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What is in your backpack??...this is our 1st trip EVER!

becca74

Earning My Ears
Joined
May 10, 2008
ok.. here is my question... We will be going to WDW for the 1st time EVER on Nov.1st!! :woohoo:
I have 4 children 12,9,5,2. I am planning on bringing some type of backpack so I can carry the "junk" we will need... the problem is what do I need to bring exactly?? I have 1 in daipers still, so the obvious there..but what else do you all recommend are the "must haves" for us to have-

Thanks!
 
Pack lightly- you have to carry it around with you! Although you can leave most things in your stroller when you go on rides. I always just took the camera with me.
Let's see... In my bag I have...
camera
sunglasses
sunscreen
cell phone
bandaids
Motrin
Children's Motrin
Printouts of meal reservations for that day
KTTW cards for myself and kids
Pins for trading- my girls enjoy this
spare clothes for each young child- each outfit sealed in a ziplock bag
a few snacks for cranky hunger moments
autograph book and chunky pen
park map and times guide for the day

Some people carry cash- we just charge everything to our KTTW card so we don't have to worry about anything else. Although this trip we'll need a little cash for tips! It's no longer included in the Dining plan. UGH.:mad:

Each of my kids brings a stuffed toy for comfort and a water bottle for their drinks. They keep these in their stroller pouches.
That's about it!
I like to keep it light so we don't lose things. The less we bring- the less I have to keep track of!
Good luck!
-Sarah
 
Becca, I am so excited for you! You're going to have a blast! :goodvibes

So you'll have diapers covered, but make sure you also have plenty of baby wipes (useful for diaper changes as well as wiping your hands from a sticky churro or cleaning up some melted dole whip that may have dripped on your shirt).

Bring a spare outfit for young children. I found I could fit an outfit in a quart size ziplock bag.

Pack a few snacks for little ones, like cereal or crackers. You never know when they might get hungry. The same goes for thirst quenchers... have a few juice packs. If you have the opportunity to freeze some, they make great ice packs for keeping non-frozen packs cold, and then later in the day, the frozen ones will melt and still be cool. It's fine to bring a small soft-sided cooler into the park.

Bring extra ziplock bags... good for leftover snacks, or keeping fastpasses, park tickets, and other items dry.

If you don't want to buy rain gear at the parks, bring along some cheap ponchos in your bag... they usually fold small. When it rains in Disney, it generally POURS.

Sunscreen. Even if it rains at times, you are in the Sunshine State.

Tissues.

Small hand sanitizer.

Band-aids - kids will be kids (so will the adults)

Small packet of Tylenol or Advil... just in case (hopefully you won't have a need for it though)

Packets of kool-aid or crystal light drink mix (single servings) are handy too... you can get free water at all counter service restaurants, so if you need a little flavor, just add some mix.

Cell phones or walkie talkies are helpful if you thing your family may split up at any point.

Most important... don't forget the camera! ;)
 
Thanks, NorweJenNY! What great suggestions! I've been wondering the same thing. I actually didn't think about the fact that I can keep some of this non-valuable stuff in the stroller while we're riding if necessary. I just didn't think of some of the things you've listed, like extra ziplocs! Thanks for sharing your tips with the rest of us!:thumbsup2
 
I read a tip on here for your diapers... make up separate baggies w/ a diaper, wipes and a disposable changing pad in each, so you don't have to bring your whole diaper bag into the restroom (or wherever you're changing baby). Just grab 1 of the baggies, and everything's disposable. Don't forget to find out where the baby comfort stations (what are they really called?????) are... I think there's 1 in each park, and they're wonderful!! They have highchairs, tv, baby supplies if you need, nursing rooms, restrooms, and they're either in or near the first aid place, so there's a nurse's aid type person there too. I haven't been in one in a few years, so someone may correct me on the details, but they're great!!

I'd bring as little as possible... for your 2 older kids, you don't need to bring anything. How about having them (if they want) bring their own tiny pouch type backpack (actually even the 5yo). they can have a few bandaids, lip balm, hand sanitizer, their own park maps/times guides, sunglasses, their own cameras, etc. Then you just need diapers for the baby, and maybe a few snacks/juices.

We have a 7 and 8yo, and we hardly bring anything anymore. when we're thirsty, we buy a water and all share it. we buy a snack when we're hungry and share. the parks have the first aid stations, so I know I can get a bandaid, motrin, have a temp taken, etc. We put on sunscreen before we leave the room. I carry my chapstick, camera, money, cell phone & park passes. that's it. I used to bring much more, and each trip (we've taken about 12 the past few years), I bring less and less, realizing how little I used the extra items I brought.

Have a wonderful trip!!!
 
I know it's dorky, but by our second day I was using a fanny pack. I put our tickets/keys, CC/money, camera, and phone in it. It was so much easier than digging through the backpack to get to the stuff I actually needed.

We used hydration backpacks, so that took care of drinks for us. We also carried snacks, extra sunblock (although we didn't really use it), medicine (just in case), hats & sunglasses (when they werent being worn), diapers, and wipes. When we thought we might need them we also brought ponchos and clips to put the strollers together. We went back to the hotel each afternoon and didn't stay too late in the evening, so we figured if we really needed a change of clothes or something important we could head back to the hotel. I thought I had to bring things to keep the kids entertained in lines and other extra items, but after the first day or so we realized that all the extra stuff was just unnecessary. The only thing I remember us using were the glow necklaces.
 


Thanks, NorweJenNY! What great suggestions! I've been wondering the same thing. I actually didn't think about the fact that I can keep some of this non-valuable stuff in the stroller while we're riding if necessary. I just didn't think of some of the things you've listed, like extra ziplocs! Thanks for sharing your tips with the rest of us!:thumbsup2

You're welcome!

I only finally learned to take extra ziplock after several trips with kids. Why didn't I think of it sooner? :confused3


Bellebud, good tip with packaging up a diaper and wipes in several separate baggies... It must make changes a lot more convenient! :thumbsup2
 
There was room in the backpack that I was able to put purchases in!
I used a typical backpack and this is what was in it....

sm. zippered case first-aid kit (bandaids, childrens tylenol, tums, tylenol, safety pins & hair bands)
camera
hand sanitizer!!
chapstick
moleskin
a cloth diaper!!! (i guess a kitchen towel would work but the diapers just wick up the water nicely! good to wipe down tables, chairs, our kids faces!etc...)
4 ponchos
sm.sunblock (I slathered the family up in the hotel)
asst. sized ziploc bags (I used all of them!!)
soft-sided cooler (shaped like a paper bag) that I kept 4 water in
1 flat umbrella (found it at the $ store)
important papers in a small manilla envelope (receipts, my ADR list, etc)
credit card holder that held room keys, disney cards and cash

My kids were 8 & 10 so I got them each a fanny pack and they carried their own autograph books, trading pins, hand sanitizer and sunglasses
 
We just got back from our second trip to the world. I am big on carrying a backpack. We did umbrellas because we just don't care for the ponchos they sell and I forgot to buy some at home.

A change of clothes for the small kids and a spare shirt for the older kid in ziploc bags for keeping them dry and to put the wet clothes. A couple of extra ziploc bags for the cell phones and camera when we went on wet rides. We are out of diapers so nothing there. Snacks and drinks.

We did not bring band-aids or meds because we use the first aid stations at the parks. They are very very nice, and will give you what you need OTC wise there and a second dose for later. Dh had a head cold while we stopped at first aid most days of this trip. Really they are great and I don't think most people realize they are there.

Pack as light as you can, you will be carrying it all day and picking up stuff along the way.
 
At 12 and 9 have them carry their own things this way they will keep it to a minimum. Make them carry everything they want to bring or keep. By the second day I would only have sunglasses lip balm camera money my room key and an xtra tank top or t shirt.

As for your bag.

I seperated every diaper and a snack baggie of wipes in a plastic zip loc bag this way we would only have to carry this to the rest room.

A wet wash cloth in a zip loc bag this saved us a ton!!!!

that is about it with everything everyone else said!
 
We have the usual:
Band-aids
sunscreen
advil
purell
kleenex
cell phones
a few ziplock bags (for electronics on water rides)
poncho (on rainy days)
20 oz bottle drinks
light snacks
 
I agree with having your older kids carry their own stuff. Even the 5YO can carry a small backpack with snacks, an autograph book & their change of clothes. One of our big rules when we travel is that I am not Packy the Pack Mule & everyone has to schlep their own stuff.
 
I agree with having your older kids carry their own stuff. Even the 5YO can carry a small backpack with snacks, an autograph book & their change of clothes. One of our big rules when we travel is that I am not Packy the Pack Mule & everyone has to schlep their own stuff.

Good rule!:thumbsup2 :lmao:
 
It looks like everyone else has already covered the normal items to bring.....

If you are going to be at the parks at night, I like to bring my own glow necklaces from the dollar store. They also have glow wands now too. They are much cheaper than buying them at the parks. It's nicer to bring them if you are planning to go back to your room in the middle of the day, or before dinner to change. Then you are not carrying them around all day.

I also bring any things that the kids bought in previous years-- like Disney hats, and the spinny battery operated toys. We also have a battery operated Mickey Mouse light saber. This is something I dont want to purchase every year, so we just bring it again.
 
I second the glow sticks. Right now Target has them in their dollar section --a can of 15 bracelets for a dollar. Can't beat that!
 
Thanks to the OP & all the responses. I made a packing list but this helped me make a list of things for my park bag.:thumbsup2
 
Don't forget extra batteries...those things go out when you least expect them too and they are EXPENSIVE!

One of the things we took also was some pepto bismal. Crazy, but my dh was worse than the kids about eating everything in sight. So, I carried around tums and pepto for him. It actually was a lifesaver for me too.

Kelly
 
No backpack here...even when I had young un's. I say take a stroller and a diaper bag. Nobody ever bothered my diaper bag...and there were times it didn't really have diapers in it, lol!

Pack lightly. Get fanny packs for the kiddos- they can each have a disposable camera, a place to store sunglasses, and small container for water. They can carry snacks if you think they'll need them.

Carry sunblock, a blister bandaid or two, and your necessitities in yours. All the counter service places will give you free water, and if you have a major accident, guest services will have antiseptics, bandaids, etc.

Don't make yourself miserable playing pack pony!!!
 
Thank you all so much!! We are so excited and overwhelmed... I have never been there before and have no idea what it is like!!
The kids will also be enjoying their 1st plane ride as well!! This is the trip of 1st's for them.. we will be making a countdown calendar next week with some ideas I got from these boards!!

I love the diaper changes in a ziplock bag...how nice to have it all together!!

Any other ideas?? Plane advice?? HELP!!

Becca :woohoo:
 

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