Best treatment for tired park feet and sunburn?

[Jennasis]

The title says it all. Of course PREVENTION is the best treatment, and I think I've got my bases covered there, but what about when your tried and true methods fail and now you've got a wicked sunburn, blistered or aching feet?

Lay it on us...your best fix-it-so-it-doesn't-ruin-your-trip treatments!

 

[cruisingkat]

For aching feet and legs - we find that a dip in the pool (and hot tub if staying at a deluxe or moderate) before bed tends to relieve the aches so we can fall asleep. Next morning aches are gone.
Once in FL, I did get a severe sunburn (in fact ended up with sun poisoning - I fell asleep at the beach and family did not wake me) and found that cool damp towels draped over the sunburn helped but the relief was only temporary. There have been reports that water and milk soaked cool clothes can provide relief.

 

[Robin K]

We found that using a peppermint lotion or spray on tired feet and legs works!
Mom got the Avon brand spray last year but I know lots of other places carry it. We would go in the mornings to the park and come home around 2. Before returning to the park we would spray the peppermint on. It was refreshing and cooling. Plus had a nice smell that wasn't overpowering.
Good luck

 

[goofy4tink]

Swim in the pool to begin with. Then, lie with my legs/feet elevated for a bit, maybe with a nice cool facecloth on 'em.
For sunburn??? Disney/H2O has a great product...bought it the first time on a Disney cruise. It's blue....and on the expensive side, but it really helped my nasty sunburn. Dopey DISers all stood out in the sun, at 1:30..for an hour or so, up on the uppermost deck, just chatting away!! And of course, I burned horribly...before we even left port!!!

 

[bluezy]

Can't help with the sunburn, but here's what works for my tired feet at the end of a day. I use Dr. Scholl's peppermint lotion/cream and give myself a little foot massage. I've tried other peppermint lotions/creams, but for some reason, that one works best for me. I rub it on my feet whenever we get back to the room -- mid-day break and/or at night. I also take a tennis ball to roll out the muscles in my feet. I just put the ball on the floor and roll it around under my foot (does that make sense???). That does wonders for me. It stretches out the tight muscles. My other trick is to not wear the same pair of shoes every day. I bring two pairs of comfortable (to me) broken in walking/running shoes and switch off every other day. I always make sure those two pairs are different style/brand so that I'm not putting pressure on the same areas of my feet every day. I also bring a pair of sandals to wear when walking around the resort.

 

[MolonLabe]

For blisters, nothing beats moleskin. Obviously bringing something to clean and aseptically drain blisters is a must as well.

Last time we went everyone did great except my wife. She got some blisters on day one on one of her feet. I drained them that night and one need another drain in the AM. Mole skinned them up and after lunch put fresh moleskin on again. That night they were fine and on Morning three I put moleskin back on just to be safe.

Prevention is huge. Had my wife said something in the middle of day one, she could have mitigated the blisters. I'm guessing it was a bunched up sock. I had moleskin on me anyway.

I find new footware for everyone, broken in for 1-2 weeks, makes a week of walking so much easier.

Sunburn is 100% prevention. Last trip we went with the aerosol kind. Worked wonderfully. Easy to apply and doesn't really leave a bad film. We went with a very high SPF (maybe 45) and only applied it once on a few of the days. Two of the days we applied it again just to be safe, since we were sweating so much.

I did bring a thing of solarcane just in case as well as an aloe based lotion. Didn't need them though.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

Bring moleskin with you to PREVENT blisters. The stuff is awesome! To relieve tired, achy feet, put some drops of peppermint oil in some warm water. Feels amazing! There is also peppermint lotion or spray that does the trick too. Also a nice foot rub from the hubby helps everytime.

As far as sunburn goes, I know it's going to sound odd, but DIAPER RASH Ointment. The zinc oxide in it relieves the sunburn. Trust me! But if you don't have that, aloe gel works nicely.

 

[Gorechick]

For sunburn I use the green aloe Vera gel and after sun lotion from Hawaiian Tropic. There are generic brands too. Seems to soothe pretty well and the lotion nourishes the skin so it can heal.

 

[englishteacha]

Sunburn: aloe! I haven't gotten a sunburn at WDW, but I got a nasty burn at the beach when SPF 30 just wasn't enough. Even with 3 applications in 2 hours, I was horribly burned. Aloe, or a sunburn relief cream/gel/lotion with aloe helped so much. Drinking tons and tons of water helped, too. And make sure to wear lightweight clothes over the burn so you don't irritate it more. Take ibuprofen if you can. Now I make sure I have SPF 45+. I have never been burned when using the spray on sunblock (the kind you don't have to rub in), and I am very, very pale. It's a little more expensive but it's worth it.

For tired legs/feet: Rest, put them up, soak in water. And make sure you're wearing really comfortable, supportive shoes when you're touring.

 

[wehavesix]

I agree with the pool/spa followed with a peppermint foot cream or spray for achy legs and feet. Also, try to elevate them for a few minutes.

As for sunburn, as a naturally fair skinned red head, I have lots of experience with those! An aloe vera spray or gel with lidocaine helps with the initial pain. Wet, cold compresses help a little but have to be changed very frequently. I've even gone so far as to use an ice pack on really bad spots. Don't try using lotions or creams until the heat is pretty much gone from the burn. They tend to feel good for about 5 seconds then burn more than ever. Also, take some OTC pain reliever like acetaminophen or ibuprophen. I prefer ibuprophen because I think the anti inflammatory ingredient may help a bit.

Best advice, though, is keep covered, seek shade, and wear high SPF sunblock. Also remember that your scalp burns too so wear a hat and wear shades on your eyes. There is a connection between cataracts and sun damage to your eyes.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I use aloe for sunburns.

 

[KBoopaloo]

I try to avoid sunburn at all costs because I am so fair so I have no real remedies there.

But, for painful feet (without blisters), my newest remedy is to put them up on a pillow while I watch a little TV before bed in the resort and then I take 2 ibruprofen PM before I head off to sleep. It serves a dual purpose - helps me fall asleep in a strange place and relieves some of my foot inflammation. My feet and legs always feel better in the morning.

 

[Luv2CtheMouse]

Honestly, rest and plenty of water is the best remedy.

 

[Peaseblossom]

Soaking you feet in ice water for just a few minutes (that's usually all I can stand!) can do wonders - it quickly brings down inflammation, helps with aches, and of course, cools your feet down.

I did that after every long run when training for a marathon, and it really helped. I would say a few days in the parks is about on par with a 25-30km training run!

 

[KrazeeK120]

As you mentioned, the best remedy is prevention.

I am very, VERY fair (like, almost translucent), and I burn SUPER easily. I like the sport sunscreen that comes in the aerosol can. I think mine is SPF 75 or something. I just set it out with my facewash and other items I use in the morning and made it part of my morning routine while at WDW. That stuff lasts all day! I haven't ever had problems with sunburn while at WDW.

Now, you can't take this in your carry-on luggage if you're flying, so what I did was purchase a few travel sized tubes of regular sunscreen to take in my carry-on when I fly to use on my arrival afternoon.

Tip for avoiding tired feet/legs...intersperse seeing shows with running around to the rides. Get to the park at rope drop and do rides early before it gets really hot and then see shows or go back to your resort at the hottest part of the day. Your legs won't get as tired if you aren't overheated as well.

I know this wasn't exactly what you asked...but I hope it is helpful information anyway.

 

[DisneyLaLa]

Bodyglide is great for feet. Use it under sandal straps or on your heel. It stops the friction that causes irritation. It is also great for thighs, around bra straps, etc...

 

[phyllis1966]

For my tired, sore feet, I put a couple of inches of cold water in the bathtub, then add a few ice buckets-full of ice, then soak...ahhh, the relief! Then I elevate my feet and take some ibuprofen and I feel much better in no time.

As a PP said, I also bring 2 pair of broken-in sneakers and alternate them daily.

 

[buffettgirl]

Soaking you feet in ice water for just a few minutes (that's usually all I can stand!) can do wonders - it quickly brings down inflammation, helps with aches, and of course, cools your feet down.

I did that after every long run when training for a marathon, and it really helped. I would say a few days in the parks is about on par with a 25-30km training run!

For my tired, sore feet, I put a couple of inches of cold water in the bathtub, then add a few ice buckets-full of ice, then soak...ahhh, the relief! Then I elevate my feet and take some ibuprofen and I feel much better in no time.

As a PP said, I also bring 2 pair of broken-in sneakers and alternate them daily.

This is what I do. Just one or two buckets of ice from the ice machine and a tub of water and it makes a WORLD of difference before bed.

 

[tndisneyfan]

For sore, tired feet I will either take a dip in the pool or soak them in the tub for a while before bed. Moleskin of course for blisters. For sunburn we always take a lotion with aloe vera in it. It helps to cool the skin some. But honestly if it's a severe sunburn there's really not much you can do.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Lay it on us...your best fix-it-so-it-doesn't-ruin-your-trip treatments!

A spouse with willing and strong hands !