Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
equipment) stores, as well as Target and online retailers. To further combat moisture,
dust your feet with some antifungal talcum powder.
Now that you have some good shoes and socks, the next thing to do is to break
the shoes in. You can accomplish this painlessly by wearing the shoes in the course of
normal activities for about three weeks.
Once the shoes are broken in, it's time to start walking. The whole family will
need to toughen up their feet and build endurance. As you begin, remember that little
people have little strides, and though your 6-year-old may create the appearance of
running circles around you, consider that (1) he won't have the stamina to go at that
pace very long, and (2) more to the point, he probably has to take two strides or so to
every one of yours to keep up.
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If your child is age 8 or younger, we recommend regular foot inspections whether
he or she understands the hot spot idea or not. Even the brightest child will fail to
sound off when distracted.
Start by taking short walks around the neighborhood, walking on pavement, and
increasing the distance about 0.25 mile on each outing. Older children will shape up
quickly. Younger children should build endurance more slowly and incrementally. In-
crease distance until you can manage a 6- or 7-mile hike without requiring CPR. And
remember, you're not training to be able to walk 6-7 miles just once; at Disneyland
you will be hiking 5-7 miles or more almost every day of your visit. So unless you
plan to crash after the first day, you need to prepare your feet to walk long distances
for three to five consecutive days.
Not all feet are created equal. Some folks are blessed with really tough feet,
whereas the feet of others sprout blisters if you look at them sideways. Assuming that
there's nothing wrong with either shoes or socks, a few brisk walks will clue you in
to what kind of feet your family members have. If you have a tenderfooted family
member, walks of incrementally increased distances will usually toughen up his or
her feet to some extent. For those whose feet refuse to toughen, your only alternative
is preventive care. After several walks, you will know where your tenderfoot tends
to develop blisters. If you can anticipate where blisters will develop, you can cover
sensitive spots in advance with moleskin, a friction-resistant adhesive dressing.
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If you have a child who will physically fit in a stroller, rent one, no matter how well
conditioned your family is.
