Training for A Disney Vacation

On our last trip, we finally remembered to do something we had been curious about-- count our steps! It was to our absolute amazement that we walked 10-12 miles a day in each park. Another thing that surprised us was that our feet didn’t really hurt, and our kids managed, with only a few breaks, to do that walking with us.


Today, if you were to ask me to walk that much, there’s no way I could. I’m not in shape for it,
but I do know that when we book out next trip this winter, in order to be ready for those long days of walking, we are going to be training!


How do we train? We do these four things!


Walk
Practice staying hydrated
Wear the right shoes
Take breaks BEFORE we need them


Those four simple things are how we manage to go go go on our trips! Here’s how you can go go go, too, when you apply these four tricks for Disney!




Walk


Start your walking training a few months before you go. Aim for at least a mile, and slowly work up to two. If you can do more, great, but I’ve found for us just that length is enough, because you’ll be stopping at Disney, you don’t walk every second of the day. You’ll be standing in lines, going on rides, having lunch, etc and the walking doesn’t seem to bad because it’s broken up like that. The worst walk for us without a doubt, is leaving the park or Disney Springs to the bus stop. I swear it gets further away each time for us Value Resort people!




Practice Staying Hydrated


The number one way to ruin summer fun is to get dehydrated! It’s so easy to do, you put that drink off for just a few minutes, and then a few more and before you know it, you’re cranky, and light headed, or maybe you’ve got a killer headache and feel sick. Drink, drink, drink! Make sure it’s something that hydrates, like water, juice, sports drinks or tea. Take a sip standing in line, before you walk away from your parked stroller, or while you are staring at your map because you’ve gotten turned around. Every time you stand still, take a sip, and you’ll stay hydrated and have the energy to keep going.


A special note for parents with small kids. If you kid doesn’t need to Ride the Rapunzel, then they aren’t getting enough to drink! You might have to remind them, because kids can get distracted easier than adults!




Wear the Right Shoes


I don’t know how many times I've seen people with their feet in the fountains (EW!) or toes covered in blisters from wearing those $1 flip flops, or 4 inch high heels. There’s no way I could do that, and as much as I would love to wear shoes that are cute all day, I’m going to put comfort first. You only have one pair of feet on your trip. When they start hurting, each step is going to feel like ten, and it’s going to wear you out!


If you want new shoes before your trip, make sure you wear them and walk in them plenty to start breaking them in. Bring at least two pairs that you can walk in, so if you get caught in a downpour and can’t completely dry your shoes, you’ve got some the next day to wear while the damp ones finish drying. Some people even like to rotate which shoes they wear each day, so that blisters are less likely to happen.






Take Breaks BEFORE You Need Them


Just like it’s easy to get dehydrated because you are so busy looking at everything, it’s also easy to forget to take breaks for the same reason. Maybe you forget, because you are so excited by everything you see, and want to do it ALL because you don’t have much time, or maybe you just want to fill every second of the day because you paid a lot for this trip, and by golly, doing everything is what you are going to do!


No matter what sort of a Disney goer you are, you’ve GOT to take some breaks! If you give yourself five or ten minutes every hour to just sit, or pop into some air conditioning, you are actually going to be able to do more, than you would if you kept going until your feet were blistered or swollen and you are so tired and crabby it’s not a fun vacation anymore.


Stop and rest a few minutes, plan your meals strategically, and if possible, indoors in the air conditioning, and if you feel like heading back to your resort during the hot part of the day for a rest or swim, you ought to! You’ll be able to enjoy your trip more, and not be falling asleep before the fireworks start over Cinderella Castle!




Try these tricks to make your next Disney trip the best one ever! If you think we left out something important, or maybe you’ve got some tried and true suggestions, let us know! We’d love to hear them!