Ways to Stay Safe While Traveling to Disney
When you’re staying at Walt Disney World, you know that park officials will protect your health.
However, during a pandemic, you don’t want to take any chances. Also, you must get to Disney first before you feel alright.
Here are several ways to stay safe while traveling to Disney.
Understand Your Surroundings
Over the past six months, you’ve likely developed a sense of where you feel safe versus places where you won’t go back again.
You’ll use that when you fly or drive to Disney.
With the risk of Coronavirus everywhere, you must appreciate your predicament.
You’re only as safe as your environment. If you’re in your car on the way to Disney or the airport, you’re fine.
If you visit a rest stop or a Waffle House, you’ve just increased your threat level.
The moment you enter someone else’s space, you’re reliant on their cleaning techniques.
Sadly, some places take their responsibility more seriously than others. So, it’s up to you to identify the areas where you should keep your guard up.
Bring Your Own Supplies
Even when you’re in less safe surroundings, you maintain your power. You should never forget that while traveling.
You can bring a few essentials that will protect you from the risk that others have created.
Obviously, the most important ones are hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes.
I recognize that tracking down these supplies isn’t the easiest thing to do right now.
However, you have time before your trip to find them. You should prioritize this search.
I’ve experienced the best luck by using SlickDeals.net. Users on this site will indicate when retailers receive large shipments of the products in question.
As I type this, Amazon and Target have both listed high-quality hand sanitizers in stock today.
Unfortunately, disinfecting wipes are a bit more challenging to acquire.
SlickDeals has published three different restocking updates over the past week. So, you’ll need to monitor this one more carefully.
Once you possess these products, you control the land, so to speak. You can wipe down any surfaces before you sit down.
For this reason, I’d suggest that you pack disposable gloves, too.
That way, you can safely clean any areas that look a bit dicey without endangering yourself.
Let’s Talk Specific Risks
In practice, your worst exposure risks stem from seating areas and other people.
Let’s presume that you’re flying to Disney. You’ll sit down while waiting at the airport and during your flight.
As such, you should pull out your gloves and cleaning wipes before you sit anywhere. You need to sanitize the space where you’ll reside for a while.
Also, I know that it’s challenging to do, but you should remain seated as much as possible.
If you get it, you run the risk of someone stealing your seat, which you thoughtfully cleaned for them. You take the risk while they reap the rewards.
Importantly, staying seated limits your risk from others.
At the airport, you’ll want to avoid people as much as possible. While crowds remain sparse, it’s easy enough to do.
As people grow bolder, the situation will evolve. That’s when you’ll need to show more tactical awareness.
Don’t willingly walk anywhere near anyone else when you can avoid it.
At security checks, plane boarding, and baggage claims, you’ll encounter some crowding. It’s unavoidable.
Demonstrate some patience here. You’d do better to wait ten minutes away from the crowd rather than rush to be first.
The only place where this strategy won’t work is during the boarding process. You need to go when your group gets called.
So, honor social distancing and feel free to shoot a warning look to anybody who doesn’t.
The overwhelming majority of people play by the rules, but all of us forget sometimes.
We’ve had decades of training without social distancing, and change is hard.
About Masks…
I would rather not have this conversation regarding masks, We’ve already argued that topic enough.
Still, you shouldn’t travel unless you wear a mask if for no other reason that you need the practice for Disney.
You’ll have a mask on virtually the entire time you’re in the parks save for when you eat or drink.
Thankfully, most people forget they’re wearing masks after the first ten minutes, much like wearing glasses.
However, you wear a mask for the same reason that you never cook naked.
You don’t want anything that spatters on you. Even Joey Tribbiani knows that.
Sadly, some people aren’t as conscientious about mask-wearing.
Make no mistake on the point. The science emphatically shows that such people present a clear and present danger to you.
You’re wearing a mask for their safety, and they’re effectively telling you to get sick and suffer.
STAY AWAY!!!
As for your own mask, it’s no good unless it’s sanitary. Please clean several face covers before your trip.
Also, please wear your mask correctly. If it’s not covering your nose, it’s not right.
Airplane Practices
When Coronavirus concerns arose in China, we were flying to Walt Disney World the following week.
We knew from experience that we’d encounter many international travelers during our trip. So, we tried to play it smart for them and for us.
The moment that we boarded the plane, we used disinfecting wipes to clean our entire sitting space.
When I say this, I’m not merely talking about armrests and chairs.
Think about your last flight. You likely touched the fan and light above you. If you had a window seat, you might have opened/closed the window shade.
Well, if you’re touching these things, all the other passengers who flew that week did it, too.
So, you need to wipe down the fan and light controllers, the window shade, and the tray table on which you will eat meals and rest your portable electronics.
Otherwise, you might as well lick the airplane chair in front of you.
In fact, you might want to ignore the tray table altogether. Seatback trays are eight times as dirty as airplane toilets!
Remember when you do this that other guests in your area need to store their luggage and sit down.
Please be respectful and avoid blocking others so that they may do the same thing.
The entire boarding process involves many challenges during the pandemic. We should all do our part to avoid making it even worse.
Other Healthy Practices
You’ll also face some exposure when you eat. It’s a mask-less situation, and you may have to do it in an indoor setting.
Airport restaurants have taken this matter quite seriously. So, you should be fine there.
A random Burger King at an interstate exit is more of a roll of the dice.
Something that I’d suggest is packing a lunch/dinner if you’re driving. You’d reduce the risk. Honestly, this suggestion is more of a quibble, though.
I can’t cook, so I’ve eaten out for most meals during the pandemic. I’ve only felt unsafe a handful of times.
My suggestion if you’re stopping on the drive is to eyeball the place as you enter.
If the building looks clean from the outside, it’s a good sign. If the place looks nasty, keep driving.
You don’t want one road trip meal to ruin your Disney vacation.
Also, you should think about high-touch areas when you enter any new facility.
Don’t grab handrails, don’t touch condiment or drink dispensers, and don’t use restaurant touchpads under any circumstance.
Alternatively, put on your gloves before you enter one of these places.
No matter how you approach the situation, you should use hand sanitizer as often as possible.
Airports and restaurants usually have dispensers. Take advantage of them whenever you see one.
By using hand sanitizer, you don’t just reduce your own risk but also that of others you encounter along the way.
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