What to Carry Into the Disney Theme Parks

On our first trip to Disney World, I completely overpacked…in every sense of the word.  I brought too much stuff on the airplane, too much stuff in our luggage, and too much stuff into the theme parks.  Essentially, I packed items to address almost every imaginable scenario.  After four hot days of lugging around bulging backpacks (filled mostly with items that I never used), I learned a valuable (and uncomfortable) lesson.  Now, I only bring what is absolutely necessary.  If one of those unlikely “what-if” scenarios occurs, chances are that I can purchase what we need in a Disney gift shop.   

Of course, there are a few items that I always bring with me to the parks, but I now divide them into several manageable bags.  This usually includes a small cross-body bag, a lightweight backpack, and a soft-sided cooler or water bottle carrier.  Here’s what goes in each:

Cross-Body Bag

My cross-body bag stays with me at all times.  Therefore, it’s crucial that this bag be small, lightweight, and comfortable.  In it, I place anything that is of significant value and cannot be easily replaced.  For us, this includes:  

• All of our Key to the World cards (although this will change as Disney completes the transition from cards to RFID bracelets)
• My ID
• Cash and/or credit cards
• Medication (i.e. my son’s Epipen)
• My camera
• Our touring plans and dining confirmation numbers for the day
• Hand sanitizer (obviously, this is not valuable and irreplaceable, but I like to have it easily accessible)

Backpack

The size of your backpack will vary depending on the ages of your children.  If you still have an infant or toddler in diapers, you’ll need a larger pack.  If your kids are older, a lightweight cinch bag should suffice.  Here’s what we store in our backpack:

• Sunblock
• Small games to occupy the kids while we’re waiting for “rope drop”, live shows, or meals
• First aid items
• Rain gear (including flip flops or crocs—soaked tennis shoes are no fun)
• Trading pins for my son
• A princess costume for my daughter if we are attending a character meal that day (I only buy lightweight jersey princess costumes that fold up small)

A Soft-Sided Cooler or Water Bottle Carrier

You will need to drink tons of water throughout your Disney day, and some people do not like the taste of Florida water (including my children).  Bottled water is EXTREMELY expensive in the theme parks, though, so we like to bring our own.  When our kids were younger, we’d load a few bottles of water into an inexpensive soft-sided cooler and leave it in the stroller while we were experiencing attractions.  If you have older children and will not be bringing a stroller into the parks, consider purchasing a water bottle carrier for each family member to wear.

Of course, certain items are prohibited in the Disney theme parks.  For a complete list, visit the Walt Disney World official website or click here.

Meredith McCutcheon

Disney Specialist, Ginger's Getaways

disneymadeeasy@yahoo.com