5 Rest Day Tips to Keep You Going Strong at Disney World

Not having planned rest breaks and rest days is one of the most common mistakes among Disney guests.

Not only is rest important to allow your joints and muscles to recover, but it’s also essential in keeping you and your family motivated to continue tackling the rides and attractions at the Disney parks. Without adequate rest, your body will tire quicker and feel sore and you’ll feel more exhausted toward the end of your trip.

Even worse, your motivation will go downhill, and you’ll feel like your hard-earned money has gone to waste. Planning strategic rest breaks and rest days during your Disney World vacation is crucial to make sure you keep going strong with less soreness, exhaustion, and fatigue. Here's how to plan your rest breaks and rest days based on which Disney World theme park you visit.

Why You Need to Take a Rest Break and Rest Day

When was the last time you spent 14 hours constantly walking to the next attraction and waiting in line?

Better yet, when was the last time you were out all day in the heat and with the sun constantly beating down on you? Rest breaks and rest days are the most underrated strategy when planning a Disney trip.

Taking frequent breaks is even a strategy used by successful marathon runners. Take Jeff Galloway, Olympic marathoner and the official runDisney training expert. Galloway developed the Galloway method, which alternates running with periods of walking throughout your race. Benefits of the Galloway method include reducing your injury risk, reducing muscle fatigue, and even improving your marathon time.

So why not apply a similar method to your Disney parks day?

Even with all your training and preparation, strategic rest breaks will ensure that you finish your Disney theme park day without feeling exhausted. It will also ensure that you’ll be able to start your next day feeling energized.

You’ll decrease your injury risk, reduce muscle fatigue, and improve your body’s ability to recover.

Planning Your Rest Breaks and Rest Days According to Theme Park

None of the 4 Disney World parks are created equal – in theming or in size.

More important than size, each Disney park also has different layouts that affect how much you’ll walk. Each Disney park also has a different number of rides offered, affecting how much time you’ll spend waiting in line. And finally, each Disney park runs on different operating times, affecting how much time you’ll potentially spend in the theme park.

Let’s rank each Disney World theme park according to how much you can expect to walk in them – from most to least.

1. Magic Kingdom Park

• Size: 107 acres
• Operating Time: 8:00am or 9:00am – 10:00pm, 11:00pm, or 12:00am
• Number of Rides: 24
• Number of Shows: 5

Expect to get the most walking in at Magic Kingdom.

At more than double the size of Disneyland Park, Magic Kingdom is actually the smallest of the 4 Disney theme parks. However, it’s usually open the longest. At its peak, you could potentially be spending 16 hours in Magic Kingdom – not including the time you’re walking outside the theme park. Finally, it’s the theme park with the most number of attractions. At 24 rides and 5 shows, guests tend to spend a lot of time walking across the entire theme park in an attempt to experience as much as possible.

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2. EPCOT

• Size: 262 acres (not accounting for World Showcase Lagoon)
• Operating Time: 9:00am – 9:00pm
• Number of Rides: 11
• Number of Shows: 15

As the second largest theme park at Disney World, EPCOT is next on the list of theme parks you can expect to do the most walking.

What makes EPCOT such a hotbed for walking isn’t the number of rides it has. It isn’t the number of shows it has. It’s the fact that walking through each country’s pavilion at World Showcase requires you to walk around World Showcase Lagoon. With one lap being 1.2 miles, you’re forced to walk around the lagoon and past each country to get to your next destination.

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3. Disney’s Animal Kingdom

• Size: 470 acres (not accounting for Kilimanjaro Safaris)
• Operating Time: 8:00am – 6:00pm or 7:00pm
• Number of Rides: 8
• Number of Shows: 8

Despite being the largest theme park at Disney World, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has the least number of rides and shows combined.

However, the rides and shows are spaced out over the park’s massive area. Animal Kingdom is also full of uneven walking surfaces. Not only does walking from attraction to attraction take longer. Walking on the uneven surfaces demands more from your legs, leaving you more tired – and more sore.

Your step count can skyrocket if you’re not familiar with Animal Kingdom’s layout.

4. Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Size: 135 acres
• Operating Time: 9:00am – 9:00pm
• Number of Rides: 9
• Number of Shows: 8

Even though it’s larger than Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios has significantly less rides and shows.

This makes walking from attraction to attraction much shorter in comparison to other Disney theme parks. And with its shorter operating hours, you’ll certainly get less walking in at Hollywood Studios compared to any of the other 3 theme parks.

5 Takeaways to Help Plan Rest Days on Your Next Disney World Trip

We covered a lot of information about each Disney World theme park.

To make it easier for you to plan your next Disney World trip, here’s 5 takeaways from the Disney theme park facts outlined above:

Do Not Do Magic Kingdom and EPCOT Back-to-Back

DON’T stack Magic Kingdom and EPCOT on back-to-back days. This puts your 2 biggest walking days back-to-back, increasing your risk of pain, soreness, and exhaustion.

Do Magic Kingdom or EPCOT with Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios

DO stack Magic Kingdom or EPCOT with Disney’s Animal Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Pairing a theme park you’ll walk more in with a theme park you’ll walk less in will demand less out of your body, leaving you with more energy for the rest of your trip.

Do Magic Kingdom or EPCOT Early

DO plan your Magic Kingdom or EPCOT day early in your trip: Saving Magic Kingdom or EPCOT for means doing your higher walking days on tired legs. This increases your chances of pain, soreness, and exhaustion.

Do More Frequent Rest Breaks at Magic Kingdom or EPCOT

DO put more frequent, small rest breaks on your Magic Kingdom or EPCOT day: Since you’ll expect to walk more at these theme parks and they’re open longer, more rest breaks at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT will be crucial to a less painful park day.

Do Plan a Rest Day After Magic Kingdom or EPCOT

DO plan your rest day the day after your Magic Kingdom or EPCOT day: Strategically planning a rest day after your longest walking day gives you the benefit of recovering from the most demanding days of your trip. This leaves you more fresh for your next theme park day.

Remember, everybody is different – and everybody’s body is different. We all have different fitness levels. Our bodies react differently to how much walking we do.

Use these simple guidelines to plan your next Disney vacation ahead of time. That way, you'll know how much walking to expect to do and you won't overdo it, meaning you'll have less pain, soreness, and exhaustion on your next Disney trip.

And more importantly, you'll more fully embrace the Disney magic with your loved ones.

This article is an excerpt from the book, “Disney Ready: Your Pain Free Parks Survival Guide,” which shows you how to physically prepare for your next Disney World vacation without pain, soreness, or exhaustion. Make sure to join the waitlist today to stay updated and be the first to access the book when it launches!

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