Before our first trip to Walt Disney World in 2018, I knew I needed to get in better walking shape. But I couldn’t find a walking plan that fit what I was looking for. So I did a little research and put together my own plan, and it worked out really well for me! Now I’m gearing up to start this plan again to get ready for our Disney trip in March this year. If you’re looking for a walking plan for Disney World, look no further! Download the PDF below and start walking with me!
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Is training really necessary?
Yes! One thing you might not realize when you plan your Disney vacation is how much walking is required! The parks are BIG and require a lot of walking and standing. We easily do 20,000+ steps on a full park day! And if your body isn’t used to that much activity, you could end up really miserable after a few days! Before our first trip to WDW, I walked a lot in the weeks leading up to the trip and it really paid off!
Before our second trip, I was lulled into the false belief that I was already in walking shape and didn’t need to prepare. MISTAKE. My feet and ankles were swollen at the end of every day, my legs were so sore, and I had uncomfortable blisters. So even if you’re already in pretty good shape, I recommend doing at least a little prep before you go to Disney!
Start as early as you can!
I’ve been walking on and off in the times we’ve been quarantined at home over the past year, but I know I’m nowhere near in the shape I was when we went on our first trip. I know I need to get moving now so I’m not miserable on vacation! So I put together the below plan for myself, referring back to what I did in 2018.
We are 9 weeks out from our trip as of when this post goes up, so I made an 8 week plan (because I like even numbers). I think you would still be in great shape for walking Disney even if you only did the first 5–6 weeks. And honestly, I’m doing this because I love a plan—it helps me to have a schedule to stick to and be able to cross things off!—but any amount of walking you can do before you go will benefit you!
My 8 Week Walking Plan for Disney World
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor or a trainer or even a fitness guru. This is just what works for me to get in shape to walk the Disney parks! You should always consult your doctor before beginning a new workout plan!
This plan includes 3 walks per week. Each day lists a mileage goal and a minute goal, so you can choose which one you want to go for!
It’ll be mostly short walks during the week (because that’s usually all I have time for being a full-time working mom and with how early the sun goes down this time of year) and one longer walk on the weekend, stepping it up one mile at a time. Don’t let the length intimidate you! If you don’t have time to do the entire walk that day, you can definitely split it into two (or more!) parts.
Also, I don’t recommend doing these three days (or even two days) in a row unless that’s the only way you can fit them into your schedule! Take a rest day in between if you can. 😊
The longest walk in my plan is 7 miles, which is about 14,000–15,000 steps (depending on your stride!), which I feel is pretty comparable for a Disney park day. I wanted to taper down in the weeks leading up to our trip, but you could definitely keep stepping it up every week to 8 or 9 or 10 miles if you have the time to do that!
Click below to download the above plan as a PDF! Print it out and mark it off as you complete the workouts!
Wear the shoes you’ll wear in Disney!
I highly recommend walking in the shoes you plan to wear while you’re at Disney World! Especially if you just bought new shoes to take on your trip (or if you’re planning to, buy them now!), so you can break them in before you go! The last thing you want on a Disney vacation is painful blisters from brand new shoes.
Side note: I also recommend taking multiple pairs of comfortable shoes on your trip. That way if one pair gives you blisters, you have something else to wear that hopefully won’t hurt your feet. Additionally, different shoes rub your feet in different places, so if you swap back and forth you’re less likely to have sore, blistered feet.
I try to rotate my favorite New Balance Fresh Foam Sport running shoes (side note: these are my favorite sneakers ever! I loved my first pair so much I bought a backup pair! I’ve worn them on 4 full Disney vacations and never once gotten a blister from them!), my Vans, and my Chuck Taylors because those are the shoes I like to wear in the parks. I’m also currently trying to break in a pair of Toy Story sneakers I got from Torrid last year.
What if I can’t get out and walk?
I get it! We live in the midwest, and we have pretty snowy cold winters and really rainy springs. Sometimes it’s just not feasible for me to get out and take a walk! And we don’t have a treadmill (though I would love one someday!). Usually, when I can’t get out and walk, I’ll do a Walk at Home with Leslie Sansone video on YouTube. They’re a little cheesy, but work great in a pinch! She has a ton of videos on her channel in a variety of lengths from 15 minutes to 45 minutes. There are also workouts that simulate walking a full mile, so if you stacked a few of these together you could easily get to a 3–4 mile “walk” in no time!
Add some extra motivation!
If you want to give yourself an extra push and you have a Fitbit, Garmin, or Apple Watch, join a StepBet! These are SO motivating for me because money’s on the line! You pay $40 to join a 6 week long bet. StepBet will sync with your device and calculate your goals based on your average steps. You’ll get two different goals—an active day goal and a power day goal. Each week of the bet, you have to make four active days and two power days.
For example, for the bet I’m in right now, my goals are 7,345 for my active day and 9,378 for my power day. I can make whichever goal on whichever day I want, as long as I get 4 active days and 2 power days in every week. Then one day (whichever day I want) is a rest day. (I personally try to save my rest day for the last day of the week so I can really relax!) If you miss your goals one of the weeks (except for the first week, which is a warm-up week), you’re out! Anyone that meets their goals every week splits the pot at the end! So you get your $40 back plus maybe a bit extra. I never make a LOT of money doing these, but usually about $6–10. Mostly getting my $40 back is the motivating part for me!
I’ve been doing StepBets for years, saving all my winnings in my account, and right before our trip I’ll get a payout and use that money for a special Disney souvenir!
Bonus!
Here’s a playlist that will get you through even that long 7 mile walk! It’s a mix of Disney and non-Disney with beats that will have you keeping your pace steady!
Don’t forget to pin this post for later!
I hope you found some value in this walking plan for Disney World! If you use it, please let me know in the comments below! I would love to hear about how it went for you!
You can check out my other Disney World Vacation Tips here!
I’ve done 10k steps/day for 5 days in a row, for a week or two prior to going in the past. That helped A LOT. I don’t think your plan is strenuous enough.
Totally see where you’re coming from, Jenny! With this plan, I wanted to start small and increase incrementally, which is why it’s 8 weeks long. I find it helps me to start training earlier than just a couple of weeks before.
The walks are not meant to be steps per day, but in addition to any steps you’d normally do in your day! For me personally, a 3-mile walk is about 6k steps, so I’m definitely hitting 10k steps on the days I do that with my other daily activity. A 7-mile walk is about 14k steps—to me, that’s a good Disney day! This is just what works for me. I’m glad you found a method that works for you!