Planning a Disneyland trip doesn’t mean giving up your wellness routine. I just got back from a magical (and exhausting) few days at Disneyland, and I’m proud to say I came home feeling tired but not totally wrecked.

If you're wondering how to stay healthy at Disneyland—without skipping the churros or overloading on caffeine—this two-part guide has everything I did to prep, pack, and protect my energy. From travel-friendly wellness habits to the tech tools that saved my sanity, here’s what worked.

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Part 1: How I Prepped for Disneyland Without Losing My Routine

When you’re walking 25,000+ steps a day, dealing with long lines, and trying to stay upbeat (especially with kids!), energy management is everything. Here’s how I planned ahead to support my health while still enjoying the trip.

What I Packed for a Healthy Disneyland Trip

Packing smart made a huge difference in how I felt every day.

• MAKE Wellness peptides: I brought Hydrated and Fit and Energized for morning energy and Calm for winding down at night. These helped with hydration, recovery, and digestion (aka, less bloat).

• Comfy, broken-in shoes: Trust me—don’t try anything new at Disneyland. While my favorite pair of Disney shoes are some Reef Flip Flops, I know that's not everyone's cup of tea! My sister loves some strappy Skechers sandals while Carly insists on socks and Crocs. Find what works for you, but definitely do NOT where brand new shoes on a park day. 

• Wellness tech tools:

  • Disneyland app (for maps, wait times, and mobile orders)

  • Google Sheets (for planning our flexible itinerary)

  • Waterllama (to track water intake)

  • WeWard (to get rewards for walking all those steps!)

• Healthy snacks: Trail mix, dried fruit, and electrolyte packets kept me going between meals.

My “Minimum Habits” to Stay on Track

I didn’t aim for perfection—just the essentials that help me feel like myself:

• Hydrated + Fit peptides first thing every morning. The Hydrated definitely kept me going in the California Sun! Fit helped my muscles to recover each day from all the walking I was doing. 

• Movement, which Disney provides in spades! I think the average of all of my steps was around 20K per day! 

• Sleep: I prioritized at least 6+ hours by leaving the parks early a few nights and sleeping in a bit. We didn't make rope drop any day, but we still filled our days with fun! 

How I Stayed Energized Without Relying on Coffee

I used to start my day with caffeine, I just had to have my coffee!! Especially at Disney. But since starting my morning peptide routine it has been giving me enough energy and focus that I realized I didn’t need coffee to function. I still enjoyed a treat coffee here and there (hello, Galaxy’s Edge cold brew), but I avoided the crashes and kept my energy more stable throughout the day. 

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Part 2: What Actually Helped Me Feel Good at Disneyland

Even with the best packing list and prep, it’s the on-the-ground strategies that really made the trip feel good. Here’s what helped me stay energized, hydrated, and present during our Disney days:

1. Hydration = Energy + Recovery

Starting my day with MAKE Hydrated + Fit peptides helped immensely with energy, digestion, and muscle recovery after long park days. I also kept my Owala water bottle with me everywhere—quick-service restaurants give free ice water, and I used those refills constantly. I clip it onto my park bag using a carabiner.

2. Resting Every Hour

We took short breaks every hour to sit down (and have a snack), stretch, or just slow our pace. It kept everyone happier (and less cranky) and gave our legs time to recover. Perfect time for some selfies to show off your face sparkles from A Britt Crafty!  

Pro tip: Look for shaded benches in less crowded areas like Galaxy’s Edge or behind Fantasyland. 

3. A Flexible Plan > A Perfect Plan

We had a Google Sheet with our must east snacks! It's the 70th Anniversary Celebration of Disneyland so there were several sweet treats and special offerings at various quick services around the park and we wanted to make sure we got as many as we could. We also had a list of rides we wanted to make sure we hit, but we didn’t let a schedule ruin the fun. Some days we changed plans on the fly, and that flexibility made everything more enjoyable. Letting go of perfection helped me stay present.

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Final Thoughts: How to Stay Healthy at Disneyland Without Missing the Fun

Disneyland can be overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to drain you. With a few intentional habits and wellness tools, I left the parks feeling joyful and still myself. No sugar crash. No caffeine hangover. Just great memories, strong steps, and a little more magic.

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🔗 Want More Tips?

• My Daily Peptide + Hydration Routine

• 5 Simple Tech Tools That Keep Me Sane

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Jessica

 This is your sign to take your students to Disney. 

I've taken some groups to Disney World and it's been AMAZING!! It does seem a bit overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. 

Don't know where to start? I gotchu boo. 

I've compiled an informational blog post for you to know where to start. 

Decide on dates

1. I usually do 4 days over Mardi Gras Break or Spring Break. 
2. If your school district allows, take the trip over regular school days. It's up to you! 

Decide on who you will invite

1. What grade levels? I do 4th and 5th grade. I've done middle school in the past. My daughter went with her High School Marching Band and they marched down Main Street!
2. Will you require an adult with every child? 
3. Will you allow other family members? (I allow siblings of the parents if the student come, but everyone pays the same price)

Get in touch with Disney. 

1. Fill out an Imagination Campus interest form on https://www.disneycampus.com/ 
2. A Cast Member will contact you within 2 weeks via email. 
3. This person is your best friend. You’ll talk with them for everything to get started and set up. 

Imagination Campus

1. This is Disney's student field trip program. 
2. They have performing arts and education workshops. 
3. Decide on which program you want and book it ASAP. They fill up quickly. 
4. Since Imagination Campus started, we've done Technology of Disney Parks and this year we are doing Broadway Magic! 

Pictures from last year's Technology of Disney Parks

We got to explore behind the scenes at the American Adventure to see how the animatronics worked and how the trackless ride works at Remy's. The students were given tasks to complete and work together through the Design Process. 

This year, we are doing something more in line with our Magnet School Theme. We are participating in a workshop called "Broadway Magic" where we will get to work with Disney Teaching Artists to learn a little bit more about the entertainment industry. According to the website, "

"In the Disney Broadway Magic – Musical Theatre Workshop, students gain an understanding of the fundamentals of musical theatre through participation—including breath control, diction and character development.

Industry professionals will lead students in fast-paced rehearsals of a scene from one of Disney’s world-famous shows—culminating in a show-stopping final performance!

This Broadway theatre workshop also offers students critical insights into audition techniques, the importance of every role in a production and how to overcome unexpected obstacles during performances." - Broadway Magic Imagination Campus

We've been practicing with the students on their piece of performance and it's going so well! Now, this workshop said it's best for Middle and High school students, but our 4th and 5th graders have been performing at our school since Kindergarten so I think they've got a leg up on the competition. It's going to be so fun! 

Decide on accommodations. 

1. Will you stay on property? If yes, ask your Imagination Campus contact for quotes on rooms. 
2. Usually a value resort will be the cheapest, but they will quote you on any of your top three choices. 
3. If you stay off property make sure you have transportation to and from the parks worked out. 

We like to stay at Value Resorts - they have a bit smaller rooms but they are cheaper and most affordable for most families. Pop Century is my favorite!

Pull Down Murphy Bed

Decide on Tickets

1. How many days will you need? We do 4 days
2. Do you want Park Hoppers?
1. We get park hoppers so we aren’t stuck at one park all day, especially if it’s super busy. 
3. Do you want water parks?

Decide on transportation. 

1. Will you fly or take a bus? 
2. Bus is infinitely more affordable than flying, and in Louisiana we aren't that far from Florida. 
3. I’ve used Dixieland Charter, Hotard, and Spangler Tours. Hotard has been the most comfortable but also most expensive. Find a local bus company for your school! 
4. It takes 9.5 hours from Baton Rouge to Orlando. 
5. We leave at 9 pm at night and drive through the night, waking up on the Florida Turnpike! 

Decide on your Itinerary. 

1. Sample - Disney World Trip Itinerary 2024 
2. When we wake up on the bus, we stop at the Turkey Lake Service Plaza on the turnpike. Here, we freshen up - brush teeth, hair, get dressed, get breakfast, drink coffee - the basics. 

1. Then we get back on the bus and head to the resort. 
2. The resort will hold your bags for you. Your room will be ready around 3 or 4. Sometimes earlier! 

Decide on Dining

1. Will you provide a card or vouchers? (I do cards; the funds never expire)
2. Will families have to pay for their own food? This could make for a cheaper package for your families, but they will have to budget for themselves when in Disney. 

Book everything through your Imagination Campus Cast Member. 

1. Accommodations
2. Tickets
3. Meals
4. Program
5. Extras

Please Note: You can use a Travel Agent, but all funds MUST go through the travel agency. Since our trip is a school based trip, our district won't let this fly - we have to do things from the school. Thankfully Disney will take school organizational checks, as well as school based Credit Cards and wire transfers. 

Meal Cards/Vouchers

1. I do Meal Cards - The funds act like cash and never expire; this gives more flexibility for families to purchase meals to share. 
2. Vouchers are a set price each (like $13.90 for breakfast or $16 for lunch/dinner) and will include an entree and a drink. 

Decide on Fundraisers/Sponsors. 

1. If you do any fundraisers, I usually total the amount raised, divide it by the number of STUDENT participants, and then subtract from the total due. 
2. For example, if I have 20 students coming, and we raise $1000, I will subtract $50 from their totals. So If Johnny and his mom are coming, and their total is $2,000, I will subtract $50, making their balance due $1,950. 

Decide on a payment plan for your families. 

1. I do 5 payments of $210, spread throughout the year and then 1 payment of the balance due. 
2. This is what was charged this year:
1. Accommodations: $340 per person (based on double occupancy)
2. Tickets: $450 (we do park hoppers) per person
3. Bus: $270 per person
4. T-Shirts: $15 per person (1 t-shirt for the day we have our program)
5. Dining Card: $200 per person
6. Total: $1,275
3. Each year we have to increase the price by about 15% to account for Disney’s price raises; but if the amount is less I do adjust the payments for the families. Next year we are floating the idea of not including the meal card. 
4. This is a significantly cheaper trip than planning a direct one from Disney. There's discounted tickets AND if you can get a Tax Exempt form from Florida (ask your district office!) your trip will be TAX FREE!!

Type up an informational packet. Here is mine: 2024 Disney Trip Informational Packet

1. Here is an informational slideshow from this past year:

And finally, find a co-sponsor who is crazy enough to take twenty 9 and 10 year olds with you on a cross country field trip for four days. 

Don't forget to have fun!! 

I hope this blog post helps you plan a magical outing for students at your school. 

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Jessica

This third week of school was super long, as have been every week of School and literally all of August. WHEN WILL THIS MONTH END???? We still have three days of it next week. 😩😩😩

But we did manage to get a lot of things done! First up, THE DISNEY TRIP HAS BEEN APPROVED!! 

I am so beyond excited. This trip has been postponed since May of 2020 (Thanks, Covid). But this year we are going, come hell or high water or zombie apocalypse. We will be participating in the Walt Disney World Imagination Campus. I'll be taking 4th and 5th graders to experience Immersive Storytelling (hopefully) and get hands on learning about the arts in action. We'll be going over Mardi Gras Break and during the Festival of the Arts so that's super exciting. I'll be blogging all about the process and experience so stay tuned! 

Secondly, we got club letters out. At our school, every afternoon from 2:45-3:15 our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders are in clubs such as orchestra, Speed Stacks, news broadcast, dance troupe, and more! The Arts teachers host the clubs. It's also intervention time for students who need it and for grades K-2. My club is WBRC - our news station. This is the first year we will having clubs in the afternoon. In the past it would be in the morning for about 40 minutes and then I'd have all day to edit the show together. So there's many obstacles to overcome in regards to how I'm going to have the kiddos script, practice, film, gather b-roll in just 30 minutes each day. But we shall see. I'm also starting an after school robotics club for K-5 for about 10 weeks which will be fun! 

And thirdly, I finally got Internet back on in my office!!! It only took two weeks. Which may not seem like a long time but it was pretty much infinity since I'm the tech person and the assessment coordinator so everything I do is online. It's not been fun at all. 

Behind the scenes in my personal life, Carly Summer started her final semester as a College student. 

I made her a sign and I packed her lunch for the first day because I'm that extra. It's so exciting that she'll be graduating in December! 

Also personally, I've found this premium alcohol seltzer, Press, and I love it! Press is a woman owned company started by a Wisconsin mother of two who started experimenting in her kitchen. There are lots of flavors but my favorite is Pomegranate Ginger. 

It has been raining and storming literally every day for as long as I can remember. Well, of this summer at least. Lilo does NOT like storms so she retreats to the hallway corner and hides. If I'm in my room its the closet for her. Poor thing. 

It was Mexican week and I thoroughly enjoyed my Mason jar taco salads for lunch! 

We also had Tamale bowls, chicken tortilla soup, and chicken enchiladas. 

Have a great weekend!

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Jessica

So as you may know it's Spring Break. I've been having a blast doing pretty much nothing but TPT stuff. However, yesterday Carly and I decided to have a DIY Disney Day. It was so much fun! And here's how it went.

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Jessica