Backpacks, fanny bags, etc.

[Elk34]

I keep seeing lists of what to take to the parks. Things like pochos, flashlights, guide books, water bottles, snacks, sunscreen, jacket, cameras etc.

My question is what does everyone carry all of this stuff in? If the answer is a back pack what do you do with it when you are on a ride?

 

[maxie]

We each had a fanny pack with cash, room key, passes. As well we had a shoulder bag/beach bag thingy that we took turns carrying aroung with some snacks and a water bottle. We took it with us on all the rides.

 

[Poohbear123]

That stuff......I have NO kids so don't need it. I guess you could get a Fanny Pack for each person in your group, and you could put some of the items in each pack, but, believe me, you will NOT need it all!

 

[maxie]

Why would you take a flashlight?? And I would leave the guidebook in the hotel. The maps and show schedules are what you will be refering too. If you want to jot down some tips for yourself on a sheet and stick it in a fanny pack that would be better than carrying around a guidebook.

 

[kevind65]

dw and I usually wear those fanny pack things around our belts with cash, tickets & room keys in it. dd has one of those small backpacks and just turns it around when riding on the rides.

 

[honeymo78]

I always use the smallest bag possible for the amount of items I need to carry. Most of the rides have plenty of room for your bag in your seat with you. When you are riding one of the "thrill" rides like Space Mountain, Tower of Terror, etc it may be more difficult. I personally have taken a bag on nearly every ride at WDW and I just shove it between my legs/sit on a part of it/wear it backwards (on my front) or just hang on to it depending on the restraints. RNR is the hardest ot keep my bag on in my opinion since it goes upside down. I've had practice though when I go to parks with lots of coasters. Most of the time you can figure out a place to wedge it in.

 

[Minnie's Mate]

When our children were younger, we used a backpack and hung it on the handles of the stroler. We would wear it into the ride and while in the que; then, we would put it between our feet on the ride so we wouldn't forget it.

Our kids no longer need the diapers so we have paired it down to a Mickey fannie pack for each adult and one for our oldest. We still use a stroller (for our youngest" and stick some things like panchos and umbrellas in the mesh "basket" under the seat.

If it were up to my wife, we would carry a suite case on wheels every where we go! LOL Since I carry the camera, I also wear a camera bag on my shoulder with the camcorder in it. However, we haven't used it on our last three trips. Twice we just didn't get anything we didn't already have and our youngest wasn't a good "model". Now that he is beginning to come out of his shell, we would have used it at Christmas but I left the battery charger at home. Of course I wasn't to unhappy to not be burdened with lugging it around. I'll have it with us on our trip in April.

 

[SC Minnie]

We don't carry all that stuff either. Leave the guide books in the room. We have made a few notes on a particular park and stuck that 1 piece of paper in the fanny pack. No flashlights. We found fanny packs with mesh on the sides for water bottles. I keep the camera in my pack. DH keeps snacks and stuff in his. I usually take a couple of tums in a baggy, blistex, and a few advil. Our first trip we carried around ponchos in a backpack a couple of days and it never rained or when it did it was over in 15 minutes so we would just 'wait it out' in a store or attraction -after that we left them in the room.

DD was 6 our first trip so we did not need baby or toddler 'stuff'.

We applied sunscreen before we left the room in the morning. I do have a travel size bottle of sunscreen that we use to reapply to necks, faces, and arms when needed.

 

[BonnieA]

Here's what I fit in a fanny pack:
camera and extra film/battery
small flat wallet with cards/money
pill container
cheap plastic rain poncho
pen/small notebook
glasses/sunglasses
car keys
water bottle hangs on side

 

[Locknload82]

I'am looking for a water bottle holder for the Britta bottles, which are smaller around than the insulated holders with strap that I have seen at walmarts around here. Anyone have an online source for water bottle holders, or fanny packs with bottle holders?

 

[cindy_k]

I carry both a hip pack and a backpack.

The Hip Pack has my money, park tickets, sunglasses while on rides (otherwise on head), Bandaids, tissues, and that sort of stuff.

The Backpack has rain ponchos, souvieners (collected along the way), that bottle of water I just bought (keep it and refill it), camera, two-way radio, sunscreen and batteries.

That's about it, I try to go through the backpack every morning before we leave for the park to remove any unnecessary items that tend to creap in there and add weight.

The backpack and the hip pack go on every ride with me. I have never had a problem with it.

My son, starting when he was 8, also carries a hip pack. His has tissues, his money (not much), his park ticket, his sunglasses, and his gameboy (great for the long lines).

Have a great trip!
Cindy in NY

 

[renessa]

We take a small backpack for everyone's stuff. During thrill rides I lay it on the floor and stick one leg through the strap. I have never lost a bag on ride. We just carried the essentials, but there was room for purchases to go in the bag as well. I don't like fanny packs. Ren

 

[manchurianbrownbear]

If you know of a store near you that sells equipment for runners, you'll probably find a variety of water bottles with holders. You can also find a lot of this kind of thing in a "Runner's World" magazine. I'm not sure if you can purchase equipment through Runner's World's website, but I wouldn't be surprised if you can.

We all wear "fanny packs". DW and I have pretty substantial packs and the kids all carry small ones. We carry a lot of the same things that have been previously mentioned.

If anyone is interested, I found nice fanny packs on clearance (I think around $6.99) at the GAP a few days ago.

 

[Bob NC]

Originally posted by Minnie's Mate
we would have used it at Christmas but I left the battery charger at home.

We left the battery charger for our video camera at home on one trip. We went to the Kodak store right inside the entrance to the MK and they had a charger for it and were more than happy to let us leave the battery with them for a little while to be charged.

 

[Sharby]

Originally posted by renessa
We take a small backpack for everyone's stuff. During thrill rides I lay it on the floor and stick one leg through the strap. I have never lost a bag on ride. We just carried the essentials, but there was room for purchases to go in the bag as well. I don't like fanny packs. Ren

I agree totally with the above - stick one leg through the strap (and on a thrill ride - you can usually also sometimes tuck the top part under your thigh if you feel the need for extra security around losing anything)

I would also add - get a nylon (or otherwise very lightweight) smallish backpack and consider carefully everything that you put in there. Every ounce will feel like a pound in no time at all.

 

[The Sybah Shelstah]

Agree with Sharby (and others on this thread).

I took a fanny pack with us when we had the entire family (including stroller) and we had a backpack (much bigger one- with camcorder, diapers, changes of clothes, etc. in there) that we had on the stroller but my husband would grab it if we had to leave the stroller to ride a ride.

When I went alone- I took the fanny pack (just in case- but only used it for a few hours one evening at DTD) but used the small light cotton backpack I had purchased ($5) for this trip.... because I didn't have a stroller to put stuff in nor a husband to lug a huge backpack on rides. LOL

I tried to only put what was necessary for that day/part of the day (till whenever I thought I'd be back to my room) and that's it. I did have a flashlight in there just in case I'd need it- but I didn't so I wouldn't bring that in the bag again in the future. Small wallet with money, room key, ticket to get in... autograph book and pen, small brush, pins I wanted to trade, camera and that day's parks quides and show schedule. I think that was it. Oh wait- the refillable mug was either in there (if it would fit that day) or tied to the string that closed the backpack... on the days I took it with me which wasn't often.

I did the same as others mentioned- just took it on the ride with me and on RnR I hooked it around my leg on the floor. It did fly around a little bit but I knew it couldn't go anywhere and nothing was breakable in there.

I didn't take the camcorder with me on that trip because it's not really that small and would have been cumbersome to take everyday.

 

[The Sybah Shelstah]

Oh and about the jacket- no way that would fit in either of the backpacks we have used. So I just wore it when needed, tied around my waist when I didn't... just like everyone else was doing.

 

[MrsPete]

I can't imagine dragging all that stuff around all day!

A fanny pack per peson should be plenty. Every person big enough to walk should have a fanny pack to tote his own stuff. You need your room key, ticket, money (but not your whole wallet), a small snack, and a camera. Wear your sunglasses.

As for flashlights, I bought two TINY penlights -- the kind that take two AAA batteries -- for my daughters. They're the kind that clip onto the zipper pull of a fanny pack, so they take up zero space inside the pack. They can use these for just a moment in totally dark rides without disturbing other people. It's nice for little kids.

Things to leave in the room:

Sunscreen -- it lasts six hours -- put it on before you get to the park. You can get a small stick of sunscreen if you're particularly fair skinned -- it's the size of a fat chapstick.

Pins and autograph books. Who cares about those things anyway?

Guide books. Write down your game plan for the day on a note card and bring that along. Do write down your priority seating confirmation numbers -- just in case.

Water bottles and drinks. Use a water fountain -- it's easier than carrying a drink all day long.

Exceptions:

If it's definately going to rain hard, I'd carry a small backpack for the whole family's raincoats; this would take the place of the fanny pack for the day, and my husband and I would take turns carrying it. If rain is a maybe thing, just go into the shops and wait it out.

If you have a small child, you'll need more stuff -- but you'll also have a stroller.

 

[The Sybah Shelstah]

Pins and autograph books. Who cares about those things anyway?

Apparently not you but a heck of a lot (a LOT) of other people. What a funny comment.
:lol :lol

Oh and I forgot to mention my cheap from Walmart rain poncho. It was in the backpack too. I used it for the "wet" rides at WDW.

 

[clkelley]

I have learned to carry "nothing" in the parks.

I usually wear cargo shorts or cargo pants.

I have my resort ID, drivers license, AP, and $10.00 in a vinyl pouch on a retractable badge thingy hooked to my belt loop. I put my cell phone in one of the cargo pockets, and a cheapy disposable poncho in a pocket. I usually go to WDW in the November, December timeframe so staying constantly hydrated is not as much of an issue.

If the weather is planning on raining a lot, I just wear my rainsuit to the parks and leave it on. My rainsuit pants are cargo pants too.

The one time I did go to WDW in June, I carried a camelback to stay hydrated.