Disney Diaper Bag packing: a review w/pics

[Meredith'sMom]

Hi all!

Since I wanted to do a trial run of diaper bag packing for our trip to next week, I thought I'd make a comparison between my hot-off-the-presses Skip Hop Dash and my almost-brand-new LL Bean diaper bag. After much deliberation, I've decided to take the LL Bean bag for the following reasons: (1) it is slightly bigger, hence leaving a smidgen of wiggle room with the packing (2) it is black and I won't mind if it gets shoved here and there and smudged (3) DH will carry a pink bag, but why make him if I don't have to?

With that said, I am MIGHTY impressed that the Dash managed to hold everything the LL Bean did, although it did have to strain and take a deep breath here and there to do so. I never pack like this for everyday life, so I should be fine with the Dash and can save the LL Bean for longer trips.

By the way, DD is 7 1/2 months, gets formula after her daytime nursing sessions, and is up to two meals of solids per day (with sippy of water offered after).

Here's what I managed to squeeze into each bag:

1 Hotsling (for waiting in lines)

1 burp cloth

1 cloth bib (might take disposables, though I generally loathe disposable stuff I will be indulging at Disney!)

1 Bumkins bib for solid meals (we'll just wash this each meal)

6 size 3 Pampers Cruisers

1 Fleurville wipes case w/ baby wipes

1 extra outfit

Spare Wet One individual pack

Tiny size Aquaphor

Small-Medium Purell bottle

Hyland's teething tablets

Avent sippy cup

4 Avent 4 oz bottles (will have powdered formula in them)

1 16oz+ bottle water for bottles

2 "meal kits": ziploc with the following inside: Take n Toss bowl containing 2.5 oz. Tender
Harvest fruit or veggie, 2 wet ones (one for high chair before meal, one for Meredith after),
Take n Toss spoon.

3 teethers/toys

Swiss Army "card" MIL gave me (has scissors and other stuff, size of credit card)

Cell Phone

Wallet

Keys (won't need these last two items at the park)


And now for the pics . . . First up is the LL Bean packed, a few close ups of the insides. Next we have all the stuff that was packed into it (forgive the mugging ham of a kitty cat). Finally, the Dash containing all the same stuff.

Is there anything I'm missing that would spell disaster for us during a day at the parks? Any critiques welcome.

BTW, the Dash retails for $64 and the LL Bean for $36. Pretty affordable in the world of diaper bags, I think.

HTH someone.














Joyce
DD Meredith Sophie, 12 August 2004

 

[SqueakyMouse]

I'm impressed by your organization. This must be your first child - right?

 

[Meredith'sMom]

Not only is it my first, but it's our first vacation with her. Hence the crazy "trial" packing.

 

[MichaelsMickey]

Very impressed--the only thing I have found that I really like are the Huggies wipes that come in the disney packages with the resealable top it has about 65 wipes in it. I always buy a new one before leaving for my trip and as I use the wipes the package get smaller and smaller and It's not the hard plastic so it squeezes into the space eaiser

Leaving on Mothers Day--

 

[lynetteSC]

NO advice ... can you run down to SC when you get back from your trip to help me pack???? ... lol! I just had off topic question ... do you like the hyland teething tablets?

 

[grlpwrd]

Are you planning to take a medical kit with you with baby medicines and supplies just in case?

You're very organized. I think you did a great job!

 

[Meredith'sMom]

LOL LynetteSC!!!

I like the Hyland's teething tablets. I must admit, though, that I couldn't *swear* that they are working. Meredith seems to calm down after I put a couple on her tongue. One good thing is that they do seem to help and you can give them without too much wondering; that is, I hate to go giving tylenol if she's just cranky and not necessarily from teething.

 

[MrsPete]

I knew this was your first child! I did the same thing when my first was an infant. It wasn't long until I was down to carrying just a couple diapers, a pack of wipes, a jar of baby food, and a spoon.

You left out the one item I always considered most important though -- even more important than extra diapers: a camera.

 

[Meredith'sMom]

grlpwrd -- I'm bringing Tylenol and our thermometer but think I'll leave them in the resort. Is there anything else I should bring? DD has never been sick (knock on wood). I'll also be including her sunscreen in this bag too.

MrsPete -- Don't give me that much credit! I am very devil-may-care in my packing for DD normally. When I take her to the supermarket a block from our house (in stroller) I don't even bring a diaper or burp cloth. I'm an exceedingly light packer normally, but I'm thinking that I need to be a little more prepared since we're not sure if we'll go back to the room during the day (DD loves to nap in the stroller still).

Oh, and I forgot . . . there is a camera in it's case packed in both bags!

 

[jckdisneybound]

My question is how often is she taking bottles? 4 just seems like an awful lot, to me a small child at any age should have a break during the day. Bring 2 in the bag, then have the other two at the hotel. Also, I pack my wipes in a big gallon baggie, very mushable which is nice. You want a sun hat for her (didn't know if you had one). And as much as you don't like them, I seriously consider the bibsters, will be much easier than trying to clean a dinner bib or any bib for that matter. Also why do you need the bowl feed her out of the jar. All that little stuff takes up space. And after a day in the park it gets tedious.

 

[Colinsmom]

Hi Joyce!

I'd suggest splitting all that between two bags. You don't need to haul all that on every ride, every time you get her out of the stroller (often, at Disney). We carried two diaper bags - one we left with the stroller (Skip Hop Duo) with diapers, wipes, etc. and one we carried with us on rides (held camera, wallet, one extra diaper, snacks for standing in line, etc.). Plus, you don't want to have to dig through all that each time you need something.

I also agree about the squishable Disney packs of Huggies wipes - perfect for a one week trip, and I love that it squishes! Colin loved his "Buzz poops".

I don't see any sunscreen on your list. And your "solids packs" look bulky and like a headache (will you be refrigerating the food after opening the jar? you should) - does she really need such a small amount of solids twice a day while in the parks? Or can you give them at breakfast at the hotel and again close to bedtime?

Have fun!!!

Lori

 

[Meredith'sMom]

jckdisneybound -- 4 bottles would be for the WHOLE day, including the before bed (after nursing) bottle. So, I probably wouldn't need them all. I'm just worried that events might turn such that we don't go back to the room for longer than I expected. Meredith really loves to nap in the stroller and actually has a harder time napping in the crib (but not sleeping in the crib at night--she's a work in progress ). We will certainly take her back to the room if she needs it. It's all about her schedule. As for the bowls for the food, they take up marginally more space than the jar itself (the jar fits precisely in it w/no room to spare) and I mix baby oatmeal in her food for a little texture. I think it's a little easier to mix the oatmeal and food in the bowl than to try to fit the oatmeal in the jar.

Colinsmom -- I have thought about doing 2 bags. I read that on another list that I'm on. I was wondering though (and not that I'm normally this paranoid), but what's to keep a true thief from nabbing my bag? Would they know that there were only diapers and no camcorders in it? I don't think this is a big problem at Disney; guess as a former New Yorker I'm always on guard.

I do have sunscreen in there, just forgot to list it (I tried it out on Meredith's inner arm a few times too). And the sunhat will be on her head, so I didn't count it as a bag item. LOL.

One solid will be eaten at Roaring Forks while we have breakfast, so that won't be coming with us! I'm getting small jars so no need to save the rest of the jar (which wouldn't work w/o a fridge anyway).

Thanks everyone for the critiques. I'm off to think this through some more.

 

[SylviaL]

You are so organized! I also pack a few Huggies disposable changing pads to put under my own in case the changing area is gross. I also bring baby nail clippers and a few small toys to distract the baby when I'm changing a diaper. Have fun!

 

[Mellie0119]

On our last trip, DD was still using formula, we bought a little compartmented container that held 4 "servings" of formula powder and only took one bottle. Much less space that way. Another option- (noticed you were a fellow Avent user). Have you considered buying a disposable liner bottle for the trip? We put the correct amount of powdered formula in each bag (different brand- Medela, I think) that had a ziplock style top then added the water to that. No washing bottles, just wash the nipple and dump the liner. I also buy the huggies soft pack of wipes for the trip, they pack much better than the hard cases, and you have less of a chance of running out, the small cases just don't hold enough for us. We liked using a back pack for our trip, having to lug around a bag on one shoulder and a baby on the other didn't fly, the back pack was far easier to balance. We packed everything in ziploc bags too, made going through security faster. I'd go with the bibsters, we used them and loved them. Another thing you might want to pick up are the disposable changing pads. Those were a life saver for us. Don't forget sunscreen and bug repellant!

 

[lynetteSC]

LOL LynetteSC!!!

I like the Hyland's teething tablets. I must admit, though, that I couldn't *swear* that they are working. Meredith seems to calm down after I put a couple on her tongue. One good thing is that they do seem to help and you can give them without too much wondering; that is, I hate to go giving tylenol if she's just cranky and not necessarily from teething.

Ok, I have seen them in the stores, just didn't know anyone who had used them. DS doesn't do well (read ... hyper and up ALL nite long) with red dye in tylenol, so I may give those a try! Thanks!

 

[Msslaydbug]

Joyce -
What a great thread. I have been debating what to take to Disney World with us this year as this will be our daughters first trip as well and she will be 8mo. I don't think I am 100% decided yet either. but I do have a Skip Hop Duo that I am going to keep baby things in (Diapers, Wipes, formula, bottles, baby food , ect). i am contemplating keeping this on our stroller at all times. I just keep coming back to the fact that you brought up about it being stollen. I don't know if I want to take that chance or not ?
I have a Timbuk2 small and medium messenger that I could take as well. Either way these will be used as carry on for the airplane. I would love to hear how other mother do their diaper bags as well. The other one I am looking into is the Baby Sherpa
Also - what made you choose the New Skip Hop Dash vs the Expo. I love my Dup and I just can't decide between the new ones.

 

[dismom9761]

Hi! I am glad I am not the only one trying to decide on what to put in the bag.I leave in five days for my first trip. I have 4 kids-youngest is 12 mths. One thing I got for my bag was a pen flashlight to hook on diaper bag. That way if we drop something(pacifier,toy) on a dark ride or at night.
Baby got up with a 103 temp.Oh No!!

 

[Meredith'sMom]

SylviaL Good point about the changing pads. I wonder if I'll be able to handle all that stuff in the bathroom, though. At the mall I usually just grab my pad, a diaper, and wipes, and head in there with DD while DH waits outside. I wonder if it'd be hard to get a disposable pad unfolded with DD in one arm. Probably not. Are they much bigger than diaper bag changing pads?

Mellie0119 I have thought of some of those ways to take fewer bottles. I even have some Avent Via disposable bases that came as a free sample; DH and I were figuring that we'd have to wash the nipple anyway (and hence bring Palmolive dish soap pads and maybe the bottle brush) so the bottle itself wouldn't be a big deal. Where would you wash in the park though, the baby care center? Our plan was to take 2-3 bottles (she'll have the first one at the hotel in the morning and maybe the last there) to the park and at night wash all four in the room.

Do you think we need bug repellant in April? I am a native Floridian (7th generation even!) and I can't remember how bugs are in April. It has been 15 years since I lived there, though.

lynettesc Hyland's also makes a teething gel that's good.

MsLadyBug Ah, another 8 mo old visitor to Disney! Meredith will be 8 mo two days after we return. I loved my Skip Hop Duo but sold it to make way for a couple new bags. I've had to adopt a "one in one out" rule, or maybe more like "two in one out." I liked the fact that the Dash was a little larger and had the flap in front. The Expo is expandable though, so that's cool. It's hard when you don't see them in real life to choose. Now that I think about it, if you had your Duo clipped to the stroller with the diapers etc, it would be very unlikely that a thief would take it--they wouldn't be able to figure out how to get the bag off the stroller, or at least wouldn't waste the time to figure it out!!! From what I hear the only things that are (rarely) stolen from strollers are bags of souveniers, or obvious valuables.

dismom I hope your baby's fever has come down. Let us know!

 

[cocowum]

I just wanted to say Meredith is beautiful

 

[Meredith'sMom]

cocowum Thank you. You are so kind! When DD was a couple of months younger, several people told us she should be a model (I'm sure lots of people hear that, though, since babies are all so cute!). Then the very first thing I read about baby modeling was "unless your baby is extremely laid back, don't even think about it!" Thus ended Meredith's short-lived modeling career. ROFL