A Disney vacation is unlike any other trip that you’ve taken in the past, especially when you start looking at the ways that your body and mind can be affected by the elements.
Here are some tips that you could use to prepare your body for a trip to Orlando’s world-class theme parks, including training ideas and when you should start adapting your routines.
Tips to Physically Survive a Disney World Vacation
I feel like we can be honest, as this website is filled with my personal opinions after working at AND visiting the Walt Disney World resort for more than 25% of my life. There are things that are just common-sense for me and others who spend a lot of time in Orlando, but be that it may be your first time to WDW…why not learn from my mistakes? 😉
Here’s a few things to realize before we get into the tips:
- Orlando is Hot and Humid
- Eating Patterns will change
- People of different ages will respond differently to the change in daily tasks while on vacation.
IT’S NEVER TOO SOON TO START WALKING
Know ahead of time that you’re going to feel like you’re walking around the globe…twice…per day! This means that you’re going to want to start daily strolls around your neighbourhood for an hour or so (in fact, the more the better). It’ll also give you a chance to break in your “Disney Shoes”, which is the pair of shoes that you’re planning to be using during your vacation.
I put in around 35,000 steps per day, but if you can prep for 15-20k steps…it’ll help your cardio levels.
UP YOUR H2O INTAKE
Sodas are expensive and can hinder your personality in the heat of Orlando, so being prepared to drink a ton of water will 100% help you have a more pleasant vacation.
Why can’t you just flip the switch and go from drinking everything that you do at home to drinking 10-15 250ml cups of water a day? It’s actually all about preparing your body and allowing your kidneys to adapt to the added fluids.
Besides, we should all be drinking more water anyway;)
Related Article: Best Water Bottles for a day at Disney World
SLEEP PATTERNS
I’m a night-owl (by profession), so having to change my entire sleep schedule on vacation is incredibly difficult. Those who spend time with me in the parks know that I’m not…the happiest….before 10am! This is something that I’ve tried to change, but it’s all about starting early and working in increments of 20-minutes at a time and not putting too much into the process.
Just know ahead of time that you’re going to be waking up at 6am some days, especially when you want to be in the parks for Early Entry or rope drop at Park Open.
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YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE ON VACATION
Oh, I’ve made this mistake MANY TIMES!
Even if you’ve personally changed your sleeping habits and added more water into your diet…there are folks who you’ll be travelling with who haven’t. Don’t worry about pushing everyone to a limit that will make you want to “need a vacation after you get home from vacation”, because you’re only asking for trouble.
- Bring your family with you on walks.
- Add more “theme park” style food to your diet in the weeks ahead of time.
- Watch YouTube POV (Point-of-view) videos with your kids, as they’ll appreciate knowing what to expect from fireworks and loud parts of rides.
Remember that a memorable vacation starts long before you ever set foot on Main Street USA! It’s all about setting expectations and being prepared for the physicality that comes from visiting Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort!
