What to do and where to go when you become sick at Walt Disney World

Posted on by Chelsea
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Accidents happen, it is what it is. And the last place you want an accident or any negative situation to happen is while you are on vacation. For those of you that know me aside from being a travel agent, I’m also a nurse and if you don’t know me, Hi! I’m Chelsea and I am nurse. To get the best of both worlds I love so much, I decided to write about how Walt Disney World can accommodate medical situations that may arise while you are visiting. Hopefully, most people will not have to use any of these services listed but having said that, how many families have a plan of action when someone gets injured while out of town? I don’t even plan that much out for my vacations BUT I do know where I can go and what I can do if anybody in my family needs anything medical.

Now, before I start talking about all things medical, let me get some legal mumbo jumbo out of the way…. Although I am a nurse, I am not a doctor, this article is intended for entertainment purposes and should not substitute anybody’s plan of care prescribed by a Primary Care Provider. You should always consult with with your physician before traveling and as always, IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, CALL 911. I don’t want my clients face palming on cement over by the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and the first thing their families do is open up this article to read up on how to get to a hospital. No! Stop it! Call 911 first and then flag down a Cast Member which will probably have already noticed your situation, they are every where. They will direct you from there. Everybody got that? Great!

If you are on Disney property when an emergent situation occurs, you will most likely be transported to the nearest facility, Celebration Hospital, located near Walt Disney World property in the town of Celebration, FL but there are other hospitals located nearby. I won’t go in to too much detail here because the EMT’s and dispatch will direct you better I currently. If you find yourself having to call 911 while in the parks, You’ll need to tell the operator that you’re on Disney property. They will then forward the call to Disney’s Reedy Creek dispatch and EMTs who are already on property.

The First Aid Station in Hollywood Studios is located by the gate entrance to your left after entering, the right if you are exiting

Each Disney theme park has a First Aid Station

Disney works in partnership with Florida Hospital Centra Care Urgent Care Centers. So if you have ever been to an urgent care center, these first aid stations that are located on Disney property work similar to a triage , complete with nurses. There is one First Aid Station in each park and are located close to the gate entrance.
  • Magic Kingdom – At the end of Main Street USA, on the left, adjacent to Crystal Palace
  • Epcot – Odyssey Center (building between Test Track and the Mexico Pavilion)
  • Hollywood Studios – By Guest Services near the park entrance
  • Animal Kingdom – Discovery Island behind Creature Comforts
  • Typhoon Lagoon – Behind Leaning Palms
  • Blizzard Beach – Beside Lottawatta Lodge
A few things that nurses can help treat while in the park include:
  • Insect Bites / Allergic Reactions *** All First Stations have EpiPens on hand.
  • Upset Stomachs
  • Eye Irritation/ Flushing
  • Cuts / Blisters
  • Headaches
  • Check your vital signs (blood pressure, temperature, pulse, O2 sats)
  • OTC medications are available
  • Cots available for acute dizziness or fatigue
OTC medications are available for minor injuries, such as lacerations and nausea.
I have had to visit the first aid stations a time or two before and I have to say that I was impressed with how they were set up. Aside for being equipped with supplies to treat minor boo boos, they can accommodate some of those preexisting conditions to help you enjoy your visit a little more smoothly if something comes up. For example, if you have someone with moderate to severe asthma and requires breathing treatments on the regular, you can bring your nebulizer with you and they allow you to use them in one of their semi-private or private rooms, based on availability. If you’re worried about lugging medical equipment around, they can hold it for you, just be sure to label it properly and be sure to pick it up afterwards. Lockers are also available but depending on which park you are visiting that day, it may be out of the way for you, so plan accordingly!

Medicines that require cooling can be stored here as well, if you are a diabetic and require blood sugar checks and daily injections, they have rooms available for you to use. This is especially beneficial because as diabetics already know adrenaline, exercise (walking!), diet (Mickey bars) and dehydration can affect your blood sugar levels and may need more frequent checks while on vacation!
Pro tip: Some insulin pumps manufacturers suggest that you disconnect pumps on rides that use strong electromagnets and high gravity forces (Mission: Space). Check your pump manual and talk with your doctor before traveling.

Baby Care Centers

Along with First Aid Stations, Baby care centers are also available. Special rooms are available for changing, pumping and breastfeeding and reheating bottles/ baby food. Privacy rooms are only available to nursing mothers but family waiting rooms are located nearby for the convenience of other family members. I want to mention that you do not have to go to the Baby Care center to breast feed, Florida does not have laws against public breastfeeding. If you want a magical bonding experience in front of Cinderella Castle with your baby, go for it although it might be crowded. Depending on what resort you are in, some rooms even have rocking chairs. Diapers and baby formula/ food are available but they do charge a small fee these products and in limited supply, which makes sense to me otherwise they would constantly be out of stock. Any place that gives away free diapers and food would never be in stock for those that actually need it. Always make sure you have plenty of diapers on hand, you can store them in one of the lockers by the gate entrance for a fee.

Falling ill at one of the Disney Hotel Resorts

If you are staying on a Walt Disney World resort, always start with calling the front desk and they will be more than accommodating and direct you further. There are many options available for you.
 
Some House-Call doctor visits can provide such treatments as IV therapy and X-rays right in your hotel room.

In-room medical services are available at all Walt Disney World Resort hotels. Simply touch “Front Desk” from your in-room phone for assistance, anytime. All of these services provide a range of care from urgent care in the comfort of visitor’s hotel rooms, X-rays, IV therapy, same-day dentist and specialist appointments, private clinics, and a mobile pharmacy for prescriptions or forgotten medications. Medical equipment can also be rented. Physicans on staff are board-certified in internal medicine, state-certified family medicine or pediatricians and are licensed in the state of Florida and reside in the US. Most services have 24/7 availability. The following are third party services that provide house calls while staying on Disney property or an off site resort.

The Medical Concierge 📞855.932.5253 | www.themedicalconcierge.com

DOCS 📞407.399.DOCS (3627) | www.doctorsoncallservice.com
Physician Room Service 📞 407.238.2000 Call or Text | www.physicianroomservice.com
MagicMD.com 📞321.710.DOCS(3637) | www.magicMDclinic.com– This service allows you to connect with a physician via phone, tablet and is compatible with most browsers. If the physcian suggests that you go to an urgent care center, they can assist you with transportation if needed.
Each service has their own pricing and may or may not accept health insurance regardless of whether your policy covers out of town medical expenses. Expect to pay for services upfront. If you purchased travel insurance for your trip, you may be reimbursed later depending on services rendered. Most services have pricing listed on their website.

Pharmacy Delivery

There are a plethora of pharmacies in the Kissimmee/ Orlando area and using your GPS on your phone will direct you to the closest one. You will find Walgreens, Walmart, and Publix nearby just to name a few. If you happen to find yourself unable to drive because of illness, Turner Drugs can deliver your prescriptions to the front desk for a small fee, I think it is currently $8 and something like, $20 for non-Disney hotels. Like I mentioned before, if you have travel insurance, they may be able to reimburse you.
Turner Drugs 📞 (407) 828-8125 | (407) 828-8027-fax | www.turnerdrugscelebration.com Open Daily: 8am -7pm EDT
Disney works in partnership with Florida Hospital Centra Care Urgent Care Centers.

Urgent Care Centers

I think it’s safe to say that we already have a good idea of how these work. It’s the next best thing before having to go to an ER and Central Florida has MANY locations, most being affiliated with Centra Care or Advent Health. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to go to one of these facilities, keep in mind that the ones closest to the parks can have a bit of a wait. They have increased the number of facilities through the years and alot of them strive to keep wait times under 45 minutes. There is a limited number of 24/7 centers. If its a Saturday at noon, it might be worth the extra drive to a facility that is a little further out versus one within earshot of Walt Disney World, only a suggestion.

The following are just some of the urgent care centers located near Walt Disney Resorts and Parks, they are many locations. I simply chose the following based on recommendations from previous guests. I may update this later as more are added.
AdventHealth Centra Care Lake Buena Vista 12500 S Apopka Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32836
📞 407.934.2273 Hours: 8:00am to 11:59pm www.centracare.org
Buena Vista Urgent Care 8216 World Center Drive Suite D Orlando, FL 32821 📞 407.465.1110 Hours: M-F 8am-9pm | Sat & Sun 8am-5pm https://www.buenavistaurgentcare.com/
Paramount Urgent Care
972 Turkey Lake Rd, Orlando, FL 32819
📞407.226.1906 Hours: Open Daily 8am-8pm https://www.paramounturgentcare.com/
If you find yourself needing an urgent care center, I highly suggest using Google maps on your phone if you need more locations.
We never want medical emergencies to happen during our vacation but it is always wise to have a little knowledge of where to go in the event that someone needs medical treatment. I hope this article is useful for anyone seeking such information, may you never have to use them!
If you are ever in an emergency situation, always call 911. I am not a doctor and this article is for entertainment and informational purposes only. You should always speak to your Primary Care Provider before traveling. In the event of an emergency, you should always call 911.
If you’re thinking of a vacation, contact me though my Facebook page Chelseaonmainstreet, MainStreet Travel Co, LLC or call me at 615.345.6663 ext 745. I hope you have a safe and magical day and I will see you on Main Street!