sick at Disney

[katina816]

On our last trip June -09, we passed the stomach bug around the entire family. My DD 9, had it the worst. We had to call her doc and have meds prescribed. It was awful~ I will definitely spray and wipe down the entire room next time.

 

[Merriwind]

DD got Rotavirus at WDW just after her 3rd birthday. Five days in the hospital!

She's been back at least a dozen times without issue. There are germs everywhere there are people.

Wash your hands!

 

[chipper10]

IN May 2009, DS who was 2 at the time was very sick. He couldn't keep any thing down. He ended up being sick for about 5 days while we were there. We took him to the urgent care near the Animal Kingdom Lodge (a CM at DHS where he got really sick made all the arrangements for us and got a shuttle to take us there). He ended up just having a very bad virus, but there was nothing we could do but wait it out. HE did get some antibodics though. Luckily everyone at Disney was great about Landon being sick.

 

[Bibbidi]

This comment is not meant to be critical--I'm just wondering how or why several of you have mentioned that you've gotten medicine or antibiotics when your kids have had a stomach virus--since antibiotics don't work on a virus, what was the medicine for?

 

[brightspark]

My dh and sister both got sick on our last trip in Nov 07 and I've never been able to look at the photos of the trip. We think we picked it up in the UK and brought it with us as the norovirus (Sp?) (winter stomach flu) was going mad here when we got back... I didn't get it, but I do pity the folks who used the public restrooms in WDW after either of them had been there... they both got sick in the parks. Had to get the dr out 2x for my sister and she got prescribed anti sickness meds as she got seriously dehydrated, and could't keep her normal depression tablets down

Have to say that visiting anywhere with thousands of other people is going to mean that there are bugs around. Handwashing is vital -but really I still think you're pretty unlucky to go down with something. Considering the number of guests I suspect the percentage who get ill is very low.

PP I hope your sons are feeling better xx

 

[lizzyb]

I got sick last january. It was a 24hr type bug. No one else in our group got sick though thankfully.

 

[ZPT1022]

This comment is not meant to be critical--I'm just wondering how or why several of you have mentioned that you've gotten medicine or antibiotics when your kids have had a stomach virus--since antibiotics don't work on a virus, what was the medicine for?

I'm wondering if the medicine that some people took was really an anti nausea drug or an anti diarrheal. While I think that to a point if it needs to come out, it needs to come out, you can also hit a dangerous point where it's been too long since you've kept any fluids down at all and the risks of dehydration are real and severe.



As for the original question, yes, we've been sick on vacation before.


I got sick on my honeymoon after the luau at the Polynesian. I honestly think it was from having two glasses of the cheap wine they provided as part of the meal- my stomach is just so overly sensitive to things and it didn't sit well- I was feeling sketchy already when we were leaving, got sick on the bus (in my favorite purse of all things, but hey, at least no one else knew what was going on), and just kept on getting sick all night. Luckily I was feeling better by the next day so not too much of the trip was ruined.


There have been a few other minor illness things but the worst has to be when most of our family got sick in 2006. We had driven down to visit my grandparents two hours south of WDW for the day and my son got sick to his stomach and basically just napped all day while we were there.

That night his twin sister threw up a bunch of times- I called down for new sheets and remade the bed while she was in the bath, but by the third call they offered to send an ambulance or info for an on call doc. Luckily she didn't get that bad.

My older daughter threw up once and was done.

The next day we spent relaxing around the resort and I did all the laundry, stuffed animals and everything, plus we cleaned the room really well, just trying to decontaminate everything a bit.

The day after that I woke up really early not feeling well. I have a lot of chronic stomach problems so I was really hoping it was just that and soon I'd be better. We showered and got ready and left for the day, later than planned but we still made it out. I could barely walk from the car to Epcot, and was totally just dragging. DH offered to rent an ECV for me but I was too stubborn. Didn't matter anyway, we left soon after. I was determined to struggle through for the kids' sake but when I laid down and fell asleep on the Universe of Energy DH dragged us all back to the resort and took the kids swimming while I slept.

I insisted that he go back to Epcot that night with older DD and they went and kept our dinner reservation and hit a few rides. I stayed at the hotel with our two year old twins. This turned out to be a really bad idea, he came back to the twins in the tub and me passed out on the bathroom floor, I was just so dehydrated. Paramedics came and I spent the night getting rehydrated. I felt pretty sketchy for the rest of the trip and we actually extended our trip a day because I wasn't ready to get in the car for the ride home.


I don't know that any of these things were particularly WDW's fault, I just chalk it up to really bad luck on our part, particularly the 2006 trip where everyone but DH got sick. It definitely stinks though, to look forward to a vacation so much and then spend so much of it dealing with illness and not enjoying any of it

 

[Bitsmommy]

Maybe I am a germophobe, but I wipe down everything!!! EVERYTHING, before my son even enters the room. I have been know to even get out the scrubbing bubbles to clean the tub before he takes a bath in it. I had a premature baby and these kind of things have just stuck with me. I have a kit that comes to every hotel room with me consisting of Lysol, bleach wipes, scrubbing bubbles and hand sanatizer. If we fly, I get these items delivered to the hotel room.

The comforters come off of the bed the minute we get there and they don't get used..they live in the corner of the room! I spray the entire bed with lysol!!! I clean the remotes, counters, phone and light switches espically well. I wasn't like that until my son was born, but I am now!

 

[robinb]

Maybe I am a germophobe, but I wipe down everything!!! EVERYTHING, before my son even enters the room. I have been know to even get out the scrubbing bubbles to clean the tub before he takes a bath in it. I had a premature baby and these kind of things have just stuck with me. I have a kit that comes to every hotel room with me consisting of Lysol, bleach wipes, scrubbing bubbles and hand sanatizer. If we fly, I get these items delivered to the hotel room.

The comforters come off of the bed the minute we get there and they don't get used..they live in the corner of the room! I spray the entire bed with lysol!!! I clean the remotes, counters, phone and light switches espically well. I wasn't like that until my son was born, but I am now!

Sanitizing your room at WDW only goes so far. You are just "protecting" yourself from the previous guest as viruses don't last very long. And they certainly don't hang around on the clean sheets on the bed! I hate to scare you but the vast majority of the active viruses are at the parks and short of using hand sanitizer every few minutes you cannot protect yourself better than someone who simply keeps their hands out of their eyes, mouth and nose and washes their hands regularly.

 

[Chelley00]

In 06 no one got sick, in 08 three of the six of us got sick, and no one got sick in 09. In 08 we were talking with people in line and lots of people had the flu that week.

 

[Bitsmommy]

Sanitizing your room at WDW only goes so far. You are just "protecting" yourself from the previous guest as viruses don't last very long. And they certainly don't hang around on the clean sheets on the bed! I hate to scare you but the vast majority of the active viruses are at the parks and short of using hand sanitizer every few minutes you cannot protect yourself better than someone who simply keeps their hands out of their eyes, mouth and nose and washes their hands regularly.

I am aware that I can't protect myself against clean sheets on a bed, but often, sheets don't get changed. I do this at every hotel room. Not just Disney. We use lots of sanitizer and are frequent hand washers, but I will take every precaution that I can and cleaning the room to make me feel better only takes a few minutes and gives me a full vacation worth of inner peace.

 

[robinb]

I am aware that I can't protect myself against clean sheets on a bed, but often, sheets don't get changed.

I don't know what you are talking about. Sheets are always changed between guests!

 

[AirGoofy]

I think I'm getting sick reading this site.

A good idea to keep around the house and take with you on vacation - ask your Dr. for a prescription for Phenergan (Promethazine). You can get it in pill, suppository, liquid, or gel. I think the pills last longer (potency) and if you use the gel, wear gloves otherwise you get the med as well. It does not prevent or cure a stomach virus, but it minimizes the symptoms and may prevent dehydration.

 

[Avonlady1001]

January 2006 - 7 adults & my DD1 in a rented house. Started w/ me on the way from the airport...2 emergency pull-overs on the way to the house. Then my mom started. She ended up the ER that night by ambulance! They said it was the flu that we either caught on the plane or brought with us from NY.

After that, it kind of went thru all of us except my then pregnant sister. She thinks all the prenatals kept her "healthy"...and she was sick anyway w/ pretty constant morning sickness. Each of us lasted a day or two. Mom had it the worst! I'm happy to say I was fine by night 1...so only a few hours for me.

Day 4 or so, we rushed DD to the First Aid center in Epcot cause her breathing was scary...they sent her by ambulette to the clinic...turned out she had croupe.

Sigh...not the best trip we could've had...LOL

Most of our trips have been thankfully uneventful...sure a cold here & there, but you can't escape them no matter where you are! Germs have a way of making themselves known...

 

[livie1205]

I don't know what you are talking about. Sheets are always changed between guests!

NOPE not all the time...We had a stay at the GF many yrs ago and they left dirty sheets on the bed and a open bottle of jim beam in the room! lol I also got a room at POR had dirty bedding...the maid just forgot to put new sheets on because it looked like one of the beds had not been used...it happens.

 

[Bitsmommy]

I don't know what you are talking about. Sheets are always changed between guests!

Please tell me you don't really believe that...

 

[weewuvvdisney]

Our dd was sick when she was 2. We spent a day in our room keeping her amused. She had a fever but otherwise was fine. Next day we went out to BW for supper - she was sick all over me just as our bus pulled up to our Hotel. We were on the bus that we called the cattle car. The one that is pulled by a truck. We cleaned things up as best we could.... everyone was helpful with napkins and stuff. I ran around to the driver in the truck to let him know what happened. I really felt bad for the people on the bus. I know that my pants were a mess but what I didn't realize (until we were in our room at the other end of th resort), that she got my shoulder and all down the back of my sweater. Oh well...

The one thing we have to keep in mind when on vacations is that we can our schedules, eat differently, drink different water, usually sleep less and are on the go a lot. Our bodies take a hit..... and sometimes when it is mixed with a virus...bad things happen...

I know that we will clean the room when we arrive and watch out for things as best we can. Hopefully we will all be healthy and stay healthy so that we can enjoy our trip. The countdown is on..............




Jan

 

[robinb]

Please tell me you don't really believe that...

Please don't tell me you believe that the sheets are not changed! That is beyond "careful" and into OCD territory. Speaking of OCD, I read once that Howie Mandal is so OCD that he brings his own sleep sack to use on the hotel bed and that he orders extra towels to lay on the floor between the bed and the bathroom so he does't have to step on the floor. Just some ideas for you. Me ... I guess I just like to live dangerously as I leave the sleep sacks and Lysol at home. After a 15-day trip in 3 different hotels at the busiest time of year (we are heading to the airport now) my family is perfectly healthy ... Even after forgetting to unpack the Purel!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Every single trip that we have ever taken to WDW has resulted in some sort of illness for either all the kids, some of the kids, Dh & I or just one of us. We are not germaphobes so it is not like we never expose the kids to anything and we also take a relaxed approach to touring so no getting up early, staying out late. Last trip there was a few nights of puke. One was from strep, one was from a stomach bug. There were also colds and coughs that we needed our nebulizer for. Our kids eat very well- no chicken nuggets and pizza for every meal- but for whatever reason they get sick in WDW. We wipe the room down (light switches, remote etc.) but they do usually pick up something. We do constantly try to wipe their hands in the parks though.
WDW is a hotbed of germs.

 

[livie1205]

Please don't tell me you believe that the sheets are not changed! That is beyond "careful" and into OCD territory. Speaking of OCD, I read once that Howie Mandal is so OCD that he brings his own sleep sack to use on the hotel bed and that he orders extra towels to lay on the floor between the bed and the bathroom so he does't have to step on the floor. Just some ideas for you. Me ... I guess I just like to live dangerously as I leave the sleep sacks and Lysol at home. After a 15-day trip in 3 different hotels at the busiest time of year (we are heading to the airport now) my family is perfectly healthy ... Even after forgetting to unpack the Purel!

I think she said SOMETIMES they are not changed and that is true...I have had a few times at wdw resorts where the sheets were dirty (food on them,hair ,blood ect..) and it was gross.We do not bring our own sheets but I do go to the laundry room and get freshly washed sheets and put them on myself.I also spray the room down, so far it has worked we have NEVER gotten sick at wdw!