Not staying hydrated is one of the most common mistakes guests make at any Disney theme park.
How you hydrate at Disney is just as important as how you approach planning your Disney World vacation. Without the proper hydration, your body’s vital organs won’t function at optimal levels. This means your body won’t get through multiple park days without begging for a break!
However, if you are properly hydrated, your body will be energized and ready to take on all the walking you’ll be doing. You won’t be fatigued, you won’t overheat, and you’ll recover quicker. This means you’ll be able to hang out at the Disney parks for longer and fully embrace the Disney magic!
Read on for our top 10 hydration tips to beat the heat and ensure that you stay energized all day at Disney World.
Why Water is Vital to Stay Energized at Disney World
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Water plays a crucial role in ensuring that you survive a day at Disney without feeling exhausted.
Water is involved in some of the most important physiological systems. Our bodies are made up of about 66% water. Just look at how much water makes up the following:
- 22% bone
- 75% muscles
- 79% heart
- 85% blood
- 95% brain
Let’s break down what this means for walking at Disney World.
- Your body needs to move blood from the heart to deliver oxygen to your muscles
- Those muscles help move your joints, which are made of your bones
- But what sends signals to control your heart, muscles, and everything else? Your brain
Water also plays a crucial role in dissipating heat. At Disney World – where it’s hot most of the year – this is a big deal. Dissipating heat keeps your body’s core temperature at optimal levels. Optimal temperature levels mean your brain, heart, and muscles function properly.
In other words, water allows you to walk around Disney World longer and with less pain and exhaustion.
Without Enough Water, Your Body Can’t Function Properly
When you sweat a lot, several things happen that can compromise your body’s ability to function properly.
First, your body starts to reroute blood from your muscles and skin to your most vital organs: the brain, heart, and lungs. This means less nutrients and fuel sent to the muscles and less heat transferred to your skin.
In other words, your muscles fatigue quicker, your body overheats, and your ability to recover takes longer. And the more you sweat, the more likely this happens.
Dehydration can also negatively affect how your body controls blood sugar, which can lead to:
- Blurry vision
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Stomach pain
- Rapid heartbeat
- Confusion
- Nausea or vomiting
You’d be surprised to know that even a 2% decrease in hydration can impair cognitive skills. Imagine how dehydration will affect your ability to plan where to eat for dinner, what ride to experience next, or what your kiddos need to stay happy.
As long as you stay adequately hydrated, you’ll significantly decrease your risk of any of these negative consequences.
How Much Water Should You Drink at Disney World?
On an average day, the National Academy of Medicine recommends that men drink 3.7 L/day and women drink 2.7 L/day.
This translates to 125 oz for men and 90 oz for women. That’s the equivalent to over ten 12-oz water bottles for men and over seven for women. Remember, this recommended value is for an average day – when you’re not walking all day in the Florida heat.
However, when you’re walking all day at Disney World, you should increase your water intake by at least 50%. That’s the equivalent of 188 oz for men and 125 oz for women. That sounds like a lot of water.
Allow me to share with you some great news though: on an average day, about 20% of your water intake comes from food.
When you consider this, the amount of water you should drink adds up to:
- 152 oz water for men
- 102 oz water for women
Although this number is more digestible, it may still feel like a lot of water.
That’s why you can stay hydrated by other means.
You Can Find Water in Other Food Items
There are plenty of healthy beverages and foods you can consume that contain water.
When comparing different beverages, coffee, tea, and milk are almost purely water. That means each of these drinks can have a positive effect on your hydration status!
A quick word on coffee: Although it’s a diuretic, most research suggests that the fluid in coffee balances out its diuretic effect. In one study, researchers also found that caffeine ingested in small amounts (about 3 mg/kg body weight or about 200 mg for a 165 lb individual) doesn’t negatively affect hydration levels or urine output.
That’s the equivalent of a typical grande cup of coffee at Starbucks. So, feel free to drink coffee in the morning or early afternoon. however, you should avoid coffee after 3pm to avoid any negative effects coffee can have on your sleep quality.
And as discussed earlier, remember that about 20% of your water intake comes from food. In general, fruits and vegetables have a much higher water content compared to other food items.
So, consider adding your favorite fruits or veggies to your diet while you’re at the Disney parks! Common fruits and veggies at Disney World include:
- Grapes
- Mandarins
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Cucumbers
- Celery
- Tomatoes
- Lettuce or cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Broccoli
In the end, while other beverages and foods help you stay hydrated, drinking water must still be your primary means.
Top 10 Actionable Tips to Stay Hydrated at Disney
To wrap it all up, here’s our top 10 tips for successfully staying hydrated at Disney:
Arrive at Disney in a Hydrated State
It’s much easier to stay hydrated if you start in a hydrated state. Or worse, it’s much harder to rehydrate if you start in a dehydrated state. Plan to drink the daily recommended amount of water (125 oz for men and 90 oz for women) for 2-3 days before the start of your vacation.
Keep a Refillable Water Bottle
The most common push back I get with this is “but it’s heavy and takes too much space in my park bag!” However, with all the water refill stations around the Disney resorts, you can get away with a 12oz bottle like this Yeti bottle.
Drink a Cup of Water First Thing in the Morning
Researchers found that rehydration not only reduces fatigue, but it also improves attention and reaction time, which can be crucial when signing up for a virtual ride queue at 7am, snagging lightning lane passes, or even leaving for the theme parks on time.
Stay Hydrated in the Evening, but No Water 2 Hours Before Bed Time
Staying hydrated is an all-day affair. The evening is no exception. However, avoid water within 2 hours of bed-time to avoid unnecessary midnight bathroom trips, which can interrupt crucial sleep needed to recover for your next theme park day.
Hydrate During Your Meals
Restaurants are one of the best places to top up on water. Not only is water complimentary, restaurants are also one of the easiest places to drink water because of its convenience. So drink up, and don’t be ashamed of pouring the rest of your tap water into your water bottle!
Drink Water Before You’re Thirsty
As an endurance athlete, I learned a rule of thumb that’s served me well: once you realize you’re thirsty, you’re likely dehydrated.
Limit the Adult Beverages
Unlike coffee, adult beverages are far from being 99% water. Alcohol’s diuretic effect causes you to lose fluids through urination. Its lower water content also makes it poor at canceling out its diuretic effect.
Limit the Sugary Beverages
Sugary beverages such as soda and energy drinks also have lower water content, making it poor at canceling out its diuretic effect.
Develop an Effective Skin Care Routine
An effective skin care routine keeps your skin hydrated, which allows your body to use more energy in fueling your muscles while walking around the Disney parks. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It could be as simple as applying sunscreen throughout the day and applying lotion in the mornings and evenings (Hint: this is what I do!)
Be Aware of the Obvious Signs of Dehydration
The common signs are: headache, urinating less, dry mouth, lips, tongue, and muscle cramps. If you let your dehydration get out of control, you may experience worse signs, such as irritability, confusion, dizziness/lightheadedness, rapid heart rate, and rapid breathing.
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 so you can walk more, enjoy longer days, and make magical memories without exhaustion.