Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The first thing you need to do, immediately after making your hotel reservation,
is to get thee to a “footery.” Take the whole family to a shoe store and buy each mem-
ber the best pair of walking, hiking, or running shoes you can afford. Wear exactly
the kind of socks to try on the shoes that you will wear when using them. Do not un-
der any circumstances attempt to tour Walt Disney World shod in sandals, flip-flops,
loafers, or any kind of high heel or platform shoe.
Good socks are as important as good shoes. When you walk, your feet sweat like
amuleinapeatbog,andmoisture increases friction. Tominimize friction, wearapair
of SmartWool or Coolmax hiking socks, available at most outdoor retail (camping
equipment) stores. To further combat moisture, dust your feet with some antifungal
powder.
All right, now you've got 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.
BOB
If your child is age 8 or younger, we recommend regular foot inspec-
tions whether he or she understands the hot-spot idea or not. Even the
brightest and most well-intentioned child will fail to sound off when distrac-
ted.
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 when you walk together.
