Bags to carry in park?

[jpin_4477]

I'm taking my 4 year old to Disney without a stroller (I think this will be OK as she is usually very active), but will certainly need to carry along some items for the long day in the park. What kinds of bags are best to carry around? I was thinking a small backpack. If you carry a pack, are you able to take it on rides with you? Looking for the best strategy for carrying some basics - snacks, water, sunglasses, etc. Any tips appreciated.

 

[hkkatie]

I always carry a back pack, and it's fine to take on most rides. If you can't take it on a ride, they should provide some cubbys or something for you to store it in while you ride. I've never been to WDW, yet, but that's how it works in California and Hong Kong.

 

[Alesia]

You can take your bag on all rides.

 

[LaurEm378]

A backpack is easier on your body than a purse or crossbody. I'd look for one that's lightweight with lots of pockets.

Sorting everything into Ziplocs within the backpack helps me get through bag check quicker and stay organized, and keeps everything dry.

I like to bring extra Ziplocs. If your daughter can't finish a meal or snack (happens to my son a lot due to the excitement) pack it up so she can finish it a little later, in lines or wherever.

I also bring a carabiner clip or two. If I buy something that can't fit in the pack, I clip the whole bag to a backpack strap. Not the coolest look but it keeps my hands free no matter what.

Have fun!

 

[sharona]

Have you been before? 4 is young to not need a stroller at WDW, no matter how active they are in every day life. Just my opinion of course but based on some personal experience. It's not just the massive amount of walking, it's getting through the crowds and keeping your child with you (at that age they love to wander off when they see something fun or shiny which, at WDW is every 10 seconds). When DD was just turned 5 we debated this but in the end we used one - she walked most of the early morning but once the crowds picked up she was in the stroller. I was glad that we'd rented one as it's difficult to imagine the crowd chaos that can sometimes happen in certain spots during peak time of day and the amount of walking involved is crazy.

 

[Alesia]

Have you been before? 4 is young to not need a stroller at WDW, no matter how active they are in every day life. Just my opinion of course but based on some personal experience. It's not just the massive amount of walking, it's getting through the crowds and keeping your child with you (at that age they love to wander off when they see something fun or shiny which, at WDW is every 10 seconds). When DD was just turned 5 we debated this but in the end we used one - she walked most of the early morning but once the crowds picked up she was in the stroller. I was glad that we'd rented one as it's difficult to imagine the crowd chaos that can sometimes happen in certain spots during peak time of day and the amount of walking involved is crazy.

I wouldn't have put my daughter in a stroller at 4. She didn't need it. But if the OP finds that her daughter does need one, she'll be able to rent one.

 

[purrpletulips]

We did WDW with DD at 18m and no stroller. We used an Ergo carrier for her (she wasn't walking yet) and an LL Bean backpack for all our stuff. I ordered the most lightweight daypack they had and then put items into ziptop bags for organization as the backpack itself was just one big pocket. It worked out great.

 

[lillyshula]

an LL Bean backpack for all our stuff. I ordered the most lightweight daypack

I agree with using a daypack. We have a great lightweight LL Bean backpack that is fantastic for Disney. It is so light and breathable for your back. We use it on hikes as well. Ours has a couple of mesh pockets for drinks on the outside and one larger zippered area with a smaller one inside. Ziplock bags work great to put things in that you absolutely do not want to get wet. When my youngest was three, we only really used a stroller for EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. One idea you could do if you are not sure about the stroller is to bring an umbrella stroller. If you go to a park one day and find that she is unable to go that much without one, you have a small, lightweight stroller that can be used for the rest of the trip. It is also cheaper than renting one if you needed to.

 

[jpin_4477]

Thanks everyone. I'm glad to know that if we bring a small backpack we can pretty much keep it with us even on rides, so that should be ok then. I am still debating about whether to bring an umbrella stroller or not. I'm sure my daughter would ride later in the day, but not sure it would be worth lugging around the stroller for the times she would sit in it. She's the type that never wants to sit in. At zoos, amusement parks, she always wants to walk everywhere (except back to the car at the end!) but I know Disney is a lot bigger. Thinking I might leave the umbrella stroller behind and just rent on there if I find it's needed.

 

[lillyshula]

You could always take the stroller with you and then leave it parked at an attraction while you tour without it. Hang or tie something so you can easily identify it. Then you have it if you need it while touring and also at the end of the night when she would want one. I have a five year old who never uses a stroller anymore, but I am tempted to bring an umbrella stroller and do this exact thing. I am sure that by the end of the night she will be wanting to sit and after touring all day, it would be nice to not have to carry her out of the park, to the bus, and back to the room.

 

[maxiesmom]

http://www.amazon.com/Baggallini-ME...F8&qid=1428594961&sr=1-17&keywords=baggallini

I have that one in beige. It holds a lot of stuff, and I barely notice I have it on. It is also easy to maneuver around the ride restraints.

 

[BoyMom81]

It's worth it to me to take the stroller. My very active almost 5 year old wants one for the parks. He knows he feels better at the end of the day when he rides vs walks.

 

[bluezy]

Thanks everyone. I'm glad to know that if we bring a small backpack we can pretty much keep it with us even on rides, so that should be ok then. I am still debating about whether to bring an umbrella stroller or not. I'm sure my daughter would ride later in the day, but not sure it would be worth lugging around the stroller for the times she would sit in it. She's the type that never wants to sit in. At zoos, amusement parks, she always wants to walk everywhere (except back to the car at the end!) but I know Disney is a lot bigger. Thinking I might leave the umbrella stroller behind and just rent on there if I find it's needed.

You know your daughter best. If she hasn't been using a stroller for other trips, she probably won't need one at Disney. I took 3 of my 5 children to Disney when they were 4 years old and never used a stroller for any of them. They had been out of a stroller for at least 2 years by the time we went to Disney and they were used to walking at least a mile and a half several times a week on family walks. They were also playing soccer by then and doing lots of running. When we were at Disney, they never even asked for a stroller. While you will do a lot of walking while at Disney, it's not a marathon and there is no finish line to cross in a certain amount of time so just pace yourselves. When our kids were that young, we made sure to do some longer rides or shows when our feet needed a break. The train at MK is great for that -- you can ride as long as you need to. And we'd often grab a drink or snack and just sit on a bench for a little while. We did have to rent a stroller on one trip when my daughter was 6 and was feeling under the weather (seasonal allergies) while we were there. While the stroller definitely saved our trip (she would not have been able to walk all day with the way she was feeling) after not using one for several years, it was a PITB to deal with. For the first day or two she needed it constantly and after that we would just park it in an area and walk to several different attractions before retrieving it. And we never used it at rope drop -- way too scary. We'd just get it after we did a few rides and the crowds dispersed. If you do find you need to rent one while you're there, be sure to ask about a multi-day rental. It will save you a few $$ and you won't have to go through the rental process every day -- just go straight to the pick-up area.

As far as a bag -- like others have said, something small, light, and comfortable works best. I always used a small cross-body bag rather than a backpack because I wanted to have easy access to it without having to take it off. And I didn't want to have to take it off every time we went on a ride -- the crossbody bag was easy to move to a comfortable position on rides -- and I didn't need to worry about forgetting it anywhere. I found after several trips that we never used 99% of the stuff I was lugging around every day so now we go bag free. If it doesn't fit in our pockets, we don't need it or we can buy it in the park in an emergency. We started doing that when our youngest was 6 and looking back, I could have done it from the time she was 4.

 

[jpin_4477]

Thanks so much for the great info!

 

[AspenLL]

We will be taking a backpack diaper bag for our trip in a few weeks. I use it as my every day diaper bag too and love it.

 

[Belle612]

I would definitely recommend a small, lightweight backpack as others have said! I actually just did an article on different kinds of park bags and what to bring to the parks in my blog:
http://jollyholidaywithsuzanne.com/2015/03/10/whats-in-suzannes-park-bag/