Backpack or locker and small purse

[Scrappingjen]

I am planning our trip and trying to decide what to carry around DL. The kids are 8 and 6 so no stroller. Should I plan on a backpack or could I get by with just a small cross body purse. I think we need, $$$, Camera, sunblock, & small first aid. and thats it. Am I wrong? What do I need to plan on carrying around all day.

We are staying at my cousins house so no hotel.

Would I have to leave the backpack behind on most rides?

 

[DisneyMomma81]

My 6 year old used a stroller for each of our DLR (*and our WDW visit) trips last year except for our early Dec. short (2 days ~ reduced park hours/cool weather) trip. I'm thinking of bringing it for her 7th B~day trip this July. She hasn't used a stroller outside of Disney for several years. I guess what I'm "typing" is ~ You may want to consider bringing a stroller. DD's Disney stroller is a Mac Volo.

 

[barefootmomma]

Although my son is only getting ready to turn three so we always have a stroller to stash the larger bag in, in your situation I would get a locker versus schlepping around a big bag all day. Personally, I like to carry as a little as possible actually on my body. Some lines can be pretty tight as far as space goes, as well as maneuvering in heavier crowds with a large backpack can be a pain for everyone IMO. It's just easier to carry only the very basic essentials in a smaller bag and keep all the extras you don't necessarily need but might like to have in case elsewhere. I'm one of those moms who tends to pack things we don't necessarily use every time, but are good to have like extra clothes, etc. for my son.

 

[nana50]

A stroller may be handy to carry stuff, but it is a pain to push around. If you buy anything you can have it waiting for you at the front at "package pick up". I was just there with my 7 year old granddaughter. I carried a small across your chest purse. We applied sunscreen before we left and I took a small tube for touch-ups, money, tickets, and that was it. It was much easier to get around without a bunch of junk. We used water fountains instead of water bottles, (what a concept), and doubted we would need first aid. If you do, they have a first aid station on main street. Travel light and enjoy.

 

[LavenderPeach]

A stroller may be handy to carry stuff, but it is a pain to push around. If you buy anything you can have it waiting for you at the front at "package pick up". I was just there with my 7 year old granddaughter. I carried a small across your chest purse. We applied sunscreen before we left and I took a small tube for touch-ups, money, tickets, and that was it. It was much easier to get around without a bunch of junk. We used water fountains instead of water bottles, (what a concept), and doubted we would need first aid. If you do, they have a first aid station on main street. Travel light and enjoy.

Yes, I was going to mention the first aid station too. You can get band-aids and advil and that type of thing there if you needed it (free!). DS fell down one time on tom sawyer's island and scraped up his arm and the wonderful CM there had band-aids with her on the island. Smart CM!

I try to get away with just my small cross-body purse when I can. I just have money/credit card, APs, cell phone, hand sanitizer and my glasses and it all fits in my purse which is only about 6 in x 6 in. If there's other things your kids might need (snacks, sunglasses, etc) maybe you can get them little waist packs to carry their own stuff.

 

[Astro Orbiter]

DD is 7 and we always still use a backpack, though it's much more lightly loaded than in years past. Mostly because I hate keeping track of hats when they're not on our heads and I like to carry a change of clothes and sometimes hoodies. And we carry lots of water.

I also have a cross-body bag that I love that I use for daytrips; it holds 2 waters, wallet, sunblock, sunglasses, camera, a few snacks, and not much more. But I hate holding onto the hats!

 

[PHXscuba]

When we did DLR last fall, we made each of our older kids (7, 10, 13) carry a water bottle holder that went around their waist or over their shoulder. They were similar to this one on Ebags, but the pocket on ours might not be as big. It was room enough for them each to carry a snack pack and a little candy. Next trip I will also put in those single-serve Koolaid flavor packets. DH had one too and I had my cross-body bag from Lillian Vernon that I adore. So we had four water bottles for our family of 6 (didn't think DS4.5 would carry one). We never had to take anything off on rides. If you plan to take in a lot of snacks this might not work, or get a locker to put sweatshirts and some of the snacks in.

Our plan worked until it got cold and rainy and we decided to take our backpack into the park to carry sweatshirts. So I'd have a backpack available just in case -- we had to use my son's, which was smallish. BUT, if you choose the backpack route, you can put it at your feet or in a special "pocket" on all the rides (I wrapped the strap around my leg just in case).

IMO DLR can be done without equipment rivaling a Himalayan expedition, but I know some would rather be prepared for anything and choose to carry a backpack or take a stroller just in case.

PHXscuba

 

[wvnative]

Even traveling with older teenagers I still take a small backpack. One of those flat drawstring ones works fine. Mine has pockets for two water bottles and a zippered compartment for stuff I really don't want to lose. Other than that, sunbock, tide to go pen and some snacks are pretty much it. It just comes in handy when I get tired of wearing my jacket or buy something small I don't
want to carry around.

We do often ditch the backpacks if we go to the hotel for a late lunch. We can usually get through an evening without all that stuff.

 

[L2S2C]

If you aren't planning on bringing snacks or anything then you could easily just use a small bag. I did bring a small first aid kit with me because my kids are prone to accidents (and we did use it three times LOL) but we also had a stroller. Neo to go and a few bandaids would be easy to throw in a bag. You do not have to leave your bag behind, put it on the ground and put the strap through your leg.

 

[onelilspark]

This is the bag that I take with me to the parks: http://www.ebags.com/ful/peabody_mini_sling/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=86454

It's got enough room for some meds in the front pouch (I get chronic migraines, so I always have to have the medicine on me!) I keep my phone in the top pouch, middle gets sun screen & a bottle of water. There's also a small pocket on the front (that crosses your chest) that I put a credit card, cash, tickets, & my ID in. It's a nice size for the park, I can swing it around to my front when on rides and it's light & small enough that I can still manuever my way through crowds, etc.

 

[Anj]

We were there at the beginning of March with 2 adults and 3 kids (age 2, 5 and 7) and we used one crossbody bag for the 5 of us. It held our camera, wallet (mine), 2 diapers and a pack of wipes, hand sanitizer, 3 kids ponchos (plastic, folded up small) and sunscreen. We wore it on all the rides we went on.

 

[Eeee-va]

It sounds like you won't be taking mid-afternoon breaks back "home" then?

I don't know exactly when your trip is, but I do think you might end up needing sweatshirts/jackets. (In mid-to-late June I could've used a sweatshirt/jacket every night.)

If that is the case I would probably get a small locker, though a backpack would do. Even though you'll probably only use it once per day, I personally think it's worth the price. You can take a backpack on almost all rides, provided it's not stuffed full. My friend took hers onto Soarin'. But being able to stash a jacket/etc. is worth the expense, to me.

Have a great trip!

 

[Scrappingjen]

Thanks so much. We are going End of April will we need jackets in the evening? Should we plan on shorts or capris?

I need a first aid kit cause my son needs a epi pen for mosquitos. Oh and we are very accident prone so a couple bandaids and some tylenol can save a day.

 

[rszdtrvl]

We are taking our Baggallini Messenger bag again. It worked great last year.

We only take : ibuprofen, camera, extra batteries, schedule, money/id/ccard, and a small snack in the bag anyway. I like using it to carry other bags we may accumulate, plus we plan on bringing some "Wonka Fruit" back with us to the hotel.

 

[Scrappingjen]

whats wonka fruit???????

 

[LavenderPeach]

Thanks so much. We are going End of April will we need jackets in the evening? Should we plan on shorts or capris?

I usually need some sort of sweatshirt or long sleeved shirt in the evenings but it depends on how cold you get and what climate you're used to. During a heat wave in the middle of summer i might not need a sweatshirt but I would need one in April for sure. As far as shorts or capris, it's hard to say yet since the weather could be really hot or it could still be on the cooler side. Keep checking the forecasts. We're going next week and I'm planning on jeans, t-shirt and a sweatshirt for morning/evening but I'll probably bring one pair of capris and see how i feel once we're there.

 

[heatherleigh]

I suggest taking a stroller for your youngest. I think it would end up being a bigger help than it would a burden. I'm still trying to decide whether to do a double or two singles (and let my 6 and 4-yr olds trade off).