Here's a good bit about Disney and your feet:
Walking is very beneficial when preparing to go to Disney. You will walk many, many miles throughout your trip. If you have a pedometer, try to get at least 10,000 steps per day. If you can make it, 20,000 would be even better. One of the biggest surprises when going to Disney for the first time in my adult life was how much standing made my feet hurt. I just wasn’t used to standing anymore.
While walking has helped greatly with my ability to stand for longer periods of time, I have also been trying to stand as much as possible throughout the day. If there is something I can do at work while standing instead of sitting, I try to stand instead. I wouldn’t have thought it, but standing uses some different muscles than walking. I’d rather feel a little bit of pain now and get used to it rather than pay the price later while trying to enjoy my vacation.
Tips to "Save" Your Feet at Disney
- Walk as much as you can before the trip.
- Practice standing for long periods of time (think waiting in line… stand, move a few feet, stand some more…).
- Bring a pencil (regular, wooden #2) in your luggage, or purchase one at a gift shop (one with ridges is even better). In your hotel room after a long day at the parks, place the pencil under each foot and roll it back and forth. It is simple but is a great help to your feet.
- Pack a couple of good pairs of walking shoes. (I usually bring a pair of Crocs and a pair of running shoes. The Crocs have been wonderful for standing, and the running shoes provide lots of extra cushion.)
- If you do purchase new tennis shoes prior to the trip, break them in beforehand. Otherwise, you may be dealing with some mighty blisters.
- Speaking of blisters, moleskin does wonders. It is a thick, Band-aid-like rectangle, with sticky on the entire backside. Just take scissors and trim it to what you need.
- Taking a dip in the pool or sitting in the hot tub can feel wonderful at the end of a long day. The hot tub will probably feel better than the pool, but the cooler water in the pool will likely help your feet swelling to go down more than the hot tub.
- Take Advil before you leave for the day.
- Pack some Epsom salts and soak your feet in the bath.
- Some people swear by gel inserts in their shoes.
- If there’s room in my shoes, I sometimes double-sock my feet. I put a thinner pair on the inside and a thicker pair on the outside. That doesn’t always work in the summer, but when I can, the little extra cushion goes a long way.
- If worse comes to worse, there’s always the spa—a wonderful excuse to schedule a foot massage!