👣 Want happy feet at Disney?
👣 Want happy feet at Disney?
Do these two things now!
Zombie-walking families barely dragging themselves back to the hotel. Moms hobbling on sore knees, dads bare-knuckling each step, kids melting down onto the pavement.
I saw it all last week at Disneyland and it wasn’t pretty.
Listen, I’m all for leaving it all on the field at Disneyland. But you’ve got to be able to get up and do it all over again the next day. Blisters, joint pain, and plantar fasciitis are no way to start a trip.
The zombie walk is a real threat to every one of us theme park visitors. So today I’ve got two simple things you can do RIGHT NOW to keep that zombie at bay. Whether you’ve got six days or six months before your next park visit, you can be prepared.
1) Get the right shoes
What did a lot of these zombies have in common? Flip Flops!
OK, it was really hot out, and I know there are a few lucky people who can walk 5 miles in flip flops. But let’s be realistic, most people absolutely cannot.
Five miles is a very modest estimate of the distance you can cover at any USA theme park. We walked over 10 miles on just ONE DAY last week.
Here are walking distances between popular attractions at Disneyland, Disney World, and Universal Orlando.
So let’s get real, you’ll be walking a marathon and you need to wear marathon-appropriate shoes. For me, that means running shoes or at least well-supported sneakers or sandals.
Bring multiples
If you’ve got more than a couple of days’ walking, it’s best to bring a couple of pairs so you can switch out.
I also advise bringing two pairs of socks for every day, especially if it’s going to be hot. Make sure they are really comfortable and don’t slide down or rub your feet in a blister-y way. Bonus if they’re compression socks like these.
Break in your shoes
Be sure to get some miles in those new shoes (and socks) before your trip, so you are positive your gear is right.
2) Start training now
Shoes are the foundation, but you need the strength and stamina to cover all those miles.
A few things you can do to add walking and standing into your day
Walk instead of driving for short errands
Try to do a long walk at least once a week - at least an hour or more
Stand at your desk if you can
Get everyone in your travel group walking too, especially the kids.
Make it fun
I’ve created a couple of printable bingo cards to make it fun to track your training.
You can download them from my GoInformed.net website here:
More training tips on my website and podcast
I’ve got three great resources to help you train for your trip, on the GoInformed.net website and on my podcast.
Go Informed Podcast episode 77