Shoes and water bottles!

[Sorcerer Jody]

My kids and I leave in just over a week, and I have questions about shoes and water bottles!

With all the walking and the summer heat, what tends to work better - good sneakers, or good sports sandals?

And kind of a strange question - how do people (especially kids) tend to carry their water bottles? I will have a backpack, with snacks, sunscreen, hats, and all the other stuff we will need for the day, but I would rather not carry three full water bottles - they are heavy! If I get my kids (age 12 & 13) to carry their own water bottles, are there water bottle carriers out there, or something else that would work, so that their hands are free...? I suppose maybe a small backpack...?

I long for the days when they were young enough for strollers - it sure was handy to store stuff in the bottom!

Thanks for any advice!

 

[tobikaye]

Search “water bottle carrier” and you will find all kinds of styles. Etsy and Amazon have tons.

As for shoes, I tend to switch off daily or even half a day through. It helps my feet to keep from hurting.

 

[lalasmama]

For shoes, I've fallen in love with Asics. May be off with that spelling, haha. But they felt like an old pair of favorite sneakers right out of the box! Paired with some absorbent socks, and changed at lunch time, they are by far my favorite! My second favorites are a pair of Skechers Go Walk sandals with the thick foam soles and kind of a stretchy top; much more of a sport sandal. However, I won't wear on water rides-- I only wear my water socks or flip flops on the wet rides, as I have no desire to wear wet shoes throughout the park!

As for the water bottles, my daughter wears a small cross body bag. There's small Loungefly cross body bags at Hot Topic for less than $20, and they fit her Hydroflask well.

 

[Pluto468]

I wear Asics sneakers. I bring 2 pair so I can switch halfway through the day, and also change my socks. I wear Bombas socks, which are very comfortable.

For water bottles, I use CamelBak Chute Mag BPA Free Water Bottles. They do NOT leak. My kids always carry their own small backpack with water and a snack, plus anything else they might want for the day, like extra socks or a sun hat.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

I can understand changing socks, but why change shoes during the day?

 

[Pluto468]

I can understand changing socks, but why change shoes during the day?

It's supposed to prevent blisters because your foot isn't rubbing up against the same area of your shoe the whole time.

 

[Lisa24jks]

I can understand changing socks, but why change shoes during the day?

I can't speak for anyone else, or even the poster above, but I do this fairly often. But, i also sometimes just change around lunch time so that the same shoes aren't rubbing in the same places all day and causing blisters or soreness. I don't know why it works, but it does. I don't always HAVE to, but if I find my feet are feeling crappy in the afternoon, it's good to have that option.

(I also learned the hard way many years ago to have a pair of shoes that are more waterproof and not to wear canvas shoes or socks on a water ride and then try to wear them the rest of the day.)

 

[DLgal]

Sneakers > Sandals at DL. The pavement gets very hot and the raidant heat is too much for my feet in the sunmer when I wear open shoes. I use Asics Kayano.

My teens wear crocs with socks, and remove the socks for water rides.

As for water bottles, we all carry Camelbak Podium Chill water bottles. I have made my boys carry their own stuff since they were about 9. They use Adidas Sackpack 2, which has 2 mesh compartments in the front for water bottles. These bags are very lightweight but also big enough for a sweatshirt (nights get cool), a pack of hand wipes each, and their external phone batteries, as well as a hat. We refill the water bottles at the various soda fountains and refill stations.

The bags and water bottles are available on Amazon.

 

[lalasmama]

I can understand changing socks, but why change shoes during the day?

Basically because they hit different areas on your feet, so you lower the possibility of blisters. But, really, it just feels better for my feet. My feet get hot in my sneakers and in my sport sandals, so getting out of one and wearing the other which is now cooled down. My Skechers have higher arch support, and my have a "fluffier" feeling footbed.

 

[CeCe0906]

Last summer at WDW, I wore my Keen hiking saddles with low cut smart wool socks. They have good arch support and traction. The smart wool sock kept my feet cool and dry, and helped avoid blisters even if wet and dried out quickly from water rides and rain storms.

 

[Geemo]

When I go to Disneyland I can have up to 4 grandkids along with me.
It got to be too much for me to carry everyone's stuff.

I made each of them a cinch bag for their stuff, snacks and water bottles. Pic below...
They have their own snacks packed in Tupperware or plastic peanut butter jars. This way they can customize their snacks and have a snack or drink anytime through out the day.

One of the bags was left on a bench and not there when we went back to get it. Fortunately, a couple of days later we were able to find it in Lost & Found.
Here's a tip.... Now I place an index card in all bags with name, cell number and Disney Hotel we're staying at, so if lost we might get it back sooner.

I found another pic from about 6yrs later of the same two grandkids with the cinch bags, playing games in Innovations Arena. They have sure grown up....

 

[Ladyslug]

Last summer at WDW, I wore my Keen hiking saddles with low cut smart wool socks. They have good arch support and traction. The smart wool sock kept my feet cool and dry, and helped avoid blisters even if wet and dried out quickly from water rides and rain storms.

My feet don't love being cooped up in shoes if it's any kind of warm, so I wear Keen sandals with no socks (but with FootGlide) during the daytime -- having no socks also helps when I ride the water rides! I change into Adidas Ultraboost shoes with Puma athletic socks in the evening when it cools off.

I agree with the idea of water bottle slings or small backpacks.

 

[CeCe0906]

My feet don't love being cooped up in shoes if it's any kind of warm, so I wear Keen sandals with no socks (but with FootGlide) during the daytime -- having no socks also helps when I ride the water rides! I change into Adidas Ultraboost shoes with Puma athletic socks in the evening when it cools off.

I agree with the idea of water bottle slings or small backpacks.

I thought the whole"socks with sandals " thing was weird when it was suggested to me too. It was on a guided whitewater rafting trip I took in the Grand Canyon. Both the pretrip materials and the guides swore by it, and it worked. Rafted, hiked, socks wet and dry no blisters.

 

[Sorcerer Jody]

Thanks for the ideas! If they each take their own small backpacks, do they just take them on rides with them? Is this ever a problem?

 

[DLgal]

Thanks for the ideas! If they each take their own small backpacks, do they just take them on rides with them? Is this ever a problem?

Yes, they do. They can just go on the floor of mist ride vehicles, or next to them on the seat

 

[Pluto468]

If they're going on rides and I'm just sitting on a bench I'll hold their bags sometimes, but 95% of the time they take the bag with them. All of the rides have room for you to have a bag with you on the floor or next to you.

 

[nursejackie]

I am taking both (to WDW next month) but I didn't intend to carry one whilst wearing the other. On wet ride days, MK (Splash) and AK (Kali), I'm taking flip flops (havaianas) to switch for those rides only. I take a plastic bag to put my whole backpack in for those rides. I'll be doing all the carrying though, as I cannot trust bags not be left behind on rides

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Thanks for the ideas! If they each take their own small backpacks, do they just take them on rides with them? Is this ever a problem?

For rides where there is a risk of a bag falling out of the vehicle, e.g. Incredicoaster, IJA, make sure to put one leg through the backpack straps. This will keep the bag safely inside the vehicle and helps to remind everyone not to forget their bag before exiting.

 

[Kit Jackson]

I have a crossbody pocketbook (nothing special for the parks, the same bags I wear in my day to day life) that I can hook a Vapur water bottle with a built in carabiner type clip. The bottle is clipped to my bag. As for shoes, I wear regular sneakers. I pack two pairs so I can alternate.

 

[CeCe0906]

I'm headed to DL with 3 young grandkids ages 5, 7 and 9. So I am the pack mule this trip! I have a med.string type backpack I've used before at parks. I have a second one with extra snacks and change of clothes I intend to put in a locker. I just don't trust them to take care if stuff on the ride yet. And I'm nervous enough on the " bigger stuff" that I want them holding on and not worrying about bag.