Theme Park vacations after Covid-19 lockdown - lessons learned

[TimeshareTraveller]

We just returned from a Florida trip to Orlando and only did mild theme park stuff (Discovery Cove and SeaWorld). It's only June, and I had heat exhaustion symptoms on four days of last week after only a few hours of marching around. It's the fact that I haven't done much walking since Covid shut us all down, so I was truly unprepared for 7 mile hikes in 97 degree weather with 60% humidity. I didn't have heat exhaustion at Discovery Cove, though I spent most of the time there in the water. Two of those days of heat exhaustion we were not in theme parks but walking around Disney Springs one day and around the UCF college campus the next.

In 2019, we did all of the Disney parks in August, and I was able to handle hikes of 7-10 miles in the heat without dropping from heat exhaustion. Fast forward to 15 months of being locked in your house without daily proper exercise, and I was miserable out there.

Just be aware of your Covid inactivity level and make plans to overcome it before scheduling a day with heavy walking in heat.

 

[beejaybeeohio]

Definitely be careful of heat! In my case I believe my aging body can no longer handle temps above 80 if the air is humid. Last summer I realized that I can only walk 9 holes of golf if below that threshold. Even in a cart yesterday I started feeling shaky and I've noticed at times after a late afternoon walk the same thing. It could be more hypoglycemia than heat exhaustion for me, because eating relieves those symptoms.

 

[bnoble]

Just be aware of your Covid inactivity level and make plans to overcome it before scheduling a day with heavy walking in heat.

Quoting for truth! We just got back from Park City, UT. The heat wasn't (much) of an issue, but really felt the altitude on hikes in ways I haven't in years past. The extra weight I'm carrying plus the walking/running I haven't been doing made their presence known!

 

[Passepartout]

Me too. Going to Europe in a few weeks. I'd like to say a little lighter and more conditioned, but so far it hasn't helped. I wonder how the airline and cruise would feel about me bringing a llama to be my porter?

 

[bbodb1]

We are about to head to our first vacation in almost two years as well leaving from the heat and humidity of Arkansas for the higher (and cooler) elevations of Oregon, then a week by the ocean. Slow and easy for awhile to be sure......

Which makes me think of this:

 

[DAman]

Me too. Going to Europe in a few weeks. I'd like to say a little lighter and more conditioned, but so far it hasn't helped. I wonder how the airline and cruise would feel about me bringing a llama to be my porter?

It’s an ADA service Llama, right? Hopefully the EU will accommodate you.

 

[TimeshareTraveller]

I totally need to bring my Emotional Support porcupine on my next plane flight. I have seen the craziest things done in the name of "Emotional Support" animals:

• One student brought a cat into the University library, probably just to lure dates from what I saw.
• Another student brought a 7-foot python hanging around his neck to an exam in a class of 250 students and claimed he needed that support
• Another group of students adopted a cat in a dorm room of 4 over the objections of 1 of the 4 who was allergic to cats. Guess which student ended up caring for the animal in that dorm room?
• One plane flight was notable because a woman brought a completely untrained chihuahua on a plane in a zip carrier and when she opened the bag in the flight to "soothe herself" the dog bit her savagely.

I can take the porcupine on long walks to recover from my Covid-houseboundness. I would have exercised more, but somehow I ended up working 12 hours a day in my home office.