“I am stout, round and I have found
Speaking poundage wise
I improve my appetite
When I exercise.” – Winnie the Pooh
Let’s keep it simple. When I don’t eat I go from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde very quickly. And my monstrous mood is usually directed at something not related to food so it only after I eat that I realize why I was acting so horribly. I am not alone in this transformation. Imagine several members of a group all having a meltdown at the same time. Certainly not a happy situation.
The easy answer is to eat and eat often. You have a lot to think about while visiting the parks; the last thing you need is grumpy people complaining about petty things. So feed everyone. I know, we’re all on diets. Well, I refer to that expert on eating, Winnie the Pooh. In the lyrics above he says, “I improve my appetite, when I exercise.” What do you think you are doing at the parks? You are walking…a lot. Plus it is usually hot and humid. All this adds up to a lot of burned calories. So again I say – eat!
I am not suggesting that you blow your food budget before lunchtime everyday. Bring snacks to the parks. Granola bars, M&Ms, GORP and fruit snacks all travel well in your bag. I like fruit snacks because they come in Disney character shapes. It doesn’t take much to turn Mr. Hyde back to Dr. Jekyll, but wouldn’t it be better if he never emerged in the first place. Do everyone a favor and eat often.
Goofy Tip: If you want a snack that is portable and feeds more than one person consider a bucket of popcorn. It’s not that expensive, you get a lot of popcorn to share, and it comes in a cool bucket that has a handle and a lid. When it is time to go on a ride simply put the lid on and you can take the popcorn with you. No need to throw it away. Also the handle allows to you attach it to your bag so you don’t have one more thing to carry. Plus, when you get home you have a handy container that has a hundred uses. My favorite use it to put all my change in it as I empty my pockets. That way I am saving for my next trip to the Disney Parks.