For those who do not know, I am a Disney-holic. My husband and I have annual passes, and we are at one of the four Orlando-based Disney theme parks every weekend. And, most times, we go more than one day.
Theme parks are not normally known as the mecca of healthy options, and everyone knows I am a sucker for sweets, but I’m thrilled to report that Animal Kingdom might be one of the healthiest options for any local or tourist looking to stick to their diet. My reasons?
ONE: You walk everywhere!
The park is mostly outdoor, and spans THOUSANDS of acres. You can easily log 6-7 miles of walking even during a short visit, and can go much longer than that if you take advantage of the HIKING TREK adventure offered in Africa’s Kilimanjaro Safari tours. It’s almost six hours of backpacking through their habitats!
TWO: healthy food options are everywhere!
Not only do they have stands dedicated to gluten-free menus, but even the regular food options are pretty healthy.
We found hummus with veggies at one stand, and falafel balls (fried, yes, but mostly healthy) with fresh tzatziki sauce!
I wanted to eat all of these myself, but I begrudgingly shared with my husband.
The new Harambe Market features tons of new options, which are mostly grilled chicken, beef, and sausages! It took me a while to find an unhealthy option at the park, and I was happy to see very few patrons were dining there on a beautiful Florida day.
THREE: it’s HOT!
The weather in Florida is scorching in the summer, and most Disney parks have primarily indoor attractions to keep you cool, but not at Animal Kingdom! Most of the Animal Kingdom attractions are outside, so you’re sweating like a fiend. I’m not sure about you, but I absolutely lose my appetite when I’m hot. So I nearly forgot about eating lunch at the park, and it wasn’t until a quick summer shower forced us into the stores around 2pm that I remembered about sneaking in a meal!
While I’ll never stop loving Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom may have stolen my heart as the place to go when I don’t feel like splurging on my diet AND want to see some gorgeous animals.
On that note… bon appetit, my friends!
Tori
The Memoirs of a Yo-Yo Dieter 
I totally agree! I’ve seen a lot of people go to WDW and lose weight from all the walking! Who’d of thought the best weight loss plan was a Disney Vacation?! 🙂
Did you see this awesome infographic showing the calories burned at all of the Central Florida theme parks? https://www.floridatix.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Florida-Fitness-Infographic1.pdf
Over 1,500 calories can be burned spending the day at Magic Kingdom or Epcot!
Wow that’s really cool! I suppose, though, the 1500 calories would depend on how much you’d stuff yourself at the buffet. Haha 🙂 But it really shows how much walking you do around Disney. So wear comfortable shoes!!!!