Disney World can be magical and fun and exciting, but it can also be NASTY.
Magic Kingdom Crowds
Umm…what? Well, there are some very gross problems you might encounter when you’re in the parks, and we want to make sure that you’re prepared. (No matter how disgusting they may be!) So grab that hand sanitizer and those disinfecting wipes, because we’re diving into the list of nasty Disney World problems that you aren’t prepared for.
Sweat. Lots of Sweat.
Florida is HOT most of the year, and humid for just as long. Let’s be honest here — you will sweat like you’ve never sweat before (unless you literally live in a rainforest). And if you’re not prepared for that reality, it can be a little jarring.
A sunny day in Hollywood Studios
You’ll want to make sure that you pack your best antiperspirant, and wear clothing that is light and breathable. (Now is not the time for the heavy fabrics or the colors that show sweat stains!) Take plenty of breaks in the air conditioning throughout the day, and drink lots of water…and we mean LOTS. It’s very easy to get dehydrated when you’re sweating so much.
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Chafing
And speaking of problems caused by the Florida heat and humidity, we have to mention everyone’s worst friend — chafing. This is one of those issues that will get uncomfortable VERY quickly if not handled properly, so come prepared with clothing and shoes that fit well and can handle a lot of steps.
That sun can be brutal!
We also like to recommend anti-chafing sticks for those who are prone to this issue, and if you’re wearing a skirt or dress, it’s probably not a bad idea to wear slip shorts or biker shorts underneath. That’ll save you a lot of misery at the end of the day!
Read THIS Before You Bring a Car to Disney World
Germs, Germs, and More Germs
Oh buddy, there are germs EVERYWHERE in Disney World. We’ve come home from the parks with a little bit of sickness more than once in the past, and that’s likely due to the sheer volume of people and the proximity in which you will encounter those people.
COVID-19 Warning Sign
If you’re concerned about sickness, bring along your chosen vitamins (including that Vitamin C!) and wash your hands often with soap and water. It’s also probably a good idea to keep hand sanitizer in your bag at all times.
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Everything is Sticky
There are a lot of sticky foods in Disney World and there are equally as many sticky guests. Especially children! Combine sugary sweets with sticky fingers that want to touch every surface imaginable, and you get sticky handrails, tables, doorknobs, and much more.
Tables in Magic Kingdom
If you don’t want to continue asking the question “ew, what is THAT?” every time you sit down at a table, we suggest packing some wet wipes to swipe those surfaces clean before touching. They’ll also be good for keeping your family’s hands clean after those melty Mickey bars.
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The Disappointing Toilet Paper
Time to talk about something we’re all thinking but nobody will say…the toilet paper in Disney World leaves much to be desired! It’s thin, wispy, rips too easily, and isn’t great at umm, doing its job. (If you know what we mean.) We suppose that when you’re buying TP for as many bathrooms as there are in Disney World, the price point makes a big difference, but that doesn’t mean that we like it.
Toilet Paper in Pop Century
So what should you do? Well, for your hotel room, it’s pretty easy to pack your own or have it delivered with a grocery delivery service. And if you’re really dedicated, you can keep a roll or some wipes in your park bag as well.
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Sunburn and All Its Horrendous Consequences
What’s one of the consequences of spending all day in that Florida sun? The dreaded sunburn! And if you find yourself turning pink partway through the day, you may later discover that you’re peeling, blistering, and quite uncomfortable for the rest of your trip. Nobody wants that!
Sunscreen for sale in EPCOT
Thankfully, the solution for this one is obvious. Make sure to apply (and re-apply!) sunscreen anytime you go outside, and you might want to pack some aloe just in case. That way, if the sunburn sneaks up on you, you’re still prepared with a solution. If you forget these products, you’ll also be able to find them in select gift shops and at First Aid locations.
3 Terrifyingly Easy Ways to Ruin Your Disney World Vacation
Wet Socks
One of the most absolutely uncomfortable things we’ve encountered during our many visits to Disney World is a pair of wet, squishy socks. If you’re the type to wear close-toed shoes to the parks, you may run into this issue frequently after those midday rainstorms or a ride on Kali River Rapids.
Star Wars Socks
For those days when the weather forecast is showing cloudy skies, bring a backup pair of shoes to wear during the rain or the water rides. It might also be helpful to carry a dry pair of socks just in case. You will be surprised at how refreshed you feel once you change!
We Wore Crocs in Disney World All Day. Here’s What Happened.
Blisters
Speaking of socks and shoes, let’s talk blisters! If you can help it, avoid wearing new shoes in Disney World at all costs. Breaking in those new kicks on a 20,000-step day will probably lead to some pretty nasty blisters!
Hopefully you won’t need too many of these on your next Disney World vacation!
And if you’re unsure about your shoes, pack some bandaids or moleskin to fix any problems. This is another instance where a bonus pair of socks will come in handy too!
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Stomach Problems
Finally, we’ve got to talk about the most dreaded issue — getting sick! You’re probably eating a lot more fried food and a lot fewer vegetables during your vacation. Couple that with rides that may make you sick, and you might encounter some stomach problems. Have some solutions handy, drink lots of water, and be careful about what you eat and ride if you’re susceptible.
Cheeseburger and French Fries
And for other sicknesses, don’t be afraid to visit First Aid or a nearby Urgent Care center if you’re truly feeling bad. In that case, you definitely shouldn’t be visiting the theme parks, and some rest in the hotel room will do you a lot of good!
Baby Care Center and First Aid signage
There are some great ways to prevent dealing with most of these problems (sorry, we can’t do much about the sweat!), and as long as you think ahead, you should be able to minimize the nastiness. And if you have any medical-related issues in the parks, you’re always welcome to visit First Aid or the Baby Care Center to get the necessary supplies and care.
We’ve got a great resource for you when you plan your NEXT Disney World trip – our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining.
Take the DFB Guide with you to Disney World!
We wrote our ebook after decades of visiting Disney World, so that we could help you have a stress-free vacation! Click here and use code WDW2022 to get 25% off!
For more tips on how to navigate the parks and solve problems that arise during your vacation, stay tuned to DFB. We’ve got you covered with the latest updates and advice, and we’re here to help you have the best trip possible.
7 Problems You Definitely Didn’t See Coming in Disney World — Click Here!
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WE KNOW DISNEY.
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Toilet paper, blisters and germs.
WOOL Socks in the SUMMER? YES!!!
Wool socks in warm weather sound completely counterintuitive, don’t they? They did to me until I tried them many years ago. Wool is my go-to tennis shoe sock, with my cotton
crews relegated to yard work where they will get filthy and I’ll be out of them fairly quickly. I was pleasantly surprised at how dry and comfortable my feet stay in summer-weight wool inside a breathable pair of shoes (and with winter-weight wool in the winter inside of waterproof duck boots); sweat wicks away instead of soaking the cotton socks.
Theree are a lot of different weights of wool in socks, and it isn’t the old scratchy wool you might have stored away in your memory. Try on several pair of light-weight wool socks AT A STORE with your intended shoes. Brands in my drawer right now include Darn Tough, ThorLo, Salomon and Smart Wool. They’re more expensive than cotton crews in the 6-pack, but worth the investment to me. Mine don’t get stinky like cotton, either.
Your feet may feel a bit warmer when you first put on your woolen socks, but pretty much stay there all day. Don’t let that keep you from auditioning a pair.
I don’t wear Crocks or similar shoes, but wool socks are worth a try if you do and wear socks with them.
And if it rains? Wool dries out much faster than cotton and my feet feel a lot better, quicker, in wool than cotton if I’m caught in the rain. Recovery time back to dry is faster than with cotton.
Try on and invest in a pair to check out on your own feet. You just might find yourself realizing that life is too short to wear cotton socks.
Wool Sock Life!
I love Disney, I really do. That’s why what’s happening is not only shameful, but painful. Disney is a imaginative creation, built on ideas and the hard work of its employees, as well as the hard-earned money of its guests.
Chapek et al look at Disney, not as something amazing to continue to invest in and improve (as Walt Disney saw it), but as their personal piggy bank – from which they extract as much as they can for themselves before they move on to another company.
That even the toilet paper is a target of their extracting every penny -(buying the cheapest they can get), is disgusting. Disney doubled its profit in the last year – that’s a 100 percent increase. Who’s benefiting? It isn’t the real investors, who are the cast members and the guests. It’s the leeches at the top. Toilet paper. Walt is rolling in his grave.
There are ALWAYS 2 individually packaged Dude Wipes in the pocket of my (ack!) cargo shorts when I’m there.
Putting shorts on under a skirt or dress defeats the purpose of wearing one (air flow). If you chafe, put some antiperspirant (not deodorant) on your inner thighs before leaving your room in the morning and you’re fine, no chafe. The best shoe advice isn’t hot gross socks in the heat, it’s to wear tried and true shoes, nothing new and untested, that you can handle while walking and standing for hours on hard surfaces in excessive heat. My feet are always hot and swell in high temps, socks and sneakers would be the worst thing I could wear. By day 2 they wouldn’t fit. Sandals for me!
Surprisingly, I didn’t have most of these issues. My family (myself, my wife, and my one year old) went out in June to celebrate my birthday as well as my son’s, my wife got a bit sick, but she braved through it, wasn’t COVID thankfully, on my actual birthday however, my son got real sick and the sitter at the time was telling us he was projectile vomiting, the reason? 1. Heat, he was overheating and we were taking all measures to keep him cool, as well making sure he was fed and exercised when needed, 2. Teething, this couldn’t have come at a better time, these two going together made it rough, but ultimately he came out fine afterwards. We had to miss our dinner reservation twice because of this. Going to clarify that I was a bummed, but wasn’t upset since the fees were very minimal thankfully. I now know what to watch out for on our next visit…. should these prices stay realistic instead of literal robbery.
Don’t forget the the Disney rash-vasculitis induced by prolonged walking in high temperatures. My sister came down with it on our last trip. It’s common enough to have a name and you can Google the condition. She ended up renting a scooter for our last couple days to stay off her feet.
Germs: It’s funny watching people on the ride queues like Seven Dwarfs, Big Thunder, Frozen, etc. TOUCH EVERYTHING they can touch (yes, some of the stuff is meant to be touched/played with) kids and adults alike. No one wipes down these things. It was not too long ago (and some still to this day) people were afraid of even standing too close to someone else, much less touching something that someone else had touched without disinfecting it. I guess there is no more “value” in the virtue-signaling anymore. But hey keep doing it– I love laughing at people touching every nasty thing in the ride queues.
Toilet Paper: See-through thin toilet paper? Welcome to what the US Military has been dealing with forever. To get around this, bring your own supply of babywipes either in a travel size package, or put a few in a small ziploc bag in your park bag. Do NOT flush wipes down a toilet, as they will clog them up (yes, even the “flushable” ones– they don’t disintegrate and will clog a toilet). Fold them up inside some of that flimsy toilet paper and throw them in a trash can.
Disney used to save the soft toilet paper for the deluxe hotels, but now they have cheap toilet paper too. Thin and cheap.
Just returned from a 9-day trip. Thin toilet paper, thin napkins, this makes people use more of these products. Disney is not saving money buying these. If you are afraid of touching things, buy yourself some rubber gloves and change them after every experience. The service at Disney World has gone from bad to worse. Prior to COVID our family visited Disney World and we saw minimal problems with dirty facilities, and it was handled as soon as it was reported. Now it seems like no one cares. Paper towels left lying on the floor and even with attendants standing right there, nothing was being done. They seemed to enjoy talking to themselves instead of doing the jobs they were hired to do. Melted Mickey bars lying on the ground and no clean-up anywhere to be seem.
So You get scratchy see-thru unsanitary toilet paper even when you’ve paid several hundred dollars per nite to stay at Disney’s Luxury Resorts? That’s ridiculous! Too cheap to tolerate! Bad business sense. Sure hope things get turned around Fast! I fear Disney’s Reputation has been severely damaged. But the announcements of the last few weeks are encouraging. Also, trams should return to all the parks. Paying for a few trams running and their drivers of course, will get the people to the front gate and into the parks faster, which means they would have more time for spending money at Disney World. Instead they’re trudging through the parking lot? I don’t get it.