The Importance of Food and Drink

This post is not about dining in Disney World.  It's about getting the most out of your vacation.

A lot of people in the US only walk about a mile a day. The next largest segment walks about three.  Those two groups represent more people than all the other segments combined. 

The average person on a Disney World vacation will walk 10+ miles a day.  Another way to put it is the average person will take 20,000 steps a day while in Disney World when they only take 2000 - 6000 steps a day at home.

Why all the statistics?  Because more than your muscles need attention when you are at Disney World.  There are some vital things you need to do each day that you might over look.  Follow these simple tips can help you deal with the physical shock your body is going to face.

1. Take a 30min a day walk starting a month before your trip.

This is important because it will drastically reduce the painful side effects of a huge increase in physical activity.  A 30min will only help.  It will not eliminate the shock your body is going to go through.  30min is about a mile for most people but the benefits are huge.

2. Drink water in the morning.

If you need coffee than have a cup.  However, you need to drink water in the morning.  Even if it's not hot out your water needs increase dramatically when in Disney World.  When walking the average persons heart rate jumps.  For some people it can go as high as 120bpm.  This increases your breathing.  Every time you take a breath you expel some water out of your body. Drinking water in the morning (even when you are not thirsty) will prime your body and prevent issues later.

To explain how vital this is over the long term on your trip consider this:  I hike a lot.  I climb an 1100 foot mountain about three times a week.  At this point I can do a major hike (3000+ feet over 10 ten miles) without having sore muscles the next day.  Last week I woke up, didn't drink any water, and then climbed the 1100 foot mountain.  Doing this has not made my legs sore in months.  My legs were sore the next day.  Dehydration will MURDER your legs. This leads me to the next tip.

3.  Drink when you are not thirsty.

If you wait until you are thirsty it's normally too late.  You're already starting to dehydrate. You can get a cup of ice water at any counter service location in Disney World.  Do this often.  Nothing will help you more over the long term than proper hydration.  This will help to prevent headaches, cramping,  and helps your skin from drying out.

4. Eat small amounts often.

Eating 100 calories an hour isn't a bad idea when you are walking 10 miles a day.  This will prevent weakness, grumpiness, headaches, and has another important benefit.

You need salt.  This might sound odd but your body needs some salt.  When you are sweating more and taking more water in your body can actually run out of salt.  If this happens you will be in a world of hurt.  I've run into this before it's not fun.  If you run out of salt you will not feel good and anything you drink will go right through you.  This is very dangerous.  Eating small amounts will help to prevent this.

5.  Avoid massive meals.

Massive meals take a huge toll on your body.  There is a reason why you are tired after a big meal.  That's because you body is working overtime trying to breakdown all that food.  If you eat smaller meals you will feel better and can go longer. 

If you are like me and are a food junkie than you can counter huge meals with proper planning.  After a huge lunch take a break and go back to your room for a nap.  Have your dinner as late as you can so you can go back and crash after.

6. Drink a glass of water before bed.

This will help your muscles to spring back after a long day.  You might need to get up to pee during the night but your muscles will thank you in the morning.

7.  If you can - take an over the counter pain killer each day after day one.

Most OTC painkillers thin your blood.  This can help your body by reducing swelling.  That alone will help you to keep going over the long haul.

Review: The Dark Side of Disney

I’ve read a lot of Disney related books over the years. Most of them focused on either going to the parks or the historical aspects of Disney World. Out of all of those books I can honestly say that none of them were like “The Dark Side of Disney” by Leonard Kinsey.


When I saw the cover of the book I almost didn’t buy it. I’m not a fan of walking around with a book that has a topless, tattooed, porn star on the cover. Even if it’s a digital book I’m not a big fan of having any book that uses shock value to sell itself. After reading the book I’m not sure if the cover matches the content. The book doesn’t need such an eye catching cover to sell itself.

The content of the book ranges from great to completely ridiculous. There is some information I took notes on to try the next time I’m in the parks and some information that is so offensive I want to hunt down anyone trying it and find a way to get them banned for life from the parks.

Just to give you an idea of what is in this book the author tells you how to sneak in pot baked snacks to get high in the parks, tells you how to break into the utlidors, get cheap drinks on some airlines, where to…do public adult shenanigans without being on camera, and a complete overview of the ticket resale scams.

Almost the entire book is entertaining. Whether the entertainment is good or bad depends on the reader. I guarantee you that some things will make you laugh, some will make you mad, and more than a few will shock you.

I do not recommend buying this book in a paper copy instead buy the Kindle version. The Kindle version is only $2.99. The paper copy is about ten times that price.

CMDTA's - Cruise Tips

Here are some tips for everyone considering taking a cruise.  Most apply to all cruise lines.

If you have a choice take the late dinner – The early dinner is comical. All the old fogies line up and can’t wait to get in. There are tons of rug rats at this seating too. If you don’t like who you’re seated with tell your waiter. You have an out because it’s your honeymoon. If it’s freestyle seating do not go to dinner before eight at night.


Skip the Vegas Shows – they talk them up but they stink. They really stink. I don’t think stink is a strong enough word to describe them but I’m trying to keep things clean. The cheese factor is through the roof. All the other shows are great. On the night of the Vegas shows the hot tubs are empty. The hot tubs near the pool bars are the best ones. It’s normally cool and breezy too.

Kids aren’t allowed in the hot tubs or pool in the gym area. The gym area is a kid free zone. There are sometimes other pools are areas where kids are not allowed too.

You can’t take booze back to your room…if they see it. There is a booze check in desk if your getting back on the boat during a busy time you might be able walk right by it. You can also buy booze in odd containers that sometimes will get you through.

Most cruise lines allow you to bring a liter or two of soda. Ginger ale is a good one. Now because it can help with an upset stomach but because you can empty it and fill it with scotch, bourbon, whisky, or other golden liquids.

Even though you just drove or flew for hours smile non-stop until you are on the boat. They take your picture at least twice before you get on. Once is for your cruise card. If you’re not smiling then, security will see it for the rest of the cruise. They take your picture at every stop and a few of the dinners too. They post them all in the gallery so make sure to get down there and take them down. Plus you get to see all the freaks on the ship too.

Put a bathing suit and sunscreen in your carry on. You might not see you luggage until 8 or 9 pm depending on where you are located on the boat.

The fire drill is not optional.

Kids are not allowed on the tops optional desk (don’t ask).

If you’ve never seen a purple sunburn, you will.

If you’ve never seen a fat guy in a speedo, you will.

If you’ve never seen someone so drunk they can’t tell what floor they are on, you will.

If you think it’s impossible to gain ten pounds in a week, guess again.

The 24 hour pizza bar (carnival only) has really good pizza.

The midnight buffet is nice to look at but only the heavy hitters can eat that late.

Only drunks and fatty Mcfatties go to the late night crape buffet which makes it some of the best entertainment available.

It’s possible to eat at anytime and if you manage to eat one item of food for 24 hours straight you should get a trophy.
Beware of the pillow chocolates. Many people (yours truly included) have fallen asleep on them after a late night. Yes they do melt.

Renewing Your Passport Just Got a Tiny Bit Easier

Renewing your passport is right up there with going to the dentist, getting an annual exam, and buying a car.  It's just an awful process that no one wants to do.

First you have to fill out your paperwork and hope the governments instructions are less convoluted than usual.  After spending a ridiculous amount of time attempting to translate a bunch of forms that were designed by someone with anger issues you are a third of the way through the process.

Another part people dread is having to get a passport photo that meets the governments requirements. This normally requires going to one of the many places that do it, deal with someone who is barely earning more than minimum wage and is has about five seconds of training, and then hoping your photo is accepted by the government.

Next you have to mail your application in with your old passport.  Unless your trust the postal service with your life you make sure to pay through the nose and send your application through certified mail. If you send it normal snail mail you are a braver individual than I am...or mentally ill.

That process would be bad enough if you only had to pay for the shipping but you have to pay over $100 on top of this. That's enough to make a nun curse like a trucker.

Is there anything that makes this process easier?

I was determined to find something so I started looking around. I found a website that said they would help you take your own photo and then if you paid the $8 for the photo from them they would certify the photo and guarantee the government would not reject it.

I know $8 is a few dollars more than most places but if I could do it from home and have it be guaranteed why not try it?

I went through their process which was fairly easy. In the end I got to choose between having them mail me the photo (if I paid shipping) or they'd send it to a number of local photo processing places.  I decided to have it sent to Walmart.

I went to pick it up.  It was ready when they said it would be ready and it was under my name.  I thought there were going to be no problems.  The only problem was the Walmart employee who decided to let me know they looked at my photo and  it was all wrong.  They said it was too dark, there was a shadow on it and it wasn't the right size.  I explained that the photo was guaranteed.  She gave me more lip. At this point I really wanted to ask her why I should I trust her over the website.  After all she looked like she'd been run over by life and then flushed down the toilet.  I bit my lip though  so I further explained that I run a travel blog and wanted to share my experience with everyone.  That shut her up.

I mailed everything in a sure enough six weeks later I have my new passport.

If you want to try this service just click here.

It's not a bad service and it makes the process a little less painful.