No one likes being sick. I have been stuck home with a wicked sinus infection for the past few days it has reminded me of times when being sick was even worse. Just this weekend I missed out on a craft show, our kids AWANA grand prix, and the Veteran’s Day celebration at church. It’s no fun whether you are at home, suffering thru at work, or it can be even worse when you are on vacation.

Unfortunately I have spent some vacations under the weather with various illnesses. We visit Walt Disney World often so we are bound to get sick on a trip or two. So what do you do when you get sick on vacation? You have planned for this trip for months, looked forward to all the great experiences, and saved money to make it a special event. It’s hard to give all that up when you start to feel you are coming down with something.

The first and quickest place you can get over the counter (OTC) medications is your resort gift shop. They carry a small selection of cold and flu remedies as well as some cough and throat drops. There is pain reliever and a few options for stomach ailments. You may not see your favorite brand but there are some nationally recognized brands there. The price does reflect what you would expect to pay in a gift shop, defiantly more than at your home Wal-Mart but for the convenience of picking it up quickly you pay a little premium. First Aid in all of the theme parks also carries the same selection as the resort gift shops if your illness hits while touring the parks.

The second option for getting your favorite OTC medication is have them delivered to you. Turner drugs is a local pharmacy that will deliver a variety of OTC medications directly to your WDW resort.  They also offer full pharmacy service and can fill a prescription your doctor  may call in for you.  They have a nice website, www.turngerdrugs.com (it loads nicely on a mobile device) or you can call them at (407) 828-8125.

Perhaps you have something a little more than a cold and need to see a doctor. There are plenty of clinics (or urgent care centers is what we call them at home) nearby to Walt Disney World. Several Walgreens in the area have started offering clinic services onsite and can assist you. They may even take your medical insurance and file it for you. Walgreens will also be your stop for prescriptions, other OTC medications, and some liquids and even a can of chicken soup at prices much kinder to your wallet that the Disney gift shop.  You can take a cab for $10-15 to a Walgreens from most resorts on property.

Don’t feel like cabbing it to Walgreens? Call Centra Care Clinic. With hours from 8-midnight during the week and 8-8 on weekends you can be seen most times of the day. They also offer free transportation to and from their facility to most area resorts. You can visit them online at www.centracare.org or contact them via phone at (407)-934-2273

If you just don’t feel like leaving the room Doctors on Call can have a physician see you in your hotel room. This comes at a premium and is a service I have used before. The service is available 24 hours a day. Be aware your insurance may not cover this option at all. The last time I used this service was in 2005 when I had excellent insurance and it still cost me over $400. I shudder to think what it would be now. You can reach them at (407) 399-DOCS

Sometimes you just have to throw in the towel on the trip of a lifetime. I had to.  It has taught me that trip insurance is an investment that I cannot travel without. My dream 10 night trip in 2005 ended after days of illness, over the counter medications, being seen by the in room doctor, prescriptions, and resting a lot each day. I ended up leaving 4 days early, renting a car to drive home (only one flight in and out of home on select days back then), and straight to the ER for emergency surgery. While this is abnormal it does happen. Expenses alone for the doctor in Florida and one way rental car were over $1000. The loss of days of the vacation including room, dining plan, and tickets only added on to that expense. A travel insurance policy of less than $200 could have covered my out of pocket expenses and reimbursed me for my lost vacation. I now use TravelEx vacation insurance for all of my travel needs and it is what I sell to my clients. Check out their coverage at www.travelexinsurance.com

The best tips are the things we should all be doing all the time. Get proper rest, east well, get plenty of fluids, avoid touching your face, and wash your hands. Lots. WDW sees millions of visitors a year, there are bound to be some with snotty noses in the bunch. Washing your hands often is the best line of defense against any illness. So make a few extra trips to the rest room at WDW (some of which are fabulously themed) and wash up to keep the germs away.