Managing Refrigerated Medications at Disney World
When you’re planning to visit Walt Disney World in the summer, you know it’s going to be very hot. This past weekend, we stayed at All-Star Movies on Saturday night. We came home on Sunday after visiting Animal Kingdom.
My son Noah has Type 1 diabetes in addition to autism. Many individuals with Type 1 diabetes use continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and pumps to handle their testing and insulin needs. Noah does not. We’ve tried CGMs, and he can’t tolerate them. Because of this, he is ineligible for a pump, and we agree with the doctors’ decision.
Refrigeration in Resort Rooms
On days we’re staying on property, we usually leave his insulin in the room fridge. We return to the room to reset often, and it’s one less thing to carry. On day trips, or on days we check out from a resort, we need to have a plan to keep his insulin within the safe temperature range.
Basic value resort room fridges don’t have a freezer. We use a frozen gel pack in Noah’s diabetic kit which stays cool but not frozen. This isn’t a problem if we’re headed home, or if the outside temperature is going to peak in the low 80s. Otherwise, we need to use the First Aid station.
Read more: Animal Kingdom’s Flight of Passage Is Not Accessible
Refrigeration in the Parks
Tell the medical Cast Member (CM) that nothing is wrong when you’re dropping off medicine. They’re ready to act in case of an emergency, and this isn’t one. The CM will give you a form to fill out to sign the medicine in and out. One bonus is that if you are park hopping, you can take this form with you and save time on the same day at a different park.
Insulin needs to be in the original vial. Disney doesn’t require the prescription label from the exterior box. The CM also refroze the gel pack to help keep the insulin at the right temperature for the rest of the day. We love CMs!
Needing medications that must be kept refrigerated doesn’t have to be a barrier to visiting Disney parks. Qualified staff are available and ready to help you and your family have a magical day, regardless of medical needs.
