Magical Disney Foot Care Regimen

Disney World may be the Happiest Place on Earth but not if your feet are aching. Growing up in Florida, I made numerous childhood trips to Disney World and can traverse Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios (MGM) and Animal Kingdom without a map.  As I’ve gotten older, a couple of days at Disney World take a toll on my feet. I have literally limped from the monorail to my hotel room, wincing with every step. Since I’m not going to stop going to Disney World, I developed my own magical Disney Foot Care Regimen that I follow during every Disney vacation.I no longer experience any blisters, and my feet have thanked me.

I guess these Disney foot care tips will  work at any theme park, but I like to think this magical routine works best at the most Magical Place on Earth.

Disney Foot Care Regimen

I’ve broken this regimen down into preventive steps, in park interventions, and emergency care. Before we start, there are four items that you will need to pack before your Disney vacation. These are my Disney foot care essentials- all of these products are miracle workers, and I use them throughout the year.

Repeat after me:

• Aquaphor
• Gold Bond Medicated Body Powder
• Band-Aid Friction Blister Block
• Band-Aid Blister Cushions

All of these products are listed in my Amazon store. Click here to add all of them to your cart and support this blog.

Preventive Steps

Shoes

Shoe choice will be the biggest factor in how your feet will cope with the strain of walking several miles on concrete all day. For starters, don’t wear a brand new pair of shoes to Disney World. Make sure that you have worn your new shoes for a couple of weeks and walked a considerable distance in them. Disney World is not the place to break in a new pair of sneakers or chaco’s.  

Second, don’t wear the same shoes two days in a row. You should have two pairs of good (broken in) walking shoes that have adequate support and a pair of flip flops for strolling to the pool or filling a bucket of ice.

I’m a native Floridian, so I prefer sandals to sneakers. Your sandals need adequate support and- preferably- an ankle strap. I live in my Birkenstock Yara Sandals and Sanuk Yoga Sling for most of the year, and they are great for a day at Disney. Also, if you are wearing sandals, make sure to apply sunscreen to your feet to prevent a sunburn (and skin cancer).

Aquaphor

After packing the right shoes, Aquaphor is the next step of my Disney foot care plan. Pack a pair of socks for every night of your Disney vacation. Apply a generous amount of Aquaphor to your feet, put on a pair of socks, and go to sleep. When you wake up in the morning, your feet will be noticeably softer. Aquaphor also helps with cracked heels, so your feet will be sandal ready

Aquaphor is basically Vaseline with mineral oil. Vaseline is 100% petroleum jelly. It creates a barrier on your skin, so the natural moisture from your body rehydrates your dried out skin instead of evaporating. Aquaphor is 41% petroleum jelly with mineral oil and a few other ingredients. Aquaphor creates the same barrier to keep moisture from escaping, but the added mineral oil also helps rehydrate your skin. I personally believe Aquaphor is the better product, but it is more expensive than Vaseline.

After your trip, you will probably have plenty of leftover Aquaphor. Aquaphor has several uses. I carry a lip balm container of Aquaphor in my purse for chapped lips. Check out Cosmo’s article on 20 Unexpected Uses for Aquaphor.

Gold Bond Medicated Body Powder

Blisters form from an irritating combination of moisture and friction. Cotton socks retain foot sweat and create an ideal situation for blisters to form, so, in addition to using Gold Bond, you may want to invest in some synthetic socks and avoid old-fashioned cotton.

If you are wearing sneakers for your day at the park, I recommend putting Gold Bond medicated body powder in your socks at the beginning of the day. Gold Bond helps absorb the moisture from your skin, help keep your feet cool, and prevent blisters from forming.

Gold Bond can be used in any closed toe shoes. I don’t recommend ballet flats for a day at Disney, but, if you prefer fashion over comfort, make sure to sprinkle some powder into your shoes.

In-Park Interventions

Band-Aid Friction Blister Block

This little blessing is in my purse at all times, and I cannot tell you how many times I have used it. Band-Aid Friction Block is packaged as a mini-deodorant stick and is used on an as-needed basis throughout the day. As soon as you feel your shoes rubbing a particular spot on your foot, apply the friction block to that spot to prevent further damage to your foot. It is the priciest item on my list, but it lasts a long time. After 18 months, I’m still using my first stick, and I have completed three weekend trips to Disney, a week at Universal Studios, two month backpacking through Europe, and broken in three pairs of shoes with this miracle product.

 

Gold Bond Medicated Body Powder

After 10+ hours in the park, you may need to add a little bit more powder to your closed toed shoes. I keep a travel size bottle in my purse to reapply as needed and continue to enjoy Magic Kingdom. As kids start complaining about their feet hurting, Gold Bond’s cooling effect can help them make it through a little bit longer in the day.

Band-Aid Blister Cushions

Band-aid brand are foot savers for Disney. If you feel a blister starting to form and the friction block is not enough, place a blister bandage over the spot to prevent further damage.

Emergency Care

Ice

Even if you follow all my steps, a day at Disney can still wear you out. Like I said earlier, you can walk anywhere from several miles a day at Disney World. If you aren’t used to that kind of walking, your feet may be exhausted at the end of the day. All the Disney hotels have ice machines available. Make an ice bag, wrap it in a towel, and prop your feet up. The ice and elevation will help reduce swelling. Don’t forget to re-apply Aquaphor!

Band-Aid Blister Cushions

If blisters have formed, start the next day wearing the blister band-aids on your feet.  These bandages will give you a little bit of extra cushion and help prevent further damage.

That’s it! I know it can seem like a lot of steps, but, for me, it’s worth it. Since starting my Disney foot care regimen, I have not had any major foot problems during any of my Disney vacations! Check out my Amazon store for a complete shopping list.

Do you have any foot care tips? Let me know in the comments!

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