This post was originally written for WDW Fan Zone my other Disney blogging home.
It is by far your worst nightmare….getting sick when you are at Walt Disney World. It really is something but I did 26 trips without ever having it happen. I have to be honest, it was not until recently that I started thinking about getting sick while at Disney and then by golly it happened.
We had 10 days in paradise planned and like many we had been working on our plans for about a year. So we arrived and had a wonderful first three days of our trip and then it happened, sickness struck. My son had a croup cough and fever. I about DIED! I pulled out the inhaler and Motrin, he truly was a trooper but by day 4 in the middle of the night, I was hearing a sound in his chest that I did not like. I woke up my husband and told him that we needed to get him into urgent care. I was really worried about Logan because we have had this issue before and his doctor knows him the best…I was not sure what to expect out of the urgent care we were going to go to.
I called the front desk of the Pop Century Resort and was told that there is a free shuttle through the urgent care could take us to the facility but that we were too early to use it. So we quickly got ready and ran to the lobby where a very courteous Cast Member hailed a cab for us. The fair cost us about $15 if I remember correctly.
Once we arrived at Centra Care Walk-In Urgent Care I felt relieved to see that there was a place very close to Disney that I know would take care of our needs quickly. We did have the usual paperwork to fill out but before we knew it, we had a prescription in hand and we on our way to Walgreens down the street. Walgreens is about 1 mile up the road, being that it was early and only 80 degrees max for the day, we walked there. Again, very prompt service. After getting Logan’s prescription we were able to walk back to the urgent care and take the complementary transportation back to Pop Century Resort.
Well this is where the story gets a bit more interesting. My son was not getting better and his chest was sounding worse. I just knew the medication that we were given was not enough. So after another day of taking it slow at the parks (yes, the doctor said Logan was not contagious and that he could go out as long as he was up to it) things were not looking any better. I was woken up in the middle of the night by a strong rattle in Logan’s chest, and yes you guessed it, my son Lucas was getting sick and…….so was I.
My husband decided that he would take Logan to the ER alone while I stayed back with Lucas. Dan took a cab to Florida Hospital and Logan was immediately treated with a steroid shot. The doctors there said that he was on the correct antibiotic but that he also needed a steroid which the urgent care failed to recognize.
The rest of our trip was spent taking it slow as both I and my other son Lucas were very ill by the end of our trip. We both has to seek medical attention as soon as we got back home. And about a month later we were greeted by an $800 medical bill between both urgent care and the ER….yikes!! I almost could have gone to Disney again for that price. While it was amazing to be at Disney and we still had a wonderful time…this is still my worst Disney nightmare ever!
I would love to know if you or your loved ones have ever gotten sick at Disney and how was it handled?
Information for Florida Hospital Centra Care Walk-In Urgent Care Centers:
8 AM to 12 midnight, Monday through Friday
8AM to 8PM Saturday and Sunday
There are four locations, and transportation is complementary. Many insurance plans are accepted. Please call 407.934.2273 for more information. You can also dial the front desk from your Walt Disney Resort Phone.
See ya real soon!!
Kelly
6 Comments.
Did you have Disney Travel Insurance? While we have always gotten in we have never used it. I was told it would cover your costs for sickness while on the trip.
Our emergency was that smack in the middle of our trip, while getting a photopass picture in front of the tree of life, my cell phone started ringing. It came with the bad news that my mother in law passed away suddenly in her sleep!!!! SO SAD!
My boyfriends brother got a piece of glass in his foot at Blizzard Beach. And they too, have experienced being sick… but like.. GETTING sick, if you know what I mean! Although, I was not a part of these trips, I was interested as they regaled me with the stories!
Hi Mary! No this particular time we did not have insurance. From now on we will be getting vacation insurance. I am so sorry to hear about your mother in law…that is so sad. Hugs!
It is just terrible to be sick on vacation…especially at Disney. I hope their entire trip was not ruined???
In 2009 we went there all sick. I had bronchitis, my kids all had ear infections, and my husband was just getting over his ailments too. So I had taken myself and the kids for one last visit to the doctor’s office to make sure that everyone was ‘okay enough’ to go. I packed a bag full of antibiotics and we were off. Believe me the plane ride was really bad on little ears 🙁 I felt terrible for them! I can tell when I look back on pics that the first couple of days of our trip, no one felt great. The second day, my oldest and I stayed in the room for most of the day. By the end of the trip we were all better! We did have a great time, but the first 2 or 3 days were pretty rough! Now we are going in 28 days… So my fingers are crossed a million times!! Thanks for the info on Centra Care – great to know!
Hi Steph!! That is so sad! This next trip will be better for you guys. I hear from a friend that is a flight attendant to put Neosporin around your nostrils and that helps you from getting germs in flight. Before you fly Airborne may not be a bad idea. I am going to try both of these for our next trip. Wishing you a truly magical vacation!