There are few more nightmarish scenarios for a Walt Disney World vacation than dealing with food poisoning… trust us, we know.
Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella Castle
However, if you find yourself in this spot, there are things you NEED to know that’ll help you get healthy AND maybe even salvage a portion of your vacation
Always Pack Anti-Nausea Medication and Hydration Packets
So, before we get into actually feeling sick, a couple of pre-trip packing tips:
- Always bring anti-nausea medication. Whether it’s due to a meal not agreeing with you or motion sickness from some of the resort’s wilder attractions, it’s wise to have something to settle your stomach packed in your park bag.
- Hydration packets like Liquid IV or Gatorade’s powders are another smart item to pack in case of stomach issues or just staying hydrated in the Florida heat.
©Amazon
Be Wary of Leftovers
So, moving on, once you’ve arrived at the resort, a quick word of warning about leftovers. While it can be tempting to bring home leftover food from a meal at one of Disney World’s restaurants, bear in mind that the majority of hotel rooms in Disney hotels don’t feature refrigerators. Instead, they’re home to beverage coolers, which are cool enough for drinks, but not cold enough to safely store items like medications, breastmilk, formula, and – importantly for this case – refrigerated food items, which will spoil.
Beverage cooler
Head to First Aid
If you start feeling symptoms of food poisoning or stomach sickness while you’re in one of Disney World’s theme parks, make your way to that respective park’s first aid center ASAP.
Magic Kingdom First Aid
Let It Out
If you find yourself in your hotel room feeling symptoms of food poisoning, you may need to… well… let it out as it were. Not to be gross, but expelling the vomit may be the first major step to feeling better.
Instacart Convenience
If you find yourself room-ridden with food poisoning symptoms and need to order some supplies – like more medicine or hydration packs – through a service like Instacart, the front desk will deliver it to your room for you for $6.
©Instacart
REST!
Speaking of being room-ridden, it can be very tempting to try to push yourself to head back into the parks to not “waste” your expensive vacation. However, the reality is your body needs a day of rest. Stay in bed, sleep as much as you can, and stay hydrated (if you find yourself unable to hold down liquids, try sucking on ice cubes).
Disney’s Port Orleans — Riverside Resort
Seek Medical Attention If You need
If your symptoms extend into a second day, be wary that it may be a contagious norovirus, and seek medical help ASAP.
Don’t Push Yourself When You’re Back on Your Feet
If you do find yourself feeling better by the next day, it’s important to still be aware of your body and ease back into your vacation. In other words, maybe don’t push a rope drop to fireworks day. And then there’s the question of diet…
Maybe avoid rope drop if you’re not feeling well…
Eat on the BRAT
As you’re recovering, you’d be well advised to stick to a mostly BRAT (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast) diet while staying hydrated and definitely avoiding alcohol for at least a few days.
Served with a side of white rice
Laundry
Once again, not to be gross, but if you have some clothing or other materials that have been in any way soiled to the point that you don’t want to pack them in your suitcase for the voyage home, Disney World’s hotels offer self-service laundry facilities, usually near the pool area.
Art of Animation laundry
If you find yourself struck down with food poisoning on your next Disney World trip, keep these things in mind as you’re dealing with the symptoms. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World tips.
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Great article though the title is a bit misleading as other things than food poisoning can make you feel sick. As you mentioned, you may be under the weather due to heat and humidity you’re not used to and dehydration….stress and pushing toward unreal expectations or time constraints especially if you are not in shape to walk miles through parks…..medications that can be affected by heat, exhaustion, strange diet, irregular eating times, or you don’t usually take at home but do on vacation….pregnancy….young or old age….and, of course, types of food that are new to you, food that disagrees with you, food allergies even when you think it’s prepared accordingly, or even food poisoning (less common than all the above but can happen). I almost didn’t read this bc of the title but glad I did bc it offers excellent tips and need-to-know options at wdw. I hope no one has to use this info but strongly urge you to keep this article handy!
My tips for avoiding head stroke and nausea seem obvious but it can hit you as fast as Rock N Roller Coaster. Hydration is the key. Hydrate constantly. Sip all day long. I would freeze water bottles and Gatorade and we’d drink throughout the day. We’d also snack on frozen bananas, watermelon, dole whips, and iced teas instead of sodas. The cooling towels are a god send! We’d even wrap them around our head and under our hats. At some point you stop caring about your appearance and just become a pirate.
Always find the shade when in the parks, and take lots of breaks. You’re never going to see or do everything in a trip, so prioritize and pace yourself.
As for food poisoning, I’m not an adventurous eater at the parks. I stay away from anything heavy and anything with pork. It may sound boring but I know what’s usually safe for me. I always pack a small pharmacy: anti nausea, anti diarrhea, antacids, etc.
And my absolute favorites I had at Epcot to stay cool are the Violet Lemonade and Spice Road Table’s Moroccan Mint Iced Tea.
I did get the stomach flu at Disneyland years ago and we lived an hour away so that was fun. It hit 1-2 hours after we got to the park so all that $ wasted, so I’m extra cautious for all future trips.
Everyone in our group got food prisoning but me It was so bad the next day I had to make arrangements to take them all to the emergency care center
As stated hydration is the most important part of recovering from food poisoning
Also before we left I contacted the front desk and requested that are room be cleaned and the linens change this was a huge help when we returned from the care center
My husband got food poisoning in November of 2025 I’ve had anxiety about eating at Disney ever since.