sick kids

[disneycuban]

Has anyone ever gone to Disney sick, and how have you made the best of it? thanks

 

[perpetualplanner]

Unfortunately it seems to be the only way we go to Disney. On our first trip with kids we all had bad colds. My son cleared up within a day or so but DH and I had a box of kleenex at all times. Not too bad except for red and sore noses. This last trip the first night there my oldest DS got the stomach flu - we then proceeded to pass it around and everyone had it for a day - at least it was only a 24 hr kind. We're planning a Jan. 04 trip and hoping to leave all the little germs behind. The colds were easy to just keep going - just brought kleenex in the backpack and brought cold medicine from home. The flu we lucked out in that my DSister had come with us so there was an extra adult. My DH stayed with DS the day he was sick. Other DS, my Dsister, and myself all had it the same day, and DH stayed by himself one day. We didn't get a lot of things done we had planned on and that night alone for DH and myself never happened but we still had fun and made memories.

 

[Laura1994]

Hmmm seems someone is always sick when we leave or are there (funny thing is we are generally a healthy bunch!)

Anyway last year ds6 had a stomach bug in days leading to the trip. We got up morning of and although he didn't seem like his chipper self he insisted he wanted to get going... We had a two day drive. We finally did take off, bringing along a bucket - just in case. He did well, did get sick that night once, but was much better on day two!

We've also had then get sick while there. Once our 1 yo developed a bug while there. She ended up throwing and fever one day. I stayed behind w/her and sent hubby to the pool w/the rest. The pool day kind of made for a good down day for the rest.

Guess it just depends on how sick, who, etc.

 

[DisneyFan09]

The night before we were to leave I heard my daughter (4 at the time) moaning in her sleep and when I went to check on her she was burning up!! Of course I couldn't sleep all night worrying about what to do in the morning. Well, when I got her up at 4:00am she still had a fever and was crying, so I gave her some Motrin and by the time we got to the airport her fever had gone down but I knew she wasn't feeling well. We made it to Orlando and everytime her Motrin would wear off that fever spiked again but by the next day she was fine. Very very scary!! I had no idea whether or not to even get on that plane, I'm glad we did!! Another thing we had to consider is that my dh and his brother had left 2 days prior by car because his brother wouldn't fly, so he was there waiting for us!!

 

[dkostel]

A few years back my 6yo niece got chicken pox while at Disney. They were very nice, sent a doctor, refunded us the nights we didn't use and helped us arrange a rental car as she couldn't fly with chicken pox. They said after we left they were going to disinfect the room.
The airlines, however, was another story. What a nightmare!! I don't think we ever got a refund from them (I don't remember who it was but it wasn't SWA).

Donna

 

[Muffy]

We visit WDW every Jan and always worry who will be sick. For several years DH and I get a flu shot every Oct. That has cut down on the flu. We also cycle enchincea in the winter to prevent colds. We also push handwashing with DD and that has helped more than anything else!! Wash hands frequently!

 

[winniedapooh]

The first time my now DD 6 went, she was 3 1/2 at the time, she had an ear infection that was diagnosed the day before we left. Turned into a nasty cold and she was down for the count for at least 8 out of the 10 days we were there. All our picutres of her show her sleeping and when we had the sillouette done of the kids, DH held her in his lap with her head held up while she was sleeping. For a year after when asked what her favorite ride was she would proudly say "My Daddy"! With 5 DCherubs and the time of year we go ultimately someone ends up with a cold or ear infection or both. Keeping fingers crossed for this year. I do have to say good handwashing does make a difference. I am a freak about this especially in the flu months!

 

[Donnainnj]

Our last trip DD - 6 was sick. We had to leave for the airport at about 10am the day before Easter. She was a little off the day before, but it was after her Dr's. Friday hours so I just hoped, well that night she woke up sick. Fever and a mean cough. Went to the Walk in Clinic our Dr's are connected to, got antibiotics even though the dr and I knew that they probably wouldn't help much, I wasn't feeling great either, like something was coming on (sinus infection or something) so I got meds to. Dr. said to keep her on Motrin. Went to the airport hoping they didn't think she had sars. This was a virus that half her school had had so I knew it wasn't Sars. But I also knew that most of the kids who had it ended up sick for 5 days. YUK! She wasn't to bad that day while on the Motrin, so we went to Easter Vigil at MQofU, as we had planned, she slept through most of it, but that is normally how she acts at church. She was real tired and slept for most of Easter, we did get her next door for dinner at the Cape May Clam Bake, and she ate some. Her fever got real high that day, over 104' before she was due more Motrin. Each day after that was a bit better. and within 3 days of Easter she was just a little more tired then before. I think DH kind of enjoyed it because he got to rest for the beginning of vacation while staying with her. Hope all works out well with you and yours.

 

[jacksonsmom]

My son started acting funny the day before we were to leave. He complained of a sore thoart & he had the chills. Took him the the doctor for a strep test, which was negative.

The next morning when we were getting ready for leave for the airport, he started to run a fever, got sick while I was getting him dressed and still had a sore thoart. Gave him Mortin & hoped the airlines didn't think he had SARS or something.

By the time we got to Disney he had a 105F tempature and could not get it down, we had the EMTs there & went to visit the doctors down at Disney.
They said it was just a "virus"

How we made the best of it was SLOWED things WAY down. Our touring plans went out the window. The first & second day we just stayed in the room & took turns checking things out & going to the parks.
Luckily by the thrid day my son was able to go to parks but again we had to go slow & at his pace. We took many breaks.
We really just went with the flow. We still had a wonderful time & by the 5th-6th day he was back to himself (we were there for 13 days)
The only major downer was we HAD to cancel our PS we had for CRT breakfast for our first day My son was just too sick to even try to make it.

I guess really the best advice is 'go with the flow' & don't worry about what you are not seeing but what you are seeing

 

[ceecee]

That's our worse fear, being sick on vacation! I hate to be away from home when I'm sick and so does DH and DD. We do the handwashing and saline in the nose on the plane ( a Dr. I worked for swore by this) since you are breathing all that recycled air. Just pray that you stay well.

 

[Antonia]

I went with a sick kid one time and I was so happy that we had park hoppers and not Unlimited Magic Passes. That way, even if we did not get to go to a park, our passes were not running out day by day - I knew we could always use them in the future. We always get hoppers instead of UMPs for this reason - you never know what may happen to ruin your fun.

 

[ducklite]

I'm a little concerned that anyone would take a sick kid (or themselves!) with a fever and cough on an airplane, thereby exposing many unsuspecting travelers.

I'm not trying to bash anyone here, but it just seems to be a little unethical to me. Especially if you don't know what the child has, it could potentially put people at serious risk.

Am I the only one who thinks this way??

Please--I am NOT trying to start a war here, but I'd like to hear well thought out opinions from people on this.

Anne

 

[TerryN]

This is my biggest nightmare!!!! My family and friends think I'm nuts but here are my rules to going to Disney: Not October or March (Strep throat season at our house), Nov., Dec., Jan., Feb., is stomach flu season (I won't even risk it) and sometimes too crowded for me. So we are left with April, May, June, July, August and Sept. Crazy....yes...but for me better safe then sorry.

 

[cdrn1]

I guess I'm not too concerned about a sick kid on a plane. Most of the stuff kids get are pretty common germs that they haven't built up an immunity to yet. I guess if a family has invested a lot of time and money in a vacation it would be pretty difficult to just say, "well, we aren't going cause Buzzy has a temp" and chuck the whole thing or pay hundreds of dollars to get a later flight and let that deposit go down the drain. I can sympathize, and I was never put in that position so who knows what I would actually do. I would just hope that the parents keep the kid away from everyone they possibly can and take a bottle of Purell and douse his little hands in it every time he sworps the snot off his nose. Now a sick adult....that's a different story.

 

[PatriciaH]

I was thinking as I was reading this 105 temp-oh my gosh! I would think someone would go to the hospital for that kind of temp. I am suprised at the EMT's saying it was just a virus. I think DH got really sick from a little girl on the plane one year. He was A-ok before the trip but this girl (about 3) right behind us sounded like she was ready to keel over. She was crying and screaming the whole plane ride. It was pretty funny when she yelled out "I don't WANT to go to Disney World I want to GO HOME!" She was a mess. Anyway he got sick a day later.

 

[Donnainnj]

I was concerned about getting others sick. When we went to the walkin clinic I told the Dr. we were to fly that day and he was not worried. I did keep her away from people as much as possible. And mostly she was just real tired, as much from the Motrin as anything else I think, and had that cough I had heard so much at her school from other students before we left. The cough really wasn't to bad unless she was lying down.(her lungs were clear) The worst part of it in her mind was that I wouldn't let her go swimming until the fever was gone for 24 hours. Don't really know how true it is but have always heard that you are usually more contagious before symptoms show. Again, I only went to the clinic because we were going away, at that point the illness wasn't all that bad, the following day, Easter, was the worst. If that was the day we were to leave I don't know if we would have gone. Kids get little things all the time, it is so hard to tell if it is going to turn into a long drawn out thing or a 24 hour in and out one.

 

[gm]

Okay this may be a little extreme but it keeps my kids from getting sick all and everytime I go to disney which is twice a year!!

I use Purell hand sanitizer on them after every couple of rides!! When they come out of public restroom, they know the drill, hands out for the purrell. Even before we sit down to eat in the restaurants, purrell hand sanitiizer before they touch the food and after they are done eating. If they go get seconds then when they come back, purrell again because of touching all the utensils that everyone else used.

Okay this may be extreme but I even purrell them after they hug the characters. I also do not let them open the doors at the shops, etc. I do that for them. It is easy to carry the purrell since it comes in small sizes.

My kids are 5 and 9. I love purrell. It really is a life saver for me and it has proven it time and time for me. If I run out of it, I always have alcoholic wipes in my purse. I also do not let them touch any of the airline magazines and stuff.

Also for plane earaches during landing and going up. Yawn real hard and your ears will pop back open(an experienced stewardess told me this and it works miracles all the time)

I know this is extreme lenghts to prevent sickness, but it works for me. My kids do not have health insurance so I have to be very very vigil.

 

[cheeringmom]

I carry purell EVERYWHERE. If I don't have access to soap and water, I use purell. I, too, use it after EVERY ride. My older teens carry some in their fanny packs at the parks. Esp when we visit DQ, we use after every game. I may be "over the edge" but I've had sick kids at WDW and I try to do my best to prevent that from happening again. Weeks before our trip, I keep the house disinfected and have the kids wash up all the time. Seems to help.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

We do the 2 weeks before trip "wash a lot trick" also and avoid places like Chuck e Cheese during this time! We all 4 get the flu shot. I carry Purell but we only use it before we eat or if something was sticky/nasty that we touched. I think the BIGGEST thing is to teach your kids NOT to put their fingers in their mouths. I have drilled this into my kids and they know not to. I cannot tell you how many kids stand in line chewing on fingers, picking at teeth-it is disgusting. In fact I would say 90% of the kids we saw and MANY adults had fingers in their mouths at some point in line. Then they touch the railing-EW! DH and I were amazed as we decided to look for this a couple times.

DS and I got sick after returning from an overseas flight years ago. I overheard our stewardess talking to another stewardess about how sick she had been during the night , about 2 days later DS and I were very sick for about 24 hours . Just glad our trip was over. I wonder how many others she sickened? Planes are easy places to share germs, young and old. Luckily we are close enough to drive to WDW.

I am glad those with sick ones stayed in their rooms as some people at Disney are with Make a Wish and other organizations and cannot handle germs at all. I do know a little girl under this program who got sick there and missed PSB .

 

[milmore104]

Oh my gosh! Our last trip in Nov. was awful for myself. I caught a cold from my DD before we left. I was nervous getting on the plane because I always get an ear infection when I have a cold. Well I looked like some kind of freak on the plane. My ears hurt so bad I was looking on anything to chew or drink I even started sucking on my DD bottle! It was horrable. Well when we got to the AKL my ears were still not popped and I could not hear very well it was interesting checking in. Well I got some medication and thought I'd work it out of my system I mean I was in WDW I wasn't going to let it get me down! Okay keep in mind I can't hear very well so I was always asking my DH "WHAT" & "HUH" I was driving him mad. And I felt like the walking DEAD. My grandmother was joining us for the second week of our visit. So I had to go to the airport and pick her up (I used a towncar service no I didn't drive) I atually passed out at the airport! It's a good thing my nice driver was there! It's grandma's first day there and we go to MK. We stay to watch spectromagic right. My DH takes DD back to the room and gram & I stay to watch. After the parade she wants to sit and have some ice cream on Main St. Okay no problem but what comes next puits me in the hospital. I poured so hard while we were eating our ice cream. We had to walk to the bus in the rain. The next morning my DH had to call the MD's. My temp. was 104.8 I was so very cold I took a shower and scalded myself. I was rushed to the hospital for 2 days while my temp. went down. Which let my grandmother, DH, & DD to do WDW by themselves. I know what your thinking yes my DH wanted to be with me bt I really just wanted to sleep and this was my GM second trip to WDW her last trip was in 85' and she probably would never get to go again. Well I got out of the hospital and for her last day there I sucked it up the best I could and took her to AK. And wha tway to end this fab. vacation then a huge bird pooping on my head! This is a vacation we will NEVER forget.