There is no doubt you will do a lot of walking at Disney World. Often when we’re thinking about getting in shape for Disney World, we try to make sure we are walking more at home to get our feet and bodies accustomed to all the walking we will do on holiday. The average walking distance during a day at Walt Disney World is around 8-10 miles.
Related Post – The Ultimate 10 day Disney World Itinerary
Training for a Disney trip doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult, but you will thank yourself after a long day in the parks if you have done some preparation before you go.
*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase via our links, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you*
Track Your Progress
I like to track my steps on my Fitbit. There are many different activity step trackers on the market and they all do similar things. I have been a Fitbit advocate for years and love the look and feel of my Versa.
Using a tracker, I can see how far I am walking and often I am them encouraged to get up and walk around a bit more if I se how many steps I have or haven’t done that day.
Set Goals
Using my Fitbit, I like to set myself some goals. For example if I am managing to achieve 5,000 steps per day in the first week, then the second week I’ll increase my target to 6,000 steps per day.
Setting fitness goals like this in small achievable chunks for you means that it doesn’t feel as though you are climbing a mountain on the first week.
Involve The Whole Family
It’s always great to get out in the fresh air. Make a new habit and get the whole family out and about. If you have reluctant walkers at home, then you may struggle when they are tired and hot in the Disney parks.
We try to incorporate a dog walk at the same time as increasing our steps and improving our fitness. I am willing to wager there are some amazing places you may not have discovered close to your home that is waiting for you to explore.
We have the amazing Jurassic Coast not too far from us on the South Coast of the UK, and it’s a great training ground for our Disney World training.
Have Good Footwear
It’s quite important to decide on what footwear is best for your feet before you go to Disney World. The worst thing you can do is buy a new pair of sandals or shoes and wear them for the first time on holiday. You will be treated to very sore feet and quite possible blisters.
I like to buy my new shoes a few months in advance and wear them in around the house. If your feet like trainers, then buy some lightweight trainers, or if you prefer sandals or flip flops, buy some with a nice thick sole.
Lifestyle Choices
A lot of people think about lifestyle choices and losing weight for Disney World. Personally I don’t worry about losing weight before we go, but I do think about my fitness levels which merge with lifestyle choices.
In preparation for a Disney World trip, I re visit our meals and the foods we are eating. All of this helps us to save some money at the same time as improving our lifestyle choices.
In turn this helps us become a little fitter in preparation for our Disney holiday. We all know we are going to eat all the lovely snacks and food that Disney World has to offer whilst we’re there!
Drink More Water
How much water do you drink a day? Is it enough? I know I need to drink more water generally, so my top tip is to find a nice insulated bottle to ensure the water stays cold.
I find I will drink more water if I am drinking from a vessel that I like. I am more like to drink water from a bottle than I am a glass for some reason.
Drinking more water can help your lifestyle in so many ways, but sometimes when you think you’re hungry, you’re actually thirsty. It’s also very important to stay hydrated in the Florida heat.
Check out our Walt Disney World resource page for plenty more tips and tricks
We used to increase our walking as a family before we went, as we knew how much we would be walking in a day, plus in the heat. 3 times I have been, and 3 times managed to stay the same weight, despite eating lots of lovely American food. I swear that’s down to all the walking you do which cancels out the calories x
This is such a good idea, I wish I would have read something similar before I went years ago. I spent the whole time in flip flops and my feet would ache terribly after 8 hours of walking round the parks daily. If we get to go again in the future I will take your advice about walking before hand and investing in some better footwear.
This time around I wore Havianas and they were even more comfortable than my Sanuk sandals last time. I think preparing the feet before you go is definitely the key to happy feet.