You’ve made it to Walt Disney World, the Most Magical Place on Earth, and you’re running a RunDisney the next day.
(Insert Squeals of Excitement here!!)
You want to have fun but you also know that spending a ton of time on your feet is a recipe for disaster. But, never fear, you can still have a good time and not completely exhaust yourself before your RunDisney race. Read on for my favorite suggestions for relaxing in the magic before your runDisney race.
Pool Day at the Resort
Instead of park hoping or even going to one Disney park, maybe spend the day poolside at your resort. Lather up the sunscreen and start turning the pages in the book you’ve been meaning to read. You’ll be able to relax and not worry that you are spending too much time on your feet. If you plan to be at the pool all day, be sure to bring along some snacks and mobile order a meal to make sure you eat those pre-race carbs!
Pro-tip: Be sure to head to the pool early so you can get a chair or table spot with an umbrella. Even with sunscreen, the Florida sunshine can be brutal. You don’t want to be dealing with any burns come race day.
P.S. The main pool at all Disney resorts typically has some type of pool games occurring midday. Most of the games are geared towards kids, but there are a few, like trivia that are easily played by anyone who is pool side.
Disney Springs in the Morning (Make Sure You Have a Plan)
If you, like many Disney goers, feel a little funny not doing something ‘Disney’ related when you’re at Walt Disney World, take that edge off by visiting Disney Springs. However, make your visit early and make sure you have a plan before you arrive. Crowds tend to be lower earlier in the day, meaning you’ll spend less time people-dodging and more time doing what you want to do.
Plus, if you have a plan you can hit the few stores you wanted to hit and then head back to your resort. Disney Springs has a way of sucking you in with all there is to see and do, so a plan is a must. If you don’t have one, before you know it, you’ve spent 8 hours on your feet and they might not be too happy with you come your race in the morning!
Mini Golf at Walt Disney World
Whether you are an avid golfer or someone who just plays a little putt-putt on vacation, mini-golf might be the perfect activity the day before your race. Walt Disney World offers two mini golf locations, Winter Summerland and Fantasia Gardens. Stick to playing only one course if you do pick mini-golf for your pre-race day activity. Doing both courses at either location can result in a little too much time on your feet.
Dinner Reservations at Your Resort at 4:30 pm/5:00 pm
Now hear me out, yes 4:30 pm or even 5:00 pm, are both on the early side when it comes to having dinner on Walt Disney World property. However, let’s factor in the time you have to get up for your RunDisney event and then think about the time you should probably go to bed for your race. Pretttyyy early, right? Now a 4:30 pm or 5:00 pm dinner isn’t sounding so bad.
Plus, if you plan to eat at your resort, you won’t have to worry about the commute time to and from dinner. Order at your resort and you eat your meal, have time to let the food digest, lay out your race costume, and then head to bed by 7:30/8 pm so you’re nice and fresh for your 2:00 am alarm clock!
Movies Under the Stars at Your Disney Resort as a Relaxing Thing to Do on Walt Disney Property Before Your RunDisney Race
This suggestion is definitely relaxing, but be sure to watch the timing before you decide to commit to this event. A lot of the movies start at dusk or even later. Depending on the time of the year, this can mean an 8 pm or later start time for the movie. While the start time isn’t too bad, before you know it’s getting close to 10 pm! With a 2:00 or 2:30 am wakeup time, 10 pm is pushing the envelope a little bit too much. You might be fine running on 4 hours of sleep, but if you can aim for a little bit more. (Translated, hold off on watching the complete movie late into the night).
Mobile Order or Delivery from a Local Restaurant and Watch a Movie in Your Room
Want the best of both worlds? A meal from a restaurant and catching a Disney flick? Well, you’re in luck! You could always mobile order a meal at your resort or get delivery from a local restaurant. Be sure to place this order with enough wiggle room that you can get it at the time you want. (AKA you’re not stuck eating at 9pm). Then head back to your resort room with your meal in hand and pop on that Disney movie.
Conclusion to Relaxing Things To Do on Walt Disney Property Before Your RunDisney Race
There ya go! A few ways to experience the Magic of Disney, while staying (mostly) off of your feet before a RunDisney event. From a resort pool day to a quick morning at Disney Springs, there are lots of fun things to do at Walt Disney World that won’t make you overly tired before your race. Try to make your plan of what you want to do before you arrive on your vacation, but if you don’t get to it, don’t sweat it. Have fun and get ready for even more fun on the race course!
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