The stockings are hung by the chimney with care…and chilly, flu, and COVID season are right here. It’s just a few days earlier than Christmas, Walt Disney World is filled with folks, and a variety of them are sick. This put up affords my favourite tricks to keep away from becoming a member of them, with methods to maintain your immune system robust and decrease–however not eradicate–your threat of sickness at Walt Disney World.
I’ve been planning on scripting this put up for some time, however have averted doing so attributable to…let’s name it “silly superstition.” Earlier this summer season, I learn this text within the Washington Post that caught with me. Not for the substance of the human curiosity piece about “novids” however as a result of virtually everybody interviewed had jinxed themselves. Now, I’m not truly superstitious in my day-to-day life, however…I additionally don’t wish to finish my very own dumb luck.
To one of the best of my information, I’ve by no means had COVID. This is regardless of only a few modifications to my ‘normal’ life since final March, just about all of my household and pals coming down with it (some a number of occasions), having attended occasions that had been subsequently discovered to be superspreaders, and testing at any time when I’ve realized of an in depth contact who was contaminated. In equity, I’m younger(ish) and comparatively wholesome, so it’s at all times potential that I’ve had an asymptomatic an infection at a time I didn’t check–therefore the “to the best of my knowledge” caveat. In any case, I believed I’d share what I do to keep away from getting sick at Walt Disney World.
I’ll preface all of this by stating the apparent: I’m not a scientist, epidemiologist, infectious illness specialist, or public well being professional. I hate going to the physician, and am irrationally frightened of needles. (Like a courageous trooper, I get the annual flu shot anyway!) Moreover, I’m a staunch advocate of specialised experience over web fear-mongering and sensationalism.
What I’m presenting right here relies upon what I’ve learn in varied journals and revered publications–not random rants from my uncle Cletus on social media. However, that doesn’t imply that my lay interpretation of the data is correct–I’ve blind spots, biases, and a scarcity of area information which may lead to not absolutely greedy what I’m studying. Accordingly, this put up shouldn’t be considered as a reputable or complete supply of data relating to staying protected and wholesome.
I’m additionally not going to restate the apparent. We all lived via the final 3 years; no sense in belaboring what you have already got been instructed 1000’s of occasions. Same goes for the controversial. Way an excessive amount of time on-line is spent condescendingly shouting down “opponents” for the sake of being proper and successful some perceived victory. I would favor to steer. Whatever strongly-held beliefs you’ve shaped in the previous few years will not be going to be modified by studying some random dude’s weblog about Disney.
Rather than participating in such folly, I’ll give attention to illuminating info and sensible suggestions that individuals would possibly truly put to make use of. With that in thoughts, listed below are my suggestions…
Mitigate Risk – I wish to consider myself as a pragmatist, eschewing the excellent however unrealistic for the achievable however unideal. To that finish, I’ve lengthy been a believer in hurt discount fashions and threat mitigation. This is versus zero-tolerance or abstinence, which historical past has demonstrated time and time once more are destined to fail.
Much of that pertains to public coverage, but it surely’s additionally relevant on a person stage. It can imply recognizing that tradeoffs exist just about in all places, and making them when it’s advantageous. If the upside is bigger than the draw back, or the inconvenience is minimal, take into account decreasing your dangers. Many of the precise suggestions right here circulation from this attitude, but it surely’s value underscoring up high that nothing on this record is absolute.
Time Your Trip – If it’s not already apparent, there are patterns to when seasonal diseases peak and plateau. It’s not the identical in all places, however it’s premised on among the identical basic rules. Conditions that drive folks indoors and in the direction of social gatherings give rise to spikes in illness.
In Florida, this has meant extra circumstances within the late summer season months–when many locals are inside attributable to sizzling and humid climate. Pretty a lot in all places, it additionally means one other spike between round Thanksgiving and New Year’s attributable to vacation occasions. This is to not say you can’t get sick in mid-March or early October–you completely can. Just that it’s statistically extra doubtless in late December or July.
Avoid Crowds – We all have heard manner an excessive amount of about bodily distancing in the previous few years. This isn’t about that. I’ve zero hesitations about being packed right into a crowd to observe Enchantment or Harmonious. Actually scratch that–however my hesitations pertain to the “watch Enchantment or Harmonious” portion of that, not the crowds. Same goes for “filling in all available space.” That one additionally annoys me, however I’m not significantly involved with outside crowds or fleeting congestion.
Rather, we try and keep away from extended, indoor crowds. At house, we go to the theater at 9 am quite than 9 pm (which actually has extra to do with matinee costs and fewer rowdy teenagers…however let’s faux it’s security!). While touring, we wait at empty airport gates quite than the place our flight is scheduled.
When staying at an on-site resort, we get out the door tremendous early (beating the crowds to the bus cease) and keep till the bitter finish (avoiding the night exodus). If you’re not an early riser or evening owl, you’ll be able to nonetheless journey at off-hours to cut back crowd publicity. This thought might be prolonged to bars, meals courts, and numerous different places within the parks and resorts at Walt Disney World.
Dine Outdoors – One of my greatest disappointments of the final ~3 years is that larger emphasis was not positioned on air flow, and as a substitute a lot focus was positioned on highly-visible however in the end meaningless well being theater measures. And this isn’t Monday morning quarterbacking with the advantage of hindsight–we knew air flow mattered again in 2020 (see “We Need To Talk About Ventilation”).
I nonetheless maintain out hope that the Healthy Buildings motion positive aspects extra momentum in company America, because it has public well being and financial advantages. In the meantime, I’ve change into more and more cognizant of air flow, human density, and air filtration (or presumed lack thereof). More than wherever else, that is particularly the case at eating places.
One choice to mitigate threat is by avoiding crowded indoor bars & lounges across the parks and resorts, and selecting eating places with open air seating. This is arguably the most important and smartest thing you are able to do, however Walt Disney World doesn’t make it simple–most desk service eating places solely supply indoor seating. See our Best Outdoor Dining Options at Walt Disney World for suggestions on that entrance.
With that mentioned, we do dine inside very often. Again, this isn’t an all-or-nothing strategy. When it’s not inconvenient, we eat exterior. We additionally typically dine at off-hours (early or late seatings) when eating places are usually much less crowded. In some circumstances, we’ve additionally carried out extra outside eating early in journeys and higher-risk (comparatively) indoor eating in the direction of the tip. We don’t upend our lives or holidays to incrementally scale back threat–we simply go for the low-hanging fruit.
Eat This, Not That – Come to seek out out, Adventureland pizza rolls paired with Dole Whips will not be the definition of a “balanced” weight loss plan regardless of one being sizzling and the opposite being chilly. Cupcakes and cocktails which might be an amalgamation of synthetic colours and flavors aren’t the epitome of wholesome consuming. Who might’ve recognized?!
The easy recommendation right here is to eat a balanced weight loss plan even whereas touring, as correct vitamin is one key to not getting sick. You know the fundamentals there, so I’m going to take {that a} step additional since we’re steadily requested how we keep wholesome regardless of consuming a lot theme park meals. The easy reply is that you just solely see ~5% of all meals we eat, that are admittedly unhealthy. However, 95% of our meals will not be in theme parks, and our common diets don’t even remotely resemble what we eat within the parks.
At house, we eat a variety of greens, beans, nuts, fruits, tea, poultry, and fish; we solely eat pink meat about as soon as per week, and rarely eat added sugars or alcohol. We roughly unintentionally comply with a combination of Japanese and Mediterranean diets, with our personal quirks.
In specific, I eat a variety of kimchi, kombucha, miso, cottage cheese, and greek yogurt. Beyond the overall well being advantages, fermented meals have been related to mitigating sickness severity. I additionally eat a variety of cold-water (learn: fatty) fish, that are excessive in polyunsaturated fatty acids–related story there. These are simply two of many different research that hyperlink the intestine microbiome to immune response, however not all have a excessive diploma of confidence within the conclusions about COVID, particularly.
Nevertheless, the holistic well being and wellness advantages are well-established. This has been our weight loss plan for years as a result of basic/total advantages, and it has improved a number of facets of our lives. (One of my different greatest disappointments of the final ~3 years is that larger emphasis was not positioned on wholesome residing given the commonest COVID comorbidities.)
When we not too long ago traveled to Japan, it was tremendous easy to take care of this weight loss plan. Green tea and rice are ubiquitous, identical for salmon and kimchi. There’s a 7-11 or Lawson comfort retailer on just about each nook, and our breakfast would comprise virtually all of this stuff. (Fruits and greens might be dearer or more durable to seek out–I ate a variety of bananas and jumbo carrots, that are simple to seek out and low cost.)
At Walt Disney World, we suggest grocery supply to resorts. We’ve carried out this many occasions, because it’s a good way to eat a wholesome breakfast (the least “exciting” meal within the parks, anyway) whereas nonetheless having fun with indulgent lunches and dinners. There are various totally different grocery supply companies, however Walmart+ has change into our go-to not too long ago. It’s the most cost effective, best, and most effective.
Nevertheless, I wish to stress that I’m not overzealous about any of this. We don’t monitor what we eat or ‘do’ weight-reduction plan–that is our weight loss plan, but it surely’s loosely-followed and has virtually change into second nature or routine. ‘Everything in Moderation’ is an effective mantra, and in the event you eat properly more often than not, you’ll be able to go nuts among the time. I most undoubtedly do this, as anybody who has learn a few of our meals opinions can attest.
Stay Hydrated – This is a extra apparent one however I’m going to incorporate it anyway as a result of it can’t be overstated. Not soda or alcohol, however water. However a lot you drink at house, a minimum of double it at Walt Disney World. Many folks say that you just aren’t getting the total expertise in the event you don’t do the grand circle tour of the Top 10 Toilets at Walt Disney World, anyway.
While shopping for bottled water is one possibility, that’ll get costly quick given how a lot it’s worthwhile to drink to remain hydrated. Instead, we suggest going into counter service eating places or different walk-up home windows and asking without cost cups of water. They’re small, so that you would possibly wish to request as many as you’ll be able to carry. Another apparent possibility is consuming fountains, however we’ve gotta warn you: faucet water at Walt Disney World is sourced instantly from the swamp, and is definitely 3% alligator urine. (Not actually, but it surely positive tastes prefer it!)
Because of that, we extremely suggest the Life Straw Go Filter Water Bottle. Our jokes apart, Florida water can style funky straight from the faucet (it’s an acquired style), so it’s key to get a bottle with a filter. This bottle is the most suitable choice, fingers down. It’s sturdy, BPA-free, dishwasher protected, and makes use of a 2-stage activated carbon filter reduces odor, chlorine and leaves zero aftertaste! (If you’re searching for a less expensive different, Brita Filter Water Bottles are nice, too.)
There are just a few devoted bottle filling stations popping up across the parks, however not almost sufficient. Our go-to location is inside Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe at Magic Kingdom (they’ll provide you with cups of ice if you would like chilly water), and there are different spots on the entrance to World Showcase in EPCOT and scattered across the parks. Still not almost as many as a theme park in Florida ought to have, but it surely’s a begin.
Stop Touching Stuff – I can already anticipate the indignant responses to this one: “YOU CAN’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO. I’m not going to bubble myself in my basement to stay safe, I’m going to live my life…by touching stuff that thousands of children have licked (or worse).”
Joking apart, that is in all probability the one which’s the best ‘sacrifice’ to make in principle, however the single most troublesome in observe. I’ll admit that I’m a tactile particular person. I contact stuff. I really like the feel of the picket handrails within the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad queue, I can not resist enjoying the mostly-broken interactive queue video games within the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. I’ll reduce this record of examples brief as a result of it’s already embarrassing–I sound like a small little one.
Nevertheless, I’ve made a concerted effort to not contact as a lot at Walt Disney World. It has been surprisingly difficult, however I’ve gotten significantly better about it. And whereas I’m nonetheless a sucker for buffet (all the things carefully!), I make some extent of washing my fingers between journeys (amongst different issues).
Do “Down” Days – If this record had been another person’s, it will embody “get plenty of sleep.” I can not embody that as a result of I burn the candle at each ends, and am often within the parks from opening till closing on a go-mode day. I do know that’s unhealthy, however can’t cease, received’t cease.
To compensate for that, we frequently do “down” days exterior the parks that (generally, hopefully) contain sleeping in. On days after I’m testing Disney’s Hollywood Studios technique and staying at Crescent Lake, I typically handle to sneak in a noon nap break quite than watching these stage exhibits for the thousandth occasions. You additionally ought to sleep in or get to mattress early some nights, however that undoubtedly falls into do as I say, not as I do territory.
For the ultimate time, none of this recommendation is absolute. It ought to go with out saying, however a trip mustn’t revolve round decreasing threat of sickness. Have enjoyable first, decide and select methods to be wholesome second (or third/fourth/and many others). You might do all the things “perfectly” and nonetheless find yourself sick throughout or after your journey. The reality is that there’s no such factor as eliminating threat, solely decreasing it.
When it comes all the way down to it, anybody visiting Walt Disney World should have some extent of threat tolerance, because it’s inherent within the vacation spot. If you had been really preoccupied with security from illness, there are superior choices, similar to U.S. National Parks, state parks, or the seaside. Now in the event you’ll excuse me, as I’ve to go relaxation up. I can solely assume writing this text has jinxed me, and I’ll have to spend the following few days recovering from being sick. 😉
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about accommodations on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To get monetary savings on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips put up takes a novel take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, one of the best place to start out is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for all the things it’s worthwhile to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Any ideas about staying wholesome when visiting Walt Disney World? Anything else you do to keep away from getting sick–or a minimum of lower your possibilities of it–whereas touring? Keep the feedback civil, as this isn’t the place for politically-charged arguing, antagonism, private assaults, debating the efficacy of NPIs, or perpetuating pointless tradition wars. We can be heavy-handed in deleting feedback that cross the road, even when it’s solely a single sentence. You will not be going to vary anybody’s thoughts through the feedback part on this weblog, nor are you going to affect public coverage. If you want to shout your opinions into the web abyss, that’s why Facebook was invented.