Confused, please help

[gracey712]

I confused about the whole stroller/bringing stuff to the park thing: I've read posts from people who don't bring anything but what they can carry in their pockets to the parks b/c they're staying on site. I've also read posts about bringing practically everything but your kitchen sink to the park. Is it easy enough to go back to your resort to change if you get soaked? I'm going with dh, dd's 10, 7, 7 and dg&g.
I already plan on taking a back/fanny pack for money, keys, cards, camera. Then I thought I'd rent a stroller to carry a bigger pack that I would pack a change of clothes for the girls, a towel, ponchos, water...now I'm just plain 'ol confused.
I would think it's a waste of time going back to your resort and much more convenient to have everything on you. But do you really need all that? I consider myself to be quite organized and the more logical side of me says bring it all and push it around in a stroller. I'd also have the stroller in case my dd's need a break. UUGGHH!
By the way, can you tell it'll be my first visit to wdw?

 

[beattyfamily]

I bring a fannypack for the small essentials and valuables like ID, CC, money, passes, room key, vaciline, pen, small bottle of headache medicine, sanitizer.

I use a backpack for the ponchos, camera, bought souvenirs, spare batteries, film, sunscreen, bug spray, water bottle etc...

Sometimes, though if we are heading back to a park in the evening, we do not bring the backpack.

I just can't seem to survive without the backpack yet.

My girls are 6 and 9. We are past bringing spare clothes though.

 

[NCombs]

We are somewhere in between. We took a sling backpack so we could carry sunscreen (we reapplied a lot), bottled water, snacks, camera, walkie talkies, maps, sunglasses. Ponchos took up way too much room and there was no way I was going to bring extra clothes for 5 people. We didn't have a problem with getting wet. We went in June and believe me, we dried out fast in that heat.

 

[margev]

we have been four times since 1998 and each time i bring less and less, however I can't seem to get rid of the backpack whether we stay in the resorts or not. with four kids in tow and my husband i find the backpack is necessary if only to bring extra water!!!

 

[Lora]

If you're getting the stroller anyway, it's great to have a place to keep some of that extra stuff. Since we're not using a stroller anymore, the kids help carry some stuff in their packs. They have mini-backpacks and I have a backpack. Dh carries a camera bag.

Me: park passes (mine and DD7's), $, room keycard, tour plan/map, small bottle of sunscreen, 4 ponchos (the really thin kind- rolled very tightly in a zip-lock bag), mini-cassette recorder, 2 waterbottles (dh's and mine). This year I'm adding 2 sports chamois in a small plastic case. I also have my cell phone on my belt clip.

DH: camera, video camera, and other camera stuff, park passes (his and DD9's), room key, cell phone on a belt clip.

DD9: autograph book, pen, camera, water bottle, hat and sunglasses when she's not wearing them.

DD7: autograph book, pen, waterbottle, hat and sunglasses when she's not wearing them.

Sometimes, I carry a small snack in my pack, but not usually.

 

[kizmac]

I confused about the whole stroller/bringing stuff to the park thing: I've read posts from people who don't bring anything but what they can carry in their pockets to the parks b/c they're staying on site. I've also read posts about bringing practically everything but your kitchen sink to the park. Is it easy enough to go back to your resort to change if you get soaked? I'm going with dh, dd's 10, 7, 7 and dg&g.
I already plan on taking a back/fanny pack for money, keys, cards, camera. Then I thought I'd rent a stroller to carry a bigger pack that I would pack a change of clothes for the girls, a towel, ponchos, water...now I'm just plain 'ol confused.
I would think it's a waste of time going back to your resort and much more convenient to have everything on you. But do you really need all that? I consider myself to be quite organized and the more logical side of me says bring it all and push it around in a stroller. I'd also have the stroller in case my dd's need a break. UUGGHH!
By the way, can you tell it'll be my first visit to wdw?

You could also just rent a locker instead of the bigger expense of the stroller rental. Keep a change of clothes and ponchos in there if you are worried. We have been there 5 times with the kids and we never once have needed a change of clothes for other than the babies. The only cause for that was either diaper leaks or food spills. I would really see no reason to carry a change of clothes everyday unless you had young toddlers. You may get slightly wet on Splash, but you'll dry pretty quickly. I have never taken a towel to the park either.

I would just get everyone backpack/ fanny packs like you said and rent a locker for ponchos if you think you may need them. Try it the first day and if you find you needed more stuff then do things differently the next day. Enjoy your trip!

Also, the nice thing with the lockers is you have a place to store souviners you get throughout the day that you don't want to carry.

 

[staci]

we never brought extra clothes. One when my brother was little he spilled something on his shirt, and mom just bought him a tshirt. As long as this doesnt happen every day, it is prolly easier than carrying all those clothes.

 

[swilshire]

DS6 uses a wheelchair, so we are in the "bring it all" group. We definitely bring a change of clothes for the kiddo, snacks, bug spray, a cooler with drinks and sometimes sandwich stuff, ponchos, jackets, a camera, etc.

It takes us a minute to get through security but other than that we're glad to have our stuff along. As long as you aren't physically carrying the stuff, I would bring whatever I thought I would need.

We also traveled a bit lighter when we went back to the parks at night, but even then we were sure to bring drinks, jackets and extra clothes for the kid.

Sheila

 

[Kermit]

If I were in your shoes, I'd pack lightly. Your kids are old enough that you don't need everything. I guess I might consider putting extra outfits in a locker if heavy rain would predicted, but probably not. It will be warm enough that getting wet will not make you get too cold. Everyone is old enough to know that if you go on a wet ride, they'll be wet for a while, but they'll dry off. I would probably remind them when getting dressed for parks with water rides (MK and AK) not to wear blue jeans since they're uncomfortable when wet, but that's it. If you think you'll need and want ponchos, either buy them as needed or pack the cheap ones that fold up tiny. If you get the cheap ones, toss them when the rain is over.

 

[daisyduck123]

We brought a stroller in April 2004 for DS5. He did sit in it. We brought it again in April 2005 just to use to hold stuff, knowing he would not sit in it. Well, we did not use it once. On our 1st day without it, we realized how much easier it was to move around the park without it...and we were not even there during peak season. This was 2 weeks after Spring Breakers were there. It slowed us down a lot. I just carried a shoulder-type bag filled with travel size stuff...band aids, Tylenol, etc.

 

[all4fun]

In the past, when we took our nieces and nephew, ages 8, 9, & 12 at the time, we didn't carry a lot in the parks. We each carried a small fanny pack or backpack with the few things we needed and that's it. We never take a change of clothes (Even now that I have a toddler, but after a few trips I realized I never needed them so I quit packing them). If I think I might not want to get wet on a ride, I just pack disposable poncho's from the dollar store, in our fanny pack or small backpack. I try to remember to bring Shout wipes in case there are food spills on clothes. You can definitely move around a lot faster if you don't have a stroller to think about. If you have younger kids that need a stroller during the day then that is another thing, but if you can get through the day without one you'll find it much easier IMO. Like a pp said you can always rent a locker as well. If you park hop both stroller and locker rentals transfer to the park you're hopping to - just keep your receipt. hth!

 

[mjh8955]

Our first two trips to WDW were when our kids were out of strollers BUT, I knew that they would need them down there. So I bought a used collapasable umbrella stroller with a sunshade, nothing fancy but very comfortable material. Daughter used it when she was 4 and 5, son was not too embarrassed to climb in a few times to rest and he was 7 and 8 those two trips.

I use a small backpack in the parks. It's actually a purse that happens to have just the right kind of external pocket and a zippered inside pocket as well. We opt to not bring our video/digital camera even though it is very small. I carried 2 bottles of water which we refill all day long, each of them in a clean white tube sock to keep them from getting everything wet, the park guides, a ziplock with a frozen washcloth (we kept re-wetting it all day to put on hot necks, hands, heads), my sunglasses case, sunscreen (I use Coppertone continuous spray because it is SO easy to use), kleenex, the kids' hats if they aren't wearing them, a small bandaid case that I stick some pre-cut moleskins in, gum, and a very small hand sanitizer. If the weather looks iffy I throw in the ponchos. but we have never used them for anything except covering the stroller during a quick downpour. I've been known to throw in extra socks. It sounds like alot but actually the bag is not full at all.

My money and id are in my shorts pocket. Hubby carries the tickets, keys and his wallet. He's in charge of his own sunglasses.

We would rarely leave anything in the stroller. On rides where I couldn't keep my backpack on my back I would either turn it around and wear it on my front or I would hook my legs through the straps. We have enough favorite snacks there that we don't really need to carry food in. I have to have a Dole pineapple whip, we all have to have the Mickey Mouse bars. Just those snacks with lots of drinks and we don't really need big meals either. I think with all that heat we just aren't as hungry. Have to admit that now we are past stroller age (11 and 14) it is really alot easier to navigate the parks. We sit down and rest in the shade alot and every few attractions find us inside in the air conditioning resting our feet and getting refreshed.

 

[lovehoney]

Me: park passes (mine and DD7's), $, room keycard, tour plan/map, small bottle of sunscreen, 4 ponchos (the really thin kind- rolled very tightly in a zip-lock bag), mini-cassette recorder, 2 waterbottles (dh's and mine). This year I'm adding 2 sports chamois in a small plastic case. I also have my cell phone on my belt clip.

I'm intrigued. What's up with the mini-cassette recorder? Also - sports Chamois? Are these in place of towels? Where do you purchase these and how much?

 

[gracey712]

Thanks for everyones input, I think the first day we'll pack light and see what happens. I certainly don't miss pushing a stroller around anymore and I don't want to get frustrated doing it a wdw. We'll see what happens on day one and then plan accordingly for the next day.

On another note, I am having a terrible time finding kids fanny packs, has any one every bought an adult fanny pack and cut/sewed it to fit a child? Did this work? I've looked everywhere from Big Lots to Dicks Sporting Goods, no luck!

 

[daisyduck123]

Thanks for everyones input, I think the first day we'll pack light and see what happens. I certainly don't miss pushing a stroller around anymore and I don't want to get frustrated doing it a wdw. We'll see what happens on day one and then plan accordingly for the next day.

On another note, I am having a terrible time finding kids fanny packs, has any one every bought an adult fanny pack and cut/sewed it to fit a child? Did this work? I've looked everywhere from Big Lots to Dicks Sporting Goods, no luck!

A few years ago I got a Coleman kid's fannypack at Target. It was with the camping gear. It was blue & purple & came with a waterbottle that fit in a pocket on the outside of it. I don't know if Target still has it but it was the perfect fannypack for my then DD8.