Five years ago, I would have said no.
However, even since my last trip to Disney in 2015, they have upped their game in terms of staying active, eating well and promoting health.
Running
Disney is seriously organised, with procedures and signs for everything. However, I was disappointed with the lack of signs for running routes, and the confusing website instructions. Apparently, Disney have multiple running routes around their properties, however it was very difficult to get an official map of them. I ended up running around the lake, then an out and back of Disney Boardwalk.
Races
Obviously I love taking part in races when I’m on holiday, and Disney races are up there with the very best. There are awesome race weekends throughout the year, including the Star Wars, Wine & Dine, Princess and Marathon weekend. I teamed up with Lets Do This to give away entry to the Dopey Challenge in January 2019, that includes a 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon over the weekend. I’m going to be there that weekend too, and am trying to convince some friends to join me for a weekend of running and Disney fun! Want to join us?
Read: What you need to know before booking a Disney Race
10 Reasons to Book a Disney Race
Yoga
I had no idea that Disney hosts free yoga classes! We had them at our hotel at Disney’s boardwalk. They didn’t actually ask us if we were staying there and there were plenty of mats (and only 4 of us doing yoga!) We also discovered that they host an annual free yoga class in the Magic Kingdom in front of the castle! How incredible would that be, they should offer it to guests too!
Gymming
I was disappointed that there wasn’t more Disney theming inside the gym – where are the Mickey themed weights? Or perhaps they’ve done it disney free to give the parents a break? There was a really well stocked 24hr gym in our hotel, but they also have gyms at plenty of other hotels across the Disney properties.
Walking
I clocked up 16 miles on Sunday, walking across three of the parks, and the expansive car parks!
Eating Well
I was seriously impressed by some of the food on offer at Disney, in particular the Animal Kingdom (my favourite of the parks, I think!) After riding one of the best rides ever – the new Avatar ride – Anna and I went for dinner at Yak and Yeti Restaurant, where were shared a delicious plate of noodles and grilled prawns.
At the waterpark, we enjoyed sandwiches on fresh brown bread, fresh fruit in the Animal Kingdom and iced coffees from Starbucks at most of the parks. Snacking isn’t so easy, so I’d recommend bringing in snack/cereal bars plus a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated.
One of the hardest places to eat, was dinner in the Magic Kingdom, and we needed a reservation to sit down for something hot! We used the app to make a last minute reservation, jumped on another ride, then came back to the Jungle Skipper Co for a delicious dinner. It’s expensive, but the portions were large so Anna and I shared a starter and a main between us both nights, which was more than enough.
I love Disney. And they’ve made a big effort to improve access to healthier options, however I do still think they have some way to go!
Are you a big Disney fan? Have you ever taken part in any of their races? If so, which one have you done/would you like to do?
Love this post! I’m running the marathon again in January, and my girls (2 & 4) are running their third kids race. We love Jungle Nav too, just wish there was another option in Magic Kingdom. We are already counting down the days to marathon weekend in our house!