Getting sick at Disney...

[NinaBella]

Hand sanitizer or wipes are most convenient for parents of little ones to use while in line. I agree soap and water is best.

I lived in Asia, hence, very common for people to wear masks on planes and in public both when they are sick to prevent spreading or for fear of getting sick. Then yellow dust season it's almost a necessity if you go outdoors depending on the level that day.

I have never worn a mask on a plane, but I have been on very long international flights seated next to others who would constantly cough. I know on one particular trip I really wish I had a mask because the guy next to me cough was pretty chronic and I was hoping he didn't have TB. LoL.

The military clinic in Korea, if you walk and with symptoms of being sick, they give you a mask that you must wear in the waiting area until you are called.

 

[Networth]

1) Don't touch your face. No transmission to your mucosa membranes means no illness

2) Wash your hands. A lot. Do not rely on wipes and gels they do not kill many things (such as spores) and some times kill your normal flora which is your first line of defense.

Oh and stay away from public water fountains want to talk about a Petri dish.

 

[tlw29]

I do wish Disney would step up their cleaning /sanitation efforts considering the illnesses that are out there, some of which are quite scary. There were several recent posts on the CBeach Resort board that talked about lots of sickness in that particular resort. We can take additional steps to protect our families while visiting, but it would be great if Disney would re-evaluate their own procedures as well.

 

[quakechicago]

Hibiclens.

There's not much more you can do, although it's fun to pretend

 

[Princesca]

Personally, I think Disney is probably more dangerous for me... I am married with no kids, and I'm never around kids, so Disney is like one giant petri dish for my immune system

Personally, at this particular time, I'd avoid buffets for starters. Their warm, moist environments, with everyone and their brother touching the serving spoons, is a perfect breeding ground for germs and bacteria. Just manage the risk where you can, and try not to worry about it.

 

[Princesca]

I hear constant reports of people getting sick on Disney trips.

6) Never use the hotel glasses (reports that they only rinse them off in the sink between guests and often with the same towel they use on the toilets.)

I had seen that as well, but the hotel I'm staying at currently brings big dishwasher pallets of new glasses around, so that is clearly not happening at THIS hotel at least.

 

[999DoomBuggies]

We had some lady hack Ebola all over us in August. I told her she needed to go home, get some rest, and clean herself up. No need to get us all sick.

Edited to add, a 1.5 yrs ago I ended up in the ER with 102.7 temp after our disney trip. I am super vigilant nowadays when at disney world. This place is a melting pot of cultures and thus different types of virus are exchanged.

 

[my2boyz]

Speaking of Ebola above is anyone concerned about this while at disney or travelling by plane and waiting in airports??

 

[cakebaker]

Speaking of Ebola above is anyone concerned about this while at disney or travelling by plane and waiting in airports??

We don't travel by plane to Disney- or anywhere else for that matter. But at Disney? Not in the least.

My daughters and one sil are teachers. They are exposed to every kid germ known to man. We're lucky to get to Disney without someone being sick with something, but we've never actually caught anything we could link back to the trip.

 

[Laketravis]

I wouldn't worry too much about it, and here's why.

DS was a preemie, weighed less than 3 lbs at birth. Diagnosed with chronic lung disease and X-linked ichthyosis (lungs and skin are the last things to develop during pregnancy).

You can bet DW and I were very cautious with him. But when it came time for daycare, I encouraged DW to enroll him so that he could start to develop immunities. Believe it or not, all those germs that little kids pass around to each other can serve a purpose; exposure to those things at an early age helps to build a strong immune system.

He hasn't been sick in more than 5 years.

As far as contracting a general plague virus in very populated areas like WDW? We will be taking him again next month and aren't concerned about it at all.

Then again, I'm a firm believer that hand sanitizer and wipes actually reducing one's immunity, and I can't remember the last time I was sick.

My advice: Practice safe parks and you'll be okay

 

[yitbos96bb]

On three previous trips my kids have gotten really sick at Disney. I'm nervous about our upcoming trip with Enterovirus 68 becoming more serious... Anyone else concerned?

Yeah that's terrible. I got sick twice there including a 24 hour stomach flu that led to an unfortunate time in the Ohana bathroom and the longest bus ride of my life going from the MK to the Beach club. Good luck!

 

[CSchex]

In January of 2013, we went to WDW with our usual group - my family, my sister's family and my parents. My sister's 1 year old was the first to get sick, after that everyone followed (except my dad -go figure). That entire 5 day trip our party only rode 1 ride together. It was awful, everyone missed a park day somewhere along the way, and we had to leave and drive home all night long on the last day. We figured the kids would rest better like that. We did everything we could, hand santizer, etc. It was just bad luck. There really isn't anything you can do except take precautions.

 

[AliceandAriel]

Personally, I think Disney is probably more dangerous for me... I am married with no kids, and I'm never around kids, so Disney is like one giant petri dish for my immune system

Personally, at this particular time, I'd avoid buffets for starters. Their warm, moist environments, with everyone and their brother touching the serving spoons, is a perfect breeding ground for germs and bacteria. Just manage the risk where you can, and try not to worry about it.

The biggest things you can do?

Wash wash wash the hands, and no touchy the face!

Probiotics, hand sanitizer, and wipes will help, but common sense is your best friend. If the dude next to you in line looks a little ick, don't touch him, and keep back if he's coughing. Don't wanna ingest anything he might have, you know?

 

[Jennasis]

I end up with a cold after EVERY Disney trip. I also end up with a cold after I fly anywhere. We just had a weeklong trip to Disney (we drove), came home and then two days later I flew to Indiana...a few days into my weeklong Indiana stay I got my post Disney/flight cold. DH (who stayed home while I was in Indiana) also got the cold.

 

[abh413]

Stomach viruses worry me the most because they can live on surfaces for weeks. This is also why they can be transferred so easily especially within a family.

With that said, our first WDW trip is approaching. We are trying to boost our immune system. We are using: multivitamins, probiotics & proper amounts of Vit D.

We also use elderberry syrup (fights viruses) & Umcka ColdCare (homeopathic & it's awesome) at any exposure or possible exposure or for symptoms. We also use essential oils topically as necessary.

 

[KTR]

We are here at Disney now. It's our last day and that's a good thing. We all woke up with the start if a cold this morning and by evening all 6 of us have a nasty cough. I've actually lost my voice too. We stayed healthy through most of the trip but it caught us in the end. I am probably bringing the baby to the pediatrician Monday because has asthma, but as of right now in not too worried.

 

[policycobb]

I just returned from Disney this afternoon with a cold. Started yesterday while I was at Animal Kingdom. My dad spent a day and a half at Celebration hospital at the beginning of the trip with a food borne illness which ended up irrating his herena and he has a piece of a sandwhich he ate yesterday stuck. We took him straight from the airport to the ER. He is waiting to have a scope done as I type this. The few days we were able to go to the parks we had a great time. You can become sick any time and any where. Too bad illnesses and accidents don't take a vacation when you do. I disembarked a couple of years ago off a Disney cruise following an ambulance taking a family memeber to the hospital.

 

[Yzerbear19]

I was sick during our trip for my 30th birthday. I swear it was food poisoning. I was soooo miserable and it wasn't very pleasant. We had rented a car and only I was on it to drive, but after getting sick in the bathroom at Downtown Disney I had to have my sister drive back. Thank goodness we had brought a portable DVD player with lots of DVDs because that kept me occupied while I was stuck in the room. My sister liked that I was sick because she got to go have fun in the park by herself (brat!). Ironically she got sick the day before we left.

And before her 30th birthday trip to Disneyland we both had a stomach bug that we have dubbed "the plague." There seems to be a curse with Disney trips when turning 30. I know two of my friends who also celebrated their 30th birthdays at Disney and were sick either during or right after their trips.

We're going to take my nieces (3.5 and 2) in the spring and I'm not too worried about them getting sick. They both LOVE to wash their hands and like to use hand sanitizer. We will definitely be sure to bring plenty of sanitizer and wipes with us.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

Stop eating sugar. Sugar lowers your immune system by 70%. Or so I've read.

Eat healthy, take probiotics, wash your hands and get some sleep.

Just returned from a 7 day trip with 2 families, 4 small kids. No one got sick and no one used hand sanitizer either.

 

[LillsnJills]

We are here at Disney now. It's our last day and that's a good thing. We all woke up with the start if a cold this morning and by evening all 6 of us have a nasty cough. I've actually lost my voice too. We stayed healthy through most of the trip but it caught us in the end. I am probably bringing the baby to the pediatrician Monday because has asthma, but as of right now in not too worried.

Sounds like what DW and I came down with while we were there 9/20-9-27. On the bus to MK our first morning, a 20-something looking couple sat across from us, obviously sick, and each did a shot of Robitussin as we headed to the park. 3 days later I was getting a sore throat. By day 5 I felt so awful that I stayed at the hotel while DW headed to MK, though she came back two hours later, as she was starting to feel poorly as well. This, after taking all the standard precautions to keep from getting sick, including six weeks of taking Airborne supplements.

While we were waiting at MCO, we noticed a LOT of people around us who'd obviously been to the parks were also under the weather.

Have you regained your voice yet? Mine's still not 100%, two and a half weeks later. It still breaks and scratches from time to time. Still coughing occasionally too. Not the sort of souvenir I wanted to bring home for vacation.