Walt Disney World has implemented many health and safety procedures due to the global health crisis.

Disney has changed cleaning procedures for rides, restaurants, and high-touch areas like the popular topping bars! Along with the new procedures, numerous hand sanitizer stations were installed throughout Disney World property. However, even with the increased cleaning procedures and added sanitizer stations, we still found ourselves reaching for our own bottle of hand sani throughout the day! We’ve been all over Disney World in the last month and discovered there are a few reasons why you might consider bringing your own sanitizer into the parks! 

While touring the theme parks, you’ll end up touching handrails, doorknobs, ride restraints, whosits, whatsits, and thingamabobs! Almost every surface at Disney World is a high-touch area. If you can touch something, you can bet other people have touched it too. Hand sanitizer might become your best friend on your next vacation!

Reason #1 — Sanitizer Won’t Always Be Within Arm’s Reach

While sanitizer dispensers are scattered throughout the property, sanitizer may not always be readily available when you need it most. Unlike Universal Orlando, guests are not always offered sanitizer before riding every attraction at Disney World. Sanitizer stations may be placed near attractions, gift shops, or restaurants, but we wouldn’t rely on it always being at your fingertips.

Additionally, some of the gift shops sell sanitizer, but you can’t depend on it always being in stock. It’s best to buy it beforehand so you can sanitize any time, any place!

Reason #2 — Not Everyone Likes Disney’s Hand Sanitizer

Not all sanitizer is created equal and Disney’s sanitizer might actually make you feel grosser than before you applied it! Allow us to explain this weird phenomenon. From our experience, the sanitizer that you get from Disney’s dispensers felt sticky, textured, and sometimes created clumps of substance in our hands. We didn’t have this experience when using our personal sanitizer!

We’ve also heard people complain about the smell of Disney’s hand sanitizer. Most sanitizers are alcohol-based and the alcohol usually evaporates quickly and the smell dissipates. That said, the initial “chemical” smell bothers some people. It should be noted that the chemicals you’re smelling are just a byproduct of accelerated manufacturing, according to an interview from CNET.

The article interviews Bryan Zlotnik from Alpha Aromatics, a fragrance manufacturer that creates additives for masking sanitizer odors. He described that the sanitizer stinks because many brands are made by drinking alcohol distillers. The distilleries are using denatured ethanol, which costs less than ethanol filtered using “activated carbon filtration.” The filtered ethanol typically removes contaminants and malodors with it. The hand sanitizers that use this expedited process ARE still just as safe , according to the experts quoted in this article, but you might have to deal with an off smell. Now you know why some sanitizers smell funny!

We think it’s best to smell-test your sanitizers at home so you know what you’re getting yourself into! And there are so many yummy scents that can bring a little joy to your day if you do a little digging before your trip.

Reason #3 — Don’t Count on Attractions and High-Touch Areas to Always Be Clean

Guests shouldn’t assume that every attraction or high-touch area was recently cleaned…or cleaned at all. Disney has certainly increased cleaning frequency, but sanitation might not occur as often as you think.  The Disney Skyliner cabins, for instance, are only cleaned once a day. It’s best to assume that the surfaces you come in contact with may not always be sanitized!

As silly as it sounds, carrying your own hand sanitizer may make you feel more comfortable while touring the theme parks. What kind of sanitizer is best? That’s generally up to your smell and texture preference.

You may enjoy a brand that’s made with aloe vera and keeps your hands from drying out. Or, maybe you prefer a sanitizer that’s mostly liquid alcohol and has very little texture. We might suggest trying the brand Germ-X. From our perspective, it’s not too sticky, dries fast, and the alcohol smell evaporates quickly.

As always, we’re looking for simple ways to make your Disney experience better and as safe as it possibly can me. If you have any more questions regarding masks, hand sanitizer, or anything else, please reach out and we will do our best to give you the details you need!

Want to pick up your own hand sanitizer before heading to Disney World? Check out the adorable Disney hand sanitizers we spotted at Target!

Are you heading to Disney World soon? Let us know in the comments below!