Taking care of your body while on vacation is no easy task. In my prior post, we discussed getting your body in tip-top shape for your next Disney trip.

Let’s say you’ve done the work to shape up for your next trip. You’ve arrived at the Most Magical Place on Earth. Now what? As easy as it can be to forget all you hard work and live fun and fancy free, there are some easy strategies you can employ to keep your body happy. Here are my top 4 tips to keep your body healthy while in the Disney parks. My last tip might shock you!

1. Keep up a Few of Your Daily Rituals

One fantastic way to keep your body healthy is to maintain your most important daily rituals. We are certainly creatures of habit. The beauty of keeping a few of your daily rituals while on vacation is that it saves you mental energy that can be used while you’re enjoying yourself in the park. 

Personally, my most important daily rituals are what I do to both start and finish my day – something I picked up from Darren Hardy’s The Compound Effect. I wake up at 6am, have a cup of coffee, and then go for a quick workout before heading to the parks (yes, for rope drop). At the end of the day, I make an effort to put down my phone at least 30 minutes before bed time and read a book. 

The reasoning behind this is that you tend to have the most control over how your day begins and ends. If your daily plans go awry (which can happen a lot!), you can at least rest assured that you started and finished your day the way you like. So, take note of what your daily rituals are. Whatever they may be, try to incorporate some of those rituals while you are on your trip.

2. Wear Comfortable Shoes

Guests tend to walk an average of 21,000 steps at the Disney parks. That is a lot of time on your feet. Therefore, you’ll need a reliable pair of shoes that fit well, are comfortable, and provide good support. Believe it or not, wearing shoes that don’t check these boxes won’t affect just your feet; they will affect the nearby joints too. This can leave your ankles, knees, hips, and low back at a higher risk for injury. 

Don’t forget to consider is how your shoes handle wet weather. This is especially important for Walt Disney World guests, where the Central Florida weather can be unpredictable. While you can certainly buy water proof or water resistant shoes, one strategy that I’ve found helpful is using water proofing spray, which helps for light rain. Some guests even bring a set of sandals when they know that rain is in the forecast. Having a pair stowed in your bag allows for a quick change when the weather takes a turn. 

A note on new shoes: Make sure that you’ve also broken in your new shoes before going to the parks. About 3-4 weeks of walking around in your new shoes should do the trick. This will ensure that your feet are used to your new kicks and will reduce the risk of developing blisters.

Don’t forget about a good pair of socks! A pair of moisture wicking socks will keep your feet happy and allow your feet to dry quickly if they get a little wet. And if they get too wet, it will be useful to stow an extra pair in your bag, just in case.

Speaking of which, sometimes blisters are unavoidable. When that’s the case, some blister tape or body glide will come in handy. The last thing you want is to be struggling for the rest of the week because your blister opened up!

3. Warm up for the Park

A good warm-up will get your joints, muscles, and tendons ready for everything you do at the parks. It will also get your body ready for any unexpected movements you may have to perform. While walking is the most common (and obvious) movement guests perform at the Disney parks, there is a variety of movements repeated throughout the day that guests don’t usually think of. Don’t forget about these movements:

• Bending over to pick up trash off the ground
• Standing on your tip-toes to get a good view of the fireworks
• Walking up and down steps to get into show buildings or attractions
• Squatting to put your child into their stroller
• Lifting your child onto your shoulders

These just name a few. Your body should be ready to do any one of these movements at a moment’s notice. Therefore, a proper warm up will help!

Just like how endurance athletes have a structured warm-up before their workouts, your body should be ready for whatever “movement surprises” may greet you throughout a park day. In a future post, I’ll go in-depth into what to consider when doing a warm-up, what to perform for an effective warm-up, and when you should perform a warm-up. 

4. Take Breaks and Vary the Way You Move

My advice to take frequent breaks may not come as a shocker to guests who frequent the Disney parks. Taking breaks allow your body to rest and recuperate just enough to finish the day strong. It also reduces the risk of injury. 

The frequency of breaks will differ between guests. Those who are more fit might be able to go longer without taking breaks, whereas those who aren’t as fit (or are nursing an injury) might need more frequent breaks. Whatever the case, listen to your body. It will signal you to rest when it needed.

My final tip for you might be unconventional: Vary the way you move. One of the most common ways to injure yourself is to perform the same task over and over again. “Repetitive strain injuries” explains why workers who spend 8-10 hours/day at the computer develop a hand injury like carpal tunnel syndrome. This repetitive movement over time loads the joints. And when the joints can no longer handle that load, injury occurs. So what can you do to change things up?

• Try taking shorter or longer steps to switch up your walking pattern
• Try wearing your crossbody bag on your other shoulder to offload the shoulder you prefer
• When you’re stuck in a long attraction queue, try doing some heel raises or stretch out your calves, quads, or hamstrings
• Try switching up your posture a few times
• If you bend at the waist to pick up your bag from the ground, try squatting instead (or vice versa). 

So there you have it – my top 4 tips to keep your body physically healthy while in the Disney parks. 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. While I am a practicing physical therapist, it’s always recommended that you speak to a medical professional who knows your particular situation before you travel.