Walt Disney World Resort is HUGE! There is so much to see and do at Disney World and to get around the Disney Parks there is certainly a lot of walking!
So how far will you walk during your trip? And what tips can help you prepare and ensure you have a comfortable time?
How Far Will I Go?
On an average visit to a Disney World Park you will take 20,000 steps a day. This works out to be 10 miles each day!
Bear in mind that the average person walks 3000 - 4000 steps a day so this is a massive increase! Walking around the Disney Parks is five times the amount of steps people would normally take in a day!
This can take a toll on your body, with sore feet, blisters and lethargy common. So how can you avoid this ruining your trip?
How To Prepare!
It is a great idea to slowly build up your daily amount of steps before your Disney trip so your body gets used to it. Adding a few hundred steps a day and increasing this over a period of a few months can help your body gently get used to the increase in steps.
A great way to prepare is to add some longer walks in your free time. If you have access to local nature walks this is a super fun activity and a great way to increase your steps! It is also a great way to explore your local area and discover hidden gems nearby to you!
If you commute to your workplace you could park a little further away than usual or switch to walking to work if the distance isn't too far.
Using a standing desk whilst working is a great way to get used to being on your feet for long periods of time, and can help you prepare for queuing whilst at Disney!
A few quick walks around the block can also easily add a few hundred steps a day!
If you have a dog, or have a friend with a canine companion, then dog walks are a great way to add extra steps! To prepare for your Disney trip you could make them a little bit longer than usual or mix up the route. Plus your canine pal may love the extra walkies!
You can also get some extra steps in by walking around when:
On the phone
Watching TV
Listening to music
I also love to watch walk-through videos of the parks and walk around whilst watching them! This is a great way to get a virtual tour of the Disney World Parks and to learn the layout plus get in your extra steps!
What Shoes To Wear?
Comfortable shoes are a must! Shoes that have memory foam insoles are the best for lots of walking! I really like Sketchers for their range of shoes specifically made for comfort when walking.
Lots of companies now offer memory foam insoles so these are the best option for Disney trips. Taking some time to do a little research of different shoes and their reviews before your trip will really help you to find the perfect to find shoe for you!
One thing that is a must is you definitely need to break in your shoes before you go! Getting blisters is the worst and with a trip that requires so much walking it can be a nightmare if you are in pain! And with very little time to rest with so much to experience at Disney World this can really cause a downer on your trip.
By breaking in your shoes before your trip you won't have to worry about this! When increasing your walking ahead of your trip this is the perfect way to start breaking in your shoes that you are going to take to Disney World!
I also always bring more than one pair of shoes just in case one pair does cause blisters or are uncomfortable. It is always advisable to bring back up shoes to Disney!
Sneakers are great for the parks because of the support and memory foam insoles but if you are planning on visiting some fine dining restaurants be sure to bring some more formal shoes.
If you are visiting a fine dining location in the Disney Parks there are more lenient regarding formal footwear as they realise you are walking around all day and need to be comfortable. But if you are visiting a fine dining restaurant in a Disney Resort or if you have had time to change before dinner, then more formal footwear is encouraged.
Rest Your Feet By Watching Shows!
Break up the day with shows which allow you to sit for a while! Disney are fantastic at offering a range of different rides and attractions in their parks which means there is something for everyone to enjoy. The added bonus is there are a range of attraction that allow you to sit for a while!
Check out these attractions if you need a break to rest your feet!
Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress in Magic Kingdom
Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room in Magic Kingdom
Frozen Sing-A-Long in Hollywood Studios
Beauty And The Beast Sing-A-Long in EPCOT
Voyage Of The Little Mermaid in Hollywood Studios
Walt Disney World Railroad in Magic Kingdom
It's Tough To Be A Bug in Animal Kingdom
Muppet*Vision 3D in Hollywood Studios
Kilimanjaro Safari in Animal Kingdom
Country Bear Jamboree in Magic Kingdom
Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival in EPCOT
Liberty Square Riverboat in Magic Kingdom
The Animation Experience at Rafiki's Planet Watch in Animal Kingdom
The American Adventure in EPCOT
Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor in Magic Kingdom
Mickey's PhilharMagic in Magic Kingdom
Turtle Talk With Crush in EPCOT
The Hall of Presidents in Magic Kingdom
You can also take advantage of rides that last a little longer such as Haunted Mansion, Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover and Spaceship Earth.
Another great way to rest your feet is to take a trip on the Skyliner! This is Disney's newest mode of complimentary transport and is a great way to take a break and see Walt Disney World Resort from a new perspective!
A Skyliner journey is perfect if you are staying at one of the resorts that has a Skyliner station, as you can take advantage of the ability to pop back to your resort and take a break during the day.
If you are park hopping between Hollywood Studios and EPCOT then the Skyliner is the best way to get between the two and gives you time to relax!
Or simply ride the Skyliner to rest and enjoy the experience!
Visit The Relaxation Stations In The Disney Parks!
When the Disney World Parks reopened in July 2020 they added a few locations of relaxation stations for people to take a break and remove their face covering.
If you are needing some downtime these are great areas to rest!
Not all the relaxation stations will have seating so the following locations are the best options to help rest your feet in each park.
Magic Kingdom
Pete's Silly Sideshow in Storybook Circus in Fantasyland
EPCOT
Akershus Restaurant in the Norway Pavilion in World Showcase
Hollywood Studios
Star Wars Launch Bay
Animal Kingdom
Pizzafari at Discovery Island
Plan Rest Days Into Your Itinerary!
If you are visiting Disney World for more than a few days adding rest days into your itinerary is a must! Back-to-back days in the park really take their toll and can leave your feeling sore and exhausted. In fact there is a term for this feeling - a Disney hangover!
Rest days are the perfect time to visit a water park or explore all that your resort has to offer!
Blizzard Beach will be reopening on 7th March 2021 so a rest day lounging about in the sun, enjoying the lazy river or having some adventure on the range of slides on offer is a great way to have some downtime but also still be making the most of your trip by visiting a Disney Water Park.
To easily plan out your itinerary for your Disney trip be sure to use my Itinerary Planner for Walt Disney World. This instant digital download is printable and fillable and contains templates for you to easily plan your entire Disney trip, including an itinerary template for your entire trip, a daily planner and an hourly planner! Use the handy hourly planner template to easily see each day what you are doing, what reservations you have planned and what free time you have to add in rest breaks!
Enjoy Some Good Food And Give Your Feet A Break!
Everyone loves good food and Disney World has a whole range of amazing restaurants to dine in! Having a sit down meal is a great way to rest and recharge!
If you would like to have a proper break during your day consider having a table service meal. Each Disney Park has its own selection of table service restaurants. Booking a dining reservation in advanced is recommended to make sure you can dine in the restaurant of your choice!
Disney offers a range of different cuisines and dining experiences which make having a table service meal at Disney so exciting. The amazing theming really adds to your experience!
You will usually be at a table service meal for an hour to an hour and a half so this is a great time to rest your feet!
If you want just a little time to take a seat then a quick service meal is a good option. You don't need a reservation for these type of restaurants, so is perfect if you want to grab something on the go without having to book reservations in advance.
To find out which restaurants are currently open at Disney World, and which remain closed, check out my Guide to Which Restaurants Are Currently Open at Walt Disney World!
Head Back To Your Disney Resort To Rest!
If you are staying on-site at a Disney Resort take advantage of the fact you can easily head back to your hotel during the day using Disney's complimentary modes of transport.
In your break you can swim in the resort pool, relax in the outdoor seating areas or take advantage of the activities on offer. You may even want to make the most of your room and rest or nap!
The added benefit to a break at your resort is not only does this give your feet a chance to recover, but it also means you can skip the hottest and busiest time of the day in the parks. You can then head back to the parks later in the day when it is cooler and the crowds are lower. Win win!
A midday break is particularly great at resorts like Animal Kingdom Lodge, as you can watch the animals on the savannah! If you are staying at Caribbean Beach Resort you can sit in one of the hammocks around the lake. At the Polynesian Village Resort grab a Dole Whip from Pineapple Lanai and then look out over Seven Seas Lagoon. If you are at Wilderness Lodge you can visit one of the nature trails which are great for animal watching. Every resort has beautiful areas to relax in so definitely take advantage of this!
Disney Resorts have so much to offer so taking a whole day to explore your resort is a great way of building in some downtime! In fact having a resort day is a great way to rest your feet by adding a rest day into your trip itinerary. You will still be making the most out of your Disney trip by exploring everything your Disney Resort has available to you. You can even resort hop to visit the other Disney Resorts to see the different theming!
Visit a Disney Resort Lobby and Soak Up The Atmosphere!
If you would like a change of pace to help you relax head to a Disney Resort near the park you are visiting!
Disney Resort lobbies are all so unique and very beautiful! They offer a cool, air-conditioned, relaxing place to rest your feet!
Some of the best resorts to visit that you can easily get to from the Disney Parks are
The Polynesian Village Resort and the Grand Floridian Resort by hopping on the monorail from Magic Kingdom.
Wilderness Lodge can be reached by hopping on a boat from Magic Kingdom. Here you can also enjoy the nature trails all around this resort.
Remember the beautiful savannah I mentioned above? You should definitely visit Animal Kingdom Lodge via a short bus journey from Animal Kingdom! It is an amazing way to spend some time by sitting and watching all the magnificent animals.
The Beach Club Resort, Yacht Club Resort or BoardWalk Inn can be visited by catching a boat from EPCOT or Hollywood Studios. If you feel up for it you can in fact walk between these two parks and stop in at these resorts via Disney's BoardWalk!
Some of the best restaurants on Disney property can be found in the resorts so this is the perfect opportunity to try them out!
The added bonus of walking more whilst preparing for, and during, your Disney trip is the benefit of it being great for your health. So Disney is good for you! Yet another great reason to visit!
More walking also means more energy is needed so you can explore all the amazing food Disney World has on offer!
Do you have any special ways you prepare for a Disney trip? Let me know in the comments below, over on Instagram @most.magical.guides and on Facebook! For any questions about planning your Disney World trip be sure to join the Most Magical Guide to Disney World Facebook group!
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