Backpack Or Fanny-pack? Which One To Carry?

[leahannpen]

WHAT'S EASIER? I'M DEBATING AND I'M LOOKING FOR THE PROS AND CONS OF EACH TO HELP ME DECIDE.

WE ARE 3 ADULTS GOING... NO KIDS.

I'D LIKE TO TRY TO DO A CAMCORDER THIS TRIP. I'VE BEEN TO WDW MANY TIMES AND DON'T NEED A CAMERA, BUT WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO CAMCORD SOME THIS TIME, SO I CAN WATCH IT WHEN I GET HOME TO RELIVE WHAT "I" LOVE AT WDW.

 

[callahanjulie10]

I just replied to a question just like this on the budget board...BACK PACK BACK PACK BACK PACK!! Fanny packs are to small(at least for me!!) A back pack doesn't hurt your back at all and it holds a load of stuff. When I ride TOT or RNR etc I just hook a strap around my leg and let it hang in the floor. So far (after 5 WDW trips it is something I can't live without) I put water bottles, snacks, cameras, purcahses, film, hats basically you name it and I carry it! Just my 2 cents

 

[Luv2Roam]

I get a good fanny pack. I have even seen ones that now that are insulated and have bottles. They are somewhat of a pain. The last one I had had TOO many pockets. I had my camera in one of them and couldn't even find it!
Dh carries a small fanny pack and takes a backpack into the parks.
We take just what we need and leave the backpack in a locker.
You can get in the locker as often as you want. And the locker fees covers ANY park you are in that day, as long as you keep your receipt.
When we were there, I THINK it was $5 to rent a locker and when you returned the key you got $2 back. BUt again, keep your receipt and you can use any park's locker for that day. The only downside was having to be to the front of the park to get back into the locker.

 

[Mouser]

WE vote for fanny packs..only place in the world that DH will wear one. Easy to wear, no worries about taking it on or off, we just lift it up over the lap bars on ToT, Thunder Mtn or Splash..no worries about leaving it on a ride as it by your legs..you get used to it to, when we get back I miss my fanny pack being there. We have big ones we carry everything we need in them, including our digital camera...

 

[TIGGER36027]

We are 2 adults, and we do backpacks. Much easier, holds lots of stuff,
holds my camcorder, camera, water, first-aid kit, sunglasses, cigs, (yes, Im a smoker!!)
cell phone and battery, ID, and everything else. As a matter of fact, I just bought a new one from WalMart
the other day and it has all kinds of nooks and crannies for stuff. I love it!

In my opinion, I would do a backpack. Simple and very efficient.

 

[Meagansmom]

We vote for both. I carry the fanny pack for money, tickets, room cards, anything important, etc. My DH and I switch with a backpack which carries the camcorder, camera, water bottles, snacks, misc, etc. We have used both every time we go and never is it too much to carry around. Enjoy!

 

[nluvwithdisney]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I think we will try the backpack idea. I bought one earlier in the year. It has come in very handy because I've taken a lot of trips this year. I guess we'll see how it goes for WDW. I really don't want to leave the camcorder at home but DW is afraid it will get lost.

 

[MiknMinMouse]

There's also a middle of the road option I've found works nice. I found a small travel purse at our local luggage store It fits over my shoulder (like from right shoulder to left hip style) It fits all of my essentials as well as a small camera. Last year we also had to carry a small diaper bag still for the little one and the video camera bag (which is small), but if we had to separate (we usually go in a group of 6-10 , family) I have all of my stuff I can just take with me and the diaper bag, whatever, can go with daddy or grandma .

 

[webray]

We never go to disney without our back pack. It holds our wallets, camera, we can put the passes in the front pocket for easy fast pass access. As we do a little shopping through out the day we can put our purchases inside (as long as they are not to big).

 

[3boys]

...but do those of you who carry backpacks have any security concerns? I've just read some travel/shopping horror stories about people being in crowded situation and their wallets lifted out of backpacks without them even feeling anyone behind them. I don't want to sound negative, just a little cautious.

 

[hulabird]

We leave in 2 days, and I think I finally figured out what will work best for me,
I am using a waist pack to hold my camera, film, and other things like sunscreen,poncho, itinerary sunglasses, and I bought a slim wallet on a string which hold my room keys, park passes credit cards and cash, this will be around my neck. I like hands free, and I want things
"On" me as I know that I am notorious for leaving things that i would carry, in my hand on a
on a ride or in a restaraunt. (maybe that's why teachers ALWAYS pinned notes to my parents to my blouse in school) This will be lightweight and compact as well. My first thought
was a backpack that I could put in a locker, but I don't want to be running back and forth to a locker, it would be different to store a change of clothes etc in a locker, but i want my camera and film etc...to be available all through the park. Security is important, but I don't want to have to worry about it all through my vacation.


Hulabird

 

[TIGGER36027]

We dont put our wallets in our backpack. NO NO NO.

Hubby puts a rubber band around his wallet, then puts back in his pocket. That way no one can "lightly" take it from his back pocket......it will stick b/c of the rubber band, and then he will know it!

Neat trick, get the guys to do it!

 

[beattyfamily]

We will be doing both.

I love fanny packs for money, passes, chapstick, sunglasses when I don't need them, and room key.

I bought a backpack for this trip and I will put the camera, snacks, drinks, diapers/baby wipes and whatever else we need to bring in.

 

[luvdamouse]

We also do both. I carry a fanny pack with just what we might need while inside a ride (asthma inhaler, contact wetting drops, lipstick , and the things that we would not want to have stolen (camera, park passes, credit card, cash).

The backpack has the stuff I'm not worried about getting stolen - diaper bag contents, extra film, snacks, first aid kit, etc. We leave this outside with the stroller.

However, if we have the video camera with us, we carry the backpack inside with us. I bought a small video bag this year to take care of that our next trip! 155 days!

It works pretty well, but only for those doing the stroller thing!

Have a great day!
jo

 

[tink2001]

Here's a vote for a backpack. Just returned from WDW a couple of days ago and almost every day we used a small backpack I got at Old Navy. It fit everything we needed, water bottles, sunscreen, fans (like everyone else in summer, we had a fan/squirtbottle combo), the occasional souvenir. Most people seemed to carry fannypacks.

 

[callahanjulie10]

Good luck to the person who is trying to lift my wallet out of the backpack! I have so much crammed in there and the wallet is usually on the very bottom! I keep our passes in a seperate compartment along with the room card. My camera goes in another pocket and everything else is in the main compartment. When I go to buy something it takes a little while to get the $$ but it is worth it for peace of mind...

 

[PamCo88]

I use a "fanny pack" that is not a true fanny pack. I found it last year at Walmart. It is by East Sport. It is rectangular has a shoulder strap (waist strap) and has belt loop stuff on the back also. It will hold poncho, sport water bottle and many other things you need in the parks. Has several sections so i can keep the pocho away from everything else. also seperate change purse area for change and room/park key.

 

[mickeyandme]

We use a backpack, but not a huge one. I got mine at the Rockin' Roller Coaster. It has a drawstring top under the flip over part, so it would be quite difficult to get my wallet out of it, plus it's on the bottom of the ponchos, water bottle, camera in a zip lock bag etc. This size has worked out much better than a fanny pack. We tried our kids old school Jansports once and found they were much too big and bulky, but this size works great.

 

[CarlaKay]

I just bought a Ameribag Healthy Back Bag. It looks like half backpack and is worn on one shoulder--the way kids do their backpacks. I've taken it on two weekend trips to WDW and it's great. The medium carries a change of clothes, a DVD player and lots of stuff. The system distributes it easily.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I have used both in the past.

I just bought this fanny pack in June for our trip to Disneyland, and love it; 7 zippered pockets, and lots of room.
http://www.beltoutlet.com/medsmootleat.html

I carry most of my daily essentials in there...resort cards, tissues, hand wipes, little first aid kit, etc.; in my backpack, I've carried my touring information, guidebook, and "extras".

We (usually DH) also carry a camera and video camera, separate and ready to use; it would bother me too much to have to get it out of a back pack.

The kids each carry a fanny pack with their own tissues, hand wipes, snack, disposible camera, etc. We all carry a Brita bottle with a bottle strap, except DH, who gets a beer if he's thirsty.

Since this will be our 4th WDW trip in 4 years, I probably won't take a back pack because I don't need the touring info anymore.