Theme park burnout is absolutely real. It’s common for theme park guests to spend multiple days at the Disney parks. And while one or two full park days may not feel so bad, it still takes a toll on the body. 

Moreover, the stress of planning your day, how much (or little) you’ve slept, the weather, and your hydration levels all affect how your body can recover for your next park day. Not only do you risk having less energy to get through your day, you also increase your risk of illness or injury!

In last week’s blog post, we discussed how to manage your activity levels so you don’t run into the infamous “injury zone.” However, when you overdo it, what are the telltale signs that you need a rest day? Here are my top 4 tips for when you need a rest day!

If you like what you read, go ahead and like my post and share it with your friends. If you have any suggestions, comments, or ideas you would like me to blog about in the future, feel free to leave a comment down below!

When I’ve Overdone it, What’s Happening?

As we discussed previously, everybody functions at a baseline activity level. If you operate at your “just right” level of activity and follow up with adequate rest, your body adapts by making stronger muscle fibers. But overdoing it by operating far above your baseline and increase your risk for injury. It’s important to remember that the amount of activity can be one event or several events over time, like 3 or 4 park days!

Don’t just pay attention to how much you’re walking! Things like sleep, fatigue, stress, hydration, diet, weather (especially the humidity and heat) alcohol consumption (I’m calling you out, Epcot Terrans), and smoking can lower your baseline! In addition to how much walking you’ve done, any one of these factors changes your body’s stress hormone levels, which can manifest itself as a variety of symptoms.

What Should I Look For?

If you’re overdoing it, you’ll experience one or more of these symptoms:

• Soreness that lasts more than 24 hours
• Feeling excessively drained or not feeling refreshed the morning after
• Agitation, anger, confusion, irritability, restlessness, 
• Mental fog or lack of concentration
• Lack of enthusiasm
• Excessive sweating or overheating (more than what you normally feel in the Florida heat)
• Significantly increased joint or muscle pain
• Difficulty sleeping (more than just the excitement for the next park day)
• Digestive issues: constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, increased thirst

When assessing these symptoms on their own, I’m sure you can think of other reasons they might show up. But if you’re experiencing more than one symptom we listed above? There’s a big chance you’ve overdone it.

Stopping it in its Tracks

There are a couple of easy ways to identify if you’ve overdone it. If you’ve got a smart watch, keep track of your resting heart rate, preferably in the morning when you’re well-rested (or at least, I assume you are). If you know your normal resting heart rate, compare that to your normal heart rate. If it’s 10 beats per minute higher than your normal, you probably overdid it the day before.

Another strategy is to monitor how hard you’re working by using the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale. On a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being easiest, 10 being hardest), how hard do you feel like you’re working? You can use this scale when walking around the park, navigating an incline (like going up to the monorail station at the TTC) or navigating stairs. Does walking down Main Street, USA feel like a 7 on the RPE scale? Does going up the stairs feel like an 8 when it normally feels like a 5? You might have overdone it.

How do I Prevent This in the Future?

Unless you know and understand what your body can handle, there’s no quick and easy way to figure this out. However, I’m under the impression that you read my previous blog and found your optimal level of activity. From there, you’ll understand what your body needs. Are you able to handle 2 days worth of walking the parks, or do you need a rest day in between? This will guide you in scheduling your rest days.

Regardless, here are some ideas of how to schedule your rest days. At the top of the flowchart is your average steps on any given day (not at the Disney parks). Use this as a rough guideline, not a strict one.

Of course, some of you might be strapped for time and need to do multiple park days in a row. That’s where the mid-day break comes in handy. And if you need ideas on how to do your recovery right at the end of a park day, check out my blog post on resting and recovering.

So there you have it – my top 4 tips for when you need a rest day. Remember, if you like what you read, go ahead and like my post and share it with your friends. If you have any suggestions, comments, or ideas you would like me to blog about in the future, feel free to leave a comment down below!

Remember, these are only suggestions. It’s always recommended that you speak to a medical professional about your particular situation before you travel.