If you’re planning to head to Disney World, you may have some concerns about how to keep your family healthy when spending time around so many people. Fortunately, Disney has put in a lot of effort and has a solid plan in place. The company is doing everything they can to protect park goers and Cast Members alike, and we definitely feel like they have covered all of their bases.
Still, there are additional things you can do to ensure your family stays safe and happy during your trip and after. Below we’ve compiled a list of tips and suggestions for doing just that.
In General:
In this section we will discuss general virus safety tips that can be applied wherever you are and no matter how you’re traveling. These simple tips will help keep the spread of coronavirus to a minimum, keeping everyone safe.
- Wear a Mask: Always, always wear a mask in public. This applies to restaurants, hotel lobbies, and gas stations along your route, the airport and airplane for those who are flying, and of course, the Disney resorts and parks. It’s important to note that Disney is requiring masks, so this is not an option. Purchasing a fun mask with a character print can make this more fun for children (and Disney-loving adults) and can help you maintain the Disney magic.
- Carry Hand Sanitizer: A small bottle of hand sanitizer is always a good thing to have around. Stock up on a few bottles to keep in your purse, bag, or pocket, and use the stuff regularly throughout the day.
- Wash Hands Often: Of course, you will also need to wash your hands. Try to make a point of washing every time you see a restroom, or maybe just set a timer for 1-hour intervals and make sure you wash every time it goes off. Fortunately, this will be pretty easy in Disney World, as bathrooms are plentiful.
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- Practice Social Distancing: Lastly, you will definitely want to practice social distancing whenever possible and try to avoid situations that won’t allow you to distance from others. If you’re traveling with children, you might want to practice social distancing at home to help them understand how it works.
If Driving:
Planning on driving to Disney? Great! This is the recommended way to travel at the moment. You will still want to heed the general tips above though. Additionally, here are our top tips for staying germ-free during the drive.
- Take an RV: If at all possible, take an RV. This will allow you to use your own restroom rather than needing to go into public restrooms. Additionally, it’ll give you the option to cook your own food, further reducing your contact with others. Finally, you’ll be able to park your RV at Fort Wilderness Campground, meaning you can avoid hotel stays entirely. Don’t have an RV of your own? Consider renting from sites like RVshare or Outdoorsy.
- Find Stops With Large, Clean Restrooms: Tiny gas station restrooms with more than one stall do not allow for social distancing. Meanwhile, you will want to avoid dirty restrooms for obvious reasons. If you can’t travel with an RV, try to find rest stops or gas stations with large, clean restrooms along your route. Generally, the bigger truck stop chains provide this.
- Wipe Gas Pumps: Obviously, there’s no way around touching the gas pumps when fueling up. Since you can’t be sure who touched the pump last, you might want to clean the pump with a sanitizing wipe or spray before handling it.
- Eat in the Car: Don’t feel comfortable eating in a dine-in location? Order takeout and enjoy it in your car. Better yet, if your drive is on the shorter side, you might consider packing sandwiches to enjoy along the way.
If Flying:
Can’t drive? Just prefer to fly? While this isn’t the recommended mode of travel in the current situation, there are ways to make it a bit safer for yourself. Besides the general tips above, you might also consider the following:
- Choose Airlines Carefully: Some airlines are blocking off middle seats to keep passengers as far away from one another as possible. Additionally, many airlines are requiring masks. Try to choose an airline that is doing both in order to ensure you and your family are as safe as possible.
In the Parks and Resorts:
Once you arrive at your destination, you will want to continue using our general tips. Below are some more germ-minimizing tips to use while in the parks and resorts.
- Invest in Wipes: Sanitizing wipes can be extremely helpful for wiping down questionable surfaces. Use them to wipe benches or tables where you plan to sit in the parks, or do a quick wipe-down of door handles before pulling them open.
- Remember the Stroller: Small children will almost certainly have a hard time with social distancing. Help them out by putting them in a stroller while walking through the parks. This way you will have control of how close they are to others and what they touch.
- Use Contactless Payment: You will need to eat while in the parks. In order to reduce the spread of germs, try using mobile ordering options. Likewise, if you plan to do any shopping at all, avoid touching any items you don’t intend to buy, and then purchase your selections using a contactless form of payment such as your MagicBand or Apple Pay.
- Avoid Small Indoor Spaces: While we assume most small indoor spaces will be closed, if any do happen to be opened, avoid them. The virus spreads quickly through droplets released into the air, and small, enclosed spaces are the perfect place to accidentally come across some of those droplets.
- Pack Ponytail Holders: We know that touching our faces is something we should avoid. Unfortunately, when your hair is in your face, this can feel almost impossible to do. Packing ponytail holders and pulling your hair away from your face will help with this.