Complaint Letter

[Disneyfirsttimer]

What is the best address to send a complaint letter? I normally do not feel compelled to write, but my daughter experienced food poisoning this past Friday after eating at Peco Bill's and wanted to bring it to someone's attention. It really ruined our evening. We were just about to leave the room for our dinner reservation when she got sick (exactly 4 hours after eating lunch). That was around 5pm. She was better by around 8pm.

Thanks.

Karyn

[faline]

Sorry for the bad experience. You can contact Disney via this e-mail address:

[email protected]

[BrerGnat]

It was likely not food poisoning if she was better so quickly. More probably just intestinal distress or a virus. True food poisoning (from e.coli, salmonella, etc.) lasts for days and up to a week. She would have had SEVERE stomach pain, as well as both vomiting and diarrhea.

I have to tell you, there is a vicious stomach bug going all around the country. We were at WDW last week too, and DH got sick on our second day. It was definitely NOT food related, as we had only had three meals prior to him getting sick AND I had shared those meal with him and/or eaten the SAME things. He spent most of last Sunday and Monday in the bathroom. He developed a fever for about 12 hours and had some pretty bad stomach pains. It was just a virus though. Our kids both got sick when we got home last Friday. One son was sick the entire flight home with a fever and stomach ache as well as diarrhea. The other son spent all of Saturday and into Sunday morning throwing up. I seem to have dodged it, hopefully.

While I KNOW how being sick during a trip can really ruin a vacation (happened to me last year...I was throwing up for 2 days and sick for 2 more during a week at WDW, and it ruined my vacation), I urge you to reconsider writing to Disney about it.

The only way to KNOW if you had food poisoning would have been to go to the hospital and be tested for it. TRUE food poisoning is often severe enough that you'd go to the hospital convinced that there was something VERY wrong with you, trust me. I've had salmonella before and I thought I was going to die! Only in the event of a positive test would the health department notify Disney and investigate.

It's a bummer your DD got sick, but LOTS of other people did too last week, and it was not due to food poisoning. Just exposure to this bug...

[kakn7294]

I have to agree with Natalie - it probably wasn't food poisoning. With the short-lived nature of the illness, it more sounds like she just ate something that didn't agree with her. Even the mildest cases of food poisoning generally have symptoms that last for at least 24 - 48 hrs. I'm sorry your daughter got sick and it ruined your night. At least it didn't last and hopefully you got to enjoy the rest of your trip!

[DizneyRox]

The letter I got back from Disney about something similar basically went something like this.

Sorry for your experience at Sunshine Seasons at Epcot, however we have had other reports of problems form other guests.

Thank you for taking the time to let us know.

When I told them I wasn't at Sunshine Seasons, they replied that there were no reports at the Yachtsman Steakhouse either. Wonder where the SS comment came from, oh well!

Good luck!

[Disneyfirsttimer]

I have to agree with Natalie - it probably wasn't food poisoning. With the short-lived nature of the illness, it more sounds like she just ate something that didn't agree with her. Even the mildest cases of food poisoning generally have symptoms that last for at least 24 - 48 hrs. I'm sorry your daughter got sick and it ruined your night. At least it didn't last and hopefully you got to enjoy the rest of your trip!

I have to disagree. I have had food poisoning before and the onset was 4 hours after eating the tainted food. It only lasted a few hours with no fever or other symptoms. Just vomiting. If it were viral or a stomach bug, she would not have been better in 3 hours or less. The vomiting started at 5:00pm and she was fine by 8:00pm. Minor stomach pain and vomiting. Definitely think it was the food.

[MegaDisney]

Sorry you had to deal with sickness at WDW.

Minor stomach pain and vomiting. Definitely think it was the food.

An upset stomach from eating something that doesn't agree with you is not food poinsoning. True food poisoning lasts days, and is caused by bacteria in the food. But, many people use the term "food poisoning" to describe a meal that didn't sit well in the stomach.

[DizNee143]

i agree with an above poster..seems something just didnt agree with your daughter..

virus/bug/food poisoning..would all last waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa y longer that a measley 3 hours!

[Tygger7]

As someone who has also had food poisioning, I have to agree with the previous posters. Yes, mine set in about 4-5 hours after eating, but I was sick for 2 days and thought I was going to DIE. We called our family doctor and he said I should go to the hospital, but I was so sick that I couldn't even bear the thought of being in the car for an hour. I also checked with my sister-in-law, who is a nurse, and she agreed that true food poisioning doesn't pass in 3 hours. It takes a minimum of 24 hours for everything to clear out of your stomach & intestines, even if it doesn't seem like anything is staying down. As others have stated, it sounds like what she ate didn't agree with her. I've had that happen as well...had a really upset/queasy stomach that went away a few hours later. Trust me, there's a HUGE difference...and as another poster pointed out, the only way to "offically" diagnose food poisioning is a blood test. Without something "official" to back up the claim, it's very hard to prove.

[DVC2004]

You have the right to complain and I am sure Disney gets all sorts complaints all the time. The least that will happen is a letter of apology. I doubt you will need to go as far as a blood test.

[Dznygrl79]

While any food bourne illness can set on within hours, true foof poisoning can last for days. Also while I feel for you and your experiance I am not sure how writing will help. While on our first trip to Disney in 2005 my friend experianced problems with e coli after eating at the backyard bbq. We where in the process of going to the front desk to request managers assistance and a doctor when he puked" all over the floor of gift shop. Even after we had a confirmation of food poisoning Disney was less than helpful. Almost to the point that they where annoyed. If you write I hope you have a better response.

[magicalmom]

I read that an awful lot of "stomach flus" or symptoms chalked up to food poisoning are actually food-borne bacteria or viruses. These charming little gastro-intestinal bugs are also passed on through handshaking, picked up off doorknobs, and so forth. A lot of these little suckers are extremely contagious.

I'm sorry your daughter had a bad experience, but I'm glad it passed quickly.

[Joannelet]

You are correct. Food Poisoning does not have to last up to 24 hours or longer in order to be considered food poisoning. Symptoms can be gone after a few hours. You can also look it up online. There are many sources that state this as well.
It depends on how much of the bacteria was eaten. Some cases can last for a couple of hours or 24 hours or more.
My husband had food poisoning at the same time that I did (we ate the same thing) He however was recovered in less than 24 hours, me not so much. I had 3 days to recover from it and it was CONFIRMED food poisoning..as was my husbands...his body just handled the bacteria differently than mine did.
So you are correct. It could very well have been food poisoning.

[Julie_Mouse]

I have to tell you, there is a vicious stomach bug going all around the country.

Agreed. I know several people who've recently come down with various versions of an eerily similar bug - in fact, after this past Easter weekend, my mom caught one from a relative (who believes she contracted it on a recent flight). Aches, pains, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting - lasting anywhere from a few hours to several days. Doesn't seem to be a food-borne illness either... (this observation based solely on the cases I've encountered)

To the OP: So sorry that you had to deal with that on your holiday! But it sounds like she was able to recover enough to enjoy the rest of the trip, so that's a positive

[SBETigg]

I've also heard that it takes awhile for food poisoning symptoms to kick in, between 24-48 hours, so it's really hard to tell where one ate the suspected food. However, my husband and I both became really sick for a about a day and a half after eating the same dishes at the same place last trip. We think it had to be something to that. But who knows. I'm no expert.

I just know that it can really put a stop to your vacation plans and add some unexpected and unhappy down time. I'm sorry for your daughter and for you having to go through that while on vacation. I would go ahead and write that complaint letter. It never hurts to say something and sometimes just going through the motions makes you feel a bit better.

[Disneyfirsttimer]

Symptoms of Food Poisoning

http://www.mamashealth.com/stomach/foodpois.asp

In most cases of foodborne illness, symptoms resemble intestinal flu and may last a few hours or even several days. Symptoms can range from mild to serious and include

abdominal cramps
nausea
green stool
vomiting
diarrhea
fever
dehydration

I believe the chicken my daughter ate was not prepared or refrigerated correctly. If it was viral, someone else would have gotten sick as we drank from the same water bottle on several occassions. We made sure the children washed their hands or used sanitizer before every meal. That was a given.

My sister's family all got the bad stomach bug a few weeks before we went on our trip. I know what that is like. This was very different. It was sudden and over quickly. Food poisoning or eating contaminated food does not need to last for days. I have had salmonella and been hospitalized. I know what that is like.

I am not looking for anything from Disney nor am I expecting it. I just wanted to bring it to their attention. I don't even expect an apology. I am not normally a complainer by any means so for me to write a letter, I felt it was really necessary. I did not realize the responses I would get from other posters.

[MegaDisney]

Here is what the Mayo Clinic Says:

"Food poisoning symptoms vary with the source of contamination. Most types of food poisoning cause one or more of the following signs and symptoms:

■Nausea
■Vomiting
■Watery diarrhea
■Abdominal pain
■Stomach cramps
■Loss of appetite
■Fatigue
■Fever

Signs and symptoms may start within hours after eating the contaminated food, or they may begin days later. Sickness caused by food poisoning generally lasts from one to 10 days.

Common strains and culprits:

Campylobacter 2 to 5 days Meat and poultry. Contamination occurs during processing if animal feces contact meat surfaces. Other sources include unpasteurized milk and contaminated water.

Clostridium perfringens 8 to 16 hours Meats, stews and gravies. Commonly spread when serving dishes don't keep food hot enough or food is chilled too slowly.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 1 to 8 days Beef contaminated during slaughter. Spread mainly by undercooked ground beef. Other sources include unpasteurized milk and apple cider, alfalfa sprouts, and contaminated water.

Giardia lamblia 1 to 2 weeks Raw, ready-to-eat produce and contaminated water. Can be spread by an infected food handler.

Hepatitis A 28 days Raw, ready-to-eat produce and shellfish from contaminated water. Can be spread by an infected food handler.

Listeria 9 to 48 hours Hot dogs, luncheon meats, unpasteurized milk and cheeses, and unwashed raw produce. Can be spread through contaminated soil and water.

Noroviruses (Norwalk-like viruses) 12 to 48 hours Raw, ready-to-eat produce and shellfish from contaminated water. Can be spread by an infected food handler.

Rotavirus 1 to 3 days Raw, ready-to-eat produce. Can be spread by an infected food handler.

Salmonella 1 to 3 days Raw or contaminated meat, poultry, milk or egg yolks. Survives inadequate cooking. Can be spread by knives, cutting surfaces or an infected food handler.

Shigella 24 to 48 hours Raw, ready-to-eat produce. Can be spread by an infected food handler.

Staphylococcus aureus 1 to 6 hours Meats and prepared salads, cream sauces and cream-filled pastries. Can be spread by hand contact, coughing and sneezing.

Vibrio vulnificus 1 to 7 days Raw oysters and raw or undercooked mussels, clams and whole scallops. Can be spread through contaminated seawater."

Not sure what your daughter ate, but it looks like it could be FP from one of the "milder" bacteria. I think you said it was the BBQ so likely culprit looks to be Listeria which has the lowest recovery time.

Again sorry you had to deal with this at Disney World!