Becoming sick/ill while at WDW

[ncrohrs]

Hello, I don't know why I thought of starting this post. Did you or any family members ever become sick (head cold, flu, or other illness) during your WDW vacation? I know we all pray it never happens, but in our case in 2008 it did! Thought I'd share...

It was 5 of us, DH, and 3 kids. DD started sniffling during our drive down, and I cringed. We had just left our hotel in SC and on our way to the world! I hoped it was fleeting.

The next day we stayed with my sister in Gainesville, then DS started. Oh, no! I thought. I just kept praying it was something manageable.

By our second day it was obvious we were passing along a head cold to each member. I was so devastated! But, alas, we were in the world and while no one was puking or had fevers, we had to make the best.

We continued our trip the best we could. Made it to ADR's at LeCelier, Chef Mickeys, and Ohana. Saw a lot of our favorite attractions, pirates, haunted mansion, etc. Tried a few new things too.

But...missed a lot! Had to cut days short due to family members feeling bad, skipped some dinner ADR's. Missed illuminations in epcot and riding Soarin :(

DS woke up our morning of checkout finally feeling better. He asked excitedly, "where are we going today? Magic Kigdom?". I cried. I was not ready to leave either as now we were all finally feeling better!

But, the thing is we still made great memories. It does not matter if you don't get to see or do everything. Guess what? You can always go back! (as we are in 2011, hoping for better health!) We still went home with tons of great pics and in each one we could tell a story about when he/she/or me did not feel well. We still talk about our trip today, paging through our scrapbook often. It was not the ideal situation, but we made the best of it! My biggest vaca fear of getting sick had come true, but we survived, absorbing as much disney magic as possible!

Anyone else have sick stories?

[jillluvsdisney]

In 2002, we spent 11 days at WL in December. It was a cold trip. Midway thru, I came down with a sinus infection and the bronchitis. I don't think I got out of bed for a 2 days. I knew how sick I was getting when I left the Magic Kingdom at 2 in the afternnon because I had to go back and lie down at WL. I was still feeling blah at the end of the trip and it was a miswerable flight home.

[EeyoresBestFriend]

Our trip in the spring was cursed that way!!

Of the 14 days down, day 4 I got food poisoning from dinner and was :sick: for two days. The day I started feeling like I could stand again, DH got a flu bug! For FIVE days we ended up stuck in the room. I was heartbroken until my DH smiled and said 'I'd rather be sick in WDW than healthy at work'!! ;)

I had to agree ~ sometimes you just can't control that stuff . . . makes you appreciate the times you do stay healthy! :mickey:

[jodijo]

In 2005 we surprised our kids with a 5 day trip to WDW trip. The big surprise was the flu I came down with 3 days into our trip. It was awful!!!! I spent 2 days sick in bed and then it was time to go home. It was the only time I wanted to leave WDW.

[faline]

Unfortunately, we've had several trips in which illness has impeded our trip!

One trip, we needed to go to a clinic for dear daughter's ear infection. The good news is that we got back the day we spent at the clinic as the doctor would not my daughter fly when we were scheduled to go home and we HAD TO stay an extra day.

On two - three trips, I'm the one who has gotten sick at some point. On one trip, I got sick the next to our last day and went back to our resort and went to bed mid-day. We drove that time and it was a LONG trip home. I spent most of it in the back seat of the car.

On another trip, I got a bad cold on the day we were scheduled to come home. The bad news is that bad weather at home delayed our flight for hours so by time I boarded I was pretty miserable. These days, they probably would have prevented me from boarding.

Another trip, I came down with a miserable head cold mid-trip. Spent the day napping at the pool in hopes I would be well enough to attend that night's Mickey's Very Merry party for which we had tickets. We went to dinner at the Contemporary and I was going to try to soldier through the party but a wonderful cast member at the concierge desk was able to change our party ticket dates to a date a few nights later. While not 100%, I was much better and able to enjoy the party.

On another trip, my husband just did not feel well at all. We left the park mid-day and he went to bed while I took a book and sat out by the lake and, later in front of the fireplace (we were at Wilderness Lodge) until he woke up. Turned out (which we didn't know at the time), he had a very bad gall bladder which was later removed.

So, yes, illness has curtailed some of our plans on several trips. Not fun!

[BellesRose]

One year, my brother got so sick that he woke up and couldn't breathe so we left early and went to the hospital.

We just got back yesterday from a 4 day trip and my dad was sick about 10 minutes into the trip and my brother had severe allergies. I sprained my ankle/foot in the Magic Kingdom on the second day. We had to miss a lot, but it was still fun and we tried a lot of new things.

[Carolanne]

Not necessarily sick & this didn't have any affect on my trip, but--this past May, I was in WDW with my mom. It was our last night, we were back in the room packing and I was, um, over-enthusiastically chowing down on tortilla chips & salsa when "crack!" I broke a molar. Chipped off a good chunk of the tooth & fractured it up inside the gum. I wasn't in any pain. I was able to get an emergency dental appointment a few days after my return. Where does the ouch come in? The crown price-tag--for what I paid for the repair, I totally could have gone to WDW again.

[Tinker Fan]

My son got sick about half way into our trip, we had to leave seaworld early and take him to the clinic and get his meds going, he felt better a day later, enough to go to the parks and flew home 3 days later. When we got home our doctor said it was the worse ear infection she had seen. I keep saying it could have been worse.:ill:

[dtootsie42]

I ended up with a terrible kidney infection one trip. Talk about pain, I told my husband I think I would rather go through labor again instead of dealing with the kidney pain. When I made it home I ended up in the emergency room on IV's full of medication.

No matter I was still very, very happy to be at Disney World!

[divinedi]

1997, family trip, me and my 3 girls, my brother, his wife, and 3 of their 4 kids, my oldest DD10 gets the flu that my brother and his wife had the beginning of the trip, but hers is a little worse. Last full day, my Mom's a little tired (physically and of my Dad lol)so she offered to take her back to the room while we continued on. My Dad decided after awhile to go back to the room early. When we finally made it back to the room, my Dad was watching for us, and went out on the 2nd floor balcony and started shouting to me that my daughter wanted her Mom and only her Mom, and where had we been so long(he'd had a few drinks before we got back to the room). So now not only do I have to feel badly that my daughter was sick, that I hadn't been the one to take her back to the room (my Mom said she was fine, only asked for me once) but the embarrassment of my Dad yelling at me from the balcony!:blush:

My daughter was better the next day, laid down on the back seat of the car, no more puking and was good the second day on the road.

Luckily, that's the only time someone got sick, knock on wood!!

[EpcotChic23]

This is so funny you started this post. We just got back from the World yesterday....all of us except my DH and MIL. My husband was in Celebration hospital.

Earlier in the week my father was very sick with stomach pains. He had to stay in bed for 3 days. Then our last full day on Monday my husband started not feeling good by 10:30 at night he was shaking with the chills, had stomach pains and had a fever. Yesterday morning he went to the clinic and they sent him to the hospital they thought it was his appendix. It wasnt but they checked him in overnight b/c of a very high ferver, and a rapid pulse. They discharged him this morning and he is flying home with his mom tonight. I did not stay b/c I had to get home with our 14 month old.

Disney was very accomidating letting us stay in our room at the Poly until he was ready to leave.

I have been sick in WDW before it is not fun.:ill:

[magicofdisney]

Last year all my kids got the swine flu while visiting Disney. It started with my youngest (4yo) and by the end of the week he was feeling better as it hit the last of my 4 children. That was our LEAST favorite trip. :(

[azcavalier]

Two years ago, my DS (11 at the time) started feeling bad the day before we were supposed to leave. We doped him up on Tylenol and ibuprofen, and headed down. It turned out to be Strep Throat. He was miserable. He just lay in the bed moaning for two days. We took him to the Urgent Care on Apopka Vineyard Ave. and got him meds that first day. He felt good enough to come out on the fourth day a little bit in the evening, but wasn't hungry. The fifth day he spent the morning in the parks with us. He couldn't really enjoy anything until the last two days of the trip. Poor kid.

We're going again two weeks from today. The girl across the street has come down with strep throat. I have banned my kids from going anywhere near her. I reminded them all of our son's miserable experience two years ago, and asked if any of them want to have Strep while at WDW!

[Kim Possible]

This happened to me spring break 2009! I had a sorta flu and it was awful! i didn't even wanna watch wishes and was in bed by 8pm!!!!!!!! I was also falling asleep at dinner like a 4 year old

[DisneyMelissa]

I had the stomach flu for about 2 or 3 days when I was on vacation with my mom and grandma. I was about 5 years old, so probably about '93.

While I was there for the entire trip, there was a very friendly CM that worked in the dining area of All Star Music that always would say hi to me each day and strike up a conversation when I went there with my mom to pick up breakfast. Later in the trip, my mom went to pick up breakfast without me for the first time, because I was pretty sick. That CM had asked my mom where I was, and she let him know that I was sick.

Later that afternoon, I received a special delivery. A photograph of Minnie Mouse specially addressed to me, saying that she hoped I felt better. There was also a redeemable coupon for a stuffed animal at the All Star Music gift shop.

While it was no fun being stuck in my hotel room for 2 days on vacation, that CM's actions made it very magical. I will never forget that! :mickey:

[kakn7294]

In 2005, we traveled with a moderately large family group - the four of us, my parents, DH's father and his wife, and my sister, niece, and nephew. A few days before we left, my older daughter was diagnosed with an ear infection. On the day of arrival, DH was feeling pretty sick and slept on a couch in the lobby of GF while we ate dinner at 1900 PF. A couple of days in, I lost my voice. My niece ended up at Urgent Care with the flu, an ear infection, and Strep throat - all at the same time. My younger daughter developed a fever on our last evening - fortunately that was short-lived and she felt fine the next morning. It was an experience that I prefer to never relive but fortunately, except for my niece's illnesses, everyone else was only mildly sick and once she got treated, she even felt better quickly.

[DisneyFr33k]

On the plane ride down, DS (8) started crying with ear pain (he's never had ear issues). Once landed, he seemed fine, but by night fever of over 103 hit, vomiting etc. Pop Century Guest relations said all the minute clinics were closed - it was Sunday (Disney provided free transportation to those) and the only help for him that evening was an ambulance ride to Celebration Hospital. Disney paid for the ambulance ride, and cab ride back. We were up all night at the hospital,but the doc said his ear ddrum would have ruptured had we not gone in.

Once back at Pop, we gave the antibiotic perscription to guest services, they faxed it to a pharmacy they used and called us in our room when it was delivered. They even called our room several times the day after, checking on him and offering room services.

All in all, if you have to get sick, Disney does take good care of you.

[princessgirls]

Well, I don't feel so alone now!!

My 40th Birthday celebration in March 2009, I started not feeling so well on Day 1, fever, cough, aches, Day 2 had me going to a minute clinic near the resort, which was a Complete WASTE of time. The person on duty did not believe in antibiotics and told me some diet and exercise would do the trick...THANKS for NOTHING! Day 3 had me burning up with fever and miserable with cough. Sad beyond belief, sending my family out into the parks without me.
Day 4 had me breathing not so good, and a call home to my sister begging her to prescribe me some medications (she is a nurse practicioner).
Day 5 had my husband renting me a wheelchair so I could be out, since my fever had broke.
Ended up being diagnosed with a bad case of pneumonia that had me sick for 2 months with an inflammed lung when I returned home.
This exercise in being sick gave me new insight to people who really do struggle with their health on a daily basis. Wow... I had no idea. Struggling to breath was NO FUN, and I am so thankful that I have my health.
My husband ended up taking us back in December for a few days so that I could enjoy and I felt so Blessed to be able to do so.
So yes, being sick in Disney does happen and it is not fun.
Your HEALTH is your WEALTH!
Julie:mickey:

[Bethis26fan]

I got sick last year. It was the last night of or trip and I wasn't feel good when I went to go to bed a few hours later I woke up very very sick. I don't know if it was a bug or something I ate or what but I was very sick I was throwing up so much I couldn't hardly catch my breath. If it wasn't coming out one end it was the other. I begged my cousin to take me home. How I thought leaving right then was the right thing but I just wanted to go home (8 hours away) at 5:30 she called the front desk to see if we could get some meds. They told her the gift shop was open. She walked down there of course it wasn't open. So she was going to get a luggage cart so she could load up the car. I wasn't going to be much help. They told her she had to leave her driver's lic. and credit card to get it. What??? it's a luggage cart it's not like it will fit in my car to take it home. So she goes to the front desk tells them we are checking out. They don't like it because we are still in the room. (we had packed most of the stuff the night before it was just we had to get it to the car) So she comes back and we manage to start loading the car. Everytime I got hot I would get sick again. So it took for ever to get the car loaded. Finally we were on our way home. Needless to say Allstar Movies isn't on our list of place's to go back too, and I will always make sure I have meds packed.

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

In 2008, I started getting a head cold about 2 days before we were due to leave. By our last night I had all I could do to keep my head up while eating dinner. We left MK early to go back to the room and got on the bus that said is was going to POFQ. Next thing we know we were at the S&D? The bus driver had the wrong name on the front of the bus and told us "tough!". Sis called transportation and complained and they made him drive us to our resort. We weren't the only ones who had gotten on that bus either. He wasn't happy about having to do this for us. But to tell us TOUGH? It took us about 1.5 hours to get back to the resort. So much for getting to bed early! But I was able to go to First Aid and they gave me cold meds including enough for the trip home.
Fast forward to last month and this time the head cold/bronchitis/sinus infection waited until I got home to start up. It's taken almost a full month to get rid of it and that's including taking the Zpak. And trust me, I washed my hands a LOT while we were there.

I guess the World is like day care-a germ factory. But I'll deal with this in order to go to WDW. Just gotta remember to pack cold meds.

[Granny Jill A]

Gosh! After reading all these stories, I feel lucky that my trips have been so healthy. Except for two very memorable ones.....

I dislocated my ankle the night before I was to leave on a WDW family vacation. Spent time in a wheelchair and limping around the parks. Not fun, and I have a whole new respect for people confined to chairs.

My other memorable adventure was my only solo trip to Disney. I was fine until day #2 when I woke up in the middle of the night sick to my stomach. I was all by myself and scared that I wouldn't be able to get out of bed. The "bug" was gone in 24 hours, but it was a upsetting experience for me.