The importance of walking BEFORE coming to Disney cannot be overstated. You can easily walk 7-9 miles a day, really!!
This month we are going to be discussing the “walk” of “walk in the park”, and dive into some tips about physically navigating through Disney on foot; and not only are we talking about navigating the Disney park, we’re going all the way back to step one (get it?) of the journey.
Weeks before your magical adventure begins, I personally recommend that you start walking 30 minutes a day as soon as you make the decision to go to Disney. Think of it as training for a big race like a 5K or a marathon. The sooner you start the more your body will get used to it. You may even want to start walking more than 30 minutes, which is great too! Just don’t over-work yourself! (the hospital is MUCH less magical than Disney, I promise.)
This is one of those topics that nobody really considers before a trip like this; It’s amazing how much walking you can do at Disney. The park is 40 square miles large! Magic Kingdom is 107 acres, Epcot is 300 acres, Hollywood Studios is 154 acres and Animal Kingdom is 500 acres (the animals need the space). The distance around Epcot’s World Showcase is 1.3 miles!!
If you’re traveling with children, keep in mind that they do not go in a straight line from point A to point B, they tend to zigzag. This obviously means they are walking MUCH farther than us. Keep this in mind as you walk and wander through the parks. This also means they will get tired faster than you.
Walking is a part of your life at Disney. You walk from your resort/hotel to the bus/monorail or to your car. After you park or get off the bus/monorail you now walk to the park. This is after you have gone through security for bag checks and metal detectors (yes everyone gets screened).
Congratulations, you now have arrived in the parks!! Even with the best of planning and use of Fastpasses you will be doing some back and forth across the park you are in. This is not to even mention if you decide to Park Hop-more walking. Then at the end of the day you get to reverse all this walking to get you back to your resort/hotel.
Along with all this walking I walk to emphasize the importance of rest, which can be completed in several ways. These ways include, but are not limited to:
-sitting down dining in table service/quick service restaurant (I prefer table service)
-using a sit-down ride/attraction that is inside (or partially indoors) ride with A/C and comfy seats that last for more than 20 minutes
-Finding a seat on a bench that is off the main path with a cool bottle/cup of water.
Believe me, there are options for this in every park. If you are there with young children and/or infants you are nursing, please check out the baby care centers in each of the parks. You will be glad you did. Check this out on your paper maps or on your My Disney Experience App.
I cannot over stress the importance of rest. It will save you for melt downs and discontent among your travel group (this goes back to know the group you are traveling with). We want this to be fun!! Plan for fun!