Disney World steps up swine-flu precautions
Featured, Jason Garcia, News — By Jason Garcia on November 13, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Disney installed more than 60 bulk hand-sanitizer dispensers around its property, in high-traffic locations such as park entrances, hotel lobbies and character meet-and-greets. (Jason Garcia/Orlando Sentinel)
With the global H1N1 pandemic showing no sign of abating, Walt Disney World has stepped up efforts to prevent it and other viruses from spreading within its theme parks.
Disney this week installed dozens of bulk hand-sanitizer dispensers in high-traffic locations throughout the giant resort, including park entrances, hotel lobbies and busy character-meet-and-greet areas. It also began printing basic health-safety tips — reminding guests to cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing, wash their hands frequently, and seek medical attention if experiencing flu-like symptoms — on the fliers that list park hours, show times and other information.
Altogether, Disney said, it added more than 60 bulk sanitizer dispensers between Disney World and Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.
A hand-sanitizer dispenser at the Magic Kingdom. (Jason Garcia/Orlando Sentinel)
The dispensers and safety tips are the most visible steps taken by any of Orlando’s major theme parks since the outbreak of the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, in April. They appeared as Disney World and other operators attempt to allay fears that people inside crowded theme parks might be particularly susceptible to transmission.
Such fears threaten to further slow any broader recovery in the travel industry as the global recession eases.
Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez called the latest measures “part of our ongoing effort to help prevent the spread of the flu.”
“We have a global team of leaders that constantly monitors information regarding H1N1 flu, and we continue to evaluate and make adjustments to operations as the situation evolves,” Suarez said.
Swine flu has infected an estimated 22 million Americans, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 3,900 — fewer than two-hundredths of 1 percent — have died.
Disney World’s four theme parks drew an estimated 47.1 million visitors last year.
Disney and other parks say they have taken added precautions to combat the spread of H1N1, which was declared a national emergency last month by President Barack Obama.
Even before this week, for instance, Disney had ordered approximately 200,000 individual sanitizer applicators, which are for sale for $1.07 at retail locations throughout Disney World and Disneyland. It said it has also distributed sanitizer applicators to employees, instituted more-frequent cleaning of “high-touch” surfaces such as telephones and water fountains, and added signs promoting health-safety measures in back-stage areas.
Disney this year also offered free seasonal-flu shots to many of its nearly 60,000 employees and obtained a “limited supply” of H1N1 vaccines for employees between the ages of 18 and 24, who are considered to be at higher risk of the virus.
Similarly, Busch Entertainment Corp., the second-largest theme-park operator in the U.S. behind Disney, this spring added more wall-mounted sanitizer stations in its parks. Many already had dispensers near animal-feeding and interaction areas, but Busch says it has since added them in locations such as park entrances, guest-service stations and employee lounges.
The company, whose parks include SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica, Discovery Cove and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, says it also instituted more extensive and frequent hygiene training for employees.
“We are continually monitoring developments with the H1N1 virus and have plans in place for various degrees of response,” BEC spokeswoman Becca Bides said. “At current levels, we are confident that the rigorous health-and-hygiene procedures currently in place to protect guests and employees are appropriate and reflect the recommendations and protocols of local, state and national health authorities.”
A spokesman for Universal Orlando said it has reviewed all of its standards for cleaning and sanitizing, from the number of hand sanitizers available to making sure employees are familiar with appropriate hygiene procedures. The resort says it is confident that its existing standards are enough to safeguard against transmission of a virus.
“We’re satisfied with where we are at the moment,” spokesman Tom Schroder said. “From here, it’s about keeping awareness high, monitoring the situation and acting accordingly.”
Some think the parks could do more.
Eric Clinton, president of Unite Here! Local 362, a union representing attraction workers, custodians, ticket takers and others at Disney World, praised some of the resort’s measures. But he said there are still areas of concerns, such as the return lines for Fast Pass — the front-of-the-line tickets Disney distributes for some of its busiest rides and shows — where attraction workers must handle the tickets with their bare hands.
“Those passes have been held on to by these guests, put in their pockets, put in their mouths, for the last few hours while they’ve waited,” Clinton said. “The company has been somewhat responsive, but not enough, in my opinion.”
Disney said it has encouraged employees to use the individual sanitizers it has distributed even as they are working. “We encourage dialogue between cast members and their leaders, and we’ll continue to evaluate measures moving forward,” Suarez said.
Donna-Lynne Dalton, business agent for Teamsters Local 385, which represents characters, laundry workers, parking attendants and ranch hands at Disney, said she has been satisfied with the company’s response. She said character workers in particular have reason to be concerned about spreading viruses.
“The princesses that we have are hugging and kissing people from all over the world,” Dalton said.
The Orange County Health Department praised the steps taken by Disney and other parks.
“The bottom line is education is the key. The more that people get the information or get hand sanitizer or realize proper hygiene techniques, the better,” spokesman Dain Weister said. “Any of these types of items can help stop the spread.”
Weister said a person is at no more risk of contracting H1N1 in a theme park than at any other crowded location, be it a restaurant, store or school.
“People shouldn’t be any more concerned about going to a theme park than they would at …any place where you come into contact with a lot of people,” he said.
Jason Garcia can be reached at jrgarcia@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5414.
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41 Comments
my trip to kissimmee in october I asked at seaworld universal and disney. with the swine flue spreading why are they still using the finger print ing to enter the park.How so many people are touching this pad a day.and spreading the germs .one after the other.I would think this would be the first place to start.At disney the cast member just looked at me and smiled.GREAT ANSWER!!!
The cast member checking your park entry pass has no more authority to do anything about that than a Guest has.
Disney says its looking out for the peoples safety? There are plenty of things they can do without having to charge people. Its all about the profit? How about temporarily halting every peron from having to use the finger scanner? Are they disinfecting that touch pad after each and every person touches it?
I agree whats mor important the publice health and safety or thier bottom line? The finger print is unconstitutional anyway. Its not only Disney its all the parks in Orlando. Recently I was at Universal my finger did not match, they brought over three people, one being a supervisor, they all were grabbing my hands and trying to get the scanner to work,. Did they all sanitize before touching me? Was the scanner sanitized before I touched it?
If you’re paying to go on private property (WDW or Universal), they can scan you. You’ve given them the right, by merely paying for their services as they sit fit to run them. Get the facts.
Just a little advice… Don’t touch the lean rails! WDW hasn’t used a disinfectant like Lysol in years.
How funny! I have not been to Disney in years and had no idea they use a finger scanner? That does seem a little sketchy. I admire the fact that Disney wants to try and protect their patrons but first of all, doesn’t hand sanitizer only kill bacteria and not virus’s? Also- hand sanitizers kill ALL bacteria…good and bad. It is true that we need the beneficial bacteria to fight off illness and germs so our family takes our Vidazorb probiotics every single day in order to replenish ours!
It is not WDW’s responsibility to disinfect the finger scanner or anyting else for that matter. If you’re so worried about touching that you shouldn’t be leaving your house, let along going to a theme park with thousands of other people. What’s next, a lawsuit because someone got the flu, supposedly at WDW because they had to put their finger on a scanner!! Be real people, that grocery cart you pushed around today had a million germs on it too!
I agree…the menus in restaurants have (studies have shown) more germs than just about anything you touch in public, as well.
None of the rest rooms have hot water.
Must not be a Florida law because resturants do not have hot water, only cold water.
How effective is washing your hands in COLD WATER?
If you know how to wash your hands properly it doesn’t matter if you’re using hot or cold water. you just need clean water and soap. anyway, to kill the germs, the water must be so hot that you would burn your hands. Have you ever tried to touch the hot water from a dish washer? do you think you could keep your hands on it time enough to get them washed? last but not least: at Florida hot weather I wouldn’t feel like washing my hands with hot water. I’d better wash them very well washed with soap and a refreshing cold water!
This is mere eyewash for the publicity. Anyone that has done their homework knows the chemicals in the hand sanitizers are as bad or worse for you body than the flu. The hand sanitizers are horrible for you and do little to take germs off your body. Washing your hands is ten times better. Do your homework, people…quit listening to the media for the truth.
The “chemical” in most hand sanitizers is nothing more than isopropyl alchohol (rubbing alcohol). The rest is perfumes and surfactants, and sometimes a little bit of lotion. What really cleans your hands is friction. As to the water temperature, it’s not that important; the most important things are the use of both soap or cleanser and friction. With alcohol-based cleaners you’re supposed to rub your hands together until they’re dry; with soap and water the recommended time is 15-20 seconds (sing the alphabet song (to yourself, please) at a moderate rate while scrubbing).
Hate to tell you, the hot water you put on your hands won’t kill jack. It’s not hot enough. The antibacterial soap and the water washing it off is what does it.
You ppl freaking about fingerprinting, are ridiculous. It is private property and they do it to keep little punks from going to the outer fences and handing their pass to a buddy. THATS what causes ticket prices to go up by the way. That among other things. Like a previous poster said you are getting just as many germs going out to eat or pushing a grocery cart OR (and this is my fave) opening a public bathroom door with your bare hands after you washed up!
Thanks Dialysis! I am in Nursing school starting in JAnuary. You said that so much more eloquently than I did!
Also, you’ll find more bacteria on things that are porous, like paper or dollar bills (which if you’re squeamish about I’d be happy to take off your hands), rather than non-porous things like glass or metals. So, coins, scanners and plastic cards, etc. should not be of major concern as long as they’re dry. Paper tickets and money would be be more worrisome.
At least WDW is doing something! Certain Las Vegas casinos don’t tell people that they do NOT give their employees sick days. Employees already have reduced work hours, no raise, no 401K, so when they get sick, they come to work and spread the germs because they cannot afford to lose pay!!
A certain person in my office came to work very sick all week, then when the casino had a blood drive, he went down and gave blood! Shows you alot of employees in casinos are horrible people!!
It doesn’t matter what the temperature of the water is. It’s the plain soap and water (not even antibacterial) that will do the most. Personally, I won’t use antibacterial soaps; they are way too bad for you. I only use alcohol based products.
Some of you morons are whining about a single finger touch scan…yet you’re the same slobs I see picking your nose, smoking and tossing your lit butt on the ground, and spitting…that’s when you’re not coughing or sneezing without even turning your heads. If you want to guarantee you won’t get Swine Flu from a Disney Park, then stay home. No one will miss you.
Does anyone else notice how many people pick their nose before using the fingerprint scanner?
Stop whining and take personal responsibility. Carry your own hand sanitizer. We do that plus have some in our car at all times. And if you’re still complaining about Disney, be sure you don’t get gas (filthy pumps) or buy groceries (yucky germy carts). Stay home in your bubble.
I agree with Jan and others that people have to take personal responsibility. I do bring my own hand sanitizer. But, putting my finger in the booger scanner is especially disgusting. It’s also the responsibility of companies with requirements that expose us to viruses to provide hand sanitizers.
Simple: If you are afraid, don’t go!
The germ-phobia contained in the comments is hysterical.
Standing in line or seated tightly in any ride exposes you to far more germs than :gasp: touching a fingerprint scanner. Not to mention most germs we are talking about here have a very short life on surfaces – and its not as if they are instantly absorbed into your skin, we all would have been dead eons ago if that were the case.
Alas, given that the majority of the people one sees on any given day in the parks suffer from obesity, its no wonder so many are so eager to blame someone else and as usual shirk any sense of personal responsibility.
Ok calm down about the fact that Disney takes your “finger print.” They DO NOT! It is NOT A FINGER PRINT SCANNER. It scans the size of the bone in your finger. No way it is at all personally identifying, they do it because it’s entirely unlikely the person you may pass your ticket off too has the same bone structure as you. And I tend to be a germaphob but come on, don’t put your finger in your mouth, or your nose, or your eyes, or your ears and go wash your hands if you are that worried about it. There are bathrooms right inside each of the entrances, and that’s what Disney put the handsanitizers at the entrance for (however like someone else said they only kill bacteria and the flu is a virus). But germs don’t magically enter your body because you touch them, they need a point of entry. To contract a virus you need: 1. A virus present, 2. an entry point such as mouth, eyes, open wound (anywhere that is open), 3. contact of the entry point with the virus, and 4. Suseptability to the virus (I think that’s the 4th, it’s been awhile)
My family is staying at Disney World right now. I’m concerned that they don’t sanitize the hand rails that everyone pretty much must touch as they wait in line. Believe me, if Disney guests saw employees/cast members sanitizing hand rails and the thousands of door handles and door push plates every couple of hours, the cast members would be getting more thanks than Mickey for his autograph!
Hey, anyone stop to think that you could sanitize everything in the place, and you’d STILL get sick if your immune system is succeptible? It’s not the H1N1 we have to worry about, it’s the hand sanitizer itself – kids have gone to the ER or died from ingesting the stuff (it’s 62% alcohol; see link), and they’re squirting it out for every idiot at Disney World?! Might as well give the kids some free tequila shots while they’re at it. Don’t even get me started on the toxic vaccines! And by the way, H1N1 is an engineered combination of human, swine, and avian flu – animal flus don’t affect people, so it’s actually a milder virus than the seasonal flu. And a virus can’t be “killed” because it’s not a living organism like bacteria…so the whole thing is just ridiculous.
We were at the MK tonight to ride Space Mountain. The a/c was not functioning and the place was wall to wall with people.Many coughing so we were quite nervous about those millions of germs from determined riders.Once we got to the head of the line I asked the attendant about these machines and she said they were outside the rides. I pointed out that waiting in all that heat with hundreds of people was creating an H1NI laboratory.She agreed but said there was nothing she could do.At that point all we could thin about was those slow moving lines and handrails covered with germs from sick people.We rode Space Mountain and really enjoyed it.Exiting the ride we looked and found one of the dispensers only to find it empty.I asked a nearby cast member who filled that dispenser and he said he had no idea. We concluded to buy our own and never rely on a public hand sanitizer ever again.
Mike…get a life!
Does anyone here work in an office building with an elevator? Do you think those buttons have EVER been cleaned? We have 18 floors of germ infested nose pickers in my building. We have to give up the germophobia people! Use common sense. Try not to stick your fingers in your eyes or mouth in a very public area and wash your hands thoroughly. If you want to say that Disney is dirty b/c of all the people who touch things, then it must be very difficult for you to go anyhwere. Do you know what’s living on EVERY surface in America? Germs. You just have to be smart enough to know that.
BTW…it’s not a finger print…they’re called biometrics readers and they measure your finger size, etc, not your finger prints.
Thank you for all of your comments about no need for the water to be hot when you wash your hands.
Feel better when scrubbing up with cold water.
We have just decided to relax and enjoy!
The mostly famous place for kids will be more in action to fight with this disease.Washing yours hands with chemical soap does not make any sense it will harm your body.You use a nice mild soap which is approved by doctors & tested in the laboratory.The nilgri oil is beneficial to all.Apply this oil in place where you working on the desk put some oil in mask to raise your immunity.
wow…
I’m wondering if you all only accept sanitised money bills and coins…
and if you sanitise your hands right after closing your wallet…