It’s no secret that millions of people visit Disney World each year.
Disney World is one of the top visited locations around the world. People come from all countries to experience the magic Disney has to offer in Florida. With all those people around, it’s no wonder you can show up healthy as ever and leave feeling like you’ve just been run over by a train.
As much as it’s no fun, we see people getting sick on their trips to Disney World all the time. We’ve come up with a list of 6 reasons you’re probably getting sick on your trip to Disney World and how you can help prevent it!
Many years ago, I remember being at Disney World and my little brother ended up getting pink eye! I felt so horrible for him, he looked miserable. Unfortunately, those are the kinds of things that can easily happen in Disney World. We want to bring to your attention six ways germs can easily spread around Disney World.
Close Proximity to Others
In Disney World, you’re going to come into close contact with others. It’s almost impossible not to, especially now that operations are back to running normally post-pandemic.
Waiting in lines brings you very close to people. While watching parades and fireworks shows you smashed up against other people. There’s almost no way around it, people are everywhere, and chances are you will be close to them. This is like germ heaven. Those microscopic beings are going to hop all over everyone and find a way to make you sick.
Coughing, So Much Coughing
We understand that if someone is sick they may cough and/or sneeze because of it. However, this is one way for germs to spread — especially if the person coughing or sneezing isn’t covering their mouth.
So while you’re in close proximity to others and someone coughs without covering their mouths, you might be right in the way of all those germs. This can be so uncomfortable. We would ask that if you’re someone who does this, please remember to cough or sneeze into your elbow for the sake of others’ health. Thank you!
Sharing Public Items
While you’re hanging out in Disney World, you may decide to see some of their awesome shows. There are many show options in all of the parks. Some are live-action while others are 3D shows. The 3D shows require that you wear special 3D glasses. You do not keep these glasses, but instead return them to a bin while you’re leaving the theater.
Of course, Disney does clean the glasses, but they are reused for future shows with other guests. There is always a chance for germs to stick around and spread to the next user. Also, everybody is reaching into these bins as they move into the theater, so you know the bins are not super clean. Talk about a germ fest.
Rides and Rails
There probably aren’t too many people who go to Disney World and not ride rides (though there is enough to do there, you probably wouldn’t have to!). When you get on a ride there is some kind of restraint you’re going to have to touch. Many rides are interactive like Toy Story Mania (which also uses 3D glasses).
There’s a lot of touching things other people have just touched happening on all rides — think about all those railings in the queue lines, for instance. It really makes sense, if you think about all the germs being spread on the rides, why so many of us get sick after a trip to Disney World.
Tired and Run Down
A lot of people will tell us that their Disney vacation wasn’t much of a vacation. It’s a lot of work to go to Disney World, especially if you’re trying to do most of it in a short amount of time.
Going to Disney can mean early mornings and late nights with lots of speed walking in between. You can certainly feel drained after a day in Disney. Being tired and run down can mean bad things for your immune system. This can definitely play a factor in getting sick after a long trip.
Remember to Wash Your Hands
With all of these ways to get sick in Disney World, we want to remind you to always wash your hands. Most of these topics had a lot of touching involved, and the best way to mitigate the germs getting you is to wash them off.
Washing your hands will not only help prevent you from getting sick but also prevent the spread to others. We hope you can have a fun and healthy trip to Disney World!
While you’re planning your trip, make sure you check back to the Disney Food Blog!
The Planning Tips You Need to Know About Before Your Next Disney World Trip
Planning a Trip to Disney World? We’ve Got Everything You Need to Know
![](https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023-wdw-mk-cinderella-castle-atmo-partners-statue-1.jpg)
Tips, Hints, Lists, and Videos for Planning the BEST Disney World Trip
Join the DFB Newsletter to Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox! Click Here to Subscribe
Have you gotten sick in Disney World before? Let us know in the comments!
I always have hand sanitizer on my bag and on my scooter and use it often. I realized years ago that parents will drag sick kids into the parks because of what it cost to be there, so I feel that I need to protect myself – being a bit compromised myself.
We have annual passes and never get sick at Disney World anymore because we are some of the rare people who still mask everywhere there (2-3 per day each), eat outside away from people as much as possible, and my kids and I all carry and use hand sanitizer diligently. In addition to filter viruses, the masks help you to not accidentally touch your mouth or nose with dirty hands. Bonus!
I’m an adult with grown kids and I once caught impetigo at Legoland where, of course, many little kids are touching everything! And at end December 2019 I caught a very bad flu from Knotts Berry Farm, can you guess what that flu turned out to be? I take hand sanitiser everywhere now!
You guys are right! It is so important to wash or clean your hands after touching things that other people have touched. The crucial habit we all need to develop is not to touch our nose or mouth with our fingers unless we have just cleaned or washed our hands. That’s how we get most respiratory diseases like the flu, covid, RSV, or even a cold. Coughing or sneezing into your elbow is the safest way to protect others, but not everyone does it.