Staying Fit at Walt Disney World

Ok, real talk time. You probably don’t need to worry about staying active on your Disney vacation. In fact, if you’re not confident in your ability to walk 5-10 miles a day, I’d actually suggest that you take some time now to train for your trip. Even if you’re staying at a monorail resort and plan to take Minnie Vans everywhere, you’re going to be doing a LOT of walking in Disney, and unless you’re an ultramarathoner, you’ll likely be closing your rings before lunch on a consistent basis.

But, we all have our reasons for pushing ourselves to work out. Whether you’re in training for a race, love your boutique fitness gym, or want to stretch out those sore muscles a bit on your resort day, there are options!

The Disney Version of Taking the Stairs

If you’re planning your trip, you’ve probably heard alllll about the options for transportation in the parks - busses, the monorail, the skyliner, Minnie vans, and more! But for certain parks and resorts, you can choose to walk between them to get just a few more steps in your day. Be on the lookout for signs around property identifying these walking options, but here are some of the more well-known options.

• Epcot to Hollywood Studios

• Epcot to the Boardwalk area resorts (Disney’s Yacht and Beach Clubs, Boardwalk Inn, and the Swan and Dolphin resorts)

• Hollywood Studios to the Boardwalk Area Resorts

• The Polynesian to Magic Kingdom

• The Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom

• The Contemporary to Magic Kingdom

• Disney Springs to Saratoga Springs resort

Disney Resorts with Fitness Centers

No, not all resorts on Disney property have fitness centers! However, if you’re staying at one the below resorts you will have access to that resort’s fitness center for a standard gym workout when you’re done with the parks.

• Animal Kingdom Lodge

• Boardwalk Inn

• Coronado Springs

• The Contemporary

• The Grand Floridian

• Old Key West

• The Polynesian

• Saratoga Springs

• Wilderness lodge

• Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club

Disney Resort Running Trails

Luckily, many of the resorts that don’t offer full fitness centers offer other options for getting out and getting active before your park day! The following trails are available for anyone looking to wander, walk, jog, or run their way around property.

• All Star Resorts: 1 Mile

• Coronado Springs: 0.75 Mile

• Boardwalk Area: Multiple Options

• Caribbean Beach: 1.25 Miles

• Riviera: 1.4 Miles

• Swan and Dolphin: 1 to 4 Miles

• Fort Wilderness: 3.1 Miles

• Grand Floridian and Polynesian: 1 Mile

• Port Orleans: 1.7 Miles

• Saratoga Springs: 1.5 Miles

• Old Key West: 1.37 Miles

• Art of Animation and Pop Century: 1.38 Miles

Disney Springs Fitness Offerings

There may not be any fitness studios in Disney Springs (yet!!) but be sure to check their website before you go, they often have fitness events onsite through partnerships with brands like Lululemon.

They also have a few activities like bowling and dance parties that can help you and your group get moving on a rest day!

Orlando Gyms

If you’re ok with venturing out of the Disney bubble, either with your own car or by rideshare, Orlando and the surrounding areas have plenty of options!

• Burn Boot Camp - Celebration Blvd, Celebration, FL

• OrangeTheory Fitness - Blake Blvd, Celebration, FL

• LA Fitness - Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL

• Anytime Fitness - Village Lake Rd, Windermere, FL

• Planet Fitness - Turkey Lake Rd, Orlando, FL

And Just A Word About RunDisney…

If you follow me on social media, you know I’m a RunDisney fanatic. It’s not an overstatement when I say that getting involved in this community and running my first 5k in Disney changed my health and my life for the better. And I am the first person to encourage you to try out a run to the castle, if you get a chance.

HOWEVER - as a travel agent, I’ve also had clients ask me, a week before the race, if they can still register for the 10k since they’ll be there anyway. Unfortunately, RunDisny is a true Disney experience in every way. The races sell out in hours (sometimes less than that), months ahead of time, and registration itself is a science. I’d love nothing more than to help you plan for your first RunDisney race weekend, but know ahead of time that it is an event on it’s own, not really an “add on” to an existing trip!

Don’t worry - there will be plenty more RunDisney content coming up - watch this space!

What did I miss? Drop your favorite Walt Disney World Fitness Hack in the comments below!

Taylor