New/Odd signs going up at water parks

[GrumpyFan]

A couple of other sites have reported some new safety signs going up at the water parks. The wording on these signs is somewhat un-Disney like and somewhat blunt. I can't post the link to the web-site nor the picture, but they are worded as follows:

• Don't enter the water if you are ill with diarrhea
• Diaper age children must wear swim diapers
• Wash hands with soap and water after using the toilet or after changing diapers
• Wash your child thoroughly, especially the rear end

Apparently, this may have been prompted from warnings by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) in response to a rising number of Crypto cases. They have a similar set of warnings they are advising to child care facilities and workers. Below are the CDC warnings:

• PLEASE don't swim when you have diarrhea. This is especially important for kids in diapers. You can spread germs in the water and make other people sick even when you are feeling better. Keep children who've had diarrhea out of the pool for a few days after they feel better. If you have been diagnosed with crypto, please stay out of swimming pools and recreational waters for at least two weeks.
• PLEASE don't swallow the pool water. In fact, avoid getting water in your mouth.
• PLEASE practice good hygiene. Wash your hands frequently, especially after using the toilet or changing diapers. Take a shower before swimming, washing thoroughly with soap and water (especially the rear end). Everyone has invisible amounts of fecal matter on their bottoms that end up in the pool. Germs on your body end up in the water.
• PLEASE take your kids on regular bathroom breaks or change diapers often, and use swim diapers. Waiting to hear "I have to go" may mean that it's too late.
• PLEASE change diapers in a bathroom; not at the poolside. Germs can spread to surfaces around the pool and spread illness.

Obviously, they couldn't put all of that on a sign, but if this is a risk that they're concerned for, maybe they should be doing a little more than just putting up some odd-sounding signs.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

I don't know if I should laugh or be terrified.

You know though, I'm sure this has been going on a lot longer than a few months or years even.

I'm sure there has been plenty of times when it's been too late for kids and the pool just got a bit warmer.

And I'm sure it's not the end of the world.

Unless we are talking a full Baby Ruth in the pool. Then that might be a different story. (Caddyshack reference).

[GrumpyFan]

You know though, I'm sure this has been going on a lot longer than a few months or years even.

And I'm sure it's not the end of the world.

Yeah, but if it is in response to Crypto, then it's a little more serious. Chlorine is pretty effective for most stuff and works fairly quick. But, Crypto requires more time for the chlorine to take effect and clear it out of the water.

[Gibbs]

What Is Crypto?

[Young@Heart]

What Is Crypto?

I haven't hear of it, either.

[bshaw96]

Crypto is a germ that causes diarrhea. Crypto, short for Cryptosporidium, is found in infected people's stool and cannot be seen by the naked eye. This germ is protected by an outer shell that allows it to survive for long periods of time and makes it resistant to chlorine disinfection found in pools.

No, I didn't know that. Google works wonders

[Minnie Imagineer]

thats gross! Why do people have such problems with washing their hands after using the bathroom? really its disgusting! I am so used to washing my hands many times a day. I am not a germophobe but I hate when people don't wash their hands-its disgusting. Also, I use hand sanitizer all the time because I am used to working with ice cream and other food at my job.
Speaking of my job, in my waterpark there are these signs that everyone always makes fun of when they come in the park because it says something like "If you are overweight and/or non-athletic you should not use the slides..."

[SgtTigger]

I did see the pictures that you are talking about on another site......
They did say that most of the signs are now gone.....
I have a hard time believing that they were really there and not made up by the person that sent them in.....

Ill want and see if we get anyone that saw the signs......

[GrumpyFan]

I have a hard time believing that they were really there and not made up by the person that sent them in.....

Ill want and see if we get anyone that saw the signs.....

I've seen other's postings on another site that have confirmed them.

[joonyer]

This problem (crypto) is spread by fecal matter being released into the pools, mostly from children with loaded diapers.

[#1disneyfan]

What kind of a parent would take their child into a pool with a loaded diaper! It takes common sense to elliviate these problems. Unfortunately there are alot of people out there with no common sense!

I cannot tell you how many times I see people walk out of a bathroom without washing their hands. That is the most disgusting thing ever! How lazy, it only takes a minute or two to wash.

Makes me want to stay out of public pools on our trip!

[Young@Heart]

I'm definitely keeping DD out of the kiddie pool at POP! I can only imagine all the diapers in there.

[goofyluva9293]

These same signs have just popped up at many of our local public pools in Ohio as wel,l so that leads me to belive that its just a general warning. I think its good that they have these signs up myself because there really are some completely clueless people out there.

[Mousemates]

Hope the signs help. But I have my doubts, the things mentioned, by and large, are just good common sense issues of hygiene and decency...and the folks who pay attention to such things are prone to do the right thing without signs, while the folks who typically don't pay attention to such things will likely just ingnore the signs.

Furthermore, while there might be a cumulative effect by the signs after they have been in place in pools and water parks for a while (and over time the messages work their way into the thought processes of families), I kind of doubt that more than a few families will follow along and be willing to keep Jr. or Princess out of the water on a hot florida day when everyone else is having a good time (especially after forking out some serious dough to enter BB or TL). More apt to happen, I beleive, is the rationalization scenario of "well, its just one child, what can it hurt."

[Kenny1113]

I did see the pictures that you are talking about on another site......
They did say that most of the signs are now gone.....
I have a hard time believing that they were really there and not made up by the person that sent them in.....

Ill want and see if we get anyone that saw the signs......

I saw them Sat at TL. I was a little shocked, but glad they are putting the education out there. ONe would think that this is common sense.

[sdewan]

It makes me nuts that we have to have signs to educate people about stuff like this. Accidents are accidents, but some parents can do much more to prevent them from happening. In our local pools, we have a 10-minute "safety break" every hour, in which everyone needs to get out of the pool. But what it really means is TAKE YOUR CHILDREN TO THE POTTY NOW.

We are overly careful with our young kids. My 3.5-year old daughter is fully potty trained, but we won't take her in a public pool without rubber pants AND a swimmer on for at least another year. We don't want to be responsible for a pool closure.

One time at the Vero Beach Resort we saw this woman with a 1.5-year old child wearing nothing but a droopy diaper in the pool. We decided to be helpful and gave the woman an extra swimmer that we had in our bag. So while the kid is still submerged in the pool, she rips off the old diaper completely, and puts on the swimmer. Guess that was her idea of "Wash your child thoroughly, especially the rear end" using the public pool as a bath.

We will be going to the waterparks on our upcoming vacation, and I just hope that none of get sick due to someone else's carelessness.

[GrumpyFan]

ONe would think that this is common sense.

Sadly, common sense isn't common to every body.

[Brownie54]

I was there recently and saw the signs. I remember because I told our group about it as they were having lunch. "Don't go swimming if you have diarhea!"

Unfortunately, anyone without the common sense to do this won't heed the signs.

[DisneyDog]

The pool at our local YMCA was closed for days last summer because it had become infected. So, it's not a joke. Read about it here

[Imagineer1981]

sad that the world has come to this, but people sometimes are just plain dumb!