by Beauty and the Beast Diva
You’re in Disney World, having a blast and if your family is anything like mine someone is bound to get sick, get constipated, or get hurt. It happens. Being the nurse in my family, I am always the one someone turns to for first aid help or medication. Here are my tips and packing list for first aid and over the counter medications, because buying them at your hotel will cost you a small fortune.
First off, if someone is ill or just not feeling great, PLEASE make sure they stay hydrated. The sun is hot all year round, and odds are good that they will still want to partake in the vacation. Make sure to take breaks and be sure they’re drinking water!
Second, there are first aid locations in every park and they have nurses located in each first aid area (hello, dream nursing job). USE THEM. They have aloe for burns, they can help you with hydration, they have bandaids, can help with bandages etc… It’s their job to help you if you are sick, injured or have a chronic issue. On one previous trip, I had a dressing on a wound and I explained to them that I was a nurse and just needed some gauze and tape and could take care of it myself. But they insisted on helping me change the dressing and were so caring and sweet with me because they knew it was effecting my trip.
Third, LET THE FRONT DESK KNOW! No one wants to be sick and being sick in Disney is even worse. The Cast Members want to make you feel better, they will probably do their best to make sure you have everything you need and maybe even send a little Disney Pixie Dust your way for the days to follow, remember Disney is very accommodating!
My must have, nurse approved over the counter medication list:
Tylenol: be sure to have infant, children’s, and/or adults- sure your kids probably don’t run fevers that often, but if you are away from home in Disney, unprepared, they will. Remember Tylenol is great for fevers and PAIN.
Motrin: again have some suitable for all ages. Motrin is great for pain and SWELLING.
Pedialyte/Sports Drinks: depending on the ages of the people in your party. Dehydration happens faster in children than it does in adults or if your child is vomiting, either drink is great for rehydrating depending on their age. Same goes for adults.
Pepto-Bismol: Okay, so I come from one of those families that has crazy tummies. We pack chewable, liquid, and tablets, in all flavors.
Stool softener or Laxative: Like I said we have crazy tummies and on vacation they get even crazier. Sometimes “things” happen, sometimes they don’t. We like to be prepared. **I usually pack infant enemas for the baby because you DO NOT want a constipated baby in Disney.
Benadryl or antihistamine: The scariest thing to me as a nurse is an allergic reaction. You just never know (allergies can happen at any time, even if you’ve had a food before), so I am always prepared with Benadryl (again for all age groups present).
And finally, ear drops. Yup, I had swimmers ear last time I was in WDW and spent close to $20 on ear drops. DO NOT forget to pack drops if your swimmer’s have sensitive ears.
This is my must have first aid supply list:
- ALOE
- Sunscreen
- Band-aids
- Moleskin- for blisters (and yes, you probably will get them)
- Tweezers
- Hand sanitizer
- Bacitracin
- Hydrocortisone ointment
- Gauze (for the fellow nurses)
- Bandages (again for the nurses)
Remember to use the first aid locations and notify the front desk. There are many wonderful walk in clinics that are very child friendly right outside the parks, along with a Walgreens (don’t forget your insurance cards!) to pick up anything else you may need or a prescription if it came down to it. There are also amazing hospitals in the area, including Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital. Good luck and TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!
