A Traumatic Family Incident Was 'Wake-Up Call' to Prioritize His Health, So He Started Walking Around Disneyland (Exclusive)

Neil Haque lost over 60 pounds by walking through Disneyland and nearby parks as part of his fitness routine

NEED TO KNOW

• Haque, a former Disneyland cast member, was inspired to walk more after his father’s stroke and a personal wake-up call

• He shares his weight loss journey online through cinematic videos filmed at Disneyland, showcasing his transformation

A former Disneyland cast member is finding healing by walking through the theme parks he once worked in.

The 34-year-old insurance underwriter lives about 20 minutes from the Disneyland Resort in California, and has lost more than 60 pounds by turning his evening walks throughDisneyland, Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney into a consistent routine.

“In October 2022, my dad had a stroke, and it was a really life-changing situation for me,” Neil Haque tells PEOPLE exclusively. “It took about a year and a half for him to come back home and finally start feeling better, but that entire time became a very low point for me.”

The ongoing period of uncertainty and responsibility took a toll on nearly every aspect of his life, leaving him feeling emotional and physically depleted as he tried to hold things together at home.

But by the end of 2024, after spending Thanksgiving with his family, Haque says he had a realization.

“Thanksgiving with my family became like a wake-up call for me,” he says. “I talked to my doctors, and besides just trying to eat better, I really wanted to find a way to make sure I’m physically active all the time and trying to make physical activity an integral part of my day-to-day life.”

Working from home made that goal more difficult for Haque, but he soon realized the answers he was looking for might be in a place that had already shaped much of his life.

“I was actually a [Disney]cast memberfor 10 years,” he says, “I worked in Mad Hatter in Fantasyland — I was actually a hat writer.”

Remembering how active he felt during those years sparked the idea for his walks.

“I wanted to find a sustainable way for me to walk more,” he says. “I thought walking would be the perfect thing, because it’s easy on the joints, it’s something anyone can do — it’s accessible.”

In December of 2024, he fully committed to the plan to exercise regularly, choosing Disneyland as his daily walking spot.

“I spoke to my family about it and said, ‘Hey, I think I’m gonna invest in an annual pass [and] I’m gonna get the biggest one with free parking’ — I don’t want to think about having to have a hurdle when I go there.”

Haque purchased Disneyland’s Inspire pass and began visiting the parks after work.

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“I usually go after 5 p.m.,” he says. “Generally, for those trips, I do get about four to five miles of walking.”

Over time, Haque’s increased activity began to show in his daily step count. He says that before starting his walking routine, he was averaging roughly 3,000 steps a day, but that number has since spiked significantly as his trips to the parks became more frequent.

“Recently, I saw that my average steps per week went up to about 8 to 9,000,” he says.

Haque’s highest recorded weight was 338 pounds, but when he officially began documenting hisDisneylandwalking routine in January 2025, he weighed 323 pounds. Today, he weighs 261.

“I started seeing changes in my face,” he recalls of celebrating the 300-pound milestone. “That made me keep going further — and plan more trips.”’

During the summer months, when the sun is out for longer hours, Haque visits the parks up to five times a week.

Along the way, he also began sharing his journey online through short cinematic videos filmed throughout the parks.

“I’ve always had a fun knack for wanting to make short-term videos,” he says, when referencing himself as a millennial kid. “When I was in elementary school, I’d make skits.”

Today, his clips combine music with views of Disneyland, often revealing his transformation at the emotional peak of a song.

“It’s a hook where I show my before and after,” he explains. “When you see my after clip, it’s right when the peak of your favorite song starts.”

Still, Haque says the most important lesson from his journey has nothing to do with the number on the scale.

“You really have to love yourself when you’re doing this,” he says.

Read the original article onPeople