I know when my family visits a Disney Park all we want to think about is fun. We are excited to ride the attractions, see the shows and eat amazing food. I am jumping out of my seat just thinking about it. You have taken care of all the flight reservations, theme park tickets, and packed every last important toy your child desperately needs. You are ready, but have you remembered to take care one very important detail; your health? Here are some quick and simple tips that you can follow to help promote a happy body; inside and out.
Frequent Hand Cleaning
Disney Parks are filled with wonderful little creatures. There are tons of Olafs running around, pirates, and a couple Anna and Elsas too. The issue is these little adorable guys are carrying some not so adorable little friends. Germs. Lucky for us Disney has numerous hand washing stations throughout the parks that are hands-free so you don’t have to touch the infected surfaces. Usually located in the washrooms, and a major step in helping your family not become germ-ridden. Tricks like always using paper towels to touch door handles can help as well. Hand sanitizing wipes are cheap and can be easily carried around too. A great idea is to wipe hands down after every few rides or attractions. Think of it this way. You are touching everything every other guest has touched. How does that make you feel ? I know it makes me feel a little uneasy. So take the moment to decontaminate.
Hydrate
The amount of fluid you need depends on your gender, age and health level. People can easily forget that you need more fluids to stay hydrated in warmer weather, and when you are more active. The pure amount of walking in that July heat will be enough for anyone to need to refuel. Fluids are essential and play many important functions in our bodies. They move nutrients and waste through you. They help keep your blood pressure normal, and they protect and cushion your joints and organs. All pretty important things if you ask me. Most importantly they control body temperature and lower the risk of dehydration and heat stroke. We have all seen person after person demonstrate signs of dizziness, fainting, and headaches in the parks. These are all signs of dehydration and should be taken very seriously. If you have a smart phone there are apps available that will help you track your fluid intake. Just click every time you have a glass and you can easily keep track of how you are doing. If you don’t have a smart phone, a simple pen and paper will do the trick just as easily.
Some tips to stay hydrated are being aware of your thirst and drink fluids throughout the day. Choose water to drink, and avoid soft drinks if you can. Keep water near by and take sips throughout the day. You don’t have to go out and drink a lake worth of water, but you can’t skip it either. Not a fan of drinking water? Enjoy other fluids instead like low fat milk, fortified soy beverages, or 100% vegetable or fruit juices to help fulfill your fluids quota. Bottom line is this. To meet your fluid levels you need to listen to your body and make a conscious effort to give it what it needs.
Sunblock
I know we are all excited to run out that door and hit the parks, but the effects of the sun can impact your health for years to come. Make sure to apply sunlotion before leaving, and reapply every couple hours in the park. Enlist the help of family members to get those hard to reach places. Make sure it is a sunscreen with a high enough rating and that it hasn’t expired. Sunburns have some pretty nasty side affects, and have an excellent way of ending a vacation. You will never regret putting sunscreen on, but you will regret not.
Sleep
This is something my family tends to forget. We get up early, and go until we drop. We feel we need to cram as much stuff as possible into the day. This leaves us exhausted, run down, and usually results in us getting sick. No one wants that.A healthy sleep pattern can curb inflation, help regulate weight, sharpen attention and even lower stress. Disney may be the happiest place on earth, but at the end of the day when you are fighting those crowds to get to the hotel, a stress reliever will make a big difference.
No one wants to miss the exciting entertainment at night time, and I’m not saying you have too. If you plan on seeing the fireworks one night, plan on sleeping in a little the next time day. Simple. Book a late character breakfast, or take a resort day. Sometimes the days of just enjoying my resort are my favorite. It’s easy to forget to relax on a vacation. How often have you got home, and thought you needed a vacation after your vacation ?
Bed Bugs
I should admit I’m obsessed about these tiny critters. My husband might think I’m a little crazy, but with the amount of travelling we do it’s important. Let me start by saying Disney has a great history of not having bedbug outbreaks. I have done extensive research on this topic, again because I’m a little over the top about it. Even with their great track record, bedbugs go hand in hand with travelling. It’s a common misconception that they only live in dirty places. There are some very easy steps to keeping you bite free. Since luggage is a major way that bed bugs are moved from place to place it’s a great idea to keep your luggage in the bathtub. I know how that sounds, but these are the top tips for not bringing extra guests home with you. You will already have enough souvenirs and don’t need these fellas to be feasting on your family back home. Also take the time to pull the bed away from the wall if possible, closely look at couches, and tear up the sheets. Most importantly check your sheets the next morning, and look for little blood stains on your sheets. If you believe you saw something call the front desk immediately. Disney has procedures in place for this situation. They will not delay, and will have you moved, your belongs washed, before you can say ” Where’s my Mickey Head icecream?”
I’m not saying you have to be obsessed with it all. The main point is just to listen to your body, and make wise choices to help protect it; inside and out. Then you can get to the most important part of the vacation; FUN!
