Walt Disney World has implemented many health and safety procedures due to the global health crisis.
Hand Sanitizer
And along with the new procedures, numerous hand sanitizer stations were installed throughout Disney World property.
However, even with the increased cleaning and added sanitizer stations, we still found ourselves reaching for our own bottle of hand sani throughout the day! We’ve been all over Disney World since the July 2020 reopening and discovered there are a few reasons why you might consider bringing your own sanitizer into the parks!
While touring the theme parks, you’ll end up touching handrails, doorknobs, ride restraints, whosits, whatsits, and thingamabobs! Almost every surface at Disney World is a high-touch area. If you can touch something, you can bet other people have touched it too. Hand sanitizer might become your best friend on your next vacation!
Reason #1 — Sanitizer Won’t Always Be Within Arm’s Reach
While sanitizer dispensers are scattered throughout the property, sanitizer may not always be readily available when you need it most. Sanitizer stations may be placed near attractions, gift shops, or restaurants, and they are typically stationed before and after rides, but sometimes the stations are out of sanitizer or just gone altogether. We wouldn’t rely on it always being at your fingertips exactly when you want it.
Hand Sanitizer at EPCOT
Additionally, some of the gift shops sell sanitizer, but you can’t depend on it always being in stock. It’s best to buy it beforehand so you can sanitize any time, any place!
Reason #2 — Not Everyone Likes Disney’s Hand Sanitizer
Not all sanitizer is created equal and Disney’s sanitizer might actually make you feel grosser than before you applied it! Allow us to explain this weird phenomenon. From our experience, the sanitizer that you get from Disney’s dispensers sometimes feels sticky and textured. We generally don’t have this experience when using our personal sanitizer!
Hand Sanitizer at Disney Springs
We’ve also heard people complain about the smell of Disney’s hand sanitizer. Most sanitizers are alcohol-based and the alcohol usually evaporates quickly and the smell dissipates. That said, the initial “chemical” smell bothers some people. It should be noted that the chemicals you’re smelling are just a byproduct of accelerated manufacturing, according to an interview from CNET.
The article interviews Bryan Zlotnik from Alpha Aromatics, a fragrance manufacturer that creates additives for masking sanitizer odors. He described that the sanitizer stinks because many brands are made using alcohol distillers. The distillers are using denatured ethanol, which costs less than ethanol filtered using “activated carbon filtration.” The filtered ethanol typically removes contaminants and malodors with it. The hand sanitizers that use this expedited process ARE still just as safe, according to the experts quoted in this article, but you might have to deal with an off smell. Now you know why some sanitizers smell funny!
We think it’s best to smell-test your sanitizers at home so you know what you’re getting yourself into! And there are so many yummy scents that can bring a little joy to your day if you do a little digging before your trip.
Reason #3 — Don’t Count on Attractions and High-Touch Areas to Always Be Clean
Guests shouldn’t assume that every attraction or high-touch area was recently cleaned…or cleaned at all. Right after reopening Disney had certainly increased cleaning frequency. But now, sanitation might not occur as often as you think. Last we checked, the Disney Skyliner cabins, for instance, are only cleaned once a day. It’s best to assume that the surfaces you come in contact with may not always be recently sanitized!
Sanitizing Splash Mountain
As silly as it sounds, carrying your own hand sanitizer may make you feel more comfortable while touring the theme parks. What kind of sanitizer is best? That’s generally up to your smell and texture preference.
You may enjoy a brand that’s made with aloe vera and keeps your hands from drying out. Or, maybe you prefer a sanitizer that’s mostly liquid alcohol and has very little texture. We might suggest trying the popular brands Purell or Germ-X. From our perspective, they’re not too sticky, dry fast, and the alcohol smell evaporates quickly.
As always, we’re looking for simple ways to make your Disney experience better and as safe as it possibly can be. If you have any more questions regarding masks, hand sanitizer, or anything else, please reach out and we will do our best to give you the details you need!
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I have to use fragrance-free hand sanitizer and when any sanitizer was scarce I stumbled upon a fragrance-free brand I’d never heard of. Instead of alcohol and aloe, it’s alcohol, aloe, and glycerin. The glycerin gives it that gloppy, tacky feeling you described. I don’t know if Disney’s has glycerin, but it’s possible.
We bought our Baby Yoda sanitizers at CVS.
This is the most down right stupid article – before the pandemic and covid literally the number one item I would ALWAYS bring with me to the parks was hand sanitizer. This is just common sense and good life practices to not get sick including washing your hands. Obviously Disneyland/Disneyworld would be a cesspool for germs and viruses. Can’t believe we have to tell people to bring hand sanitizer and wash their hands. It’s common sense.
Just came back from Walt Disney World and Disney Studios. There is sanitizer before and after every ride and attraction. I was very pleased with the distancing measures and the enforcement of masks. I still use my own from time to time but that’s just because it’s a habit now. There were also hand washing stations all over the place. Out of let’s say over 50 sanitizing dispensers we used, only 1 was empty. However, there was a 2nd one right next to it that was full. They were also only operating at 25% capacity. It was great. Don’t be afraid of Disney. They definitely exceeded my expectations.
I completely agree with Mrs Zero Gravity. I just returned from WDW and there were more than enough hand sanitizer stations throughout the parks, resorts and even the monorails. I did bring my own due to allergies however, I found I was able to use Disney’s without issue. We witnessed numerous times rides being on hold due to cleaning and at every counter service spot we ate, as soon as people left a table, there was a CM there to spray, wipe and clean tables and chairs. Honestly it was much cleaner than any big box store that I’ve been in lately. People were very religious about wearing masks and CM were very on top of anyone who had a mask down while walking. If you are on the fence of whether to go or not, do it!! with the low crowds, it was very enjoyable to get on every attraction with little to no wait. Disney is going above and beyond to keep people safe and still provide a great experience.
Chloe, no need to get snippy. This article just reminds people to take care. We’ve been carrying around hand sanitizer for years every where we go. In Canada we’ve seen government ads for many years to wash hands and use sanitizer to take care of each other. This is a major reason why our covid numbers are lower then 25 other countries. Thanks for the article and keeping everyone safe so that soon all international disneyites can share in the magic.
Plenty of hand sanitizer stations weee on hand. However, they were not always convenient, or people families crowded around them instead of getting the sanitizer and moving on, blocking other Guests from using them. We carried our own that we got from Magic Candle Company, no stickiness, clumping, or bad odors.
I, however, did have a different experience with tables not bejng cleaned after guests at most quick service locations (especially during peak traffic). We carried our own disposable sani-wipes, and had to use them several times. The worst offenders were outdoor tables behind Trollycar at DHS, and Pecos Bill.
Just. Wondering if anyone knows if the Disney brand hand sanitizers, specifically the travel size are gluten free
I too always brought my own sanitizers and wipes even before Covid and will when we return. I haven’t yet gone to WDW and don’t plan to until fully vaccinated but appreciate the insight from everyone else. We can’t wait to get back to our happy place!!
The Baby Yoda hand sanitizers have been linked to excess levels of Benzene, a carcinogen that is linked to blood cancers such as leukemia.
If you have these Baby Yoda hand sanitizers, discontinue use and discard them immediately! More information on the link below:
https://www.valisure.com/wp-content/uploads/Valisure-FDA-Citizen-Petition-on-Hand-Sanitizer-v4.14.pdf
We did that last year and we will do it again this year…