Best Laid Plans...

Annette Miller3.9.18I am a Rope Drop to Kiss Goodnight kind of girl. I love to spend as much time wrapped in the euphoric bliss of Disney as possible. I plan my Park days around Extra Magic Hours so that I can enjoy just a little more each day. I have visited the Parks thousands of times, but sometimes life has other plans.In October, I took a Land and Sea trip with my kids and my parents. In fact, I am writing this while still at Walt Disney World. The trip has been a comedy of errors - some (like leaving a suitcase behind at the dock) could have been prevented while others (like a trip to the ER) came out of left field.When we arrived at Walt Disney World, my youngest began feeling as though he had something in his eye. I checked it, my mom checked it, and the Cast Members at First Aid checked it. None of us could find a thing. As the day progressed, his complaints increased and he began to have some discharge. While my parents kept enjoying the Parks with my older kids, I took my little patient to the ER to confirm my suspicion - Pink Eye.The Cast Members at the hotel’s front desk gave me a brochure listing all of the area hospitals, and let me know that they could also arrange for free transportation. (We had a car, so that wasn’t necessary for us.) With four different locations around Walt Disney World, one of them will be close no matter where you are staying. For us, Celebration Health was just a 5-minute drive away.My first impression was one of peace. The walk from the parking structure to the building took us through a garden courtyard with a fountain, and the interior of the building included fish tanks (both real and virtual) and a section decorated to look like the exterior of an Italian piazza.The walk from the parking structure to the ER covered about half a mile, although there is a drop off directly in front of the ER if the patient is unable to walk that far. We arrived after 9pm, so a good portion of the hospital was closed for the night. This offered a minor challenge with figuring out where to register. Once we located it, I was quite impressed with how quickly we moved through the process.The staff was very friendly and did a fantastic job of calming my son during his examination. The rooms were bright and cheery, while still being soothing and quiet. The room where they placed my son had four separate curtained sections, but only one other was occupied. (The hospital staff also placed us in the two outer sections to help increase the sense of privacy.)From beginning to end, our visit took just 45 minutes. Naturally, more serious injuries or illnesses will take longer, but it was great that they were able to move us through smoothly and efficiently. And my son was thrilled that he didn’t have to miss out on too much fun.I wish you health during your vacation. However, if you should experience a less-than-healthy moment, I hope you find this information helpful.