So you decided to go on a Walt Disney World vacation, well congratulations because it’s going to be fun! Now, I feel there a things people should know about a Walt Disney World vacation and I’m going to go over them in this post.
First things first, understand that you are coming to central Florida, it’s hot and humid here and you will sweat. Be sure to pack comfortable breathable clothes. What’s comfortable for one person might be awful for another but I’m going to give my best suggestions. Wear shorts or capri’s during the day. Denim is ok but if you sweat a lot I suggest more breathable options. I personally wear capri leggings. Cotton blend type shirts are also great, things that are very tight and not breathable will become soggy and icky very quickly. Sometimes the evenings can get a little cool, so pants and light jackets are good to have.
Make sure to check the weather a week or so before you leave for your trip so you can get an idea of what the temperatures will be like once you arrive. Always be prepared for it rain, be humid or chilly at any given time. I suggest bringing an umbrella, rain jacket or poncho, cooling towels and a light sweatshirt or jacket.
Walt Disney World is HUGE. The entire property is 25,000 acre or 2 islands of Manhattan. You are going to walk, a lot. Now Disney is great at providing transportation around the property but you’re still going to walk a lot. Magic Kingdom is 142 acres, EPCOT is 300 acres! With how large the Florida parks are I recommend starting a walking routine before your trip. Now if your an avid walker or runner you’ll probably be fine but is everyone in your travel party? It’s a good idea to get used to walking a lot as you will be doing quite a bit on this type of vacation. The first day is always, in my opinion, the easiest. You’re excited, fresh and ready to go! Day 2 onward will let you know how prepared you were. Second day soreness is real folks. This prep isn’t just for adults, make sure your kids can handle the trek too. Even with strollers, they are still going to walk a lot. So, start by walking around the neighborhood or park just to get everyone used to some leg work.
You will absolutely be putting in some miles on your trip, which is why it’s so important to wear good, comfortable shoes. I wear tennis shoes to the parks but good walking sandals, not flip flops, will work as well. Again, it is up to what’s comfortable for you. I have pretty severe plantar fasciitis so it’s sneakers or bust for me. I see all sorts of shoes worn at Disney and let me tell you, I have no idea how some people go all day with practically nothing supporting their feet! Now you might be tempted to go and buy everyone new shoes for the trip but make sure you have time to break them in first! Blisters are one of the most common injuries treated in Disney parks. With that said, I also recommend shoe switching, meaning alternate the shoes you wear. This gives your shoes time to breath, dry out and expand back to their shape. I also suggest having good socks. I like cushioned, moisture wicking socks myself. Good socks will also support your feet and help keep them dry. I also suggest carrying an extra pair of socks in your park bag. Compression socks can also help if you’re prone to swelling. Even wearing them in your hotel room for a few hours at the end of the day can help your feet and legs recover from the days milage.
I will preface this with saying that I do not have my own children and these opinions and suggestions are coming from my own experiences and observations at the parks. If you have younger children it may be tempting to bring a large stroller or wagon to help them get around and help you carry your necessary park items. Bringing a large stroller or wagon will only hinder you. I’ve noticed that the larger the stroller the more stuff people tend to carry around. Keep in mind that to board any Disney transportation, busses, boats, Skyliner or MinnieVans, you will need to collapse that stroller or wagon down and no, people will not want to wait for you to unload and mess around with it. Below are the current regulations Walt Disney World has for strollers:
- Strollers larger than 31” (79 cm) in width and 52” (132cm) in length are not permitted. Stroller wagons are also not permitted.
- Strollers are not allowed on escalators. Use of strollers is permitted on elevators and ramps, available at certain locations.
- A child must be removed from his or her stroller while riding on a parking lot tram.
- Do not leave personal belongings in an unattended stroller.
- Strollers may be moved by a Cast Member due to operational needs.
If you need a stroller for your child I suggest a light weight, easily collapsible one. A lot of people fly to their destination as well and so the less bulky and cumbersome the stroller the better.
This next preparation tip is something I’ve done for myself and seen great results. I am not a doctor and cannot give you medical advice so I will share what I have done and why it helps me on Disney vacations. When traveling I for some reason am always the one to have a gut issue. This actually became a serious issue on a Disney Cruise my husband and I took once cruising resumed after the pandemic. I came down with some serious gastrointestinal issues that actually sent me to the hospital once we returned home. For our next cruise and Disney vacation I was bound and determined to not have any tummy troubles. I wanted to be able to eat what I wanted and not fear any kind of gut repercussions. I started taking pro biotics. This is not something you should just start a week before your vacation. You should consider this a least a month before if not more before you go on vacation and consult your medical professional. I put myself and my husband on probiotics and really worked on our gut health. Our last cruise and Disney vacation was amazing! I had absolutely no tummy issues and this made the trip so much easier and fun for me.
Keeping on track with health prep is also considering motion sickness. I love the thrill rides at Disney and will ride Tower of Terror, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Star Tours all day long if you let me. You’d never know I’m a giant wimp when it comes to motion sickness. I was born motion sick I swear, I have to be the driver or only ride in the front seat kind of motion sickness and even then, it’s still an issue. So, I have become extremely good and thwarting motion sickness before it starts. There are multiple things you can do to help yourself or your family. Remember I’m not a doctor and I’m only telling you what has worked for me. Ginger chews or lozenges are great for minor upsets. The next step up would be something like sea bands or an electronic motion sickness bracelet. The best way to thwart motion sickness is to stop it before it starts. Popping some Dramamine before entering the parks can help you fight off motion sickness. Now because I’m such a wimp I have to use what I call “the big guns”, I wear a prescription motion sickness patch. You can speak with your doctor about getting some. These patches contain the drug, Scopolamine. You wear the patch behind your ear and each patch is worn for 3 days and will give you a continuous amount medication to help stave off motion sickness. These patches are my holy grail and I almost never travel without them. These can pricey, insurance doesn’t always cover them, they are usually a top tier type medication so out of pocket costs can be high. I have pretty good insurance through my husband’s job, and I still have to pay $10-$30 for 4 patches when I get them. For me it is worth the expense because of how affected I am by motion sickness.
There you have it! How I prep for a Walt Disney World vacation. These are things that I don’t think people think about. I will do a post on what to pack more specifically types of clothes, and park bag essentials. I hope this helps you explore the magic and if you want help planning your next Disney Vacation let me know! As always, my services are never a cost to you!
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