Secrets to fighting fatigue

[disneygirl1972]

Just wondering if anyone has a "secret weapon" they use in fighting fatigue while commando touring the world. It's our big family vacation (7 of us) & I want to make the most of it. Any vitamins or such? Thanks

[Deb & Bill]

Go when the park opens and leave about four or five hours later. Return to your resort for a nap or a swim. Then head back to the parks about 5PM or so. If you try to go from park opening to park closing, you are going to wear yourself and your kids out. And everyone will have a lousy time.

I just saw you are going at Christmas time. Crowds will be horrendous and you will need the breaks. Unless you consider standing in line for 2 hours a break.

[monkeymonk]

Same as regular life - eat a balanced diet (or take a multivitamin), get enough sleep, drink water.

For a vacation, another excellent idea is to get enough sleep the night before you leave and get to bed early the night you arrive.

[vicki_c]

Take breaks in the afternoon.

[neonurse]

We do a park day (9am till dinner) and then the next day lazy day or a late day where we are going late afternoon to be there for evening shows. I think the most important advise I can give you is to listen to your kids. If they are tired and are more interested in going back for a swim then go. It won't be any fun when they are losing it and you are dragging them around. I found it hard not to want to do it all and see it all. I was floored when my youngest wanted to leave and go swimming...what was he thinking...we are in disney. I wish I had listened to him. THis was our first trip. Now I am older and wiser!! Kids don't like COMMANDO! I let them set the pace and its much better. We are going on trip #6 next month.

Another peice of advise...Stay healthy. Frequent handwashing and using hand sanitizer. Almost everytrip someone gets sick.

[sharibrat]

Surely you jest!

Disney is one of the most exhausting vacations I know! It's just part of it!

[JeanfromBNA]

Honestly? Besides plenty of sleep and good food, start everybody's cardio training now. I have read that the average distance that you walk in the parks varies from six to eight miles per day. Start walking at home several times per week for fifteen minutes and gradually increase both the time and the pace.

My DH and I are both physically active at work and during our free time, and we went to WDW with our friends last year who spend lots of time in the car and behind a desk. They aren't really out of shape; they just don't move much. They were seriously exhasted after about five or six hours of touring (with afternoon breaks). DH and I were tired at the end of the day, but not fatigued. We were ready to go the next day after a good night's sleep, and our friends were dragging themselves out of bed.

Failing that, then follow the advice to not do commando touring, and take lots of breaks during the day.

[Millie12591]

My suggestions would be to find as many sitting experiences as possible.
In other words if you know that your going to wait in a long line for a ride, is it a ride that will give you a good reprieve from being on your feet, if not and you know that your starting to wear down a little, it's always good to make sure your next move would be to see a show where your sitting or having a snack or something involving being off your feet for a little while.
I'm a heavy set gal....getting time off my feet was precious when I could find it, going commando is very wearing on this body so even a 5-10 minute sit was like heaven to me. I did NOT want to hold anyone back from going and doing what everyone wanted to do because of my weight...including myself, so lots of minnie breaks off my feet (that looked like it was part of the plan) made a HUGE difference for me, (of course I never let anyone know that's what I was doing because I didn't want anyone to feel like they had to slow down for me) also you have to have a laid back day in between a couple of days of going commando, especially if you want everyone to remain in a good mood for the remainder of the trip.
Hope this helps.

[Dollyrar]

Sleep?!? Bah! I'm at Disney, I can always sleep back at my desk in work!

[tkgdisney]

On the travel day, we always find it helpful to take a nap as soon as we reach the room, unpack, lunch, nap. Then we are ready to go from that point on. We found that if we were exhausted from day one, we never catch up. For some reason, flights tire us.

[Sora1978]

If you don't exercise regularly I think the best thing to do is to try to gradually increase the amount of walking you do every day leading up to your trip. I would also recommend trying a yoga for beginners class or DVD. We are in good enough shape that we don't get too tired walking around the parks, but my hamstrings, calves, and quads are still sore at night. Doing stretches in the morning before going out to the parks and before you turn in at night can really help your recovery time.

[Rudegrle]

*B-12 - great for natural energy.
*Hydrate - even if it's not "Hot"

Those are my 2 biggies. I also eat small healthy snacks throughout the day, try to avoid big meals, and ALWAYS eat breakfast. I usually start with 20g of protein and a banana when in the world, oh and a nice big cup of WDW's "tasty" coffee.

I'm super active and never have a problem when touring the world, but we took the in-laws one year and I swear we stopped every 100 ft. They drank soda instead of water and filled up on salty popcorn and processed crap which turned them into slugs. You are what you eat lol. But it's true.

[mickeyluv'r]

I agree with posts #10 and #11. If we have a very early flight we nap once we get our room. Mostly we don't take regular afternoon breaks, but if we are very tired after our arrival then we nap. It's one more reason why I try to keep the first day pretty open.

I also think walking every day before you go is important. It proably goes without saying that if you are carrying an extra 50 or 100lbs or more you'll feel it. Walk around the mall with a 30 lb backpack fora few hours and then you'll get a sense of what that extra weight is doing to your energy levels.
Losing weight is hard, getting started is hard, but the results are worthwhile.

Alternate shoes. Bring two pairs of comfy walking shoes. Quality sneakers and at least for women - quality sandals. (I like Ecco or Clarks) Men should bring two pairs of shoes too. Crocs, if you can tolerate them, are also great park gear. They are great on rainy days.

If your feet hurt at night - soak them for a few minutes. Either hop in the resort hot tub or soak them in your resort room bathtub. It will do wonders.

It's also important to drink plenty of water. I really think it helps keep us from getting sick. Dehydration will make you feel lousy - and it sneaks up on you without you realizing it. I try to stay away from soda.

One more thing- the whole cycle of eating carbs - especially high gylcemic carbs (high fructose corn syrup, potato, white flour) gives you an carb burst then a crash. Whiel I love some carbs at WDW - starting your day with proteins (eggs) and whole fruits will give you more even energy. Some folks react much more strongly to high glycemic foods than others do. If you do eat high glycemic foods, try to have them as desserts (i.e. with other foods), at night (so when you crash you are in bed), and/or with lots of water to minimize the effect. Subtle choices i what you eat can have an important effect. WDW has gotten much worse in recent years in the kind of offerings that have. They have far fewer veggies/fruits now. You really have to add them to your meals! (i.e. pay extra)

[Bete]

Do get in better shape with the walking part of it by doing more walking at home with everyone. If you are in a different time zone start adjusting yourself at home before you leave; so, your biological clock will be on Disney's time frame. I would do this a week beforehand. Have all your packing done at least 3 days before you go. Get more sleep before you go and relax more, too.

Keep everyone interested in the park by taking turns with choices of what to do. If you include everyone in the decision making process then usually everyone wants to stay longer. Using rewards can help keep everyone in the parks longer, too. Alternate between long waits on rides with shows were you can sit for a while. Do the same with your eating. When you feel kind of tired then rest by getting a bite to eat. Snacks can help, too for a rest. Don't backtrack in the parks; it wastes time. If you are a planner coordinate what you want to do in the order of park flow.

Taking advantage of EMHs in the morning really helps the day be more productive and it usually means you can take it a little more easy as the day continues.

Be aware of the signals to go back and take a nap or swim. Mood changes, etc. will tell you it's time for a break.

[Pecobill]

Energy drinks or shots work wonders.