After all of the hard work and planning, the time has finally come to enjoy the payoff. Your Disney vacation is here, and now all those plans you made, packing the most into every single day, are starting to come to life. You might not have correctly accounted for the lack of energy that comes from consecutive days of non-stop action. Even though we are sleeping in between, that might not be enough to recover from the fast-paced excitement that we’ve planned thoroughly. If you aren’t accustomed to 20,000+ step walking days, you might find the next morning leaves you with a bit of a Disney hangover. Aching, exhausted, and not feeling as rested by your usual night’s sleep as you had hoped. Here are five tricks I like adding to my bedtime routine to ensure I’m recovered and ready for the next Disney day by morning.
Stretch It Out
Though you might not feel it yet, there is a chance that your muscles are exhausted and confused. To avoid them tensing up and feeling like I’ve aged twenty years overnight, I like to get some extra stretching in, primarily through my legs and back. Start with your feet and stretch out each of your muscles one by one until your legs feel super relaxed; this will lessen the stiffness you might feel by morning.
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Re-Hydrate Your Body
Drinking water is the number one way to help your body feel good while you are in Walt Disney World. Dehydration is a typical result of the climate and the continuous movement that comes with your Disney vacation, and it can significantly impact how we feel and function. Grab another large glass of water before bed, even if you think you’ve been drinking enough through the day. You may need to wake up for a bathroom break, but your body will thank you when it wakes up hydrated and ready for action.
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Moisturize Your Skin
The weather in Orlando, especially, can be harsh, and just as your body needs hydration on the inside, your skin needs hydration on the outside. I like to do this year-round, but it’s even more important in the warmer months when you might have more exposure to the sun. Get some lightweight moisturizer on your face and a denser moisturizer on your body to give your skin the boost it needs to look fabulous in those Disney PhotoPass shots of tomorrow.
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Crack The Curtains
When everyone is ready for bed, create a small crack in the block-out curtains as far away from the beds as possible. This will allow some of that natural sunlight to start filling the room as the morning wakes up, giving your body a natural indicator that morning is coming. It helps me to avoid that jolting feeling of an alarm blaring out of nowhere in a dark room. It doesn’t have to be much, just a little gap to allow that beautiful sunlight to come through. Of course, always leave your privacy sheer curtains closed.
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Be Kind To Your Feet
The top complaint I hear from friends when they visit Disney is aching feet that won’t recover by morning. Give those bad boys a strong-handed rub before you go to sleep almost until it hurts. A bit of tough love can go a long way, paying extra attention to your arch if you didn’t bring the most supportive footwear. Swap shoes in the morning to the second pair you brought to give your feet a slightly different profile within the shoe for some relief.
Photo by Bert Ferranco on Unsplash
Now it’s your turn. What do you do after a long Disney day to feel refreshed for the next one? Share your tips and tricks with us below!
Zoë Wood is a travel writer from Sydney, Australia. Since her first visit to Disneyland at the age of 6, she has spent her years frequently visiting Disney Parks and traveling around the world.
Join Zoë as she lets you in on all the tips, tricks, anecdotes, and embarrassments that arise from her family adventures.
