Preparing the ol' body for a Disney vacation

[masupo]

Look for the longer line at the store, helps prepare for standing in ride and slowly moving forward.

I didn't train before my last trip and boy did I regret it. This year I've started training now for my November trip. I've noticed that going to the mall on a busy weekend day is pretty good Disney training LOL. Lots of crowds, lines, strollers to dodge, standing and walking for long periods, carrying bags, etc.

In addition to taking long walks, I'm doing what I call "standing training". At WDW it's not just the walking that kills me - standing in lines hurts my feet and my back. I've started standing whenever I can at work and when I watch TV at home.

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

We usually go in mid/late October and don't do anything to prepare our 'ol bodies before the trip.

However, this year we are going in mid-August which will be much more hot & humid than we are used to in Disney. I guess we'll take more walks here at home (central Indiana) over the summer to prep ourselves. But I can see it now --- once we are in that Florida heat & humidity we'll be like "who were we kidding with those walks back at home??".

 

[CounselorX]

I haven't done anything special for previous trips, but we're going back for 2 weeks in a little over 3 months and I just bought a treadmill and am trying to fit in 30 minutes of jogging per day.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Nothing really I mean I work out harder to look better for pictures but otherwise I still got some energy in me to open and close a park

 

[cheshirecollector]

I really wish I'd done more walking before my trip. My last trip was the first where I had physical problems that affected my stamina, and a wheelchair/scooter wasn't an option. Rather than building up some strength, I just planned to take frequent rest breaks, and not do too much unnecessary walking.

However, I wasn't prepared for how much necessary walking there was. Just the walk from the buses to the entrance to the parks was a struggle after a while. Getting to World Showcase from Epcot's entrance was far worse. I wore myself out very quickly. It was my 10th trip there, but I just didn't remember how long it took to get from place to place.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Look for the longer line at the store, helps prepare for standing in ride and slowly moving forward.

Ha! I don't know that I can bring myself to do that.

But now you've got me thinking . . . maybe Wal Mart could start issuing some Fastpasses...

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

We are going for fourth of July. We have been walking after dinner as much as possible since April 1. I know it will never compare to what we will do on our trip but we call them Disney training walks and usually do 5-8 miles. At first my children grumped about it (2 thirteen year olds) but now they look forward to it. We have even gotten our neighbors into it. I do take Vitamin D daily and will continue.

I love how Disney can bring families together, even when they are not at the parks.

 

[Daisybell911]

I joined the gym last night and plan on dropping pounds and going heavy on the treadmill. I need all the help I can get!

 

[kmoore7]

We've always made a point of getting new sneakers for our trip. Give ourselves a couple weeks to break them in. Nothing like a new pair of sneakers for all that standing and walking.

I've walked 7 miles a day for the past 20 years- mailman- so a walk in the parks is no sweat.

The way the kids lug around book bags at school, the parks are fine.

Now DW is another story. She's got a lot of metal in one ankle, so.....we just kinda play it by ear when we get there. No running through the parks for her.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I get new shoes before a trip if necessary (Just bought a new pair today for our late May trip). So far having the energy for a trip has not been an issue for me. I am 50 years old and can go 4-5 days opening to closing in the parks, maybe an afternoon break thrown in there one day. I do walk 7000+ steps a day, which is a good start toward hiking around Disney

 

[jtowntoflorida]

The one thing that I do is make sure that I've broken in my feet to my Disney shoes. My running shoes don't cause issues, but my Disney sandals can, especially because at the times we go it's either before or after sandal season where we live. After spending the winter in boots and the the like, all my sandals can cause issues at the beginning of the season. We have a trip coming up in about 3 weeks, so I'm trying to wear my Disney sandals as much as possible right now.

 

[DisneyCAL]

Caffeine and a splash very cold water to the face around midday while at the parks! Before the park, walk walk walk some more. I bought a 30ounce water bottle and am drinking two of those or more everyday in order to make it a habit by the time my September trip comes around. I have a tendency to worry about my kids hydration and sunscreen and forget about myself.

 

[4under4]

Break in shoes; schedule afternoon breaks; take an NSAID as needed (I like Aleve because it's time released). And live off the natural adrenalin that comes with visiting Disney

 

[alvernon90]

In addition to taking long walks, I'm doing what I call "standing training".

This is an excellent idea, and one I need to start implementing as well. I've been walking on the treadmill and lifting weights to get in shape for an October trip. (I've lost about 70 pounds but I hope to lose another 35 before the trip.) I am feeling much better, but I still don't know how I'll do with all the standing. Gotta give it a try and start increasing that stamina.

take an NSAID as needed (I like Aleve because it's time released)

Especially for heavy people, reducing the swelling in your feet is key because the problem keeps feeding itself. In addition to over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs, another great idea is to soak your feet in cold water at the end of each park day. Fill the tub ankle deep with cold water and thrown in a bucket of ice, then sit on the edge of the tub and soak your feet for 5-10 minutes, the longer the better. Then lie on your bed with your feet up in the air against the wall for 10 minutes. It won't exactly be comfortable but I tried this and I was truly amazed at how much it helped.

 

[mshanson3121]

We are going for fourth of July. We have been walking after dinner as much as possible since April 1. I know it will never compare to what we will do on our trip but we call them Disney training walks and usually do 5-8 miles. At first my children grumped about it (2 thirteen year olds) but now they look forward to it. We have even gotten our neighbors into it. I do take Vitamin D daily and will continue.

Curious why the Vitamin D as a Disney prep?

 

[Glittercat]

Months before WDW last time we started walking everywhere with the kids, well I wheeled. Strength, stamina, and patience are all needed at Disney to keep it an enjoyable trip. We did 5-7 miles per day walking/rolling, and will do similar for this trip. We're not really used to heat though so I'm a bit unsure how to prepare for that part of it.

 

[Dentam]

This is an excellent idea, and one I need to start implementing as well. I've been walking on the treadmill and lifting weights to get in shape for an October trip. (I've lost about 70 pounds but I hope to lose another 35 before the trip.) I am feeling much better, but I still don't know how I'll do with all the standing. Gotta give it a try and start increasing that stamina.

Wow, great job - congrats on losing 70 lbs already!!

Especially for heavy people, reducing the swelling in your feet is key because the problem keeps feeding itself. In addition to over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs, another great idea is to soak your feet in cold water at the end of each park day. Fill the tub ankle deep with cold water and thrown in a bucket of ice, then sit on the edge of the tub and soak your feet for 5-10 minutes, the longer the better. Then lie on your bed with your feet up in the air against the wall for 10 minutes. It won't exactly be comfortable but I tried this and I was truly amazed at how much it helped.

That's a great tip, I'll have to keep it in mind for our trip!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Do you do anything to prepare yourself physically for a trip to WDW?

I just realized that I have pretty much scheduled myself to be going from 6:30 am until midnight just about every day of our trip. When I was younger, this was no problem. Now, however, I suppose The Old Gray Mare- She Ain't What She Used to Be.

What do you do to get yourself ready to go go go from sunup 'til well after sundown, walking miles and miles every day?

-take multi-vitamins daily
-additional vitamin D
- work out at gym at least 3 days per week
- daily walks

What else?

Stretching

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Curious why the Vitamin D as a Disney prep?

My doc recently recommended vitamin D for fatigue. She said there is increasingly more research citing D deficiency as a cause of fatigue.

 

[mjallemand]

You know, I was thinking of this recently. I didn't have any trouble with blisters or walking during the last two trips, but I'll definitely want to start taking some vitamins before the trip...and I usually get a flu shot anyway, so I should be okay for that.