Share your stories about going to the First Aid Stations

[J'aime Paris]

We have had to visit First Aid on 2 occasions:

1st time was at MK. DD split her lip open on Splash Mountain. When our boat rammed into the one in front of us, her face hit the padded area on the boat and split open. The staff was wonderful!! Very friendly and reassuring to my DD. Also, gave her a slip for a free mickey bar. The nuse said that Mickey bars were an excellent remedy for a sore lip!!

2nd time was at DHS, separate trip. DD got bit on the hand by some bug and was definately having a reaction. The staff here was again superior. They gave DD ice, benedryl and wrapped her hand. Sent some extra benedryl along with us. Gave us instructions for what to do if symptoms worsened.

Very caring people!

 

[LYNSUE]

Mine were only ever bandaids, antacids or tylenol.....Thank Goodness

 

[tmk0051]

Last year my friend Chelsey got sick from dehydration/exhaustion in the middle of Carousel of Progress (this is a major joke today). We had only been in the park for less than an hour. We wound up running her out of an emergency exit while the room was starting to turn and a cast member chased us out angrily. She threw up over a railing and we found a nicer cast member who brought a wheelchair over and we pushed her across the park to the nurses station. They let her take an hour nap in the AC and gave her some gatorade.

The best part was not only did she leave feeling 100% better, but we also continued our day and wound up doing 18 attractions in one day, on the first day of spring break season too! She still pretends to throw up if any of us start singing "there's a great big beautiful tomorrow..."

 

[kelann7]

Unfortuately, we have visited first aid on several occasions - they have always been very nice and helpful. And on one occasion, I was given stickers with Nurse Minnie Mouse on them that said "I visited first aid today". I didn't wear the stickers, but I put them in the scrapbook along with my photos.

I also loved the baby care centers. Anything that you need, don't hesitate to go to first aid - whether it is a band aid for a blister on your foot or a headache - they have what you need.

Kelly

 

[Fire14]

Anyone know what type of professionals staff the FA centers - nurses, EMT's, physicians, other? Just curious.

I know the folks i've met have been nurses (RN's)

 

[2minny]

what a funny thread...I must share...our VERY first trip to disney, ever! We take our 6 month old to magic kingdom, we were crazy people rushing around trying to see everything. Between two rides we forgot to buckle her into the stroller, as we are maneuvering through the park, she falls out of the stroller onto her head! (she is 16 years old now, so this was years ago). She had a bad skinned area that began to swell. So we (in a panic) took her to a first aid station. They were SO nice and helpful to two young parents They iced it, bandaged it, gave her some pain meds and offered to go to a shop and find her a hat to protect it...but we had a hat. I wish you could have seen our faces (husband and I) when she fell out of the stroller....and the people around us too! The funniest part was they said "in case she has a head injury, don't let her fall asleep for 4 hours, monitor her behavior" well obviously a 6 month old sleeps often, especially after trauma. You should have seen us trying to keep her awake, we finally gave up!

 

[Andrea73]

This thread is really reassuring. My 8 year old has a condition called cyclic vomiting syndrome that hits her with little warning. I have been worried about what I would do if she got sick at the parks and her meds did not work. (it's about 50/50 on her meds). She will lose consciousness waking only while vomiting.

I feel much better knowing that there is medical care there that can help until I can her her back to the resort.

 

[maccagerl]

Anyone know what type of professionals staff the FA centers - nurses, EMT's, physicians, other? Just curious.

Last year my DD didn't feel well while we were in AK, so we stopped at the First Aid area . The nurse who saw here had a regular job in the ICU at a nearby hospital, and worked part time at the Disney clinic ( for the Disney perks, of course!) - as do many of their nurses.
The decor at the Ak first aid reflected the park, with interesting tiles on the counter and AK artwork on the walls.
The staff was so friendly and reassuring! The nurse told us that they only deal with very basic complaints there- tylenol, antacids, band aids, etc.
If anyone is having a real medical problem, he said they immediately transfer them to a real hospital.

I'll post photos of our visit in a few minutes as soon as I can figure it out!!

 

[maccagerl]

Photos inside the AK first aid station last year.

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[Mouse's Shadow]

We've used FA twice. Our DS is an adlult and wheelchair bound.Sometimes he has bathroom accidents that he can't control. He's also 6'3". So on one occasion, we stopped at FA, they allowed us to use a room and do a change of clothing.

Another time, my DH's eye started swelling a couple of hours after we had entered the Epcot. We went to FA, they called a car to take him to an Urgent Care, were he was treated for a clogged tear duct, then they picked him up and took him back to the hotel. They were great; we never expected such service.

 

[bennythepug]

I've only been to a first aid station once. It was last November in Epcot and all I needed was a band-aid for a blister. The lady at the front desk was super nice. There was nobody else there at the time. It was right at park opening.

same here ! July '09 took my son into the first aid at Epcot for a band-aid.....really bad blister. No one else was in there, the nice lady gave him stickers too....
had to sign in, in a little book on the desk

only time I have ever been in one......

 

[Robin K]

My mom hurt her ankle at MNSSHP. We went up to Mk First Aid and they gave her an ice pack (one of those one time use pop kind) and asked if she would like a wheelchair. She refused the wheelchair, but sat in the air condition for a bit and just chatted about how the trip was up til the injury. We got the numbers for the Urgent Care there. They told her they would be open again in the morning if she needed to ask any questions after sleeping o it over night. They were SUPER nice and helpful without being over the top.

 

[SunnyP4Disney]

I've had two personal experiences with getting sick/injured at Disney. When I was 5, we were staying at the FW cabins and I was running a high fever, I told my parents I was fine and we went to Magic Kingdom. We were walking from Country Bear Jamboree to Pirates and I started feeling really woozy. I remember telling my dad to slow down and then... nothing. I woke up in the ambulance for just a second to see my mom crying and then woke up in the hospital the next day with all these things stuck in me. Turns out a had a seizure (probably from the fever) and the CMs immediately jumped into action to help stabilize me and get the Reedy Creek EMTs there quickly. I am 34 years old and I still remember it to this day, the sights, the sounds, the smells.

The second time was more recent. We were at Blizzard Beach last year and it was the end of the day and we were packing up the stuff at our beach set up and I was walking through the sand and SLAMMED my toes into the beach chair, breaking two of them and a hairline fracture in my foot. Oh, the pain, it was awful. I immediately had to sit down and told my mom I needed a wheelchair. The lifeguards called for a chair and I was wheeled to first aid in that oh so embarassing PVC wheelchair. They gave me ice and wrapped my foot and were very nice. They kept me distracted from the horrible pain I was in, telling jokes and being super sweet. Since there wasn't more they could do they wheeled me to my car and helped me in. Luckily, my mom was woth me and could drive since it was my driving foot that was hurt. We went to the hospital and got taken care of.

 

[starbox]

Okay - I have the best story ever. On the last day of our first big family trip with DD (age 4), she got a bad headache in the morning at MK - (both of my kids will occasionally get migranes as a genetic "gift" from their migrane-prone father). She was so sad and pitiful, so I gave her the option of going back to the resort or laying down in the first aid station. She did not want to leave, so I took her to the first-aid station.

When we got there, I asked the nurse if there was just a quiet place where she could rest until her meds kicked in. The nurse was SO sweet, and she talked with DD and asked her who her favorite characters were. DD said Chip and Dale. The nurse took us to a little curtained "room" and let DD lie down. She took me aside and said to try to keep her awake because she had something special in the works.

Well - as soon as DD laid down, she dozed off. About 30 minutes later, a character handler came through the curtain and had me rouse DD. There were Chip and Dale - carrying a box of Kleenex and a book! The handler said they heard DD was not feeling well. You can not even imagine her joy when she opened her eyes!!! It was the most amazing moment and it was the moment that I really saw the Disney magic and made me a believer.

DD is now 11 and she still "claims" Chip and Dale. Whenever she sees them, she tells them she is feeling better now.

I know this is way outside of what is normally done in the first aid centers, but it is such a magical memory for us. I will always be grateful for the kindness shown by the nurse that arranged that visit for us.

 

[wehavesix]

My grandson accidentally sprayed himself in the face with aerosol sunscreen last May while we were at HS. My dil and I hustled him to the first aid station where they looked at his eyes and provided us with eye wash to treat his eyes. I think I remember them giving my dil some small vials of eyewash to take with her too. From there, they directed us the baby care center right next door. The staff in there directed us to one of the little alcoves where the lights could be dimmed and dil could rock dgs for a bit. It was a nice place for him to nap for a while.

I had an accident that caused Reedy Creek EMTs to be called. We were at Epcot coming out of the Mayan Temple in Mexico when I fell down the stairs. I broke my right leg and left arm in the fall. My husband jokes that the EMTs popped out of the trash cans. That's how quickly they arrived. I mean less than 5 minutes and they were there stablizing my leg and loading me on the gurney. I was taken out of the park via a gate near the baby care center and loaded into an ambulance. I was taken to the ER in Celebration. That was the most attractive ER I have ever seen! The room where my x-rays were taken was very soothing with murals on the walls and ceiling that made it seem like the room was under a lake. Unfortunately, I had to be transferred to Florida Hospital in Orlando for surgery. Kind of put a damper on the rest of the week. But the EMTs who came to my rescue couldn't have been nicer and the medical personnel at Celebration ER were very caring as well. I was well tended in FL Hospital too.

 

[NattysMom]

We didn't have particularly helpful first aid staff last summer at the Animal Kingdom. My 4 year old daughter threw up in the baby care center and when we went next door to the first aid they basically just showed us the urgent care pamphlet. We had to go back to the baby care center and buy pedialyte. No help with her soiled clothes, concern or trying to talk to her etc...

 

[HarborBlvd]

I've never had to go to First Aid because I've been hurt, but I can tell you it's the only place in the park to buy chapstick!

 

[Lizboo]

I was in a bathroom at Epcot, having a hard time with one of my contacts (which rarely happens..I think I had sunscreen on my fingers and got it in my eyes). Another guest told me that they had saline solution at first aid. I almost hugged her. First Aid was wonderful to me and got me in and out really quickly.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Anyone know what type of professionals staff the FA centers - nurses, EMT's, physicians, other? Just curious.

Every First Aid location on property has at least two RNs on duty any time there are Guests in the Park. This includes the Theme Parks and the Water Parks.

This means someone is there from the time they let people in for pre-opening breakfast until approximately the time the last Guest is expected to leave the Park, which is about an hour after closing.

In addition, each of the major parks except Epcot has an EMT unit backstage with a specially equipped golf cart. The reason Epcot does not is one of the Fire Stations is directly outside Epcot and has a gate to get into the backstage area directly.

 

[Soarin08]

Always have been treated wonderfully! Mainly went to the Epcot one. I get ill in the heat and had to go several times to ensure I wasn't having heatstroke or anything. I was treated VERY WELL.