The Magic of Disney: Some final advice
Well, hopefully, our Disney vacation will be much better than our February one. As I write this, I’m coming out of a fever-induced coma. I was able to stay healthy for the first part of the week as I nursed both kids back to life and then…I crashed.
ME: I hate to put this out in the universe…but what if someone gets sick. Does Disney have first aid/nurses on site?
Jodi: While none of us want to think about someone getting sick or injured while on vacation, it does happen, especially with so many people visiting on a daily basis. For families who stay onsite without access to a car, it could be a big concern.
Luckily, Disney has some great options available. First, there are first aid stations at the parks available, which are staffed with qualified nurses. These are perfect for small concerns you may have while visiting the parks. For larger concerns, there are several choices. Another moms panelist recently used a doctor on call service recommended by the hotel concierge. With this service, your family is able to enjoy the comfort of your hotel room while a highly qualified doctor visits your room directly. You do pay for this service, but may be able submit for reimbursement to your insurance.
Another moms panelist recommends the CentraCare walk-in medical clinic, which she used when her daughter had an ear infection. They provided her with Tylenol and helped them fill a prescription for antibiotics at a pharmacy next door. Finally, if your needs are greater than what a doctor or clinic can provide, Disney will provide complimentary transportation to the local Celebration hospital.
ME: What three things should I make sure to bring with me? Any suggestions for what to bring on the flight?
Jodi The great thing about Walt Disney World is that you can pretty much purchase anything that you will need while you are there. I do have a few suggestions for products that you may want to have while you are there. First is sunscreen. While you can purchase sunscreen onsite, it may not be the brand you prefer and the price is likely to be higher. I usually bring some high-SPF, sensitive skin products for my children, and some regular, medium SPF products for myself and my husband. Make sure you also bring lip balm with sun protection.
Next is a product I really like for kids in a stroller. It’s the Secure2me Eclipse Solarveil blanket - http://www.secure2me.com/eclipse.html. It provides sun protection for kids in a stroller, and clips on so you don’t have to worry about it falling off. My son is very fair skinned and this helps protect his skin.
Finally, for kids that may wander or have medical conditions such allergies, I really like safety tattoos. We have the ones from http://www.safetytats.com, and they are customized with my cell phone number. This way, if the kids ever get lost, cast members will be able to locate us quickly.
For the flight, if you aren’t renting a car, you may want to have a CARES by Kids Fly Safe. It’s an airline harness that you can use instead of a car seat, and it is lightweight and easy to pack. To keep the kids entertained, I usually bring crayons and a pad, as well as some newer toys to keep them busy. Some people bring portable DVD players, but we haven’t tried that yet.
ME: Tell us more about downtown Disney. Some friends have told me that they’ve spent an entire day there!
Jodi: Downtown Disney is a great place to spend time, especially on a day that you don’t want to use up a park ticket, or on rainy days. There are three different sections (although the clubs on Pleasure Island recently closed), which include entertainment venues, specialty shops, and restaurants.
Here are a few highlights:
- a 24-screen AMC movie theater
- the largest Disney store in the world, as well as many other specialty shops
- Cirque du Soleil La Nouba
- Disney Quest, an interactive, indoor park (admission fee applies)
- Restaurants such as the Rainforest Cafe, the brand-new T-Rex, the House of Blues, Goofy’s Candy Co and Wolfgang Puck Cafe (along with many others)
A special thanks to Jodi for all of her wonderful advice! I plan to write about my Disney adventures in the May issue of P&K.
I got very ill one day at WDW. I ended up spending the entire day in the infirmary. The nurses were wonderful. We were staying on Disney property and using the bus system for transportation. At the end of the day, the nurses did not think it would be a good idea for me to try to get back to the resort via the bus, so they arranged a van to pick us up and bring me (and the family with whom I was traveling) “home”. They also arranged to have a doctor visit the hotel room. The concierge at the hotel reimbursed us for that day’s meals (we had pre-paid our meals), one night’s hotel stay, and gave us a one-day park hopper ticket.
On another trip, a friend had a terrible migraine. Remembering my experience, I asked if there was a way for us to get a van to bring us back to the resort and they did. The driver was wonderful. When my friend was feeling nauseous, he pulled over for her to get some air and sat on the curb with her until she felt better.
Comment by tanya — February 24, 2009 @ 8:51 am