Just back and sick as a dog :(

[anniemae]

Sorry, but if you want to wash hands what is a few more steps? Fact is, there are sinks around and they can be used to wash hands. People choose not to use them. I'd prefer they keep the handwashing away from the food court and in the bathroom. Who needs the soap flying around the food?

I think it's a good idea, I think if it's right here people would be more inclined to use it, and as someone said upthread, who wants to be sick at Disney! It benefits us all.

 

[poppinspenguins]

Really? Your against extra hand washing stations? I can't see any downside. Not everywhere, but strategic spots...in the food courts next to the honey wall lol.

I have had a kitchen sink all my life and never been concerned about soap flying all over.

I was in line with all my hands full and trays of food and mugs. I would personally prefer a hand washing station somewhere in the restaurant instead of leaving all my food unattended while I go to the bathroom. But that is just me.

 

[AngiTN]

Really? Your against extra hand washing stations? I can't see any downside. Not everywhere, but strategic spots...in the food courts next to the honey wall lol.

I have had a kitchen sink all my life and never been concerned about soap flying all over.

I was in line with all my hands full and trays of food and mugs. I would personally prefer a hand washing station somewhere in the restaurant instead of leaving all my food unattended while I go to the bathroom. But that is just me.

You've seen the people that are at Disney, right? I wouldn't want many of them in my kitchen washing their hands. There are pigs out there. Heck, just here at my office, where we have about 10 guys, our kitchen sink is a disaster. Soap bits all over, it's a mess. People do not pick up for themselves away from home like they do at home.

So no, I'm fine walking to a bathroom to wash hands. It's not like it's miles away. I go before I eat/get my food. Easy. I'm shocked that just because there is no sink at the QS counter folks are skipping washing their hands.

 

[North of Mouse]

So no, I'm fine walking to a bathroom to wash hands. It's not like it's miles away. I go before I eat/get my food. Easy. I'm shocked that just because there is no sink at the QS counter folks are skipping washing their hands.

Why are you shocked? Having been to Disney many times in the last 40+ years, I have seen many women with/without children in the restrooms that leave without washing their hands and they pass within 'inches' of water and soap!! There will always be people that do not care - ever seen mothers letting babies crawl around on a public bathroom floor? I have! Makes me want to snatch them up!!

Maybe you are never in a position where you cannot wash your hands, but should. But I have been, and will continue to avail myself of sanitizer which I keep with me always! It's working so far!

 

[AngiTN]

Why are you shocked? Having been to Disney many times in the last 40+ years, I have seen many women with/without children in the restrooms that leave without washing their hands and they pass within 'inches' of water and soap!! There will always be people that do not care - ever seen mothers letting babies crawl around on a public bathroom floor? I have! Makes me want to snatch them up!!

Maybe you are never in a position where you cannot wash your hands, but should. But I have been, and will continue to avail myself of sanitizer which I keep with me always! It's working so far!

Well, no, I'm not shocked that there are people who don't wash hands. I wasn't quite clear. After all, I'm saying that I don't want sinks near the food areas just because I know just how nasty some people can be.
What I meant was that people who would wash their hands at a sink in the food court, if it was there, won't just head to a nearby bathroom to do it.

As for the hand sanitizer, not using it has done me quite well too. I'll never be sold on it's use, outside of a few medically necessary environments.

 

[North of Mouse]

As for the hand sanitizer, not using it has done me quite well too. I'll never be sold on it's use, outside of a few medically necessary environments.

That's all well!! Whatever works, I say!

 

[Micca]

Planes are the worst for me!

I think airplanes are a major culprit in people getting sick on vacations. Of course there are plenty of germs/bacteria wherever there are large groups of people, and lord knows there are plenty of "people" at WDW. Hand sanitizer might help, but washing hands is a must. We try to avoid handrails and the like when possible. I'm sorry to hear of fellow Dis-ers getting sick before/during/after their trips, do take care.

 

[kandb]

OP here.

Wow,never knew sanitizer was so bad. My doctor office has it all,over and my doc always uses it! I know it isn't a cure all, but I figured it was a good first line defense!

I kept thinking, I wish they had a hand wash next to the mug wash!

Hope everyone that has the crud gets better soon. I just had my first food since Sunday night (a cracker lol), so hopefully this bug is on the way out. Fingers crossed!

Don't go by the people on here that are saying hand sanitizer is bad. I don't believe any of them have a MD after their name. Yes, handwashing is best but hand sanitizer is better then nothing.

 

[kandb]

It's really nothing to freak out over.
Disney is huge with thousands of people. I dare say that it's more people at once than most any one comes in contact with any other time of their lives. So there are germs and lots of them. If you allow yourself contact to germs and allow your body the chance to build ways to fight them off (aka, throw away hand sanitizer and other antibacterial products) you probably will come through fine. If you have any weaknesses then you stand a chance of the germs getting in. I'm of the believe that germs are our friends and make us stronger, not weaker. Those of us without any underlying medical conditions of course. Obviously there are some out there that do have immune system issues due to some conditions

I disagree with this 100%. Norovirus is extremely contagious. Your body cannot build up an immunity towards it and most children catch it rather easy (as per the posters who saw numerous children vomiting while they were there). We never used hand sanitizer or washed our hands frequently when we went with our children years ago and they got the stomach bug a few times on those trips. I doubt most of the people vomiting were the ones that sanitized/washed their hands a lot and they were vomiting because they never built up an immunity to norovirus.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Last year was my first healthy trip in years.

In 2009, our first Christmas trip, I came down with a very bad cold.
In 2010, I broke my foot a week before Christmas. My mom, then sister, then I caught a bad stomach bug as well.
In 2012, I caught a cold, same in 2013.
In 2014, I was started healthy. I felt really tired on Christmas day and chalked it up to traveling and not eating as healthy as usual. On 12/27, I woke up with congestion and felt terrible - which really stinks because it was the nicest day of the trip.
In 2015 I took a TON of vitamins. Stayed healthy the entire trip.

This year I'm pumping myself with vitamin C. I just got back from Vegas and I feel a bit worn out. Hoping I'm not getting a cold. If I am, I hope I get it out of the way before 12/24.

All in all, it stinks that you're sick, but be glad it didn't happen during your trip! As for vomiting at the end - my poor sister got sick last year during another vacation we took. She had to fly with a bad stomach. It was food poisoning, so we knew she wasn't contagious, but that didn't change the fact that she was sick as a god. I totally agree - Disney is a hotbed for germs!

 

[kandb]

I agree, they should have sanitizer pumps and hand washing stations. They have a mug wash station, but no soap. The food court at our local mall has a bunch of sinks and soap to wash up before eating. I thought it was a great idea.

Hand washing is best, but sanitizers are a good back up. But as always, you can lead a horse to water...........

Our local taco bell has a sanitizer pump on the wall right where you pick up your food. If people don't want to use it fine but why not offer something like this at Disney?

 

[kandb]

All in all, it stinks that you're sick, but be glad it didn't happen during your trip! As for vomiting at the end - my poor sister got sick last year during another vacation we took. She had to fly with a bad stomach. It was food poisoning, so we knew she wasn't contagious, but that didn't change the fact that she was sick as a god. I totally agree - Disney is a hotbed for germs!

How did your sister know she had food poisoning? Was she diagnosed from a doctor after a confirmed vomitus/stool sample? That is the only way food poisoning can be confirmed.

 

[AngiTN]

I disagree with this 100%. Norovirus is extremely contagious. Your body cannot build up an immunity towards it and most children catch it rather easy (as per the posters who saw numerous children vomiting while they were there). We never used hand sanitizer or washed our hands frequently when we went with our children years ago and they got the stomach bug a few times on those trips. I doubt most of the people vomiting were the ones that sanitized/washed their hands a lot and they were vomiting because they never built up an immunity to norovirus.

Ok, you disagree 100% and I do too. No one in our house gets sick, ever. Not even colds. I guess it's pure dumb luck, not the fact that we have strong immune systems that I believe are made stronger by exposure to germs, not avoidance. We wash our hands but will not use hand sanitizer, ever. We have been to Disney 10 times this year and not gotten sick a single time. Went 4 times last year, again, no illnesses. And that includes a child. Who is in school. With other kids. And doesn't get sick. 4 year in school and never had 1 sick day. DD went to school 14 years (repeated a grade) and never had a single sick day either. All coincidence I guess.

No matter what, I don't think Disney should install hand sanitizer stations. And they offer plenty of places to wash hands. And make sure the soap is stocked. They do all that needs to be done. The rest is up to the guest.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

How did your sister know she had food poisoning? Was she diagnosed from a doctor after a confirmed vomitus/stool sample? That is the only way food poisoning can be confirmed.

No, you're right, we assumed. My grandma used to be a nurse and the place we ate at the night before wasn't... great. Unfortunately my sister is a teacher and HAD to get back to work the next day (Monday). Her school is very strict about taking off after a weekend or holiday and they would not have understood. She went in the next day and was out of it and was sent home. Ultimately the stomach pains and nausea only lasted 24 hours but she was weak after it was all said and done.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Don't go by the people on here that are saying hand sanitizer is bad. I don't believe any of them have a MD after their name. Yes, handwashing is best but hand sanitizer is better then nothing.

I may not have MD next to my name but the info I quoted is from the CDC itself along with the link......so I'm fairly certain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has some medical professionals.

I for one didn't say it is bad but there are limitations to it and there are instances which it doesn't help. The problem we all had was it was pushed as THE thing to do and unfortunately just like anti-bacterial items (which now have the FDA involved) it was over-stated how helpful hand sanitizers were. Like I said there are limitations and instances where hand santizing is good, some where they are of no actual use and others where hand washing it better/preferred.

 

[kandb]

Ok, you disagree 100% and I do too. No one in our house gets sick, ever. Not even colds. I guess it's pure dumb luck, not the fact that we have strong immune systems that I believe are made stronger by exposure to germs, not avoidance. We wash our hands but will not use hand sanitizer, ever. We have been to Disney 10 times this year and not gotten sick a single time. Went 4 times last year, again, no illnesses. And that includes a child. Who is in school. With other kids. And doesn't get sick. 4 year in school and never had 1 sick day. DD went to school 14 years (repeated a grade) and never had a single sick day either. All coincidence I guess.

No matter what, I don't think Disney should install hand sanitizer stations. And they offer plenty of places to wash hands. And make sure the soap is stocked. They do all that needs to be done. The rest is up to the guest.

Sounds like your family has strong immune systems. Probably is why you all have less sicknesses.

 

[kandb]

No, you're right, we assumed. My grandma used to be a nurse and the place we ate at the night before wasn't... great. Unfortunately my sister is a teacher and HAD to get back to work the next day (Monday). Her school is very strict about taking off after a weekend or holiday and they would not have understood. She went in the next day and was out of it and was sent home. Ultimately the stomach pains and nausea only lasted 24 hours but she was weak after it was all said and done.

I am a Registered Environmental Health Specialist and inspect food establishments as my occupation. I know a lot about foodborne illness. Not saying that your sister did not have a foodborne illness but without testing, it's impossible to know. Also, foods that cause illness do not generally have a different taste or appear to be "bad".

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

While on the topic, I actually read an interesting article today.

I've been feeling out of whack the past two weeks. I just got back from Vegas Sunday night and I've been out of it. Chalk it up as jet lag and lack of sleep, but even before leaving, I was feeling a little under the weather. No, I wasn't sick, but I felt like I was getting a cold. Maybe my body was fighting it off. Regardless, (knocks furiously on wood) I haven't gotten sick yet.

I immediately chalked it up to an increase in vitamins and making tons of acai-based shakes. However, today I actually read that sometimes it's more harm than good to boost your immune system. Turns out that, like getting a flu shot, sometimes your body needs to be exposed to the germs to build up an immunity.

Another interesting tidbit - the sore throat and runny nose isn't actually due to the germs and illness, but rather a result of your body fighting off the illness.

 

[poppinspenguins]

Ok, you disagree 100% and I do too. No one in our house gets sick, ever. Not even colds. I guess it's pure dumb luck, not the fact that we have strong immune systems that I believe are made stronger by exposure to germs, not avoidance. We wash our hands but will not use hand sanitizer, ever. We have been to Disney 10 times this year and not gotten sick a single time. Went 4 times last year, again, no illnesses. And that includes a child. Who is in school. With other kids. And doesn't get sick. 4 year in school and never had 1 sick day. DD went to school 14 years (repeated a grade) and never had a single sick day either. All coincidence I guess.

No matter what, I don't think Disney should install hand sanitizer stations. And they offer plenty of places to wash hands. And make sure the soap is stocked. They do all that needs to be done. The rest is up to the guest.

Probably a combo of great hygiene, luck, and genetics. I have done some reading on it and there are new studies looking into the "super immune" or people that never get sick. interesting stuff.

That being said, people that get sick more often aren't necessarily lacking in hygiene. I automatically catch more than my husbands does, even in the same household, going the same places, touching things etc. and my son started preschool a couple years ago, the first 6 months were rough on the whole household! I also seem to be way more delicious to bugs!!! we can be out on the same summer night, even with bug spray. I come in with 10 chigger bites, him 0.

we will also have to agree to disagree...I would still 100% welcome more strategic wash locations and hand pumps. if it takes the sickness down by even 1% it would seem worth it.

on a happy note, feeling soooo much better today

 

[kandb]

We have cousins that NEVER get sick. Just really strong immune systems. I know some people just say, "go with the flow and don't worry about handwashing and trying not to get sick" but after spending $7K for a vacation, I don't want to spend half of it in a hotel room or feeling crappy and not being able to enjoy myself.