848 · How to Walk Smarter and Feel Better at Walt Disney World - WDW Radio: Your Guide to the Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise and More Disney Magic!

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(00:01):
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(00:42):
W Radio, your information station.
We've all had those days inthe Disney parks where the excitement
is high.
But our feet, our legs andmaybe even our backs say something
very different.
And if you've ever felt wornout way too early in the day or just
wished you had a little bitmore energy to enjoy those late night

(01:05):
moments, this episode is for you.
Because I'm joined by Dr.Steven Khabibi to talk about some
practical tips to help youfeel better all day at Walt Disney
World.
These are not.
It's me.
These are not intense workoutsor complicated plans.
They are some simple everydayhabits that you, everybody in your
family can use to before andduring your trip to help you feel

(01:28):
more comfortable, move withmore ease and honestly enjoy more
of the magic.
So whether you're planningyour first trip or your 50th, let's
talk about how you can feelyour best from morning to night in
the most magical place on earth.
Hello my friend and welcome toWW Radio, your guide to Disney parks
and experiences around the world.
I am Lou Mungello and this isshow number 848.

(01:49):
And whether it's your firsttime listening or you've been with
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(03:18):
Every Disney fan knows thefeeling, the sore feet, the tired
back, the pure feeling ofabsolute exhaustion.
And it's halfway through whatis supposed to be like the magical
day in the parks and the longdays and sometimes long vacations
that end with the thought Ineed a vacation from my vacation

(03:41):
to Disney World.
That is not the way you'resupposed to feel.
And hopefully we're going totry and find a way to help you not
for again, because this week Iam joined by my friend, fellow lifelong
Disney Parks fan and Momentumweekend workshop attendee, Dr. Steven
Gabiby.
He is a physical therapist andthe author of Disney Ready, you,

(04:02):
Pain Free Parks Survival Guide.
It is a book not just aboutwalking more, but about walking smarter.
Stephen, welcome to the show.
Lew, thank you so much forhaving me.
It's a really big pleasure tobe here.
I have a feeling if I could goback in time, especially to when
I would go with my very youngchildren and say why couldn't book

(04:22):
have been here earlier?
You probably would have savedme a lot of not just a lot of stress,
but a lot of recovery time.
So I want to talk about someof the science and the strategies
and I think some of thestories even too about feeling your
best.
I think before, sometimes Idon't think about it before, during
and after your Disney vacation.

(04:44):
So you could really make themost of every moment.
It should not be the Epcotdeath march.
It should be this magical timewhere you're smiling as much as you
possibly, possibly can, evenif it's 11 o' clock at night on July
4th in Magic Kingdom.
But Azul, I want to talkabout, as you do in your book, how
to prepare your body forDisney, preventing the pain, which

(05:05):
we all know, especially as weget older before it starts, and how
to make sure that you have theenergy to enjoy every magical moment.
And you know probably that myfavorite question is why.
And yours, too.
We're going to get to that interms of what you talk about, in
terms of finding your personal why.

(05:25):
So before we get into the whyof the book, let's talk about why
you.
Like, why are you.
Because you're not just a fanwho loves going to the parks.
It's about the science and theschool behind this.
Yeah.
So, you know, I've always beensome sort of athlete my entire life.
I took up running in middleschool and high school, and then

(05:45):
I took up road bicycling, andafter that.
And I've always tried to keepmyself fit.
So I've always had this lovefor body movement, body mechanics,
and that's what eventually ledme to going to physical therapy school,
getting my doctorate inphysical therapy.
And, you know, that.
That eventually led me tocombining my love of physical therapy
with my love of the Disney parks.

(06:07):
Now, the thing is, you know, with.
I'm coming from California, Imoved in from California, so I grew
up going to Disneyland, or Ispent a lot of my life going to Disneyland
and Disney's Californiaadvent, which is a completely different
beast compared to Walt Disney World.
Right.
As we know.
And my first.
My first trip to Walt DisneyWorld was actually as an adult not

(06:28):
too long ago.
And I went with my family.
We went for, I think it waslike four or five days.
And by the end of that thirdday, I was just.
I was pooped.
I was done.
You know, my.
My back was starting to hurt,my feet were aching.
I was fatigued.
It was hard to stay awake onCarousel of Progress, which, honestly
is one of my favoriteattractions, like, ever.

(06:49):
It is.
It should not be where you goto take a nap.
You should be going, right?
Absolutely.
So, you know, coming back fromthat first trip, I was like, there's
no way.
Like, there's no way that canhappen again to me because I just.
I want to enjoy the Disneymagic without having to worry about
that, am I going to getfatigued at the end of the day?
Is my back going to make ittowards the end of the trip?

(07:10):
You know, and then it wasduring that time I was going to get
my doctorate, and I learned alot more about body mechanics, which
I also really love, which Imentioned earlier.
But then I started to combinethose two together, and I realized,
hey, you know, the more I goto Disney, the more I can experiment
with ways to move, Move withless effort, move a lot easier, but

(07:31):
also move with less pain.
And I. I took all ofeverything I learned, and I thought,
hey, look, no one needs to gothrough Disney in pain.
So let's, come on, let's,let's share this information, let's
share the wealth.
So that's what brings me today.
Right?
And you're coming fromsomebody who is, as you said, you
are a self admitted athlete.

(07:52):
This may come as a shock to you.
Not everybody who goes toDisney is in that same, I'm pointing
to myself, that same type ofprime physical condition.
And you know, there's, we allhave different backgrounds, different
body shapes and masses andsometimes we're carrying a variety
of different things.
Not just, I was gonna say alittle fanny pack, but nobody carries

(08:14):
fanny.
Packs anymore, but crossbodybag, you know.
I can't even do that.
You know, it's funny becauseyou, in the book, you talk about
it like seriously, you comparethe Disney park days to endurance
events and they really kind of are.
I think people don't realize,especially here in Walt Disney World.
And this number might even besomewhat outdated.

(08:35):
It might even be more.
Now I remember the stat frommy trivia book days that the average
Walt Disney World guest walksnine miles on a day.
And that's a lot like you'reputting a lot on your body in an
average day.
Because I have a feeling otherthan maybe you, not everybody is
walking.
I speak for myself.
I am not walking nine miles a day.

(08:57):
Yeah, it's kind of crazy whenyou think about it.
And you're absolutely right.
I think the numbers right nowcan equate to something between 15
and 25,000 steps a day.
And if you were to take a pollof people on Facebook, I mean, some
people will say they'vewalked, you know, over 30,000 steps
in a day.
And you can't forget that the,the Run Disney race season at Walt

(09:21):
Disney World had just starteda couple weeks ago.
There are people that run thehalf marathon and then, you know,
they go to Dopey and they runthe entire marathon and then they
spend the rest of the day atthe parks until park close.
They're getting like 50,000steps, Lou.
So it's crazy how much youwalk without thinking it.
But like Disney does that.
They, they get you caught inthe magic and it's amazing.

(09:42):
But at the same time, at theend of the day, you start to feel
it.
If you're not ready.
Now, I will say just becauseyou're an athlete and just because
you have that backgrounddoesn't necessarily mean your body's
really adapted to being ableto walk all day.
Like I said earlier, you know,my first trip to Disney World I wasn't
immune to how I felt at theend of the day.
Right.

(10:02):
And just because I. I'm usedto running, you know, 15, 20 miles
a week doesn't necessarilymean my body's also adapted to walking
and standing that much, youknow, eight to 12 hours a day.
It's a whole different ball game.
So that just points to howmuch more important it is to find
ways to physically prep foryour Disney World trip, but also

(10:24):
have strategies to save thatenergy, recover.
Right?
Which I think is what we sortof think about closing the barn door
after all the horses have left.
We don't think about what todo beforehand because, look, people
who do run Disney andendurance events, they train for
them, right?
But nobody really trains for.

(10:44):
And I sort of almost sort ofhate to use that word because I think
it might throw some people offor sort of scare somebody.
But you don't train to go to aDisney park, which I think is a unique
experience in terms of justhow much walking we do.
And walking we do withbackpacks and strollers and souvenirs
and diaper bags and kids inour arm, like, it is a legit workout

(11:05):
that sometimes we are notforget mentally.
We'll talk about mentally,too, but not physically prepared
for.
So, like, talk to me a littlebit about this idea of starting to
prepare for it and how can werealistically do it and when do we
need.
Look, we're all very busy, right?
And the last thing we need todo is like, all right, kids, listen,
dad needs to go upstairs.
We need to start working outfor our trip to Disney World.

(11:28):
Like, how do we realistically prepare?
And then when should we startdoing it?
Yeah, that's a really goodquestion, and that's a very popular
question to ask.
So I'm gonna start first bysaying one, every human body.
It doesn't matter, you know,what age you are, what build you
are, Every human body has theamazing ability to adapt to whatever
stress that you put upon it.
And when I say stress, I meanit could be physical stress, it could

(11:50):
be emotional stress, mentalstress, psychological stress.
I'm talking about physicalstress, mainly, right?
Your body is able to gothrough a certain amount of stress,
whether it be walking orstanding, adapt to it, and then get
better and recover and thenget stronger.
And then ideally.
And the concept is, forexample, if you walk 5,000 steps

(12:12):
in a day, and then you allowyour body to recover and adapt, you
go to sleep that night and youdo it again the next day, and then
you go to sleep that night andyou do it again the next day and
kind of rinse and repeat.
In a week or two, your body isgoing to walk, be able to walk 5,000
steps and feel a lot betterafterwards compared to if you were

(12:32):
to first walk 5,000 steps andmaybe feel a little bit of soreness
in your feet.
So your body, as long as, one,you give it the right amount of stress,
and two, you give it enoughtime to recover, that's what allows
your body to adapt and getbetter so that you can walk those
15, 20, 25,000 steps.

(12:52):
Now, given the fact that yourbody is so amazing at adapting, right?
You first.
When you're trying to plan howto physically prep your body for
Disney World, you need todetermine your baseline, whatever
your baseline is.
And your baseline is reallyeasy to figure out, especially if
you've got a smartphone andyou keep it on you, or if you've
got a smartwatch and it's onyou all the time.

(13:13):
Because really, all you needto do is track your walking steps
per day, right?
So take whatever yourinstrument is, whether it's your
phone or your watch, trackyour steps over the over the course
of seven days, take thatrunning average and then of course,
divided by seven.
That way you get a moreaccurate measurement of what your

(13:33):
daily step count is.
And that's going to be yourbaseline to start.
And from there, you're goingto start increasing the amount of
steps.
I go through this in my book,but I like to increase the amount
of steps per day over thecourse of a week.
So, for example, if yourstarting step count, our starting
average step count is about5,000 steps a day.

(13:54):
Your goal is to hit 5,000steps every other day of the week
and then see how you feel atthe end of the day and the next day
of each day that you'rewalking, right?
So you're walking 5,000 stepson a Monday.
You're not walking as much ona Tuesday.
That way you can allow yourbody to recover.
You're seeing how your bodyreacts and how your body feels.

(14:16):
And then theoretically, ifyou're feeling good, you're not feeling
sore or you're not feeling anypain, on Wednesday, you'll walk another
5,000 steps.
You'll do that again until youget to the end of the week, again,
reassessing how you're feeling.
If you're feeling pretty goodby the end of the week, you're not
feeling any pain or sorenessby that, by the next week, you up
your number of steps.
Okay?
That's, that's how youProgress your.

(14:39):
Your daily step count, andeventually over time, you'll get
to, you know, 10,000, 12,000steps, whatever that goal is.
And of course, you're going tohave to make sure that you make that
goal before you start yourplanning, before you start your physical
preparation.
Now, if we're planning from agoal step count, say, for example,

(14:59):
your goal step count is maybe10 or 12,000 steps.
You can kind of do the math.
You can kind of do somebackwards math and figure out how
long it's going to take foryou to start.
If your starting step count ison the lower side, you're probably
going to need more time to prepare.
You might need maybe like twoor three months to prepare.
If your starting step count isalready eight or nine thousand steps

(15:21):
a day, for example, you mightnot need that much time to prepare
until your next Disney trip.
You might need like a month,maybe even less.
Right.
It all depends on where you're starting.
So those are the kinds ofthings to think about.
I outline it all in my book,but that's where you start, and then
that's how you kind of buildupon that and.
Right.
And I like the fact that youhave these walking plans as opposed

(15:44):
to just, well, just get moresteps in every single day.
Because we're all coming atdifferent physical fitness or physical.
My case, physical.
This might come as a shock toyou, Steve, and this is not the body
of an athlete.
If you can't be an athlete, bean athletic supporter.
The line from Greece.
Right.
But sometimes I think it'seven more than that.
And, you know, you also don'twant to overwhelm people with, well,

(16:06):
you need to sort of day andwork every day, because what are
like three, you know, two orthree very quick things people can
do today to start sort ofgetting themselves Disney ready.
And again, the goal is not for.
The goal really is so that youhave a better time while you're there
and your recovery time afteris not like, dad needs a couple of

(16:29):
days just to, like, lay on thecouch and recover from the Disney
trip.
Because it's not, you know,the way you want to feel, especially
if you come back on a Sundaynight and you're back to work on
Monday morning.
So, like, two or three quickthings people can start doing at
home to start getting readyfor their trip.
Yeah, totally.
So the first thing for sure isto make a plan.
Make a goal, make a plan.
Right.

(16:49):
If.
If you don't have a plan, thenyou don't have clarity of where exactly
you're going to be going to beable to prepare, right?
The second thing is to havesome sort of accountability buddy.
A our good friend Sean frombut mostly Disney.
He we just did a podcasttogether and he straight up told
me, like, he didn't tell me beforehand.
He told me straight up, hey,for my next Disney trip, I'm going

(17:11):
to be posting every single daywhile I'm going on my walk with my
dog, I'm going to post apicture and tag you on Facebook just
so that I'm going to be hisaccountability buddy.
To have someone like that.
And Lou, I mean, you gave, yougave us at Momentum the task of finding
our accountability buddiesbecause we both know how important
it is to keep each other accountable.

(17:32):
That way you can achieve yourgoals, right?
So second step, findaccountability buddy.
The third, I would say, is towork on your daily habits, because
your daily habits help definehow you approach your entire Disney
trip.
So, for example, in terms ofmy daily habits, I like to have a

(17:56):
very specific morning routineand a very specific evening routine.
And this comes really handyespecially when you're on vacation,
not just at Disney World, butreally anywhere you're going.
If you've found your dailyhabits, made them automatically,
then one, you have fullcontrol of how you start and end
your day, right?

(18:16):
If you have full control, youfeel a lot less stressed.
You have a lot, you think alot less about what you're going
to be doing in those morningsand evenings, which gives you a lot
more mental capacity andmental space to figure out everything
else about your vacation.
You get to focus way more onhow you can soak in the magic, how
you can plan everything.

(18:37):
It just makes things a lot easier.
And then two, of course, youknow, having a good time morning
and evening routine sets youup for success altogether.
It gives you more energybecause theoretically you'll get
a lot better sleep.
So a lot less stress overall.
It sets you up for your nextday because you'll have a lot better
sleep.
It'll make you feel a lot moreproductive in the mornings because

(18:59):
it'll put you in the rightmindset to start your day.
And really it just boosts youroverall energies and energy levels.
So those are the three things.
Daily habits, accountabilitybuddy, and then make a plan.
Yeah, and I want to be clearbecause when we talk about sort of
preparing for your trip oralmost sort of training for your
trip, I don't want anybody toget the vision of the mental picture

(19:22):
of being at the gym, on atreadmill with a 17 degree incline,
with a backpack, a diaper bag,And a baby Bjorn with weight in it,
literally feeling like theyhave to train for this.
But you also said somethingthat I think is really important,
too, which is, again, wetalked earlier about the why.

(19:45):
Right.
You talk about in the bookyour personal why.
And I think one of the thingsthat is such a big part of this is
not necessarily the physicalpart, but the mental part.
Why is mindset as important asmuscle when it comes to preparing
for and enjoying your Disney vacation?
Yeah.
In short, I mean, mindset isreally what drives you.

(20:07):
Right.
Mindset and having that,having your own why allows you to,
you know, prepare day in andday out and be consistent and keep
showing up, even though youmight not feel like showing up.
You know, motivation doesn't always.
You don't always feel themotivation every day you wake up.

(20:28):
But as long as you know yourwhy and you keep repeating your why,
that's the reason why you'llkeep getting up and doing the thing.
Let's talk about when you're.
We're actually at the parks,and, you know, it's.
I find sometimes that mymotivation and my why and my soreness
and tiredness differs.
Like, I can, you know, I walkat a very fast pace.

(20:48):
It's the jersey in me.
People like, you have suchlittle legs.
How do you walk so fast?
I'm like, it's easy.
I'm walking to the boathouse.
Of course I'm gonna walk fast.
Whereas at the end of thenight, there is that.
Let's take a break.
Why don't we just sit here fora minute and just take, like.
I'm starting to say the thingsthat my dad used to say when he got
to my.
What are some of the best sortof quick tips you can give to people,

(21:11):
like, when they're in theparks, when it's, you know, do we
push on?
Do we slow down?
How do I deal with, you know,soreness and maybe even two distinguishing
between, well, I'm just alittle tired or wait a minute, like,
I'm in sort of real pain here.
Whether it's my knees, myankles, my hips, my feet, whatever
it is.
Yeah.
So there's a.
There's a big differencebetween, you know, a little bit of

(21:33):
fatigue or some musclesoreness and some actual joint pain
that's really crippling.
That feels crippling.
Right.
Muscle soreness usually isover that meaty portion of your body.
So, for example, the front ofyour thigh or your calf.
Right.
Versus some sort of sharpjoint pain, which is specifically
more at a bony region where.

(21:54):
Where you get your joints are.
Now, if you're feeling somesoreness, that's generally okay to
walk through, depending on howmuch soreness you feel.
In my book, I talk aboutsomething called the light system,
which is a really great way, areally great system to use to help
listen to your body.
That way you know when to slowdown, when to keep going, or when

(22:17):
to maybe take even a longerrest break or a rest day.
Right.
Green light generally meansyou're feeling good, you're not feeling
any soreness, you're notfeeling any, like, fatigue.
That tells you, okay, we cankeep going.
Or you wake up and you feelthe green light.
Okay, we can, we can walk alot more today.
I'm feeling good.
Let's go.
Yellow light.

(22:38):
Okay, you wake up the nextmorning after a day at Disney, and
you're feeling some sorenessover some muscles, maybe over the
front of your thigh, and maybethat soreness will go away after
warming up, doing a little bitof stretching, that tells you, okay,
you can keep going for theday, but maybe you should take a
few rest breaks throughout the day.

(22:59):
You know, walk a couple hoursand take a rest break at the bench
by World Showcase Lagoon orsomething and, you know, do some
people watching and then ifyou're in the red light.
So after a day of walking atDisney, you wake up and you've just
got this unrelenting eithermuscle soreness that just it's difficult
to take a few steps in themorning, or if you've got that sharp

(23:20):
joint pain that's just reallystopping you from walking more than
a few minutes or maybe evenmore than like 20 or 30 minutes.
Okay, that tells you, hey, weshould probably think about taking
a longer rest.
Take more and longer restbreaks throughout the day, or even
take an entire day off fromthe parks and just, you know, spend
some time at the pool.

(23:40):
Now, that being said, with thelight system, knowing how to utilize
it also brings up theimportance of practicing the light
system long beforehand.
So that's all part of thepreparation process as well, which
you can totally intertwinewith a walking program.
Using that light system whenyou're using your walking program

(24:02):
allows you to listen to yourbody while you're walking, after
you're walking the day after.
That way you can make thosequick decisions on the fly without
having to really think deeplyabout it.
And again, as I said earlier,clear up some mental space and some
mental capacity so you cankeep going with your day.
So I want to talk about someof the common mistakes.

(24:23):
I think that people might makewhen they're at Disney, whether it's
trying to push through,whether it's not.
And I think one of the thingsthat stood out to me from the book
is you talk about dehydrationbeing one of the sort of the most
common mistakes at Disney.
Look, and it's hotter, longerhere in Orlando.
I think it's easy, but it'sso, I think, easy to overlook, like

(24:45):
the sense of being dehydrated.
So talk about sort of likeyour advice for staying hydrated.
What are some of the maybeoverlooked hydration trips?
And how do you, what do yousort of recommend?
Not just drinking, but maybeeven eating throughout the day to
make sure you are hydrated andyou are best sort of physically prepared

(25:06):
to, you know, endure the19,000 steps.
Yeah.
So typically on any given day,not just a day at Disney, it's recommended,
or I like to at least tell mypatients to drink the equivalent
of ounces in water that ishalf your body weight.
That is to say, if you're, ifyou weigh, you know, about 150 pounds,

(25:26):
you want to drink about 75ounces of water within the day.
Right.
And that sounds like a lot.
That sounds like a lot.
But if you're at Disney Worldwhere you're walking and you're expending
energy and you need that waterto help keep you cool during the
summer and, and you're in thesun, which also tends to dehydrate
you, you're going to need alot more water than that too.

(25:48):
Right.
Your body really needs energyin food.
And then also it needs to stay hydrated.
That way you keep your ownenergy levels up all day.
And we all know how it feelswhen you are dehydrated and you reach
the end of the day and you'rejust like, I'm kind of seeing double
now.
You know, those are, those arethe worst, let me tell you.
But so on a typical day, halfyour body weight in ounces.

(26:11):
At Disney, when you do thecalculations, it differs between
men and women.
But generally, men need todrink at least 150 ounces of water
within the day.
Women, about 100 ounces ofwater in the day.
And again, like any othergiven day where you drink half your
body weight in ounces, itsounds like a lot.

(26:31):
It really sounds like a lot.
But a lot of that water cancome from what you eat as well.
And Disney does a great job inproviding a lot of food that has
a lot of water in it.
So, for example, you'll get alot of Water from things like fruit.
So watermelon is a really good example.
Or vegetable like cucumber,tomatoes are the ones that I'm thinking

(26:52):
of off the bat that are at Disney.
Honestly, a myth that thatoften gets tossed up is coffee tends
to dehydrate you.
But actually coffee is areally good way to stay hydrated
as long as you limit theamount of sugar cream that you put
in that coffee.
The more sugary your drink is,the more likely you are to get dehydrated.
So that means like things likesoda and those mixed cocktails that

(27:14):
tend to be on the sweeter sideat Disney 10 will dehydrate you more
than other.
Drinks, but which doesn't meandrink more cocktails.
Just to be like.
Just to be clear.
Exactly.
Just to be clear.
But that means coffee, tea,those drinks are like 99% water.
Those are really, really easyways to get more water into the day.

(27:35):
And we know how long the linegets at Starbucks and Joffrey's every
day that we walk into the parks.
So really easy ways to getsome water through food, through
coffee, through tea.
Also, I have a map on mywebsite, fitforthemagic.com wdwater
it is a map of all the waterrefill stations throughout the four

(27:56):
parks and Disney Springs.
It's really easy to pull up onyour phone and just go through and
find whatever water stationyou need to.
That combined with a 12 ouncereusable water bottle and you're
set.
I say 12 ounces becauseanything bigger than that just feels
like a drag to wear or to putinto your b.
It's like you're bringing yourweights with, right?

(28:17):
You're ringing your weightswith you and carrying them on your
back.
Exactly.
As long as you know where thewater refill stations are, you've
got a small water bottle,you'll be good to go.
Right.
Again, planning is key and I think.
That'S one of the things thatDisney has really done well over
the past few years isinstalling so many of those water
refill stations.
And look, don't forget toothat any counter service restaurant

(28:38):
you could walk up to and getan iced water.
You know, again, keeping yourbody cool, but also making sure that
you stay hydrated as well.
There's something else in yourbook too that I'm really happy that
you talked about as somebodywho, especially as I started to get
older, have started to noticemore and more issues.
It's not just about the weightthat we're carrying on our bodies

(28:59):
and how much we're walking inthe oppressive heat.
But it's also about makingsure that you wear the right things
when you go to it.
I'm not talking about yourMickey Mouse teacher.
I'm talking about shoes.
And I think, and look, man, Igo to the parks and you can talk
to this.
I go to the parks and I seepeople in like their Walmart $99

(29:21):
super thin flip flops.
I'm like, my God, woman, howare you possibly walking through
the parks?
Talk about the importance ofshoes and the difference between
walking shoes and running shoes.
And you know, are wearing flipflops, like is it good for you to
wear that in the parks line?
You know, I've.
Some people heard, some peoplesay, well no, you can't wear those

(29:42):
because they're too soft orthey're too cushioned.
Like how do you go aboutmaking sure you pick the right shoes?
And is Crocs just the answer?
Is Crocs just the answer?
A lot of people will say crocsare the answer.
Now the short answer is wearwhat's most comfortable to you.
Right?
Wear what's most comfortableto you.
When I was talking with Seanfrom but mostly Disney the other

(30:05):
night, he told me he wearsflip flops all the time.
He wears flip flops every day.
He, he go, he wears flip flopswhen going to the store.
He wears flip flops at Disneyall the time and he feels completely
fine.
Now that works for him becausehe's been wearing flip flops for
I don't know how long, buthe's gotten to the point where, like

(30:25):
I said earlier, your body isamazing at adapting to stressors.
It's gotten to the point wherehis body has adapted to wearing those
flip flops to where he canjust wear it all day and feel completely
fine.
Right.
Wear what's most comfortableto you.
Now in terms of shoe choice,running shoes versus walking shoes,
really it doesn't matter whatyou choose.

(30:46):
There are differences betweenthem because the way the body moves
in walking and the way thebody moves in running are very different.
And shoe companies make theirshoes so that they make your walking
or running mechanics more efficient.
So since the running andwalking mechanics are different,
the shoes for running andwalking are going to be different

(31:07):
to fit those types ofmechanics, right?
So for example, a walking shoewon't have as much of a rocker bottom
as a running shoe.
Because when a running shoeyou are going to be propelling yourself
a lot more often.
Your, your calf is going tohave to work a lot more to push yourself
forward.
Right?
So the running Shoe isdesigned to help do that easier.

(31:28):
So things like that.
Running shoes tend to be moreresilient in terms of how much stress
you put on the shoe itselfbecause you're pounding the pavement
all the time for God knows howmany miles versus walking shoes.
Theoretically not as much.
Right.
But in the end, honestly, itdoesn't really matter as long as
it's comfortable to you.
Now would I, I suggest thatyou get a carbon plated racing running

(31:52):
shoe to use at the Disney parks?
No, I don't think I wouldbecause those are designed specifically
for racing.
And besides, those are like,those cost an arm and a leg.
Right.
Would I suggest maybe getting,you know, a nice pair of Asics running
shoes that you know, don't,that are, that don't break the bank?
Yeah, actually that's what Itend to use when I go to the parks.
And generally when choosingshoes, there are some general rules

(32:15):
to follow in terms of fit.
So those 10, those are, youneed room for your feet to wiggle.
So the, the toe box or thefront part of the shoe needs to be
wide enough for that so your,your toes can wiggle.
You need it to be wide enoughat the middle of your foot so that
it doesn't feel too constricting.
The back part of the shoe atthe heel needs to be nice and cushioned

(32:35):
around your heel to where it'ssnug but not too, not too loose.
You need to make sure thatthat shoe, it hugs your foot but
not isn't too big to whereyour ankles roll back and forth all
the time.
And then the last thing tothink about in terms of fit for your
shoe is you need around athumb's width between the front of

(32:57):
your toe and the inside of thetip of the shoe.
Okay.
Generally those are the rules.
I look, I look for when I'mfinding my pair of shoes that's more
comfy.
And then on top of that, whenyou, once you find a pair of shoes,
and I really, I highly suggestthat you go to a specialized like
shoe store.
It might be a specializedrunning store, that's totally fine.
But if you go to one of thosespecialized shoe stores, there'll

(33:19):
be a sales rep out there thatknows a lot more about the shoes
that they sell compared to ifyou go to like a sports basement
or you know, another big namesporting goods store.
And that way they can help youchoose the right shoes for you.
Make sure that you're tryingon as many shoes as possible walking
in them in the sho.
In the store.

(33:40):
And then once you find theright pair of shoes that you think
works for you, make sure tobreak them in.
Please spend at least a weekor so, or maybe two to break them
in.
The last thing you want is tofind a pair of shoes that you think
really works for you or looksreally cute on your feet, only to
walk at Disney and then haveblisters at the end of the day.
Yeah.
And I know some shoes like,some stores like Fit to Run in Disney

(34:01):
Springs have some of thosedevices where they'll help you and
you can you stand on it and itsort of takes almost like a 3D image
of your foot and they'll ableto, they're better able to help recommend
what shoe, what brand, whattype of shoe, or even what insole
might be better for you,especially if you have things like
knee pain or ankle pain orplantar fasciitis.

(34:21):
Yeah, those are, those aregreat tools to utilize for sure.
And then if, if you combinethose tools with the rules I said
earlier, you're more thanlikely to find the right pair of
shoes for you.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
One of the things I like inthe book too, Steven, it's not.
You don't just sort of tellpeople what to do, you show people
what to do.
Like there's a ton of color photos.
And one of the things that youtalk about in there too is even some

(34:45):
of the things, the littlestretches and sort of little routines
you can do before you go.
And even while you're there,like in the park, like if you are
taking a break.
Cause yes, it's not just aboutall the miles that you are spending
and walking from place toplace, but even just as you're standing
in line or taking a break, Ilike the fact that you have some

(35:07):
of these little things thatpeople can sort of keep in the back
of your mind or even what Ilove about the book is that it's
literally pocket size.
You can bring it with you tothe park.
So if you are starting to feelsomething, say, hey, what is that
stretch I need to do?
Because I'm starting to feeltightness in my calves.
Yeah, that's exactly why Imade the book the way it is.
It's that pocket sized bookthat you can put in your crossbody

(35:28):
bag and put a post it on thatparticular chapter that has all those
stretches.
That way you can justreference it so easily.
But in terms of stretching,yeah, I mean, you know, your body
needs a few things before yougo on a full day of walking.
Right.
It needs a proper warmup, itneeds Some sort of stretch in the
middle of the day to keep yourbody limber and prevent some of that

(35:49):
stiffness from happeningtowards the end of the day.
And it needs some sort of cooldown to help your body not stiffen
up as much, but also aid alittle bit in that recovery process
so that you can hit the parksagain the next day.
So in my book, like you said,I have a few stretches in there for
each of those types of movements.
The warmup, the middle of theday stretch, the cool down, and really

(36:13):
all of it is designed to helpdecrease muscle stiffness and also
decrease your risk of injury.
It's designed to help give youmore energy all day.
And then it's also designed tohave less fatigue towards the end
of the day.
And it's not just, you know,it's not just Disney ready, right?
This is for any type ofvacation really for.
I mean, it sort of helps getyou kind of life ready too.

(36:35):
Stephen, I really wish youwould have published this book a
couple years ago when I was onan adventures by Disney with my family
and my kids.
You know, a lot of what I loveabout the Adventures of Disney is
you can sometimes choose yourown adventure and there are excursions
you can do that are lighter,some are more medium.
And of course my kids arelike, yes, let's do the five mile
hike in Wyoming up the.

(36:57):
It felt like a 90 degree hillwhere I thought I was like, I'm gonna
die right here.
But it does you.
These are things that you canobviously implement into day to day
life.
What I like too is that youreally make sure you address like
families and multigenerational travelers so that kids
can avoid that Disney crash.

(37:18):
And grandma and grandpa orpeople who maybe aren't as mobile
still want to be able toexperience as much as possible.
And sometimes it's notgrandpa, you got to hit the treadmill
six months ahead of time.
Like there are littleadjustments families can make in
their daily plans to reducethe physical stress, but still keep
it fun and magical for everybody.

(37:39):
Yeah, you know, you're exactly right.
No, no matter what age youare, there's something in this book
that you can find littletidbits here and there, little strategies
here and there that'll helpyou throughout the day.
This book really was designedto give tips and try and cover everything
that I could think of as adoctor of physical therapy, but everything
that, you know, the DisneyParks fan can think of in order to

(38:02):
have that magical day with alot less effort and a lot less pain.
So yeah, again you know, Ilove that they're just little tidbits
here and there.
And you know, you might findone thing, you might find a lot of
things in this book that workreally well.
And the way the book isdesigned and laid out is, you're
right, you don't have toconsume the whole thing all at once,

(38:25):
but you might be able to picklittle things out.
And honestly, I think the bookand sometimes our trips to Disney
help sort of maybe change ourapproach to wellness in general.
Like maybe, hey, you know, Iwas exhausted on the last trip or
I felt bad because we couldn'tdo this thing.
Maybe I had new decades to getmyself in a little bit of better

(38:46):
shape.
This way the next time we goto world or land or on a cruise or
adventures by Disney orwhatever it is, you can take some
of these lessons.
I think Disney is a powerfulmotivator for people to get healthier
and get more active.
Yeah, absolutely.
I love that.
And for a lot of people, Ithink that's their why as well.

(39:07):
Because Disney really does that.
Disney does really do that.
And I want to emphasize aswell, you know, yes, this book, there's
plenty of pages in the book,there's nine chapters, but really
it's all about starting small, right?
It's all about starting small,figuring out what works best for
you.
If your physical prep plan foryour next vacation means starting

(39:32):
a walking program, you don'thave to start by walking 10,000 steps.
You can start by doing a 10 or15 minute stroll with your dog.
If you're trying to build upand walk a lot more, why don't you
break it up and do small walksthroughout the day?
You know what I mean?
So there are.
You don't have to go all inbecause if you go all in, all at
once, that sets you up almostfor failure.

(39:54):
You might as well just start,start small, be consistent and then
build from there.
Yeah, I was going to say, ifyou wanted people to sort of take
one thing away, I think that's it.
You don't have to eat thewhole elephant.
You can do these things insort of very small increments and
sort of continue to work yourway up.
If somebody's leaving nextweek, if somebody's like leaving
next week and going, oh myGod, there is no way I'm going to

(40:17):
get myself in shape for thistrip that I'm leaving with my multi
generational family and, youknow, 18 cousins.
God bless you.
What is, what is sort of youradvice for somebody who's leaving
next week?
Just discovering the book andjust about to get ready for their
trip.
Yeah, I would say take, takethat week and just learn how to listen
to your body.
I would advise use the lightsystem, start there.

(40:39):
Because if you learn how tolisten to your body, then you know
how to navigate your body asit will walk through Disney World.
Nice and simple really.
I'm not even gonna go intolike any sort of other prep like
that.
That's really it.
So our good friend Lisa DinodoGlassner had just run her 99th and

(41:00):
hundredth run Disney race acouple weekends ago at Wine and Dine.
And that training prep leadingup to that race, I mean she wasn't
running as much as she used tobecause life happens and when life
happens, you gotta pick andchoose what's more important to you.
Right.
So completely respect for that.
Right.
And same thing happened to me.
But anyways, the reason whyshe was still able to run the 10k

(41:24):
and the half marathon with alot less training than what she's
used to is because she's spentthe time and she's been very mindful
in how to listen to her bodyand knowing when she can run a little
faster or when she had to slowit down.
The concept is no differentfrom how you should approach your
Disney World vacation.
If you just took it, it mightnot even take a week, it might only

(41:47):
take a couple days for you toreally learn your body.
As long as you are intentionalabout it.
You learn the light system,you're intentional about knowing
when to slow down or when tospeed up, you make that a habit and
then you're pretty much setfor your Disney vacation.
If that's the case.
Yeah.
And then look, there's so muchmore in the book that I found fascinating

(42:08):
and valuable and sort of gaveme my own little light bulb moment.
But I'm also sure that thereis somebody listening who has very
specific questions about theway they approach the parks or maybe
there is some sort of issuethat they have, whether it is with
their foot, knee, back,shoulder or whatever it is.
Where can people find you online?

(42:28):
Maybe reach out to you if theyhave a question.
And the other thing too istalk about your newsletter, which
I love because you continue tonot just supplement the book, but
you also provide a lot ofthese very simple, very easily consumable
like tips and tricks and bitof advice that you send right via
newsletter.
Yeah, you can find me, you cancontact me through my website, fitforthemagic.com

(42:52):
you'll find everything youneed there, which also links to my
socials as well as my YouTubepage, which also has videos of warmups
and stretches that you canfind useful.
And in terms of my newsletter,every week I will send out some bits
of information.
So for example, last week Italked about how to handle the cold

(43:13):
at Disney because believe itor not, at Disney World it actually
gets kind of cold.
I'm still waiting.
I'm still waiting for that to happen.
Well, I guess it depends onwhere you're coming from, right?
But it's November and it'sstill 85 degrees outside, so.
Well, I tell you honestly,mornings, you know, I know it's only
55, but the humidity sometimesmake it feel like it's in the 40s.

(43:33):
If you're not prepared for it,you know, and you're coming from
California, you might come outhere with shorts on his T shirt only
to realize damn, I should have got.
Dang.
I should have gotten.
I should have gotten likethree layers.
It can catch you off guard ifyou're not ready, right?
But anyways, every week you'llget a newsletter on tips on how to
have a pain free Disney vacation.

(43:55):
Just a couple days ago Ireleased a blog post on everything
you need to know about how torecover from plantar fasciitis.
So that that is on theblog@fitforthemagic.com I'm working
on making sure that the blogstays up to date every week along
with the newsletter that comesout every Sunday.
I am going to check out yourmost recent article.
As somebody who again notbeing an athlete, somehow I have

(44:17):
developed that in my later years.
But look, if you have everended a Disney day with aching feet
who are back and said like Ilove the magic but man, my body does
not.
Hopefully our conversationgave you a little bit of information
and insight and some of thetools to help change that.
A huge thanks to my friend Dr.Stephen Kabibi for sharing a lot

(44:38):
of these very practical likebased in science ways to make your
next Disney trip moreenjoyable, more pain free and more
full of energy.
You can find his book DisneyReady your Pain Free park survival
guide on Lulu.com, on Amazon.
I'll certainly link to hissite as well.
I'll also put all of yourcontact information and social in

(45:00):
there.
And as always I I'm sureStephen would as well love to hear
from you what are maybe yourbest tips for surviving and I hate
to use the word surviving,surviving a full Disney day.
Or if you have any specificquestions, I know Steve would be
happy to answer them either inthe clubhouse or if you email him
directly.
You could also call thevoicemail at 407-900-9391.

(45:22):
Stephen, thank you again sovery much.
Congratulations again on the book.
Again, you came to momentumlast year.
Somebody from LULU was theretalking about a book and just a few
months later, the fact thatyou handed it to me at the retreat
was something I think was anincredible accomplishment.
So thank you for being here.
Stay hydrated.
Lou, thanks so much.

(45:42):
It's really been a pleasure.
Number one tip.
Number one super quick tiplike overlooked tip like that nobody
else is talking about to makesure you have a pain free day in
the park.
Go.
Oh my gosh.
Find shade.
Find shade is hard to find inthe middle of World Showcase.
Oh my gosh.
There's like no trees whileyou're at the water.
That's why I love my spot upin Japan.
It's shaded, it's cool andthere's sushi and green tea.

(46:04):
That's how I hydrate.
Is sake a good hydration tool?
Probably not, but well, lesssugar content than a mixed cocktail.
Right?

(46:25):
It's time for our Walt DisneyWorld Trivia Question of the Week
where you can test yourknowledge of the history, sights,
sounds, secrets and stories ofDisney and enter for a chance to
win a Disney prize package.
And this week's trivia contestis brought to you by the most important
part of WWE Radio, which is you.
And by joining the WW RadioNation, you not only help to support
the show, live shows andevents, but you're also part of the

(46:47):
magic that makes it all possible.
And for as little as a dollarper month, you unlock exclusive perks
like scavenger hunt months,group video calls, a private community,
surprise packages and more.
Even better, your supporthelps power our Dream Team project
which has raised more than$550,000 for make a Wish to help
children with life threateningillnesses and their family visit

(47:08):
a place that we love andappreciate so very much.
Come be part of the magic andjoin us over@www.com support.
I am incredibly grateful foryour friendship and help and support
at.
I love being able to give backand say thank you each and every
month.
I want to quickly thank somenew and longtime members including
Dee Dee, Ray Kastner, CourtneyAlbright and Jeremy Stein.

(47:29):
I appreciate all of you again.
To find out more and join, youcan visit www.radio.com support and
now before we get to thisweek's question, let's go back, review
last week's and select our winner.
So back on show 846 I wastalking to Todd Pierce about his
book about the making of Mary Poppins.
Poppins.
And your question was to tellme in the Mary Poppins movie, what's

(47:49):
the name of the bank where Mr.Banks works?
Thanks to all of you.
Entered got this one correctand know that it is, of course, sing
it with me, the FidelityFiduciary Bank.
And as you recall, this old,very powerful London financial institution
was run by Mr. Dawes Senior,played by Dick Van Dyke, and was
also the setting for the verydramatic tuppence scene with young

(48:11):
Michael.
Anyway, took all the correct entries.
Randomly selected one.
Last week you were playing fora WWE radio keychain, stickers pin
and a mystery prize that Ibrought back from one of my adventures
for you.
And last week's winner,randomly selected is Melody Alvarez.
So, Melody, congratulations.
Your package is boxed andready to ship out.
And if you played last weekand didn't win, that's okay, because

(48:34):
here's your next chance toenter in this week's Disney Cruise
Line trivia challenge.
So every Disney Cruise Lineship has a godmother.
It is part of maritime tradition.
Susan Egan, the voice ofMegara from Hercules, is the godmother
of the Disney destiny.
Others include a member of theDisney family, Jennifer Hudson, and
even all cast members.

(48:55):
But there's only one DisneyCruise Line godmother that's a fictional
character.
Who is it?
Who is it?
And for bonus points, points,not that you get points, what ship
is this character the Godparent of?
You have until Sunday,November 30th at 11:59 from Eastern
to go to www.com click onthose weeks podcast.
Use the form there getting ita play for the keychain, the stickers,

(49:17):
a pin, and a mystery prizethat may or may not include some
Disney Cruise Line exclusive goodies.
So good luck and have fun.
That's going to do it for thisweek's show.
Thank you so much for takingthe time to listen this and every

(49:38):
week.
I know that your time is yourmost valuable commodity and I appreciate
you spending and sharing itwith me.
I hope that you found a littlebit of insight, inspiration and maybe
a little bit of magic in thisweek's show.
If you did, if you enjoy whatyou listen to, please do me a favor,
help spread the word, sharethe show and tell a friend.
And this week on Thursday isthe Thanksgiving here in the United
States.
And I know personally for me,I have a lot, I think we all have

(50:01):
a lot to be thankful for.
Thanksgiving is again anotherone of those holidays for me, like
father's Day and Mother's Day,that I don't think we need a particular
day to celebrate somethingthat we should be grateful and thankful
for every single day.
I know I wake up every morningso appreciative.
One, that I woke up thatmorning and two, that you afford
me the opportunity and thegift to do what I do.

(50:24):
And I think no matter where weare, no matter what we do, no matter
what we might be going throughor battles we might be fighting,
sometimes very privately, Ithink there's always something to
be grateful for every single day.
It's part of the reason why Italk about choosing the good.
I think there is anopportunity to choose the good every
day, to be thankful every day.
But know, especially this weekand on this day, will we recognize

(50:45):
those that we love, those thatwe are surrounded by, those that
we miss, and those that, thatthe people that we are thankful for.
Know that I am incrediblythankful to and for you.
None of what I get to do andshare and experience happens without
you.
So know that.
Look, I say all the time weare friends, whether we have met
yet or not.
And I mean that.
Know that even if we havenever met before, if we've never
interacted before in person,online or on social, there is one

(51:09):
kid at heart living in Floridathat is incredibly grateful for you.
And you make a difference.
Difference, a positivedifference, whether you realize it
or not.
And speaking of being gratefuland making a difference, you may
or may not know that Make aWish has been important to me since
my the very beginning of myjourney, starting with the writing
of my trivia book back in 2003.

(51:30):
And over the years we havedone everything from fundraising
to auctions to our runningteam to other events to help raise
money for Make a Wish.
To date, we've raised morethan 550,000 thousand dollars to
help children with lifethreatening illnesses come to visit
this place that we all love,Walt Disney World so much.
And I want to invite you tosomething that we did for the first

(51:51):
time last year and I instantlyfell in love with.
And no, don't worry, you don'tneed to run for this.
In fact, it's the oppositebecause on Thursday, March 26 is
the 19th annual Morgan andMorgan Walk for Wishes in Lake Eola
park in Orlando.
And there is no running, notraining, no, no pressure.
It's just one lap aroundbeautiful Lake Eola that we do together

(52:12):
with free food and music andentertainment and an amazing sense
of community and purpose.
Last year was our first timewalking together.
It was incredible and I lovedit so much and we had such a great
turnout from the WW family.
I was invited to be a memberof the Walk for Wishes community.
So I would love to see you ourclubhouse, our running team, friends
and family come together againto help help make a wish, grant life

(52:34):
changing wishes for childrenwith critical illnesses.
And once again we have a WDWwalking team that you can come and
be part of.
You can come alone, you canbring the family, you can bring kids,
you can bring your dog.
You can even order one of thecool WWE Walking team shirts.
You can learn more and signup@wdwradio.com walkforwishes and
I hope to see and walk withyou there.

(52:55):
So that's it for this week.
I hope to see you on the liveshow this Wednesday.
Remember you can tune in,watch and chat on our Facebook page
or on the www.channel on YouTube.
It's this and every Wednesdayat 7:30pm Eastern.
It is friendsgiving thisWednesday so I hope to see you there.
So thank you again for lettingme be part of your day.
Don't forget to choose thegood, be the good, set an example

(53:17):
for others.
So until next time, see ya.
This is Chrissy fromAnchorage, Alaska.
I am currently listening toyour show and I am driving from Alaska
down to Florida on day 12 andyour show has been keeping me company

(53:37):
for a long time and a largepart of this journey.
So I just want to thank youand say hi.
Hi, it's Elizabeth from Massachusetts.
Just listening to the mostrecent episode.
So fun, so relatable.
As a self proclaimed Disneyadult myself, I'm so pumped to hear
that AJ wrote a book.
Like I don't know how Ihaven't seen this about but I can't

(54:02):
wait to now go buy it.
And she just makes great work.
So I've been also followingher since the very beginning.
Yeah, I hope you're having anawesome trip.
It sounds like everyone in theWDW family is like here, there and
everywhere when it comes tobeing abroad right now, which is
so much fun.

(54:22):
So I hope everyone is having afabulous time.
I'm just getting back fromDisneyland which every time I go
back I forget how much fun Ilove and how much I love it.
Like it's just, I love howmanageable the park is and like it
has a different tone but stillfeels just magical and amazing.
So I just was running for theRun Disney Weekend, my first time

(54:44):
doing an event there.
So congrats to all the otherrunners who completed any and all
of the races that they did.
It was a great weekend andgreat temperatures and all the awesome
stuff that happened.
So stay magical, be magical,and I'll talk to y' all real soon.
Bye.
Well, it sounds pretty good.
In fact, that's just the right spirit.

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848 · How to Walk Smarter and Feel Better at Walt Disney World

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}848 · How to Walk Smarter and Feel Better at Walt Disney World