest of six -- where we didn't worry so much about it. Sure, we got sick. But we also got dirty and didn't stress over it. Growing up, we were all exposed to countless germs -- playing with our friends -- that probably should have killed us ten times over! But they didn't. My theory is that this exposure strengthened our immune systems, so we rarely got sick and when we did it wasn't so bad.>>

I agree with jbrowna and we very rarely get sick, mild head cold that is about it. Yes, we wash our hands, etc. But do not use antibacterial anything. Where as my sister, using antibacterial everything and her kids are always sick. My DS 11 had strep throat once, that is the only day of school he has missed due to illness.

My wacky theory - we keep our heat very low in the winter. Germs would freeze to death in my house.

 

[3pirates]

Plenty of ideas about prevention here...

If you're already sick, warm climate can't hurt your recovery... Of course, we drive and don't fly so I have no reservations about spreading germs.

With five of us over the years, we've had people sick there. For the most part it comes/goes quickly, and that becomes one of our days off. If it is bad enough there are places to go for treatment...

One year my DS came down with chicken pox two weeks exactly after being at WDW...there had been no other cases in his school...until he started them!

And then there was the year our DS15 was a baby and came down with an ear infection. We got him on antibiotics and decided to take the day off from the parks...to kill time we went and visited Celeste to do the DVC tour...

January of 1993....that ear infection was the best thing to happen to us the entire trip!