Bag suggestions for first timer

[disneyseniors]

Good Morning! We are headed to Universal next week for the first time. When we go to Disney, we generally carry one backpack containing our phones, a few small snacks, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, etc... From what I am reading about Universal, it sounds like backpacks need to be put in lockers prior to riding most rides and they need to be fairly small to even fit in those lockers. What would you suggest as far as a bag at Universal? We also plan on having two of the freestyle mugs, otherwise we might just try to forgo a bag completely and put a few items in our shorts pockets, but I don't think this would be an option with the mugs. Would love to hear any suggestions you have from your own experiences! Thank you!

On our trips we just didn't bother with any bags. We did that at disney too. My husband wears cargo pants and we put our essentials in those pockets. I put our daily pills in a small container (1 inch), a small amount of cash, and that's it. If we need a drink we just buy one. Same with food. I have a flip phone which I don't carry with me to any park, but I know that's not the norm.
But we are older and no kids with us, so it's pretty easy. I don't like carrying a bag, especially at Universal who has so many rides that you need to put your bags in a locker. At Uni, we have lanyards for our tickets.

 

[Pooh's World]

Good Morning! We are headed to Universal next week for the first time. When we go to Disney, we generally carry one backpack containing our phones, a few small snacks, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, etc... From what I am reading about Universal, it sounds like backpacks need to be put in lockers prior to riding most rides and they need to be fairly small to even fit in those lockers. What would you suggest as far as a bag at Universal? We also plan on having two of the freestyle mugs, otherwise we might just try to forgo a bag completely and put a few items in our shorts pockets, but I don't think this would be an option with the mugs. Would love to hear any suggestions you have from your own experiences! Thank you!

There are medium sized lockers you can rent for $10 a day, with unlimited open/close.

At Unversal Studios the location is quite convenient given the layout of the park.
Islands of Adventures it's more towards the front so kind of like Disney is a little more inconvenient because you are going to the front just to go to your locker.

 

[Pooh's World]

Would you say that stopping for a locker is a big hinderance at the park? Does it cost you time and is it a big pain to stop for them? Debating between a Fanny pack and small backpack and curious how big of an advantage avoiding lockers would be. Thanks!

As I mentioned in other thread.

The Universal Studios lockers, especially the lockers between NBC cafe and Hollywood Walk of Fame/Boune Stuntacular are really convenient due to the layout of the park. (This is akin to the lockers at Epcot International Gateway)

The Islands of Adventures lockers are less convenient because you have to walk all the way between the stores to the front just to get to your lockers (kind of like the set up at Magic Kingdom mainstreet or Epcot Front lockers)

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'd thought I would double check here. We've gone to USO before but somehow managed in to not bring much at all. We've steadily increased what we bring in our park bags (and our cell phones have gotten bigger too lol).

In 2019 on our two trips to DLR we brought the 20L Eddie Bauer Stowaway backpack (I saw mention to an Eddie Bauer backpack on this thread). My husband decided he just would really like to try a backpack. It ended up working great. So now we're bring it with us in a few weeks to Universal/WDW.

Has anyone brought this bag with them and been able to easily fit it in the lockers? It won't be stuff too full but it'll have some things in there. And I know it would need to be laid flat on it's back not standing upright. We would also leave room at the top to smush it depth-wise into the locker

https://www.eddiebauer.com/p/82300168/stowaway-packable-20l-daypack?size=ONE SIZE&color=Harbor

 

[Pumpkin1172]

We recently were in the parks...and I only had a small backpack/purse I purchased at Marshall's. It was perfect. It carried our battery pack (to recharge our older phones that don't have great battery power anymore) sunscreen, ponchos, a bottle of water, bandaids, and a few meds. There was still room for sunglasses, and phones as well on water rides. It was perfect. Easy to put on and take off, not heavy to wear all day - but carry all the essentials we needed. It easily fit into the small lockers. I will be using it again when we (hopefully) return in December. We were just 2 adults - for reference.

 

[TreeFalls]

sometimes I just hold her wallet in my pocket (because women are cheated out of real pockets in their clothes)

Very true. My phone has been on Hagrid's several times, but always in my husbands pocket.

 

[TreeFalls]

I'd thought I would double check here. We've gone to USO before but somehow managed in to not bring much at all. We've steadily increased what we bring in our park bags (and our cell phones have gotten bigger too lol).

In 2019 on our two trips to DLR we brought the 20L Eddie Bauer Stowaway backpack (I saw mention to an Eddie Bauer backpack on this thread). My husband decided he just would really like to try a backpack. It ended up working great. So now we're bring it with us in a few weeks to Universal/WDW.

Has anyone brought this bag with them and been able to easily fit it in the lockers? It won't be stuff too full but it'll have some things in there. And I know it would need to be laid flat on it's back not standing upright. We would also leave room at the top to smush it depth-wise into the locker

https://www.eddiebauer.com/p/82300168/stowaway-packable-20l-daypack?size=ONE SIZE&color=Harbor

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I have this one... it lists the dimensions as 18 x 10 x 8 inches, which is almost what yours says. It fits no problem as long as it's not stuffed, but if there are water bottles in both sides we have to take them out. (ETA- when it had a couple sweatshirts in it, everything still fit but we had to take the sweatshirts out of the bag.)

https://www.rei.com/product/148594/rei-co-op-flash-22-pack

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I have this one... it lists the dimensions as 18 x 10 x 8 inches, which is almost what yours says. It fits no problem as long as it's not stuffed, but if there are water bottles in both sides we have to take them out. (ETA- when it had a couple sweatshirts in it, everything still fit but we had to take the sweatshirts out of the bag.)

https://www.rei.com/product/148594/rei-co-op-flash-22-pack

Thank you so much! That's exactly what I needed to hear