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Walt Disney World is BIG. The entire resort fills 47 square miles of land. The parks themselves occupy a small portion of the entire property, but don’t be fooled.
The sheer size of Walt Disney World brings me to today’s planning topic – preparing for the walking.
1. These boots were made for walking – just not in the parks
Having the proper footwear is ESSENTIAL – dare I say CRITICAL in enjoying your trip. Why? If your feet hurt, you will not have a good trip. Therefore, I suggest – strongly suggest – you have a GREAT pair of shoes already broken in before you arrive. Those cute flip flops? Those strappy wedge heeled sandals? Don’t bring them. Fashion takes a back seat to function when it comes to a trip to Disney.
2. I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more – and it will feel that way
The Walkway around World Showcase in EPCOT is over one mile long. If you ONLY walked from Mexico on one end and stopped when you reached Canada on the other side, you would log 1.2 miles. That doesn’t count walking into each pavilion and its shops and attractions.
I wore a pedometer one day of a trip. I was curious how much walking a person would do on any given Disney day. 2,000 steps is the equivalent of one mile. When we returned to our hotel room, I had logged 22,000 steps! That’s roughly 10 miles of walking in ONE day! Math moment – multiply those 10 miles times 5-7 days in the parks….you better hope your shoes make it!
So how do I do it?
I switch off my shoes. I have a little luxury in that we drive down so packing space isn’t at a premium. Here it is…..Dis Savvy’s Shoe Selection:
I travel in these. I like Crocs well enough that I don’t mind having them on during the drive. They slip on and off easily enough for rest stops and are compact enough to slide under my seat when not in use.
There is always a chance for rain in Walt Disney World. If you only have tennis shoes with you and they get drenched, you have a problem. Soggy feet are not happy feet! These have survived inch high puddles and dry spells for over a decade.
As for day to day, dry weather, hiking through the parks with a great pair of white socks – these are my go to shoe. I have been a fan of Sketchers for a while now. I was wearing a navy blue pair until the sole came completely detached. I super glued and rubber banded them together during their last trip with me before I laid them to rest. These have taken over. I’m not sure what I will do when these die. Sketchers has changed their designs a bit for the worse for me.
My final pair is new to the shoe family. My mother in law bought these for me as a birthday present. They are REALLY nice. They are Merrell brand which is a top notch company. I usually do not splurge on shoes. These are a great sandal for in the parks. I try not to get them wet because they are leather. The pattern makes for great tan lines too!
My final words of advice? Starting a month out from your trip – start walking!! Take 5 laps around the block. If it’s lousy weather, take 5 laps around your local mall – EVERY day for a week. See how you feel. Double – triple it and that’s a day in the parks!
The most important piece of advice – Don’t buy a pair of shoes right before you leave and break them in while you’re there. My mother in law does this every trip and we end up using band aids and ibuprofen to reduce her discomfort!
Happy Walking!
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