Disney and Diabetics

Hi everyone! I wanted to touch on a subject that I don't think I have seen on the boards. I am a diabetic and in normal life I have a hard time controlling it. (not insulin dependent, yet) However when I am at Disney it's easier to handle. I know all diabetics are different, but for me I find that because Disney is not a stressful place for me and all of the walking we do my sugar is easier to control and I NEVER gain weight at Disney.

There are times when I become drained and that is when I have to stop and rest and have a small snack so I can keep going. (I am a park open to park close kind of girl. My Disney passion knows no boundaries!) I also find that I can have a few things that I normally wouldn't not eat, like Dole whip or an extra serving of mashed potatoes at Crystal Palace, or that delicious juice at Tusker House.

For me being a Disney Diabetic is not as challenging at it is here in the north east. (one day I hope to move to FL and be in the parks as much as possible)

So how do other diabetics handle the parks? Do you find it easier to control like I do or is it more difficult for you? Let's hear from some Disney Diabetics and your strategies for controlling your sugar while at Disney.

Have a great day everyone!

I go very low at Disney no matter what I do I have even turned my pump off I still go in the 30 and some times even lower. But I do love Disney

Yes walking and all the exercise can help and at Disney there is a lot of walking

gap2368 said:

I go very low at Disney no matter what I do I have even turned my pump off I still go in the 30 and some times even lower. But I do love Disney

Yes walking and all the exercise can help and at Disney there is a lot of walking

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Wow that is real low! Be careful! Eat another Dole whip or Mickey bar! LOL

Dole whip are nasty I had one bit and could not eat another.

And at this low ice cream is the last thing I need but that is another thing

When my mom and I went down in 2002 I was really paranoid about her diabetes (she's insulin dependent). We made sure to eat a good breakfast at our hotel food court (balanced, too, with protein and carbs) and we each grabbed a fresh banana to through in our backpacks. We found that after about an hour in the park we'd need another coffee and the banana was the perfect little snack to go with it.

Mom found that her sugar was never high the entire trip. It dipped LOW on us a couple of times but we would grab a snack, something like a mini pizza at Pinocchio's or some chicken nuggets not just a sugary fix, and her sugar would bounce right back and stay level.

I will say this, my mom is well controlled, well regulated diabetic. She tests several times a day and never hesitates as needed. She also doesn't monkey around with her insulin (the infamous "well if I take more insulin I can eat xyz"). If her sugar is high, she watches what she eats, especially the sugars and carbs. If her sugar is good or low, she'll let herself indulge a little.

I should also note that other than splitting a bottle of wine at our dinner at Le Cellier, we didn't drink alcohol on our trip. And we really didn't do any of the fancy mixed non-alcoholic drinks either- she'd rather eat a decadent little dessert than slurp down a sugary drink. YMMV.

So glad to see this thread, thank you, OP! My DH, age 42, was diagnosed with diabetes in June. He started on small insulin injections, but was just taken off of them last week, and now takes two pills, including one just as he starts his big meal of the day. All of this is so very new to us. We had been planning since our last trip in 2013 to return to Disney in February 2017 for my 40th birthday, and after he was diagnosed, I thought for sure we'd have to cancel our plans. But seeing the menus, we did decide to book after all.

For those with diabetes, have you found that Disney is good about allowing you to change a dinner option? Say DH orders a grilled chicken sandwich that comes with fries. Can he replace the fries with something else?

And we like to do parks from open to close, especially in February where some days are 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Of course, snack breaks and dinner breaks too. But what about testing blood sugar in the parks? Just go into a bathroom and test? How about disposal?

I'll be following this thread for sure, and I look forward to reading about everyone's experiences.

Thank You!

Sweet Pea Reed said:

So glad to see this thread, thank you, OP! My DH, age 42, was diagnosed with diabetes in June. He started on small insulin injections, but was just taken off of them last week, and now takes two pills, including one just as he starts his big meal of the day. All of this is so very new to us. We had been planning since our last trip in 2013 to return to Disney in February 2017 for my 40th birthday, and after he was diagnosed, I thought for sure we'd have to cancel our plans. But seeing the menus, we did decide to book after all.

1 For those with diabetes, have you found that Disney is good about allowing you to change a dinner option? Say DH orders a grilled chicken sandwich that comes with fries. Can he replace the fries with something else?

2 And we like to do parks from open to close, especially in February where some days are 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Of course, snack breaks and dinner breaks too.
3 But what about testing blood sugar in the parks? Just go into a bathroom and test? How about disposal?

I'll be following this thread for sure, and I look forward to reading about everyone's experiences.

Thank You!

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1 Yes you can all thought I find I do not need to change anything because Of my D ( all the walking I need more carb then I normally eat and a lot less insulin)
2 I do park oping to close a lot too with breaks in-between you will soon learn and he will too what he needs and it will become second hand.

3 I just dump my used test strips back in my bag and as fair as my lanching needle ( or what ever it is called) I am lucky if I change it once a month ( and I do test up to 10 times a day) but yes there are sharp containers in the bathrooms and first aid has then you can even get one in your room ( or so I have heard never got one) but for the most part I just test where ever I am I have had one person tell me that I should not be testing out in public ( I was not at disney and she was going out of her way to see what I was doing) I simply looked around me and said I see a lot of people in her but no one had a gun to you head telling you to watch me, another customer started to laugh when I said this the lady said no thing more to me and I went on eating.


a few thing to remember since you are going kind of soon after his DX let your dr know you are going to disney they may suggest he change his meds some ( not sure on oral if they will do this) or they may tell him to have more carbs but I would let your dr know since there is so much walking at disney have a plane for lows again this is where his dr or CDE can come in bring more supplies then you think he needs like test strips ( I have dropped a whole bottle one time) more things for low then you think he need you get the picture. but have fun life goes on and he may do very well at disney

An empty vitamin bottle (with the flip top lid) makes a handy small sharps/bio container for travel. I use one on my desk actually to drop my used strips and lancets into- smaller than a sharps container and FREE!

I have used a use ( empty ) test strip container

gap2368 said:

I have used a use ( empty ) test strip container

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I like this idea -but my lancets don't fit in my test strip container they are too tall.