Getting sick in WDW

[JoniTink]

When we visited WDW in 2001...my daughter got VERY sick with something the doctors said was a "virus"......then nearly every time a family member visits WDW (which is about once every 2 months)....at least one of them gets either a bad head cold or a "virus"....does anyone else seem to think this is more than coincidence....I've been told before by an cast member in an unamed restaurant in the MK to NOT drink the water...but I really just wonder if maybe he was serious. I am toying with the idea of planning a trip for 2005, but I am a bit leary because the last time a family member visited WDW....she got sick the day she was coming home and ended up in the hospital 2 days later with a rare sort of virus that almost left her paralyzed....I love WDW (although I've only been once) and I really want my son to be able to enjoy it as his sister did when she went...so don't think I'm bashing WDW....I'm just a bit nervous is all!...What do you think...coincidence or not??

 

[m star]

We normally remain healthy, although we wash our hands well with soap about once every hour or two. This time, however, it was another story. We just got back on the 27th and everyone was sick. However, I don't think it has anything to do with WDW. Anytime you are around a lot of people and are touching a lot of things that other people have touched and eating finger foods, it's bound to happen sometime, especially at this time of year.

 

[BeachClubVillas]

Usually one of us ends up with a cold at some point. I think it's from flying though. You're trapped in that small space with so many people for hours, there's bound to be tons of germs flying around.

We have had some more serious illnesses though. One year my brother ended up with an ear infection and I ended up with a blood infection from infected bug bites (we don't have chiggers in Boston!). Neither one of us wanted to give up a day to go to Centra Care, so the resort recommended DOCS. It's a doctor service that comes right to your hotel room. They were wonderful. They came at midnight one night. It was a husband and wife doctor and nurse couple. They fixed both of us right up. The only downside was that it's pretty expensive and they don't take insurance. When we got home though, we sent the bill to our insurance and they reimbursed us 100% no questions asked. I really recommend DOCS over CentraCare.

 

[crazydaveh]

I came down with a bad case of pneumonia last year while I was at Disney. I was staying at the Boardwalk and was at MGM.

I called my doctor and he told me to get to an ER, as my fever was around 104. I went... two weeks later, I was fine.

I have been about 50 times in the last 2 years and that was the only time I have come down sick.

I always wash my hands and use hands sanitizer when I'm there. You never know when someone there is sick, has been sick, or is starting to get sick... and they spread their airborne germs to others! It's not Disney's fault, it's just part of being in a place with thousands of others at the same time.

It can happen anywhere!

 

[Master Yoda]

It might be a little more than coincidence but I don’t think it is the fault of Disney. At the parks it is not uncommon to come in contact with thousands of people from all over the world that are carrying some type of “bug” that your system might not be familiar with. While this bug has no effect on the carrier it might make you violently ill. Another factor might be that you family does not come into contact with a lot of people during your daily lives. Your immune system learns through experience and if it doesn’t get that experience you can become ill much easier. This happens to most children that don’t go to day care and then are put into a school with hundreds of kids. They suddenly are constantly sick.

 

[barnum42]

In thirteen trips I have had one sinus infection, and I probably brought that with me from the UK. I was not brought up in a totally sterile environment as sometimes seems the case today, so I have been exposed to all the bugs and my body now knows how to deal with the majority of them.

Outside a fractured ankle I've only had one day sick off work in over a dozen years.

 

[BeachClubVillas]

Outside a fractured ankle I've only had one day sick off work in over a dozen years.

Wow! That's quite an immune system you have there!

 

[Diane Hughess]

We've been more than twenty times (from NJ) and have never gotten ill--just depressed when the vacation ended!!

 

[TheOneVader]

I'm always drinking water there... Now I'm scared...

A couple of trips ago I think I got food poisoning, not sure where though. I have an idea of where, but if I tell you, you might not want to eat there. If you wash your hands everytime before eating, I suppose you should be fine. I'm a germaphobe so I wash my hands all the time, and I hardly ever get sick.

 

[Yellow Shoes]

I agree with what everyone said about germs on surfaces, which isn't Disney's fault. The best defense is a good offense--sanitizer and frequent washing. But just look around at children--at WDW or elsewhere. They're constantly touching or rubbing any surface they can reach. You've seen them dragging their hands along railings in the queues. If you let your mind wander, you'll be disgusted pretty quickly.

Another theory of mine is that the sheer excitement of making the trip wears down your immune system. As a child I was always sick on Christmas, and I think it was because I got so worked up about it. And for adults planning a trip to WDW, there is a lot of planning, worrying, and lack of sleep the week before you leave.

 

[BeachClubVillas]

Another theory of mine is that the sheer excitement of making the trip wears down your immune system. As a child I was always sick on Christmas, and I think it was because I got so worked up about it. And for adults planning a trip to WDW, there is a lot of planning, worrying, and lack of sleep the week before you leave.

That's a really good point. For a lot of people, just the change in routine and atmosphere or weather is enough to make them sick

 

[Hakunamatata]

More than likely its a result of being in close contact with multiple exposure events. (i.e. you are in contact with thousands of people who touch, sneeze, cought, etc on thousands of public objects.) Using hand sanitizer regularly, especially before meals or touching your nose, mouth, or ears, will cut down on this.

On the same note, most colds/sinus problems that occur right after, or on a trip are the result of the mold spores that build up in the AC system of your hotel room. You are in a confined space for approx 10 hours, recirculating air that likely has allot of mold spores. This kicks the allergies in high gear. Being proactive and taking a anti histimene (sp) the night before and the first couple of nights there usually gets you through the trip.

Please note that this is free advice and I am not a doctore. Please dont sue me......

 

[wannab@dis]

I don't believe there's a mysterious WDW 'bug' causing people to be sick! I'm sure if you get sick while there, it was due to contact with germs from the 1000's of people or the major culprits, airplane or car. Recirculated air is a breeding ground for most colds and/or viruses. The water is tested all the time and the results are publicly available. While the water may not taste good, there's no reason to believe it's infested with germs.

 

[winterparkbaby]

at target now they have purrel (how do you spell that) in a small rubber holder that can clip to your pant loop or backpack. they are great, they are about .99 cents a piece and I give one to each of the adults in my group. so far that has seemed to help, knock on wood

 

[Master Yoda]

Outside a fractured ankle I've only had one day sick off work in over a dozen years.

I was the same way….then I got married. I was never around kids with any regularity and my wife had 2 children from a previous marriage so for the first 2 years I was sick nearly monthly until my immune system caught up. I never missed work but that was a hard 2 years.

 

[Hakunamatata]

I was the same way….then I got married. I was never around kids with any regularity and my wife had 2 children from a previous marriage so for the first 2 years I was sick nearly monthly until my immune system caught up. I never missed work but that was a hard 2 years.

I would have thought that someone as prominent in the use of the force as you master yoda, wouldnt have even had the sniffles.....

 

[Master Yoda]

It was the will of the force that I would be sick. :lol:

 

[BlizzardCP]

Between my boyfriend and I one of us gets sick EVERYTIME we go!

 

[ogryn]

We were told by a doctor once (when one of our party got sick) that most hotel rooms in Florida have a high mould/bacteria rate in them due to the air-conditioning being on most of the time. Some people can be quite sensitive to this. It is not a fact confinded to the "cheepy" hotels either, as "Disney's is quite high as well", he informed us.

Don't know if it's true or not, or if he was just trying to scare us.

 

[meatloafsfan]

I have to agree with the above posters, I think it just the number of germs/virus'/etc that are floating around simply because of the number of people (especially children) who are there.

Also, as yellow shoes said, your immume system may already be weakened because of lack of sleep and a difference in routine (eating differently, sleeping differently, change of space i.e. hotel room).

Also remember that generally, a virus will usually take a couple of days to show any symptoms so depending on when your daughter became ill, it is possible that she picked up the virus before even arriving at Disney.

Beware! Beware!
Germs, Germs,
They're everywhere!

lol