If you are heading to Walt Disney World, while there are many things to think about, and making sure you have some vitamin C packed is seemingly now one of them.
Since the pandemic shut down the theme parks, the thought of getting sick at Disney World has tremendously increased. For months, guests were required to wear a face mask, at times, even while walking outside without others around to protect themselves and others from COVID-19.
While park operations have gone back to normal, there are still guests who travel to the most magical place on earth with a face covering — and they may be onto something.
As the world has largely returned to a state of normalcy after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus continues to linger and has begun to resurge.
The United States is currently experiencing a concerning rise in COVID-19 cases, with a steady increase reported over the past few weeks, according to Fox News. This uptick has coincided with the arrival of summer, suggesting a potential return of the virus’s seasonal pattern.
However, experts are warning the public not to become complacent as new variants continue to emerge, making the pandemic’s course difficult to predict.
Since the end of the national emergency declaration over a year ago, the public health landscape has shifted, with a reduction in comprehensive case tracking. Instead, authorities now rely on representative sampling to assess disease severity. Despite this change in tracking methods, available data indicates that COVID-19 cases are likely increasing in at least 38 states.
Wastewater surveillance, which analyzes sewage samples for traces of the virus, further supports this trend. While the current levels remain lower than previous peaks, the data shows increasing viral activity, particularly in the West and South. These regions may be seeing higher COVID-19 levels due to warm, humid conditions that support viral persistence.
The recurrence of a summer surge in COVID-19 cases has raised questions about the virus’s potential seasonality. Public health experts, however, caution against drawing definitive conclusions, noting that while immunity may blunt the peaks of new waves, the virus’s future behavior remains uncertain.
With new variants spreading, large public spaces like Disney World are likely to see increased transmission. Despite being known as one of the cleanest theme parks, Disney World is still a place where germs can spread easily.
High-touch areas, such as lap bars on attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion, are touched by thousands of visitors each day, making it difficult to avoid germ transmission at the “most magical place on earth.
Over the past few years, many have complained about visiting the theme parks and getting sick.
While this is certainly something that was likely happening before the pandemic, as Disney World guests can possibly interact with over 100,000 others in a single day, making the passing of bacteria very simple, now, it is becoming a more realized thought.
These realizations have brought guests to the internet to see if others are finding it much more common to get sick when visiting Disney World. The discussion began on the now-popular Reddit post:
“I used to visit fairly often and was usually fine. Of course still some sick days but it was rare and avoidable as long as you just wash your hands and all that.
Then I stopped going for a few years and just recently started again. Been here 4 times in the past couple of years now. And every single time… basically immediately… I get the worst illness you can imagine. This recent trip, it was the second day of the trip, and I already felt it coming on. Then the third day came and I was done. Completely sick with whatever it even is. And that was it for the whole rest of the week. Pretty much wasted all but 1 ticket. I got a solid 1.5 days worth of being able to go to the parks.
Like I said, this has happened every visit in the past couple of years. It probably seems insane that I even keep trying but, I don’t know, I just keep hoping It’ll be different because I really want to go. At least the other 3 times I was here for 2 weeks so I was able to recover and go back again, but this time I was only here for a week so it was just entirely ruined.
And it’s really no surprise that this happens. Everywhere you turn there’s somebody coughing in your face. Standing in lines there a family coughing in your face in front of you, and a family coughing in your face behind you. Not an exaggeration, it’s comical how much that is really true.
But anyway I just wanted to see what other people’s experience is. It truly seems that 95% of people in the parks are sick at any given moment lately. I’m not trying to complain about it but I’m really trying to figure out how I can come back in the future and be able to enjoy a healthy vacation.
Edited to say that I also drive there. So no flights to blame.”
One Disney guest, as well as a local to the theme park stated that this has always been an issue, as we previously hinted, “Florida Resident here, been to Disney uncountable times since the mid 80s, and always come home with SOMETHING no matter how careful I am. There are people there from all over the country and all over the world. International buffet of germs!”
Others also brought up the difficulty that comes with having to cancel or reschedule a vacation, which can feel nearly impossible for some who have paid in full, taken time off of work, and are not able to get refunded. In that case, many guests with the common cold or worse likely opt to head to Disney and overcome the sickness next to Mickey Mouse instead of their own bed.
Others brought up the importance of using sanitizer, Clorox wipes, and washing their hands when they get the chance to in order to limit the germs that they touch, especially when gearing up to eat a Mickey pretzel.
Regardless of how well you prepare, however, there is always the chance that you can get sick after your Disney vacation. As a local to Orlando, I can definitely say I have caught the cold from Disney World in the past, but for the most part, I do not get sick when I visit.
There have also been many illnesses reported at the Disney parks by guests, which you can read more on here.
Have you ever gotten sick while visiting Disney World?