Tag: laundryview

38 Things You Didn’t Know Guest Services Could Do For You in Disney World

Post author By disneyfoodblog.com
Post date June 3, 2020

Walt Disney World is TRULY a magical place. It almost seems like you can snap your fingers, and a magical moment will occur around you.

Cinderella Castle

Well, technically there are TONS of magical moments happening all around you constantly, thanks to a lovely little thing known as Guest Services.

The team behind those moments are an extensive number of Cast Members across multiple lines of business, ready to assist you. We’re bringing to you THIRTY NINE Things You Didn’t Know Guest Services Could Do In Walt Disney World.

No Strings Attached Voucher

Let’s start this list off with a big ol’ secret! While this isn’t something you can ask for, deserving guests can be gifted with the No Strings Attached Voucher.

No Strings Attached Voucher

This is basically the chance for a Cast Member to make something right by providing a voucher for a priority entrance to meet a character, Disney Dining Plan Snack, FastPass, merchandise, and more. These are typically only given out when something goes wrong, and NOT something you can ask for. But you never know if your day might be sprinkled with a little extra pixie dust!

Check out four super SECRET things you didn’t know happened in Disney World here!

First Aid Mosquito Prevention

Did you know that First Aid Mosquito Prevention is available to all guests and can be found in each of the 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, Disney Springs, and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex?

Blizzard Beach First Aid

Walt Disney World does a pretty great job at keeping bugs at bay in public spaces, BUT they also provide complimentary insect repellent for all guests and Cast Members. Just head to a First Aid location or ask a Guest Service Cast Member for assistance.

Notary Public

This is quite an interesting one. Guests at Business Centers at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Coronado Spring Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, and Disney’s Yacht Club Resort can utilize their Notary Services for $10.00 per seal. So, if you need that important doc notarized on your vacation, Disney has got your back!

Resort Airline Check-In

If you are departing from Orlando International Airport with select airlines, you can make travel a breeze by utilizing your Resort’s Airline Check-In Service.

Airline Check-In at Coronado Springs

With this complimentary service, you can check-in for your flight, print your boarding pass, and even check your bags right at your resort from 5AM til 12PM daily. All guests must be present and you’ll need to check-in at least 3 hours prior to your departure time.

Service Your Way

Wanna save a few bucks while on vacation? Opt out of daily cleaning services by contacting guest services to participate in the Service Your Way program.

Slinky Dog Gift Card

When you decline standard daily housekeeping services, which includes making beds, vacuuming, removing trash, and changing linens, you’ll be handsomely rewarded with a Disney Gift Card. You’ll get a $10 credit for each night you stay on property, minus the first night, for a maximum of 14 nights! Note that this is currently available only at Disney’s value and moderate resorts.

Check our MORE Disney World vacation hacks that the pros SWEAR by here!

Basic Office Services

We know it can be hard to fully unplug from the real world while on vacation. If duty calls, Basic Office Services are available in Business Centers located in select Walt Disney World Resorts — Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian, Walt Disney Dolphin Hotel, and Walt Disney Swan Hotel.

Get Work Done While Enjoying Disney’s Yacht Club!

These services range from the basics, like faxing and scanning, but also include printing of Business Cards and even wide-format poster printing.

Get all the details on shipping a package to your resort here!!

Car Rentals

Walt Disney World Guests can inquire at their resort lobby to be connected to the Car Care Center. The on-property center provides guests with car rentals and even provides door-to-door transportation service from your Resort to the rental facility. Participating rental car companies include Alamo and National.

If you’re renting a car, be prepared for some extra hotel parking fees!

Lost Child

If the unthinkable happens, Guest Services is there for you to help you find your lost child. The team utilizes the Baby Care Center in each park as a safe meeting point for younger kids, and Guest Services for older kids.

Find Your Lost Kids at the Baby Care Centers!

Children are looked after by trained cast members and kept safe there until the parents are found.

Learn about lost and found, Baby Care Centers, and MORE here!

Baby Care Centers

Located in each theme park, Baby Care Centers are staffed by Cast Members and provide private nursing rooms, a feeding area, kitchen, television, as well as an on-site store that offers baby care essentials.

Magic Kingdom Baby Care Center

This can be an excellent resource for parents who may have run out of baby supplies or are waiting on lost luggage. Have no fear! Diapers and more can be found here. Plus the staff here we think are some of the best around and always eager to help parents!

Note that Baby Care Centers can also be used by parents or caretakers of older children who just need a little bit of a respite from the craziness of the parks.

Click here to learn more about visiting Disney World with a baby

In-Room Celebrations

Disney does an excellent job of shining the light on any of life’s celebrations! Did you know you could have the fixings for practically an entire party delivered directly to your Disney resort room?

Mickey and Pals Big Birthday Celebration.

With at least a 72-hour notice, you could arrange for a unique celebration right in your hotel room, whether it’s for a birthday, an anniversary, or just because you’re in Disney World! This includes custom cakes (more on cakes in a moment), gift baskets, flowers, and more!

Fine Art Photography

Through Disney Fine Art Photography, you can set up in-park family portrait sessions. Packages range from Mini Portrait sessions at your resort to in-park with the stunning Cinderella Castle as your backdrop.

©Disney

The ultimate package includes exclusive pre-opening access to Magic Kingdom as you pose in front of 5 locations during your 1-hour session. These services are separate from the recently announced Disney’s PhotoPass Capture Your Moment service, which costs $50 and gets you a dedicated PhotoPass photographer in one of the parks for 20 minutes.

Click here to learn more about the Capture Your Moment PhotoPass option

Lost or Stolen Items

If you lose any personal item while visiting virtually anywhere at Walt Disney World — the theme parks, water parks, Disney Springs, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Resorts, as well as transportation — Guest Services will be on hand to help you track down the item. Lost and Found locations are available in each park. Additionally, If you believe something was stolen, like your wallet, they can assist you in filing a police report.

Here’s How To Get Out of 6 Sticky Situations While At Walt Disney World!

Portable Translators

For guests visiting with limited English fluency, Walt Disney World provides portable translators for certain attractions, this includes over 20 popular attractions and shows like DINOSAUR and The Hall of Presidents.

Don’t miss a beat on DINOSAUR!

Rental is complimentary and available in French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. The narration, hosted by voice actors, is synchronized to the attraction.

Free Buttons!

Celebrating anything special while visiting Walt Disney World? You can stop by any Guest Services location for a celebration button! These complimentary buttons are for milestones and special occasions like Birthdays, Anniversaries, 1st visits, Weddings, or any of life’s celebrations!

Grab your Celebration Button!

What makes these extra special is Cast Members will frequently come up to you and recognize the button you’re wearing and congratulate you!

Check out ALL the souvenirs you can get for FREE at Disney World here!

Currency Exchange

If you are visiting the parks from an international location, Guest Services can exchange your local currency to U.S. currency. The front desk at your resort hotel as well as concierge can assist with currency exchange and cashing traveler’s checks.

Gran Destino Tower Front Desk

Guest Relations throughout the four theme parks can also assist with currency exchange.

Ship Merchandise to Your Disney Hotel

Lots of people will wait until the end of the day to buy merchandise so they don’t have to walk around with a large shopping bag all day. But if you’re staying at a Disney World Resort hotel, you can have your merchandise shipped directly to your resort for free!

Main Street Emporium display

Typically they will require that you are not checking out the following day in order to process the shipment, and your items will show up at your resort’s gift shop the next day. Just ask the Cast Member at the register about shipping to your hotel and they will be able to assist you!

Learn more about what your Disney World Resort hotel can do for you!

Stroller Rentals

A lot of families have young kiddos who need a break from all that walking around the theme parks, but they don’t want to haul their stroller on a plane! Not to worry: Disney has stroller rental services at each park as well as Disney Springs.

Disney Strollers

You can rent a single stroller for $15 per day, or pre-pay for your entire stay at a rate of $13 per day. You can also rent a double stroller for $31 per day, or for the length of your stay at $27 per day.

Don’t forget — once you’ve purchased a stroller for the day, if you decide to park-hop, just bring your receipt to the stroller location at the new park to get one there! Also, strollers will not be allowed out of the park, so even if you’re paying for the length of your stay, you’ll have to get a new stroller at each park you visit each day, and strollers won’t be able to be brought to your resort hotel.

Learn more about Disney’s recently updated stroller policy here!

Umbrella Rentals

There are few things worse than spending a hot afternoon at the water parks and not having any shade to escape to (then getting back to your hotel to see you’re burnt and now look like a lobster!)!

Minnie Mouse Beach Umbrella

At both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, you can rent umbrellas for the day to lounge under! These are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. This costs about $60 for the day but also comes with two dedicated lounge chairs, two beach chairs, a table, and towels to accommodate four people.

Click here to decide which Disney World water park is right for you!

Locker Rentals

Locker rentals can really come in handy if you have a lot of belongings with you at the parks, like a change of clothes or extra snacks to munch on throughout the day! Lockers are located at the front entrance of each of the parks, including the water parks, and come in various sizes.

The Disney theme parks all have rental lockers.

Small lockers are $10 per day, Large lockers are $12 per day, and Jumbo lockers, available at Magic Kingdom and Epcot only, are $15 per day. Hang on to your receipt if you plan on park hopping because you only have to pay once per day!

Wheelchair & ECV Rentals

Disney also provides wheelchair and ECV (scooter) rentals to those guests who need them. You can rent them by the day or for the length of your stay. Wheelchair rentals are $12 per day, or if you pay for the length of stay, they’ll be at the rate of $10 per day. ECV rentals cost $50 per day.

Stroller and Wheelchair Rental

Similar to locker and stroller rentals, if you are planning on park hopping during the day, hang onto your receipt so you don’t have to pay twice!

Disability Access Service (DAS)

Guest Services provides assistance for guests with disabilities who may require additional help in experiencing all that Disney World has to offer. This service is best for guests who are unable to wait in a traditional queue environment. Guests can receive their Disability Access Service notice, or DAS, at each park inside Guest Relations.

Guest Relations

Once activated, you will obtain attraction return times from each attraction individually. It functions similarly to FastPass in terms of getting individual return times, but with your party’s individual needs in mind.

Travel & Transportation Services

Disney wants to make sure you have as many different transportation options as possible when you need to get somewhere! Whether you’re heading to a theme park, Disney Springs, your resort hotel, or Orlando International Airport, there are lots of complimentary transportation options at your disposal.

Disney’s Magical Express Bus

These include Magical Express to the airport, Skyliner, buses, boats, and the Monorail! Minnie Vans are also available, although it does come with a base fee of $15 plus an additional $2.75 per mile.

What does your favorite Disney World transportation say about you?

Mail Services

You can send and receive mail from your Disney World Resort hotel. There are also mailboxes located throughout the theme parks that you can send postcards and letters from! If you need additional postage, several shops throughout the resort sell postage (see the full list here).

Mailbox in Hollywood Studios

So stock up on those Disney postcards and send them to your friends and family, direct from Disney!

Online Check-In

It’s easier than ever to get an early head start on your Disney vacation before you even arrive at your hotel! You can opt-in for Online Check-In via My Disney Experience. You will receive a notification before your arrival that your room is ready, and you can skip the front desk experience entirely!

Yacht Club Resort Lobby Refurbishment

Note that in order to do this, you’ll need to have your Magic Bands ready, or opt to use the Unlock Door feature on your phone!

Learn more about Magic Bands here!

Business Centers

Some resorts offer business centers, which include computers, imaging services, and incoming and outgoing parcel services. The resorts that currently have business centers are Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, and Disney’s Grand Floridian Hotel & Spa.

Travel Insurance

Disney does offer their own travel insurance to protect your upcoming trip. This can be applied at any time up until you make your final payment. Please note that this insurance offering is designed for U.S. residents only.

Star Wars United Airlines Plane ©United

Package Pick-Up

Souvenirs from the parks are only one kind of parcel you can claim through Guest Services. Your resort hotel can also receive grocery deliveries from local grocery stores, as well as deliveries from home! For more information on how to send and receive packages to your Disney hotel (including the ever-important “how to address your package” info), click here!

Click here to learn more about mailing packages to and from your Disney hotel!

Laundry Services

Most Disney World Resort hotels have self-serve laundry facilities on property for you to keep your clothes in tip-top shape!

Washer and Dryer

Disney works with an app called LaundryView that allows you to receive alerts when your laundry is finished, so no need to wait around the laundry room the whole time! Disney World’s hotels also offer dry cleaning services for a fee per item.

Read about Disney’s cool laundry technology here!

Disney Ticket Centers at Disney Springs

Whether you’re looking to purchase park tickets, add a Hopper option, or upgrade your ticket to an Annual Pass (or if you have any questions regarding your park tickets), Disney Springs has a ticket center for you to use!

Disney Ticket Center in Disney Springs

You can find this spot right at the center of the Town Center portion of Disney Springs.

Disney Vacation Club Info Centers

Are you curious to learn more about Disney Vacation Club? Disney’s timeshare program has several info centers throughout the property where you can weigh the pros and cons if you are considering signing up.

Disney Vacation Club Sales Kiosk

The main information center at Disney World is located at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.

Click here to learn more about Disney’s newest DVC resort, the Riviera Resort!

Order A Cake!

Did you know you can have specialty cakes delivered to celebrate your special occasion? This can happen one of a few ways: you can order a cake delivery as a “Magical Happening” to your hotel room through Disney’s Floral and Gifts, or you can order ahead to have cake brought out at your restaurant of choice! The list of participating restaurants can be found here.

R2-D2 Cake

You can also pre-order a cake from Amorette’s Patisserie in Disney Springs or cupcakes from Sprinkles in Disney Springs!

Learn more about Disney World cakes here!

Magical Extras

Before you depart on your Disney World vacation, you’ll sometimes receive a special package in the mail with some “magical extras.” These are special deals, typically “pre-loaded” onto a card for you to use throughout your trip. Usually these are based on what Disney resort hotel and tickets package you have purchased.

Florida Sunset

Currently, these deals include a free round of mini golf, a voucher for entree into the ESPN Wide World of Sports, and discounts at several Disney Springs food & retail locations.

VIP Tours

If you want to take your Disney World experience to the ULTIMATE NEXT LEVEL, consider a VIP Tour! If your budget allows (in many cases, that’ll be one hefty budget!), you can book a Guest Relations Cast Member to be your own personal tour guide for the day.

VIP Tour Guides

You’ll get priority access to many shows and attractions, premium seating for the fireworks, plus you’ll have a knowledgable guide all along the way. This costs several pretty pennies to book (like $425-$750 per HOUR for a private guide — with a several-hour minimum), but as the name implies, you’ll feel like a true VIP all day long.

More affordable tours are available daily. They’ll still set you back a fair chunk of change but are much more doable if a private guide is out of your budget. We love the Ultimate Disney Classics tour for $249 per person (plus lunch!), or the Taste of Magic Kingdom tour for $99 per person.

Click here to see our review of the Taste of Magic Kingdom VIP Tour!

WiFi Service

Although it can be spotty at times, Disney World has resort-wide WiFi service, completely free at no extra cost! When it works the way it’s supposed to, it can help with things like checking wait times in My Disney Experience, booking and modifying FastPass+ reservations, and Mobile Ordering food!

There’s Wi-Fi on Some Disney Buses Now!

Free wi-fi is available at most locations around Disney World, even some buses now, so be sure to check!

Click here to learn more about wi-fi on some Disney World buses!

Hotel Check-Out Services

If you have a credit card on file at your Disney World Resort hotel room, you can skip the check out process completely! One of the great Guest Services perks at the end of your trip is the convenience of heading straight from your room to the Magical Express, where you will be whisked off to Orlando International Airport.

Disney’s Magical Express Bus

This is a good perk for those of us who choose to wait until the absolute last minute to pack (we just don’t want to go home!).

Will Disney soon have another method of getting to & from Orlando International Airport? Read more here!

Car Care Center

Lots of folks choose to either drive to Disney World or rent a car when they arrive at Orlando International Airport. If you experience any car troubles while you’re there, Disney has their very own car care center where they can service your car!

Cars at Disney World

This is the same location we mentioned earlier where you can rent a car! If you do have your car serviced, they also offer complimentary shuttle transportation to and from the Transportation & Ticket Center, so you can enjoy your day at the parks while Disney handles your car!

General Park Information and Recommendations

And last but not least — Guest Services is comprised of the most knowledgable group of Cast Members you’ll come across. A big part of their job is simply KNOWING all that there is to know about Disney World and how to make sure YOU have the best vacation possible.

Guest Relations Cast Member in Disney Springs

They can give you all sorts of tips and tricks on how to navigate the parks, what certain attractions are like, and where to stand to watch the fireworks! These Cast Members are IRREPLACEABLE, so ask them all the questions! They probably have all the answers!

It’s no wonder that it takes tens of thousands of Cast Members to keep the World going ’round. If you’re needing some magic added to your vacation, never be afraid to just stop by Guest Services and ask! You might be surprised to see just what all they can do for you!

Has a Cast Member ever went above and beyond for you? Let us know!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney News, disney parks, Featured, Special Stuff, Walt Disney World, Baby Care Centers, business centers, Car Care Center, car rental, cast members, celebration buttons, Check-Out, Club 33, disability access services, disney floral and gifts, Disney Tips, Disney Tips and Tricks, Disney World, DVC information center, ecv rental, guest services, guest services team, in room celebrations, laundryview, locker rental, lost and found, magical extras, mail services, online check-in, package delivery, service your way, stroller rental, ticket center, translator, umbrella rental, VIP Tours, wheelchair rental, wifi

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9 Things We Learned The Hard Way From Our Biggest Disney World Disasters!

Post author By disneyfoodblog.com
Post date May 22, 2020

While you may know us to be quite the Disney World experts, trust us when we say we didn’t start out this way!

Cinderella Castle at Night

We actually had to figure out some stuff at Disney World through trial and error or after peril befell one of our family members (or us!).

That’s why our team wants to share with you a few lessons we learned at Disney School of HARD KNOCKS. Well, alright, we made that place up, but let’s just say, these are all true stories from some of our real-life misadventures!

1. Left Our Phones in a Rideshare or Minnie Van

How many times have you FINALLY arrived back at your hotel after a long day and are getting ready to check your messages only to realize you just left your phone in the backseat of some stranger’s car? No? Just us?

How to Get Your Phone Back From a Rideshare Service

Believe it or not, we have MORE THAN ONE personal experience on this matter! I was so excited about going to Disneyland once that I left my phone in the back seat of an Uber I took from the airport. I had to figure out how to call the driver WITHOUT my phone!

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland

Luckily, I realized my mistake pretty quickly and it wasn’t THAT big of a disaster, even if it felt like that way at the time! I was able to log into my Uber account with my husband’s phone and use the “contact your driver” feature in the Uber app.

Disneyland’s Magic Happens Parade

It got us in touch with the driver and he was able to circle back and drop off the phone for us within 20 minutes. Now, the Uber website states they’ll charge a “return fee” whenever this happens, but we weren’t charged anything (either this fee didn’t apply until more recently, or our nice driver spared us!). Either way, we provided him with a nice cash tip for his troubles!

How to Get Your Phone Back From a Minnie Van

If you happen to forget your phone in the back of a Minnie Van at Disney World (hey, it happens when you’re super distracted by all the magic that’s in the AIR!) you can call (407) 828-3500. If you’re traveling by yourself (and thus need to use a phone since you no longer have YOURS) visit the nearest Guest Services and they’ll likely be able to get a hold of your driver on your behalf!

Minnie Van

Remember — time is of the ESSENCE! As soon as you realize your phone’s disappeared and you suspect you may have left it somewhere, reach out and CALL SOMEONE or go to Guest Relations! If you wait too long, you might not get your phone back, and that truly WOULD be a disaster!

2. Suffered a MAJOR Wardrobe Malfunction!

One of the most frustrating things at Disney World involves fighting with clothing that just can’t cut the mustard! You’ll be pushing your shoes, shorts, socks, and shirts to their absolute limits — and many of these every-day articles of clothing can buckle under the sheer brutality of Disney World’s conditions!

How to Protect Thyself Against Chafing

Alright, ladies (and some of you fellas, too!) — you know what we’re talking about! Even if none of us want to fess up to the embarrassment of rubbing our “chicken tenders” (a.k.a. upper thighs) raw while walking through the parks, it happens to the best of us!

Princess Aurora Probably Gets Chafed TOO!

That’s why we love glide-on anti-chafe sticks! These look just like a stick of deodorant but you rub them on to reduce friction just about anywhere. These work well for shoes that are rubbing your feet the wrong way, runners use it for their arms, and there are lots of other applications.

If your legs are the primary problem, though, we’ve also been known to throw on a pair of bike shorts (like these!) to spare our thighs from being sacrificed to the chafing gods, too. Always make sure you test drive any shorts you’re bringing to Disney World with a long day at the zoo or mall first to see how they hold up to heavy walking!

Dreaded Melted Mickey Ice Cream Bars and Other Frequent Stain-Offenders

You might not realize something you’re snacking on has just dripped ALL over your shirt or pants until it’s TOO LATE! In our profession, this happens A LOT!

Premium Mickey Ice Cream Bar at Disney World

That’s why we highly recommend bringing a Tide Stain Remover Pen or a similar product to help pre-treat any stains you may encounter so that they don’t end up permanently ruining your clothes!

Did you know you can even wash your clothes at any Disney World Resort property? Each hotel is equipped with its own self-service laundry facilities for all guests. The washers and dryers also utilize an app called LaundryView which will text you when your clothes are done! How NEATO is THAT?!

There’s a Reason Why Travel Sewing Kits Exist

Several Disney resorts used to equip their rooms with cute little sewing kits back in the day (you can still sometimes get one from the front desk of your resort if you’re in need!). To cover our bases, we pack a small travel sewing kit! This handy Travel Sewing Kit sold by Amazon does the job nicely!

Throw in a few safety pins while you’re at it for any quick-fixes, too! Our mothers always taught us to have a safety pin handy “just in case” and you’d be surprised how many times that little tip has gotten us out of a bind!

You Can Never Bring Enough Hair Ties. Never.

Maybe you don’t normally pull back your hair in your everyday life, but trust us — if you’ve got medium to long hair, you’re going to get VERY hot walking around the parks! That’s why we always bring lots of spare hair ties to make sure we don’t overheat at the parks!

Some of the gift shops sell hair ties, but it’s much cheaper to bring them from home. Pack them in your suitcase as well as in the bag you’re bringing with you to the parks and bring MANY! The more, the merrier! That way, in case a few break, you’ll still have plenty of back-ups!

3. Our Glasses Just Flew Off on a Ride

It can be pretty traumatic losing your glasses on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, especially if you need them to SEE! This has happened with our sunglasses, too (and hats…and Minnie Ears…)!

How to Get Your Glasses Back

Depending on the ride (and where they flew off), Cast Members might be able to help you retrieve them, but more than likely you’re going to have to wait out until it’s safe for someone to go get them. That puts you (and your vision) out of commission for a long time if you didn’t bring a back-up pair (which we highly recommend you have a spare if you need them to properly see!).

New Years Glasses

If you don’t have a back-up pair of glasses, consider bringing a sports strap to secure them to your face! You can also take your glasses off and put them in your pocket before the ride starts, too!

4. Our Kids Were Terrified of Rides

If your kids are young and it’s your first time taking them to Disney World, you might be very excited to introduce them to some of your favorite rides such as Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, or Pirates of Caribbean…but here’s why that’s not always the best idea.

Ease Your Kid Into Thrill Rides and Dark Rides

Even if your kid has been to other amusement parks, they’ve never seen anything like Disney World or Disneyland! The Disney parks can be truly overwhelming — and maybe even a little frightening!

Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom

And even though some Disney rides seem really tame to YOU, through a child’s eyes they can be MUCH scarier! That’s why some younger kids need help working up to bigger attractions.

You know your kid best, but our best advice is to start with some tamer dark rides such as Peter Pan’s Flight and it’s a small world. Once they’ve mastered a few of these milder experiences, THEN you can ramp them up to bigger stuff!

Rock N Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios

For example, after you ride it’s a small world, you can explain Pirates of the Caribbean is very similar but does involve a teeny, tiny drop in the dark. Riding Pirates of the Caribbean first is risky because your kid might think all of Disney’s rides have an unexpected “element of surprise” to them, which simply isn’t the case at all! Learn from our mistakes — start mild and work up to wild!

5. Someone Got Dehydrated

The struggle is real to stay well-hydrated at the parks, especially if you’re drinking lots of coffee, soda, and the occasional alcoholic beverage. Signs that you’re getting dehydrated include fatigue, headache, muscle cramps, lack of sweat, and confusion — all things you should be constantly on the lookout for, especially on hot, sunny days.

Drink Lots of Water

If it’s a million degrees and you’ve been pounding nothing but Starbucks drinks and beer, it’s time to slow your roll and drink plenty of water.

Even if you’re drinking plenty of liquids, that doesn’t mean they’re hydrating your body. Coffee and alcohol actually dehydrate you! If you’re enjoying lots of these beverages, make sure you’re increasing your water intake as well.

Night Blossom at Pongu Pongu

Bottled water is available throughout the parks as are drinking fountains and even bottle refill stations. You can also ask for cups of free ice water from any quick-service restaurant by asking a Cast Member. Some dining locations throughout Disney World also provide free self-serve dispensers of ice water, so be sure to look around.

If Someone’s in Trouble, Get Help

Dehydration can happen quickly with adults, but it happens even faster with kids. Plus, kids might not realize they’re getting dehydrated until things start to go downhill fast. Always monitor how much water your children are drinking, and at the first sign of trouble, find a Cast Member for help.

Magic Kingdom

You can head directly to any First Aid Center (which are located at every park) or find a Cast Member nearby. They will assess how severe the situation is and will help you by any means necessary. Whether it’s providing food, drink, or a cool place to lie down and rest, they will be there to assist you.

6. Someone Got Heatstroke

Heatstroke is another dangerous situation that can creep up really fast at Disney World — and it’s super-serious. If your body temperature goes above 104° (usually due to prolonged exposure to the sun), you start to get a swirly, dizzy feeling that might eventually lead to passing out!

How to Avoid Heatstroke

You can help prevent heatstroke from occurring by wearing clothes that are lighter in color (darker clothing absorbs light whereas light-colored clothing will help reflect the sun’s rays better). Limit your time outdoors and take frequent water breaks.

Even if you just take a quick trip through an air-conditioned gift shop, it will help cool off your body temperature.

Rocking Chairs in Liberty Square

Make sure you’re eating regularly, too. You’ll probably want to consume more calories than you’re used to (we know, how cruel of us to suggest!). Since you’ll be burning a lot of calories walking around, your body will likely need more energy than it usually does.

What to Do If Someone Faints

If someone loses consciousness or looks like they’re about to, you must get them cooled down as fast as you can and seek help! Things can go from bad to awful really fast, so you want to act swiftly.

In fact, some of us have experienced heatstroke before or seen family members pass out and know it can happen out of the blue! Each time a Cast Member has swooped in and helped us get through the whole ordeal.

Cups of Water Ready to Take

In fact, Cast Members are stationed throughout the parks so that someone can quickly respond if an emergency should arise. And if hospitalization is required, Cast Members will arrange to get you and your family out of the park and to the emergency room.

Of course, if it’s less serious, they can provide you with a place to cool down and get your blood pressure back to normal before you’re back up and walking on your feet again.

7. Someone Got Sick

If a member of your family feels like they might be coming down with something or forgot to bring their prescription medication along, there are a few ways to get the medical treatment and medicine you need.

See a Doctor

Many practitioners now offer virtual doctor’s visits. Check with your family’s doctor to see if they offer this feature, otherwise, for most minor symptoms, you can talk to a doctor using an app. These virtual doctor’s visits are often at least partially covered by most major insurance carriers, so we recommend checking with your insurance to see if they recommend one before your visit.

Spaceship Earth

Doctors can call in prescriptions you may need for a variety of ailments. And here’s another tip — if your kiddo gets the flu while you’re out of town, you can usually get prophylactic tami-flu for yourself through a virtual doctor visit via an app. Note — we are NOT DOCTORS, but this was our experience.

Get Medicine

Most resorts sell common over-the-counter medications for pain relief, upset stomach, and cold and flu; but for other stuff, you can take a Rideshare service to a nearby pharmacy or have the medicine brought directly to you.

Gift Shop Options

Turner Drugs is a local pharmacy near Disney World that specializes in delivering prescriptions to travelers. They will deliver any prescriptions to your resort for a fee (it cost us around $9, but it was well worth it not having to disrupt our vacation too much).

Turner Drugs will also deliver prescriptions to the FIRST-AID LOCATIONS INSIDE THE PARKS! Note that Turner Drugs does NOT file with your insurance, so you may have to pay significantly more out of pocket for your prescription. BUT they do provide documentation so you can submit a claim to your insurance company once you return home.

Just remember — when you’re picking up your prescription at the First-Aid location in a park, you’ll need to have the actual prescription there to give to the cast member.

Epcot First Aid Sign

Get Rest

If you’re sick with something contagious, the best thing you can do for yourself (and others) is to stay in your room. Order some room service or have food delivered. Relax, watch some Must Do Disney, and get the rest you need!

Once you recover, you can hit the parks again. And if you’re not contagious but just having a bad allergy day or asthma-related issues, still try to take it easy until YOU feel better! Don’t over-do-it even though you want to experience everything Disney World has to offer! You might end up making yourself too sick to enjoy anything!

8. Mishaps Leading to Injuries Occurred

Disney World is a truly magical place, but that doesn’t prevent slips, trips, and spills from happening. You can still fall flat on your face in front of Cinderella Castle!

What To Do if Someone Gets Injured

Whether you scrape your knee getting out of the pool or get rammed in the shins by a rogue stroller, you might get injured on vacation — accidents happen!

Any minor injuries such as cuts, scrapes, and mild abrasions won’t require much more than a little antiseptic spray and a band-aid. We like to carry a travel-sized first-aid kit with us, but you can also ask for bandages and more at any First Aid Center or at Guest Services!

First Aid

More severe injuries (like hyperextending your leg, breaking your wrist, or stitches) will most likely require extra care. If something happens, Cast Members can call other Cast Members over and form a circle around the injured person to provide the guest with some privacy while they assess the situation. They can then arrange transportation out of the park for you or your family member should you need to get to a hospital or urgent care center.

Need a great travel First-Aid kit to toss in your park bag? Click here!

9. We Became Lost Parents

This is the polite term Disney uses for when you accidentally get separated from your child, which can happen in an instant!

What To Do if Your Child Is Missing

First of all, it’s important to teach your children about what they should do if they get separated from you. Make sure they have your cell number memorized (If they’re too young to remember a phone number, many parents swear by these temporary tattoos you can write your number on!). Tell them it’s very important to find a Cast Member and let them know that they are lost. You can tell them they can identify a Cast Member by looking for their oval name tags.

Look For the Oval Name Tags!

All Cast Members are trained to bring any lost children under the age of 10 directly to the Baby Care Centers in the theme parks to wait for their parents while kids over the age of 10 are brought to Guest Relations.

Guest Relations

Although this is every parent’s worst nightmare, try to stay calm. Believe it or not, this happens ALL THE TIME in Disney World and, in our experience, the parents get more freaked out than the kids!

Locate the nearest Cast Member and they will work quickly to report the lost child. Make a mental note of what your child is wearing each day (or snap a picture!) so you can provide a description if necessary. Disney World is a BIG and crowded place, so trust the process and Cast Members will reunite you as soon as they can.

We know we’ve just rehashed some very unhappy times from some of our most MEMORABLE Disney trips, but rest-assured these are worst-case scenarios only! Your Disney World vacation is MUCH more likely to go off without any major hiccups, and even if it doesn’t, Disney’s wonderful Cast Members have got your back!

Has disaster ever struck you or your family at Disney World? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, Disney News, disney’s hollywood studios, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, Special Stuff, Walt Disney World, cast members, chafing, dehydrated, Disney World, faints, first aid center, forget medicine, get sick, get to hot, Glasses, have medicine delivered, heat stroke, heatstroke, injury, kids are terrified of rides, laundryview, left phone behind, lost glasses, lost phone, minnie van, missing glasses, over heated, passes out, scared kids, see a doctor, sick at disney world, stained clothes, sunstroke, throws up, travel size sewing kits, turner drugs, wardrobe malfunctions, washing your clothes