Preparing for walking with kids

[Loritlc3]

I have read a lot of posts concerning preparing self and kids for walking at Disney prior to trip. I am interedted in hearing details from someone who has done it along with tips. Such as how far in adaance of trip did you start. Did you walk everyday? How far each day? And did it help?

I have a 5 and 7 year old and am curious as to what you have done with the kids.

Thanks
Lori

 

[RMulieri]

My 4 yr old did this last year starting about 6 months BEFORE our trip and as a result...NO STROLLER. We started daily walks.We started with 1/4 mile and each week increased our pace and distance,by Disney time we were walking 5 miles/day or more. I would take the car( in advance) to measure off the mile markers ( you may not have to if you have a walking path nearby).It totally works.On most days she outpaced us and was able to keep it up for 10 hr park days.We would stop if we needed to.But rarely. She was a trooper and I was SO proud of her.We are already in training for our December trip!

 

[timzagain]

I have read a lot of posts concerning preparing self and kids for walking at Disney prior to trip. I am interedted in hearing details from someone who has done it along with tips. Such as how far in adaance of trip did you start. Did you walk everyday? How far each day? And did it help?

I have a 5 and 7 year old and am curious as to what you have done with the kids.

Thanks
Lori

Our kids are quite a bit older, and are pretty active (swimming etc) However, we encouraged them to start walking a few months before our trip and we didn't have any issues. Had we not done that, I can tell you that the girls would have caved!

I didn't do enough pre-trip walking in preparation for the 2007 trip, and suffered dearly for that mistake - migraines, heat exhaustion etc - it was AWFUL! For 2008, I stepped up my walking program a few months in advance, increasing the duration and/ or speed of the walks, and deliberately walking when the sun was at its hottest! It made the world of difference!

 

[mwatson011]

We went in Jan, and it was a walking disaster for the kiddos! (mind you they had just turned 2 and 3 at the time) We are going back in December, and this time, my dd2, dd3 and I started walking last week, 1/2 mile, at their pace. We are about to increase to 3/4 mile, but we go nearly every day and plan to do this until our trip so we won't have to carry them so much. Of course we will have a stroller, but a lot of times we park it at the front of a land and walk the land, makes it less cumbersome that way. They are excited to walk every day, because they know it is for Disney training