Dylan Efron Wants To Travel & Start Acting After Dancing With The Stars

Dylan Efron already won The Traitors earlier this year, and now, he’s looking to bring home another prize: the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy on Dancing with the Stars. Since Season 34’s premiere on Sept. 16, the 33-year-old multihyphenate has taken over the ballroom with professional partner Daniella Karagach.

Efron, who loves being outdoors and active, tells Elite Daily his workout schedule has changed drastically since joining the dancing competition series. “We train anywhere from four to six hours a day, so my workouts are really just dancing at this point,” he says over Zoom. As he gets closer to the finale — and possibly winning DWTS — Efron believes squeezing in more weight training at the gym will be necessary, but notes that he’s “probably getting 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day,” so he’s “trying to manage the soreness” at the same time.

Even though he’s focused on the dance floor at the moment, Efron says he’s looking forward to traveling more once DWTS is over. His next dream destination? “I’ve always wanted to do Indonesia. I love anywhere in Baja or Mexico, and Hawaii,” he says. “I just want to go somewhere tropical with a lot of sun.” Efron recently partnered with Marriott Bonvoy Outdoors, which makes it easier for travelers to choose their destination based on outdoor experiences.

In the brand’s new Drop Pin Challenge, guests can earn 10,000 points to use on their next vacay by finding pins in over 20 outdoor destinations across the United States and Canada. “I love that it’s empowering people to get outside because that’s how I travel,” Efron says. “I’ve never wanted to stay at a hotel just because it has the comfiest beds. I’m looking at locations and where in the world I can go and do the thing that I’m passionate about.”

“My least favorite thing is when I travel to a place and I feel like I didn’t actually see it,” he says, which is something he experienced while working on Netflix’s travel docuseries Down to Earth with Zac Efron alongside his brother in 2020. “We were in a car, and I was just staring out the window, and I never felt like I actually experienced it,” he says. “Then I rode a bike on the same streets, and I swear it was like my body and mind created a mental map after that. I actually felt like I explored Paris once I hopped on a bike.”

Inspired by his love of adventurous travel, Efron shares, below, what goes into his outdoor travel bag, along with the advice his brother gave him before Dancing with the Stars, what he’d say to the new cast of The Traitors, and the way he deals with stress from all his reality TV endeavors.

Elite Daily: What is your favorite outdoor activity?

Dylan Efron: As much as I love rock climbing, I go through phases where I want to try something different. Recently, it’s been water stuff, so if I’m using the Marriott platform, I’m searching snorkeling or free diving destinations and trying to book a hotel based on that. Finding crystal clear water and jumping into the ocean is the holy grail for me.

ED: What items do you always keep in your outdoor travel bag?

DE: I like to keep self-care items in my bag that make the uncomfortable aspects of camping or any of those activities a little more pleasant. Playing outside as a kid and going on road trips with my friends, we would stink and we’d have chapped lips. As I got older, I realized that it’s a lot better if I’m prepared and bring things like Chapstick or face lotion. You don’t have to be uncomfortable when you’re outdoors.

ED: Do you have brands you love?

DE: For lip balm, I like Lucas’ Papaw; it’s this Australian brand. I also like Jack Black. For lotion, I’ve been using La Roche-Posay because they have this one SPF that’s body and face. I have a zinc one that I really like. Shiseido is also good.

When I’m in the ocean, I prefer zinc-based sunscreens for my face. That stuff’s just a little thicker and sometimes tinted. For daily use, I put on an SPF 15 to 30 when I wake up so I know I’m protected throughout the day.

ED: Do you have a go-to self-care routine after your DWTS rehearsals or any kind of intense workout you do?

DE: Dani [Daniella Karagach] calls me a serial foam roller. If I have a 20-second break, I find a foam roller and I start rolling out. I do it right before bed, and it helps me fall asleep, but I pretty much live on a foam roller.

ED: One of your rehearsal videos broke the internet. What do you have to say to the fans thirsting over your dancing videos?

DE: The whisk? Yeah, that was my first dance trend I ever did, and it was pretty fun. I hope to do more dance trends.

ED: Your brother, Zac, has had to dance in films like High School Musical and The Greatest Showman. Did he give you any advice before Dancing with the Stars?

DE: He just said, “Enjoy it.” He knows it’s all new to me, and I think he knows that I’m athletic and I’ll catch on. It was just support, so no clear advice — just going out there and giving it my all.

ED: On Jake Shane’s podcast, Therapuss, you talked about how you love being shirtless. What is your secret to feeling so secure in your body?

DE: I’m not really worried about what people are thinking about me, so that helps. Most times, when I’m walking my dog in the morning, I’ve got bed head and I’m just trying to get sun and listen to the audiobooks. I’m in my own lane and not worried about what people are looking at. I’m confident knowing I’m doing my thing.

ED: You and Jake also talked about journaling. Have you kept each other accountable on that?

DE: You know the answer to that. We want to, and we haven’t.

ED: The last time we talked, you said you couldn’t work out that much while filming The Traitors. Do you have any advice for new cast members coming into the castle?

DE: Bring supplements. I was an idiot and came super underprepared. The more prepared you are going in, the easier it is. I thought I could lean on the staff and ask if I needed something.

ED: Between The Traitors and Dancing with the Stars, would you say these reality competition shows are stressful for you?

DE: They are stressful, but the challenges of these shows are what make the highs and the rewards so great. If it were easy, then it wouldn’t feel that cool to win The Traitors or make it to the next week of Dancing with the Stars and see that I improved on stage. It’s a beautiful mix of stress and challenge, but that’s what makes it so rewarding.

ED: Do you have a secret to de-stressing in those moments where it is stressful?

DE: Right before we perform, Dani and I have a moment of Zen. I like box breathing. It’s like four-second interval breathing, and it calms your nervous system. We try to do that right before we go on stage. It’s all about having a moment to yourself, because in shows like this, you’re constantly getting pulled in different directions.

ED: What are you manifesting for yourself moving forward?

DE: The Traitors and Dancing with the Stars were both so challenging, and I’ve loved learning new skills like that. I’d really love to act and take on the challenge of being in a movie, and keep challenging myself to do things that I never thought I would.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.