I'm Back! What worked, what didnt, what I wished I had

[bobcat]

Great post! you reminded me of a couple of things I still need to buy for our trip NEXT WEEK!!!

 

[Hef4545]

Good honest posting.
Thank you.

The only thing about umbrellas that worry me in Florida is their electrical storms but I guess they are not good to be out in Ponchos in either.

 

[gems_smiling]

Thanks for the tips. I think im going to try every pair of sock on i have to make sure they will be ok and get different ones if needed.

 

[Naisy68]

Ha! I was reading through these and thinking to myself... Wow! we must really be Disney fans to put ourselves though this. I know that physically, my first trip to Disney in 2000 was hard on me. We always go in the summer as I am a teacher so I can't escape the heat and humidity. However, I get sick in extreme heat so I dealt with that THEN, I had blisters on my blisters and had to soak my feet every night. I was achy and sore a lot. However, we had a fantastic vacation and we keep going back. Now we have some pretty fabulous ideas to make it all better or at least easier which I always get right here on the DIS. Thanks to all!! Thanks for making me smile too!!

 

[littleladykaty]

THANK YOU!!! What a very comprehensive list!!! I'll be sure to take notes!! Glad you had a good time!!!

 

[buckeye]

I would add that it is important to bring several pairs of shoes---even if you have a pair that you are sure won't give you blisters. One June we went and it rained (poured) everyday, so first our sneakers got wet, then our leather sandals, then we were wearing flip flops that we could towel dry.

 

[tracys2cents]

Try to find UNSCENTED solid anti persperant. The scents sometimes cause my son to get a rash, especially in the heat. Before we go, I do most of my washings in fragrance-free and clear sensitive skin Arm & Hammer laundry detergent, because other detergents seem to give some of us a rash around the waist in hot weather.

I've seen my husband rubbing anti-persperant on the tops of his feet...not sure if this helps. My son wears two pairs of thin socks and takes one of them off about 2 hours into the day. He thinks this prevents blisters and I must say he hasn't gotten many. My daughter and I simply do a change-of-socks in the middle of the day and use an alcohol wipe on the feet while we're changing our socks. This however, means you need to bring an awfully lot of socks with you..and a ziploc to hold the dirty ones all day.

I've heard some people say they don't use "anti perspirant" at all. a little "deodorant" yes, but the anti-perspirant is not going to keep you dry in summer at disney world so why bother. Sweating is the way your body cools itself off so why try to prevent the sweating, right?

 

[Donald is #1]

Two things I never go to WDW without-a small personal fan and an umbrella. Go to dollar tree and pick up the flat ones. They fit great in bags and if you loose it, well you've only lost a dollar. I hate ponchos. I'm going to be getting some golf balls and Ben Gay. I'm trying to get used to my Crocs, but I'm not sure they are going to work. They hurt the bottoms of my feet. I've been thinking about trying the NB. I've tried Nike's and Reeboks, but my feet still hurt. I've gotten to where my feet get very hot in sneakers. Any other ideas about keeping your feet cool?

Debbie, my suggestion is that you get NB (or similar, I like NB) that have some mesh in them along the sides of the shoes. I have found that although all leather sneakers look great, they are way too hot for me even here in NH. I can't image wearing them in Florida. Currently I am using NB 505 walking shoes. These sneakers are a combination of leather & mesh so that I can get some air flow near my feet. Since I also have plantar fasciitis, I always have inserts in my sneakers.

Abbie, even though my trip is in october (3 months away), I went out today and bought the Ben Gay that you suggested and golf balls. Oh well, I guess that I am truly addicted!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

My New Balance are 574 Walking, but they are all leather. They were fine on our January trip, but I am thinking maybe not for August. I'll bring them, but I may not wear them. I have Easy Spirit walking shoes that are open in the back and have mesh around the sides - those are great!

I don't know if I am up for all the sweating! I just packed today and I made sure everybody has 2 complete outfits for each day. I can't stand to get wet so we are bringing ponchos and umbrellas. Of course if I am already drenched from sweating maybe I won't care if I get rained on!

 

[Jennick]

Moleskin is another great item to pack. We tried it for the first time this year when hubby's feet were starting to hurt. He had instant relief. Another product we took along was bodyglide. My daughter and I wore skirts to the park one day and both ended up with a bad case of "chub rub" (you know , when your inner thighs rub together?) We honestly were walking around trying to keep are legs as far apart as we could as not to feel the pain, can't imagine what that looked like to other people . So when we got back to the hotel for a break we rubbed the body glide on. Amazing what relief that made. Great product!
Also, being a larger gal myself I have a hard time finding comfortable shoes. Especially since I also need a wide width. I ordered a pair of tennis made by "Propet" from QVC. I didn't have a problem all week, best money I ever spent and they were under $40.

 

[DebbieTN]

Donald is #1-Thanks for the suggestion about the NB 505's. I'll have to check them out.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I'm on my feet walking all day at work and nothing cushions my feet better than New Balance crosstrainers. I would try the running shoes too if you like something a little lighter. I've tried lots of walking shoes over the years and they just don't have the cushioned sole like the crosstrainers. I've never thought my feet to be wide but after accidentally trying on wide-width sneakers, I found they're so much more comfy with room for feet to spread out. We've done 8 trips to WDW with rarely a day to rest and most days we open and close the parks. (yes, dh is psycho!) I guess I am too I've never had a blister on vacation until we went on a cruise and brought dressy sandals.

One thing I noticed in so many posts is that people went out to buy new shoes, new socks, new sandals etc. for their trip. Forget the new stuff! If you must, wear them a lot for about 1 month before your trip. Save the pretty stuff for going out to dinner. Walking for miles in WDW is not the time to discover that your new sandals give you blisters, or your new no-show socks slide down off your heel. Bring your tried and true stuff and you'll feel fine.

 

[disneyfan61]

Debbie, my suggestion is that you get NB (or similar, I like NB) that have some mesh in them along the sides of the shoes. I have found that although all leather sneakers look great, they are way too hot for me even here in NH. I can't image wearing them in Florida. Currently I am using NB 505 walking shoes. These sneakers are a combination of leather & mesh so that I can get some air flow near my feet. Since I also have plantar fasciitis, I always have inserts in my sneakers.

Abbie, even though my trip is in october (3 months away), I went out today and bought the Ben Gay that you suggested and golf balls. Oh well, I guess that I am truly addicted!

Hey Donald is #1-Glad to see someone from NH!!! I'm also in NH (Rochester).

 

[Poohbear123]

I'm on my feet walking all day at work and nothing cushions my feet better than New Balance crosstrainers. I would try the running shoes too if you like something a little lighter. I've tried lots of walking shoes over the years and they just don't have the cushioned sole like the crosstrainers. I've never thought my feet to be wide but after accidentally trying on wide-width sneakers, I found they're so much more comfy with room for feet to spread out. We've done 8 trips to WDW with rarely a day to rest and most days we open and close the parks. (yes, dh is psycho!) I guess I am too I've never had a blister on vacation until we went on a cruise and brought dressy sandals.

One thing I noticed in so many posts is that people went out to buy new shoes, new socks, new sandals etc. for their trip. Forget the new stuff! If you must, wear them a lot for about 1 month before your trip. Save the pretty stuff for going out to dinner. Walking for miles in WDW is not the time to discover that your new sandals give you blisters, or your new no-show socks slide down off your heel. Bring your tried and true stuff and you'll feel fine.

Yep, New Balance are the best, I wear a Size 8.5 wide and have Plenty of room for my toes!

 

[monymony3471]

Very good tips. Glad you had a great time.

Looking forward to the trip report.

There's nothing worse in my book than sore feet. I have had my crocs for 2 years and they are so broken in. I wear them everywhere all year round.!

 

[Donald is #1]

Hey Donald is #1-Glad to see someone from NH!!! I'm also in NH (Rochester).

Hi Disneyfan! Great to meet another person from NH!

 

[lurontravel]

You all are cracking me up !!! I live in FL and wear leather sneakers year round, with socks. I guess I've adapted after living in FL for over 3 decades. I think that the key to staying comfortable in our weather is to be prepared to be a bit sweaty, and drink lots and lots and lots of water all day. If you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated and need to rehydrate so that you can perspire to keep your body cooler. It takes humans about 3 days to recover from dehydration.

Take advantage of the shade when sitting down to watch a parade, and you are staking out your spot an hour or more in advance.

Also, for those who want to be "light" packers, consider changing into "tomorrow's clothes" when you go back to the room in the afternoon and shower before going out in the evening. The evenings are a bit cooler, and I don't find that I get at all sweaty, and can easily recycle the outfit for the next day when you know you'll start sweating within a few minutes of being outside.

 

[bopper]

We used the Body Glide to help prevent blisters.
I too used Advil, but some NSAIDS like Advil can make some people like me photosensitive so after an afternoon of Water Mice, I broke out everywhere the sun touched!

 

[mum of two pirates]

love the tips. Next time we go to the lake I will bring home a few of the golf balls that float by our dock. (a golf pro ownes nwxt to us and putts floating ones all the time.)

 

[Mickey-4-Me]

My daughter and I wore skirts to the park one day and both ended up with a bad case of "chub rub" (you know , when your inner thighs rub together?)

I'll have to try the Bodyglide. This would sometimes happen to me and I found a solution - I wear my husband's boxer briefs when I wear a skirt for any length of time. They come down just far enough to prevent the skin to skin contact that causes the burn. I haven't had a problem since - except my husband thinks it is gross when I wear his undies. (He'll get over it! )