Diaper bags v. backpacks in the parks?

[jliucci]

Taking our DD (2yo) to Disney in November and I don't want to lug her diaper bag around. I was thinking it might be best to purchase a back pack for the parks. What do other families use? As of right now she is not yet potty trained so i figure I will need diapers, wipes, an extra outfit and probably her contigo cup. What else do you guys bring for your little ones?

Thanks

 

[danielocha30]

Backpack is easy to haul around the park, I also bring medicine for fever, upset stomach, bandaids,etc. Like a mini first aid kit, yes you can find all those items inside the park but you will probably have a big walk in between. Add some snacks extra pull ups and wipes, they always use more than usual at the parks, and you’re ready. Make sure the bag you will bring fit into your stroller storage compartments is a huge help when it does. My 2 year old love stickers, stop at the dollar store and get them, I gave them to her while at the lines or when she was looking ready for a meltdown, make sure you get lots of them, I would fill her shirt and he would spend a good half hour just peeling them and resticking all over herself

 

[ClapYourHands]

I always use a backpack rather than a diaper bag. Consider adding sunscreen (even in November), and an extra pair of shoes/socks in addition to the outfit, in case she gets wet on one of the water features.

And snacks. Lots of snacks.

 

[KenHutch]

A Stitch backpack. Fits right into the theme of where you are at.

 

[TravelingTotMom]

We bought a backpack specifically to use in place of a diaper bag at Disney, and I divided up everything between the compartments to organize.

Outside mesh water bottle holder - sippy cup/kids water bottle (I like taking the disposable kids sippy cups to Disney. You can either throw them away or wash and reuse).

Outside mesh pocket - small pack of tissues and Johnson & Johnson Hand and Face wipes (we use these instead of hand sanitizer, and they are great for before a snack when there isn't a bathroom to wash hands).

Small compartment - Things we may need to grab quickly - snacks, autograph book and disposable place mats (these are great - they stick to the table, provide a clean area for kids to eat, and then you can easily wrap up/throw out their mess).

Medium compartment - All the diaper changing supplies - diapers, wipes and a changing mat (Baby Care Centers have paper down on the changing tables, but the restroom changing areas do not have anything).

Large compartment - change of clothes, sunscreen, hat, ponchos/rain coats for the whole family, and extra Ziplock bags (which come in handy for a number of things). If we are going to be at the park at night, I throw in a pack of glow sticks from the dollar store.

I also add in whatever I would normally carry in a purse, and we don't leave our backpack on our stroller. It's no problem taking a backpack on any of the rides.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I always use a backpack rather than a diaper bag. Consider adding sunscreen (even in November), and an extra pair of shoes/socks in addition to the outfit, in case she gets wet on one of the water features.

And snacks. Lots of snacks.

I don't know if all rooms throughout the Disney resorts now supply sunscreen w/ the bathroom toiletries but some certainly do now. Unless your child has sensitive skin I would just use the 50 SPF 3 oz bottle provided. Definitely use sunscreen year round. To keep carrying weight down for those who worry about shoes getting wet the toed water shoes or flip flops will work fine for excessive water moments. Light water moments like Kali Rapids? Footwear will dry in 30 minutes of average FL sun. Not a big fan of food as a regular pacifier since I believe it just helps to instill an unhealthy relationship with comestibles but probably that's just me.
If I still needed to carry diapers and its accoutrements I'd opt for whatever was the easiest way to carry them for me whether in the form of a backpack or shoulder bag. Should you feel you must carry a personal first aid case one like this is easy to find and carry. I used a similar one when we went camping:

https://www.amazon.com/First-Aid-Ki...ocphy=9004180&hvtargid=pla-414538761357&psc=1

I get free antibiotic cream packets to add in to the kit from the doc whenever I visit and would probably ditch certain items for a "civilization" day trip such as the tweezers, scissors and Q-tips. Still, the whole thing isn't much bigger than a credit card and with the removal of the extraneous stuff you can add wet wipes to the kit. The less I have to carry the happier I tend to be. Unisex seersucker rompers make for easy care low weight just in case clothing and don't look like a wrinkled mess or make kids feel uncomfortably hot.

 

[sponica]

So our diaper bag IS a backpack. We hated using it in the parks, it was obnoxious carrying it with us when we parked the stroller or were on the busses. So we slipped her changing pad, some diapers, wipes into my messenger bag.

Seriously, the conversation before we left:

Me: Hey do you want me to bring that messenger bag I have instead of the diaper bag in the parks?
Husband: We have a diaper bag

After one day in the parks, Husband: Can we use that messenger bag instead?

 

[mjkacmom]

My Landsend diaper bag is a backpack, and 22 years old. I still use it as a travel bag, minus the changing pad, since our youngest are 15. It’s smaller than a typical backpack, comfy straps, and nice pockets.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

Backpack for us. We’re taking our nearly 2 yo in August. DH has a backpack that holds his camera on the bottom (eliminating the need for a separate camera bag), I toss some diapers and a travel pack of wipes into a gallon ziplock (so I don’t need to lug the whole backpack around for a diaper change), toss in my son’s Contigo, silicone place mat (folds up really small and I bring it in a ziplock sandwich bag), and change of clothes and we’re off.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

I used a smaller crossbody backpack for my almost 2 year old. Inside was a folding changing caddy thing that has a built in changing pad and 2 pockets that easily fit a travel wipes container, several diapers, and some rash cream. Other than that, I brought 2 extra shorts (he was known for diaper blow outs), sunscreen, sippy cup, and a couple of snacks. It all fit in the bag. The bag fit in the bottom of the stroller easily, but was also easy and lightweight to carry anytime we didn't have the stroller. It was nice to bring on rides and in shows because often he'd need a diaper immediately after or a snack or whatever and we didn't have to rush back to the stroller for supplies. I liked the crossbody style best because a regular diaper bag strap or backpack straps sometimes slide off your shoulders and/or get in the way when you're trying to carry your kid at the same time.

 

[scrapquitler]

A backpack is definitely easier to carry around than a diaper bag (I actually never used a diaper bag for either one of my children, ever, always a backpack).

 

[AEA1127]

Last trip with our 1.5 year old I used a messenger bag that was a diaper bag and was smaller than my normal diaper bag. It had stroller loops built in so I slipped that right over the stroller handles and it was perfect. Only removed it from the stroller for security, rides and bathroom breaks if someone wasn't able to wait with the stroller.

This trip I am thinking of bringing a backpack diaper bag instead because we've added a new baby to the family and I need to use something a little larger to hold everything for two kiddos. We'll also have to use a larger stroller and it'll fit underneath easily. Otherwise, I'd definitely be sticking with the messenger style that could hang on the stroller!

 

[tcufrog]

I found WDW to be the easiest place ever to take a diapered kid and took very little. I took my City Mini stroller with my Ergo in the basket and a diaper wallet with diapers, a travel wipes case (I refilled it in the hotel room.) and a small tube of cream strapped to the stroller handle. Snacks and drinks are easy to get in the park so I just took a sippy cup I could refill. A change of clothes were in a baggy in the stroller basket. I didn’t even take my purse because I could charge stuff to my room since I was on property. My kid was rarely bored so I didn’t have to pack my usual distraction gear. I avoided stuff that involved waiting around to the point of tantrums which helped. I also took our camera.

The first day the stroller was laden with everything I usually took when we were out at a festival all day but each day I discovered I needed less and less. By the last day I was only bringing what I mentioned in the first paragraph. It was very freeing and one of my favorite parts of our first trip to WDW.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I found WDW to be the easiest place ever to take a diapered kid and took very little. I took my City Mini stroller with my Ergo in the basket and a diaper wallet with diapers, a travel wipes case (I refilled it in the hotel room.) and a small tube of cream strapped to the stroller handle. Snacks and drinks are easy to get in the park so I just took a sippy cup I could refill. A change of clothes were in a baggy in the stroller basket. I didn’t even take my purse because I could charge stuff to my room since I was on property. My kid was rarely bored so I didn’t have to pack my usual distraction gear. I avoided stuff that involved waiting around to the point of tantrums which helped. I also took our camera.

The first day the stroller was laden with everything I usually took when we were out at a festival all day but each day I discovered I needed less and less. By the last day I was only bringing what I mentioned in the first paragraph. It was very freeing and one of my favorite parts of our first trip to WDW.

in general and thank you for making me google diaper wallet! Definitely before my time but makes good sense. Have to make one for a niece who just gave birth and maybe even add another pocket or two so she doesn't have to carry anything else besides her LO.

 

[tcufrog]

in general and thank you for making me google diaper wallet! Definitely before my time but makes good sense. Have to make one for a niece who just gave birth and maybe even add another pocket or two so she doesn't have to carry anything else besides her LO.

The one I had was similar to https://www.skiphop.com/skiphop-dia...id=skiphop-diaper-bags-diaper-bag-accessories

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

in general and thank you for making me google diaper wallet! Definitely before my time but makes good sense. Have to make one for a niece who just gave birth and maybe even add another pocket or two so she doesn't have to carry anything else besides her LO.

Etsy has a lot of neat ones as well. If you're going to make one, you can probably get some great ideas by checking them out on there.

 

[DisneyJen0504]

While I don't recommend a bulky diaper bag, in all our trips I was never a fan of a backpack. Tried it once and besides it making me way too hot, stopping i order to grab something out of it was annoying. LOL. The cross body was either right on me or hanging over the handle of the stroller so I could always grab things while on the move.
Even when our children were only a year old I did a cross body bag, used a Kipling bag for a few trips. But the diapers, wipes, diaper cream, extra set of clothes, etc all went into ziploc bags and stayed on bottom of the stroller.

 

[maxiesmom]

While I don't recommend a bulky diaper bag, in all our trips I was never a fan of a backpack. Tried it once and besides it making me way too hot, stopping i order to grab something out of it was annoying. LOL. The cross body was either right on me or hanging over the handle of the stroller so I could always grab things while on the move.
Even when our children were only a year old I did a cross body bag, used a Kipling bag for a few trips. But the diapers, wipes, diaper cream, extra set of clothes, etc all went into ziploc bags and stayed on bottom of the stroller.

So much this. I wouldn't feel the need to park my stroller and then haul diapers around. Have a small bag for things you need to bring on the rides with you, like any medications and credit cards and such. Leave anything easily replaced on the stroller. If someone is desperate enough to steal diapers, then they must be in a bad way, jmho.

 

[amberpi]

My husband uses a small messenger bag and really likes it. He's enjoyed his Timbuk2 products a good bit.

 

[bigbabyblues]

We had a Kelty hiking backpack for our boys, and we only used it a couple times at WDW for DS2, but it had a small kid-sized backpack that unzipped from it and we used that for his diaper bag at WDW. We tossed in 4-5 diapers, a travel pack of wipes, change of clothes and a wet washcloth in a ziploc. It stayed in the stroller until we needed it.