I’ve got two more pre-trip planning tips for Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland, and then I’ll jump into tips that will help you during the Party in the next few posts. Today’s Disneyland tip is how to pick comfortable shoes for Disneyland!

10 Disneyland Tips for Mickey’s Halloween Party series (view all):

Go to Tip #1: Is Mickey’s Halloween Party Worth It?
Go to Tip #2: DIY Sally Costume Nightmare Before Christmas
Go to Tip #3: Make the Most of Your Disneyland Day: Stay Close and Nap!
Go to Tip #4 (You are here): Comfy Shoes for Disneyland!
Go to Tip #5: Things to Do Before Mickey’s Halloween Party Starts!
Tips #6–#10: Don’t Miss a Trick—or a Treat!—at Mickey’s Halloween Party!

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Comfortable Shoes for Disneyland

We walk 15–17 miles a day at Disneyland! We occasionally walk as little as 11 miles on a Disneyland day—but those “short” walking days are always super crowded days when we spend a lot more time standing in lines than we usually do. Hopefully, the new MaxPass system for Fastpasses will help ensure we can always get at least 15 miles of fun in on every day at Disneyland! I’ll review MaxPass when we get back from our trip in a couple weeks.

It seems like a no brainer, but it’s essential to wear super comfortable shoes at Disneyland! That goes for Mom, Dad, and the kiddos!

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You remember when Modern Family went to Disneyland, right? Mitch and Cam gave Lily fancy princess shoes so she hobbled around happily instead of running off, and Gloria traded in her heels for a fluffy pair of Minnie slippers!

Function beats fashion at Disneyland. You won’t have very much fun if you get a blister!

Our family has spent more than 200 days at Disneyland, so we’re serious about our shoe choices!

Here are some of our favorite comfy shoes to wear to Disneyland!

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Comfortable Disneyland Shoes for Mom:

Reef Ginger Slim flip flops. These are getting harder to find, so snap up a couple pairs when you find them in your size. They’re super lightweight and the soles are kind of squishy. The straps are fabric so they don’t give me blisters like plastic straps can.

Disney Vans. Also hard to find, but Vans releases new Disney styles regularly. They sell out quickly so don’t wait to buy when you find them! My feet actually hate Vans, so they do give me blisters if I’m not careful. I use Band-Aid Blister Block on my heels (I think it’s labeled as Friction Block now), and I wrap my pinky toes in Nexcare waterproof bandaids (they are the only bandaids that stay on with sweaty feet. Gross but true!). I’ll start my Disneyland day in the cute Disney Vans, and switch to my trusty Reef flip flops after our afternoon break at the hotel.

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Comfortable Disneyland Shoes for Dad:

KC has several types of shoes he likes to wear at Disneyland. I think men’s shoes are always made more comfy than women’s shoes, so he has more choices!

Men’s Vans
Disney Vans

Star Wars Vans
Adidas Superstar
Nikes in Dodger Blue!

Comfortable Disneyland Shoes for Boys:

When Jefferson was little, he always wore Crocs to Disneyland. Crocs are lightweight, they have a strap in the back so they stay on better than flip flops, and they’re great for kids with wide feet.

Disney Crocs

Now he wears a men’s size 11, so he wears Vans or these awesome Boba Fett high tops (sold out, but you can hunt around online by searching “Skechers Mandalorian”.)

Comfortable Disneyland Shoes for Girls:

Jameson loves flip flops, but kids aren’t allowed to climb the rock wall at California Adventure (Redwood Creek Challenge Trail) in flip flops. She loves to climb the rock wall so she usually wears sneakers. She has a very narrow foot, and Crocs always gave her blisters. The fancy plastic/jelly style Disney Princess shoes from Disneyland are very uncomfortable, but she did try to wear them often when she was little. Blisters galore.

Disney Store now offers many Disney Princess shoes that are much more comfortable than they used to be! You can check them out here: Disney Store Princess Shoes but make sure you start at Ebates before you shop at Disney Store! You will get 2% or more cashback, plus whatever cashback your credit card offers you! With my link you get a free $10 gift card for signing up with Ebates and making one purchase.

However, little girls want the shoes they want, so good luck directing your little Princess to a more comfortable style if she’s set on those light up Cinderella shoes!

Jameson also loves her Disney Vans. If your girl wears a size 4 in kids’ shoes, search for Women’s size 6—they are easier to find, and they’re exactly the same size as a Youth size 4 in Vans.

For Mickey’s Halloween Party, you’ll want to wear shoes that match your costume! Kids’ costumes often have boot covers that drape over their shoes, so it’s not that important that their shoes go with their costumes.
In the photo below, you can see Jameson’s and Jefferson’s Star Wars Vans under their costume boot covers.

For adult costumes, if you can’t find comfy shoes that totally go with your costume, wear the comfiest black shoes you can find and they’ll blend in well enough. We always get compliments on our shoes at Disneyland, but truly, not many people are going to look at you from head to toe, so comfort first!

Break in Your Shoes Before Your Disneyland Trip!

Do not gift your kiddos with cool shoes the day before your Disneyland trip! I did that more than once, and the result was blisters. There’s a tipping point at which giving kids new shoes too early results in ruined shoes before your Disney trip. What I do is give the kids their new shoes a month before I want them to start wearing them at Disneyland, but they aren’t allowed to wear them as play shoes. They break in the new shoes at clean places like shopping trips, church, and short field trips (under 2 miles walking).

Always Break in New Shoes with Blister Block!

Better safe than sorry. It just takes a moment to swipe blister block on heels, tops of feet, and toes (don’t forget to swipe it on the sides of the pinky toes). Once you get a blister with new shoes, you tend to continue to get a blister in the same spot, plus it can take a week to heal so you’ll cut into your breaking in schedule.

Pack Two Pairs of Shoes for Disneyland Trips!

You might get wet! Slogging around Disneyland in wet socks and shoes is not fun. If your kids are too small or too scared to ride Splash Mountain and Grizzly River Run, they can still get their shoes plenty wet splashing in the stream outside the cave at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. I’ve also watched tons of kids stick their feet in the fountain in Toon Town.

Flip flops are expensive inside the Parks, so pack a pair of flip flops for each person in your stroller or backpack. You can change into flip flops before you go on Splash Mountain or Grizzly River Run, or just have them as a back up. Be prepared!

Note that you aren’t allowed to ride any ride without shoes. It doesn’t seem like there’s much difference between wearing flip flops and holding them on a water ride, but to Disneyland staff, there is a difference, and shoes are required on all rides.

Comfy shoes for Disneyland! 10 Disneyland Tips for Mickey’s Halloween Party!