I love Disney. We all do. I love the magic, the attractions, the characters, the food, etc. In addition to these obvious things, I have always respected Disney for the strength of their company and brand. When Disney talks, people listen. It has always amazed me how one man’s dream created something that is not only remembered decades after it began, but has continued to grow at an unbelievable rate on such a global scale. Disney knows how to get things done like no other company. I find it fascinating. In fact, one of my favorite things to do when I go to the parks is to just watch how things work. From the parade timing, to crowd control, to the unprecedented customer service, Disney is a well oiled machine. I experienced this first hand on my trip a few weeks ago. Many of you may already know that I found myself in the midst of a medical emergency on the first day of my vacation. It was around noon and we were in the Fastpass line forSoarin’ at Epcot. Right as we approached the front of the line, I felt myself get dizzy. Being someone who has fainted in the past, I knew what was happening so I kind of braced myself as I went down… The next thing I remember was a cast member standing over me radioing for medical assistance with the faint sound of Disney daughter (DD) wailing in fear in the background. It seemed like a while to me, but Disney husband (DH) said help actually arrived very quickly. I was somehow put in a wheelchair and wheeled to a backstage area during this ordeal and when the EMT arrived and took my blood pressure it was 50 over 40! Very scary stuff. Because it was so low, they gave me an IV on the spot before transporting me to Celebration Hospital. By this time, several other cast members had arrived to help and were doing their best to calm DD down. DH didn’t want me to ride in the ambulance (aka “Alpha Unit”) by myself but I had enough awareness to know that DD didn’t need to be seeing this. Luckily, the rest of our traveling party (my mother and father) were actually waiting in the standby line to ride and were located and able to come and take care of DD. The last thing I remember as they loaded me into the ambulance was the sound of her shrieking.
The doctors and nurses at Celebration did a great job of treating me and I was able to be released a few hours after my blood pressure finally stabilized. After we were released, the hospital got us a taxi to take us to my parents hotel to get DD and then on to the Polynesian where we were staying. When we arrived to pick up DD, I can’t tell you how relieved I was to see that she was all smiles! During the whole ordeal, Disney cast members had showered her with such special treatment that I think she forgot I was even sick. They gave her an adorable Minnie plush doll and a new autograph book and also sent her and my parents through the VIP entrance to ride Soarin’ since they all missed the chance when I fainted. They also took her over to the Epcot Character Spot and put her at the front of the line to meet all of the princesses. She even had a lipstick mark on her cheek from Snow White, which made her very happy.
When we arrived back at our hotel, there was a voice mail from the concierge desk who offered to reimburse us for our taxi bill and asked us if there was anything else we needed. They managed to arrange a later time for our dinner reservation at 1900 Park Fare so DD didn’t have to miss her treasured dance with Prince Charming. My parents went on and on about how they simply couldn’t believe the lengths that Disney went to make sure that DD was okay. To be honest, as a lifelong Disney fan, even I was in awe when I heard just how above and beyond they went for her.Their efforts weren’t lost on DD either. Her diary entry that evening started off describing the scary events earlier in the day, but quickly turned upbeat as she described what she considered to be a great day! I share this story because it’s a perfect example of why I love Disney.
Tiffany G. is a mom, wife and attorney. When she’s not practicing law, she can be found daydreaming with her family of vacations past or planning their next trip to see the Mouse. You can find her on Twitter @TTownTiffany and at http://ttowntiffany.blogspot.com.
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Oh my! So glad you’re OK! Disney is wonderful… we already knew that … but it’s always good to hear stories like this!
What a scary thing! I love that Disney does do everything they can to help you have a magical trip even when things like that happen. You never said why you fainted,and if you were find for the rest of your stay? I hope you have a great time and felt better! Thanks for sharing the story with us! -Sammie_Kay