Fitbit or Pedometer Readings? Post them here!

[Skywise]

Nike fuel band
For Dec. 30 - 19000 steps combined for Epcot in the morning/afternoon and MK that night.
Averaged about 15000 steps the other days but I really only did about "half" days.

 

[IndyRnRfan]

Step counts may be correct, but the step/mile calculations are completely wrong in congested places like this. You take much shorter strides, and you shuffle your feet when in ride queues. Keep that in mind if you are using an app like myfitnesspal to calculate calories burned to set your calorie intake goals each day.

You are correct in that you are not actually walking an exact mile in congested areas but you are still walking the mile. These things are calculated using an average of how many steps it takes an average person to walk 1 mile. If you stand in your basement and jog/walk in place for 15 minutes you aren't walking or jogging the actual mile but technically you are according to your step count. Whether you are actually walking or walking in place you are still burning calories when you pick your feet up and down. Your body doesn't know if it moves the actual 1600 meters or 5 meters as long as the steps are the same number.

 

[tchrrx]

Thanks to this post, I walked 20,000 steps yesterday! Every time I thought about stopping, I would remind myself of how much walking a Disney trip takes, and I'd go a little longer. If I keep this up, I'll definitely be ready for my summer trip!

 

[2manypets]

These numbers are the reason I'm using the treadmill now. My top number is around 20k and I had to eat chocolate to revive myself!

 

[Eastern]

We averaged between 15,000 and 20,000 at MK and Epcot. The 20k day really killed me. Had to take some motrin after that.

 

[cckp72]

Thanks to this post, I walked 20,000 steps yesterday! Every time I thought about stopping, I would remind myself of how much walking a Disney trip takes, and I'd go a little longer. If I keep this up, I'll definitely be ready for my summer trip!

Way to go!!!!

 

[ChelleFeegan]

On average I do between 15000 - 20000 a day, so by the time I go in August I should be "fit" enough. But short of doing my steps in a steam room - nothing is going to prepare me for that glorious humidity.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

You are correct in that you are not actually walking an exact mile in congested areas but you are still walking the mile. These things are calculated using an average of how many steps it takes an average person to walk 1 mile. If you stand in your basement and jog/walk in place for 15 minutes you aren't walking or jogging the actual mile but technically you are according to your step count. Whether you are actually walking or walking in place you are still burning calories when you pick your feet up and down. Your body doesn't know if it moves the actual 1600 meters or 5 meters as long as the steps are the same number.

This is just wrong. You burn almost no calories standing around shuffling along ride queues, but the steps add up quickly for that type of activity. You burn about 100-150 calories/mile when actively walking or running (depends on your weight). Huge difference.

I am cautioning people against the perceived caloric burn. If you believe that you have walked 12 miles and burned an additional 1200-1800 calories for so doing when you have only walked 6 miles and burned 600-900 calories, you could find the scale tipping in the wrong direction at the end of a trip. I know a lot of people who vacation at WDW and gain weight believing that they are walking more than they really are and eating accordingly.

 

[HockeyMomNH]

My highest fitbit count ever was 40,787 on Aug 28 2013. It was a four park day!

 

[IndyRnRfan]

This is just wrong. You burn almost no calories standing around shuffling along ride queues, but the steps add up quickly for that type of activity. You burn about 100-150 calories/mile when actively walking or running (depends on your weight). Huge difference.

I am cautioning people against the perceived caloric burn. If you believe that you have walked 12 miles and burned an additional 1200-1800 calories for so doing when you have only walked 6 miles and burned 600-900 calories, you could find the scale tipping in the wrong direction at the end of a trip. I know a lot of people who vacation at WDW and gain weight believing that they are walking more than they really are and eating accordingly.

I see, you are referring to them counting the steps in the lines. I didn't pick up on that right away. That would be interesting to see how many steps or shuffling you do while standing in line only? I don't think it would be half but I bet at least 1/4 to 1/3 of your steps would be unless you don't do rides. I guess it would also depend on what time of the year you went also. Busy times would add up quickly, not so busy, not as much.

 

[SnackCredit]

I always carry my 3DS around for Streetpass tags, but it also has a built-in pedometer. Remind me to write down my steps in a couple weeks...

 

[dizzneebabe]

I don't have the exact step counts, but every time we are there we average 9-12 miles per day. There have been a couple of times when we hit 15, but that is usually when we added a walk to/from DTD from SSR at the end of the day!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I see, you are referring to them counting the steps in the lines. I didn't pick up on that right away. That would be interesting to see how many steps or shuffling you do while standing in line only? I don't think it would be half but I bet at least 1/4 to 1/3 of your steps would be unless you don't do rides. I guess it would also depend on what time of the year you went also. Busy times would add up quickly, not so busy, not as much.

Agreed, and different pedometers register steps differently. The really good ones say that they do not register shuffles. I use my Garmin, but it is useless for measuring steps in buildings. I average about 6 miles/day when in WDW without including the walking within buildings, and we are a very "active" touring family. Some people say that they are walking 12-15 miles each day. I just don't see that as likely.

Also, I was reading somewhere that your stride length is much shorter when walking in crowds. If the steps/mile calculation is not adjusted for this, it could also lead to an overestimation of distance walked.

The bottom line - most folks are tired and achy after a day in WDW because of the long day on their feet on hard surfaces, not because of the distance walked.

 

[IndyRnRfan]

Agreed, and different pedometers register steps differently. The really good ones say that they do not register shuffles. I use my Garmin, but it is useless for measuring steps in buildings. I average about 6 miles/day when in WDW without including the walking within buildings, and we are a very "active" touring family. Some people say that they are walking 12-15 miles each day. I just don't see that as likely.

Also, I was reading somewhere that your stride length is much shorter when walking in crowds. If the steps/mile calculation is not adjusted for this, it could also lead to an overestimation of distance walked.

The bottom line - most folks are tired and achy after a day in WDW because of the long day on their feet on hard surfaces, not because of the distance walked.

Very good points. This would be a neat experiment to conduct if it were possible to do so and then see the comparisons from the two groups.

 

[GC&S]

I lost my fitbit the second day of our Thanksgiving vacation this year. So bummed. But last year we walked from Hollywood Studios to LeCelliers at Epcot and I think I did 90,000 steps that time. It was a looooonnnnggg walk. But I got lots of fitbit badges!!

 

[Belle61513]

DH and I have always tried to guess "about how many miles did we walk today" when we're laying in bed resting our ACHING feet. We got Fitbits for Xmas and I CANNOT WAIT to get the step counts during our trip in May!!

 

[srauseo]

Thursday, August 14 at Magic Kingdom: 23,901 steps

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

Agreed, and different pedometers register steps differently. The really good ones say that they do not register shuffles. I use my Garmin, but it is useless for measuring steps in buildings. I average about 6 miles/day when in WDW without including the walking within buildings, and we are a very "active" touring family. Some people say that they are walking 12-15 miles each day. I just don't see that as likely.

Also, I was reading somewhere that your stride length is much shorter when walking in crowds. If the steps/mile calculation is not adjusted for this, it could also lead to an overestimation of distance walked.

The bottom line - most folks are tired and achy after a day in WDW because of the long day on their feet on hard surfaces, not because of the distance walked.

we tried to compensate for this - we told the pedometer that DH was 5'6" - he's actually 5'10" we figured that it would even out with his normal stride (being longer than the pedometer thinks it is) and the shorter steps you take in a line / crowd. Also we checked it getting onto the safari truck and getting off of it and there was little to no difference in steps taken (so it didn't read the bumps as steps (which is great IMO).

 

[BuckeyeBama]

we tried to compensate for this - we told the pedometer that DH was 5'6" - he's actually 5'10" we figured that it would even out with his normal stride (being longer than the pedometer thinks it is) and the shorter steps you take in a line / crowd. Also we checked it getting onto the safari truck and getting off of it and there was little to no difference in steps taken (so it didn't read the bumps as steps (which is great IMO).

I think that this is about the best that you can do.

 

[tehvalerie]

I hit 44,918 steps the day of the half marathon last January. So 13.1 miles running plus walking around Epcot and MK for the rest of the day. I wish I'd had a fitbit the year we did the full! I kind of regret not walking up and down the length of our hotel to get that 45k badge. But generally speaking, I'm always between 20-25k steps per day when we're at WDW.