Buy new diaper bag for WDW?

[frannn]

This will be DD1 first trip to WDW, so I am unsure what bag will work best for all needs (for the parks, etc). I wanted to take something that will hold her essentials (diapers, wipes, bottles, clothes) and our essentials (water, snacks, hat, etc). I bought a fanny pack that holds two water bottles is a decent size, but it is a bit cheesy and not insulated. I saw a "stroller tote" diaper bag from One Step Ahead, which has insulated front pockets and snaps onto the front of the stroller, and has a shoulder strap. This is 20.+shipping. Or, I could take a WDW tote bag (already have) and throw in a small insulated lunch bag (that I could get for 5.) instead. My stroller has a medium size basket to throw the bag in, but if we bought a bunch of stuff in the parks, it would fill up fast. I am budgeting this trip, but would purchase the stroller tote if it would be very helpful. I just don't want to spend the $ if it won't be the most useful. So, mommys, what do you think?

 

[BevS97]

we just take an insulated cool bag, and then an ordinary rucksack, I wouldn't splash out on a special bag. You can get a lot of stuff in those baskets if you need to!

Another idea is to get an extra net bag to clip onto the handles, we love ours and that also holds a ton of stuff and it is very cheap

bev

 

[Nette]

Ours was nearly eleven months last weekend when we were at WDW.

We had a strap on pack for the back of the stroller that I made -two pockets up top to hold (~5) diapers and wipes, and one big one below that we threw the camera, a (small!) box of graham crackers and the stroller rain cover in.

We didn't need a cool pack at all. The baby either nursed or drank from a sport bottle (with some help) of water. Of course, she's been off bottles for about a month now, so I guess that helps. And she just ate nibbles of whatever we were having.

Be sure and take lots of gallon size ziploc bags. They were WONDERFUL for keeping everything (kleenex, extra clothes, crackers, camera, etc) dry during the rainy rainy days.

I guess I found that we really didn't need that much stuff... but I'm quite a minimalist when it comes to lugging stuff around. (her normal diaper bag is only about 1/2 cubic foot)

 

[NotUrsula]

There is absolutely no reason to carry purchases around the parks, unless it is a toy or something that the child wants to carry.

You can send your packages either back to your resort if you are onsite, or have them held at the park gate for when you leave, there is no charge to do that.

I agree about the bag; if you need insulation, just put a little lunch-bag size cooler bag inside your regular backpack. I found that those little compact folding change kits were wonderful for parks.

 

[frannn]

I wanted the insulated pack to put my cold bottles of water in, and any snacks/fruit I bring to the park.
Nette- did you make the strap on pack with velcro, or did you sew it closed onto the handle of the stroller? I was thinking of making a simple bag (although I can not sew), but I was afraid of the bag being stollen (for its contents).
Thanks for all your advice-keep it comin'!

 

[BevS97]

we have left loads of stuff in our stroller and never had anythign touched. We take the camera and wallets obviously, but baby things, drinks etc, we just leave in the stroller and its been fine.

I agree a coolbag is a good idea, ours is about the size of 6 cans of coke, and we put lots of ice in, some water and a few nibbles. It is very useful.

Bev

 

[Nette]

valuable in the stroller. We just took the camera out and went on our way.

The bag definitely had it's flaws (NOT ENOUGH VELCRO!!!) the little straps at the top would come undone everytime we wanted to collapse the stroller until a very nice CM gave us some safety pins (I would have paid for them, but they didn't have any for sale in the gift shop).

Basically it velcros at the top and bottom and is the length of the back of the stroller. I was thinking of redesigning it to be taken off and folded up and worn over the shoulder. But with the safety pins, it was so easy to leave on the stroller... I'll probably just fix the velcro so that it won't come undone so easily.

Let me know if you decide to do it... I could at least send you my pattern.

 

[Trinity721]

Frann, I have that stroller tote that you are talking about from One Step Ahead. And I absolutely LOVE IT! DH and I took DD to WDW when she was 10 months old just this past May. We brought a backpack and stroller tote. We used the backpack on one day, and then after that decided it was too bulky and we didn't need everything we thought we "needed". After the first day, we just used the stroller tote. Inside it we could fit DD's formula (we bought ready-to-use 8oz. cans and fit 3-4 of them, don't have to worry about spoiling), diapers, wipes, baby powder, baby food, extra clothes. Our camera and video camera we just put in the basket of our stroller and took with us whenever we needed to leave the stroller. Sometimes we left our bag on the stroller, and we never had anyone take anything from it.

Unfortunately if you want to carry drinks as well in the stroller tote, I don't think you'd be able to fit all the baby stuff in it at the same time. But DH and I just bought a cold water bottle at the park, which we would refill at the baby station when we ran out (they don't mind). I don't know what you would prefer to do, but DH and I really loved the stroller tote and thought it was a great buy. We still use it all the time now, instead of lugging around our baby backpack.