Hello! I am going to Disneyworld in April, and it doesn’t look like the parks provide nutritional information. Does anyone have tips or resources or helpful information, or advice from traveling to the parks previously?
Thanks!
We traveled to Disneyworld three months after our 12-year old was diagnosed with T1D, with no small amount of trepidation knowing that they did not provide carb info, but we ended up having a fabulous time. We were still newbies at carb counting so found it helpful to ask to speak to the chefs at sit-down restaurants. They are more than happy to tell you what the ingredients are in menu items, which can assist in estimating the carbs. Having a carb counting reference, like the Calorie King book or app, is extremely helpful. We also used a grocery delivery service (we stayed on Disney property and did not have a car) so that we could have snacks like juice boxes, cheese sticks, peanut butter, etc, available during our stay without the hassle of having to transport them from home. Disney never questioned us on bringing snacks into the park, but we always carried a letter from her doctor (which documented her T1D diagnosis) just in case. Now our daughter uses glucose tablets for treating lows, and those would be much easier to carry around the parks.
We carried our own water bottles (hydration is important especially if dealing with highs) along with the snacks and other supplies in a back pack, since lines at food places can be pretty long. If there are rides that require back packs to be checked before getting in line but it’s necessary to keep supplies with you in case of lows during a potentially long wait (we waited over an hour for one ride), inquire about rider swapping. I think we encountered this just at Universal Studios and not at Disney, but this option allows the whole party to advance in line together with the back pack until they reach the front of the line. Then, one person stays behind with the bag while the others ride. Upon return of the party, one person from the group can ride again with the person who was waiting so that your party doesn’t have to split up or wait in line again.
A helpful tip regarding insulin is to carry it in something like a Frio pack which will keep it cool for extended periods of time without having to hassle with ice packs. Traveling to Disney in December, we didn’t think heat would be a big issue, but when the temperature hit 93 degrees on Christmas Day, we were glad to have had the insulin in a cooling bag during the long day at the park. While we did not have to use a pharmacy for any diabetes related meds/supplies, it was reassuring to know that there are pharmacies that deliver to Disney properties (we forgot allergy medicine and had it the same day we ordered it)–so bring copies of prescriptions just in case. Also we had our endo/CDE’s phone numbers programmed into our phones and called them more than once for help in managing highs and lows.
Finally, it’s good to know where the aid station in each park is located, just in case. We did not have to use it for diabetes-related care, but it was invaluable when my husband broke a tooth and we had to find a local dentist to put a temporary crown on it.
Hope you have a MAGICAL time.
Deb
1 Like