We all know that life can be unpredictable, and you can spend years saving and planning for the perfect family vacation but then life throws a wrench in your plans and your trip is now ruined. Now this could really be any family trip but I am mainly focusing on theme park vacations. My kids and I have been going to Disney World since my oldest was one way back in 2010 and unfortunately we have had more than our share of back luck on our trips. But I have learned to be as prepared as possible for whatever disasters might be waiting for us. While these could easily ruin our vacation we have learned its best to adapt and overcome and make the best out of a bad situation. These are all the “wrenches” that have been thrown at our family vacations and what we have done to prevent them from occurring in on future trips.

Illness

It never fails that kids will find germs, and the busy theme parks and airports are a hot bed of the little buggers. One trip we will never forget was when my middle daughter was on her first Disney vacation she picked up a stomach bug, she was not quite a year old so she couldn’t really communicate that she was feeling sick. We were on a bus back to our resort when she threw up, I felt so bad for the bus driver and we even tried to give him a tip for the trouble but was not allowed to accept. That same trip on the way home she threw up on me right before our flight, I was able to rinse off my clothes in the bathroom but had to fly home in my cold wet clothes. Thankfully I did have a spare outfit for her in our carry-on bag so she was comfortable. I have worked in healthcare all my life so I know how dirty the parks can be so we keep hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes in our park bag and always wash our hands with soap before eating. If you or anyone in your group becomes sick while on vacation it would be best to isolate in your room as not spread to other families on vacation. When the parks were opening back up after Covid hit my oldest sadly got food poisoning from a pizza at our Disney resort and was stuck in the room the 3 days we were supposed to be visiting the parks. If someone does get sick the resorts do have a few mediations in their gift shops, or you can ask the front desk how to get to the nearest pharmacy. The Endless summer resort at Universal is right across the street from a Walgreens which came in handy when one of the girls came down with a UTI. We also have been on several Disney cruises and 3 of us do get motion sick which our first cruise we learned the hard way that we need to start medication before we step on the ship. They do also have meclizine near the medical center and for purchase in the gift shops.

Weather

A large majority of our vacations are to destinations in Florida which comes with a lot of rain and high temperatures. We have had more than one trip where we were completely soaked in the parks by torrential downpour. There was one year we were visiting Universal for Halloween Horror nights which falls during hurricane season and we almost made it to the resort bus before we got caught in the rain and our shoes were so soaked, I spent hours in the hotel room drying them out with the hair dryer. Now if you’re traveling to Florida or on a Disney cruise you will want to keep the hurricane season in mind when choosing the time of year to take your vacation and would not recommend sailing between August through October. We always travel with a mini umbrella in our park bag and rain ponchos so we can stay and enjoy our times in the park. Keep in mind that some rides and the resort pools have to close due to rain or even just having lightning in the area. One thing we did not plan for was a trip in late November would come with freezing rain and snow, thankfully we had brought a pair of pants for the kids to wear on the flight home and a light jacket for if it got cold at night. Now no matter how hot it’s expected to be we always travel with at least 1 warm outfit. We did also end up buying a fleece blanket from one of the gift shops. During the summer months it can get very hot and humid so make sure you are staying hydrated and taking breaks out of the sun. We like going back to the room mid-day to rest in the AC.

Accidents

If you are traveling with babies/toddlers/preschool aged kids bathroom related accidents can and will happen. We have had diapers leak, the lines for the bathroom be too long for little ones to hold it in or bus rides take to long to make it back to the resort. We always have a change of clothes and plenty of extra diapers/pull-ups with us. Another reason to stay on property at one of the Disney or Universal resort hotels is that its a quick ride back to the room if necessary. If you are traveling with a little one who is newly potty trained its a good idea to take bathroom breaks before getting into a ride line with a long wait. The other kind of accidents are the more painful sort. My kids have had their share of cuts, scrapes and bruises. Sometimes they get excited and run around not paying attention and then disaster strikes. All the parks have a first aid station with basic mediations and lots of Band-Aids. We also keep a small first aid kit in our bag for the smaller boo-boos. Disney World also has its own ER near Animal Kingdom for bigger accidents and emergencies.

Travel delays

Whether you are flying or driving there can be all sorts of issues you can come across. We have only drove to Florida once for a Disney Cruise because there were no available flights the day before. I will always strongly recommend that you do not fly on the same day as your cruise because if your flight is delayed the ship will leave without you. We have had multiple trips where our flights have been delayed by hours. We have also had 2 separate trips that the weather has prevented us from landing on time. We fly a lot because I don’t care to drive for long distances and thankfully we have never had an issue with our luggage being lost but I always pack our bags so that all the clothes are distributed so that if one bag is lost everyone still has some clothing, diapers and essentials. Now one flight our gate checked stroller somehow did not make it on our flight, luckily it was for my preschooler, and we made do without it.

Technical difficulties

Now we know the weather can cause closures with the pools, rides and shows but these can also be affected by other issues as well. Rides can be temporarily or permanently closed for the day or even months at a time due to electrical issues, sick guests or refurbishments. You can always check the parks websites for known closures so that you won’t be disappointed if a ride is closed during your trip. We have been on rides or in a queue that had to shut down because mechanics weren’t working, ride was deemed unsafe and even evacuate due to fire. The parks will usually give you a pass to come back or for the lighting lane/express pass for a different ride as compensation. Just be aware it can and does happen but not to let it ruin your trip.