Do you take a change of clothes into the park?

[Crl1817]

We have an 11 year old and a 4 year old. And I honestly hadn't thought of taking a change of clothes into the parks for either of them until I saw references to taking a change of clothes in other threads. I'm as likely to make a mess of myself as my 11 year old is. And the 4 year old has been reliably potty trained for over a year. She won't be going on any of the "wet" rides, at least I don't think she will. She might get food on herself, but that's true everywhere and I don't take a change of clothes for her to restaurants or the zoo or anything anymore. Worst case scenario, I can buy her some clean/dry clothes at the park, right?

 

[kemith76]

I have a 10 and 4 year old going this year. Since I won't have a stroller or diaper bag, I won't be taking a change of clothes most days. I may consider taking a change for our AK day since we will be riding the Kali Rover Rapids and having dinner without returning to the hotel.

If something happens, it will make for a good excuse to get our souvenir shirts.

 

[RooRach0906]

My DD is also 4 and has been PT for over a year.
I am going to take an outfit for two reasons. 1) in case she decides to run through any water features I will have a dry outfit or even if there is a huge downpour and 2) we almost had a potty accident the other day while at Busch Gardens we were on the train and all of a sudden she realized she had to go and go now (she was drinking a lot more liquid as it was HOT upper 90s) she just made it.
This is also a child that after she says she has to go we normally have a good 20 minutes until she must go.

 

[Dancing Queen]

I would take a change of clothing for four year old. In our last two trips, we had to change my youngest son due to clothing getting wet on rides, food mess and once - an accident! The one time we did not have a change of clothing, we had to buy him shorts that were too big for him. IMO, better safe than sorry.

Have a great trip!

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

My daughter was four on our last trip and she fell asleep HARD on the bus to DTD after being in the park all day. She was fully potty trained, but utterly exhausted... she wet herself on the bus!! Poor thing! I didn't have extra clothes so I had to buy her a new outfit at DTD before our dinner reservation... It was quite hilarious... but I learned a lesson....

bring an extra outfit for under five, or be prepared to spend big bucks if an "emergency" happens

oh, and the clothes I found were all way too big for her... she can still fit into her emergancy shorts from WDW and she's seven now... guess I got my moneys worth?

 

[magicwishes]

I would for the 4yo.

 

[SmallWorld71]

I never have and have never regretted it. Once they were out of diapers, that was that. And even when they were in diapers it was probably only a change of shorts in case of leakage. YMMV

 

[lizard1]

I have a newly turned 4 year old who has been PT for over a year. I didn't take a change of clothes into the parks for her, and we didn't need it either. If she got wet in the water, we just let her dry off the same as everyone else. No accidents, either, and we did not prompt her to go any more often than the rest of us.

How much other stuff are you taking into the park with you? If you are going really light, then I would definitely skip the change of clothes. If you have a heavy pack already, it may be worth your peace of mind to take the extra outfit just in case.

 

[Crl1817]

Thanks everyone. We will have a stroller, so I could throw them in the basket. But I'd like to travel as light as possible. More stuff is just more to scramble through and keep track of. . . .

Catherine

 

[Jerzetta]

We took our 4 year old and I can't stand carrying a lot. Bad enough with phone, camera, autograph book etc but I did bring a change for the bottoms. Undies and shorts/leggings. Figured if she had an accident we would buy a t-shirt. Never have to many of them.

 

[DisGirl819]

I will for both my 4 and 6 year olds. They are potty trained a and have been for years but accidents happen. And when in Disney, I learned the hard way:$25 for a pack of underwear, $25 for sweat pants (because that's what you wear in Florida right? It was our only option at the world of Disney!) and $20 for a shirt. So yes I will put an outfit in a ziplock bag and toss it in the stroller. Now, if I owned a money tree, I probably wouldn't. But I would rather save my souvenir $$ for things other than clothes.

 

[msmama]

If I think my son will be playing in fountains or something I still toss in a change and he was 5 last trip. A small bag takes up no room in the bottom of a stroller and I'd rather know I didn't have to shop with a sopping wet kid on my hands

Now that we'll be strollerless on the next trip I wouldn't bother, though.

 

[ToodlesTime]

Since you will have a stroller, I say YES, take a change of clothes for your youngest. It will take up very little space to put a shirt, a pair of shorts and undies in a gallon-size ziploc bag and into your diaper bag, but it will bring peace of mind. Even though my daughter is potty trained, we took a messenger-style diaper bag in the park on our last visit. It was our "park bag" and hung on the back of the stroller when we were walking (and my husband or I wore it onto rides). We carried everything we needed in it. I packed an extra set of clothes for each day in our suitcase and put one in our park bag each day. My daughter used them twice (for spills, not potty accidents), and we were glad we had them.

 

[It's A Happy Day]

We have an 11 year old and a 4 year old. And I honestly hadn't thought of taking a change of clothes into the parks for either of them until I saw references to taking a change of clothes in other threads. I'm as likely to make a mess of myself as my 11 year old is. And the 4 year old has been reliably potty trained for over a year. She won't be going on any of the "wet" rides, at least I don't think she will. She might get food on herself, but that's true everywhere and I don't take a change of clothes for her to restaurants or the zoo or anything anymore. Worst case scenario, I can buy her some clean/dry clothes at the park, right?

In MK there was a play area near Pooh that had water features to it, my kids LOVED that area - kept going back to it, had trouble getting the kids out of it.

In Epcot there was the jumping water if I remember correctly (it's been 5 years)

And in HS there is an area near the muppets that I remember vaguely kids playing around the fountain with Miss Piggy dressed up as the Statue of Liberty.

I guess my point is that in every park there was an opportunity for young children to splash around and have fun and it seemed that they were attracted to those areas most. Kind of like buying that big expensive toy that you know they will enjoy and they play with THE BOX, LOL. Where you have the stroller with you, I would take it a change of clothes with you. If you end up leaving her in wet clothes because it's warm and clothes are light & will dry quickly so be it but personally, it doesn't take up much space and then they are there for the use if necessary. If you were trying to go bag/stroller free then I say wing it and see what happens but clothing for a 4yo is MUCH lighter than alot of the other stuff we throw in the bag.

 

[KristenFNJ]

I do, as a result of the fun and refreshing "squirting" stations! My boys sometimes get drenched to the bone before I can even blink! And for what it's worth, they usually need that drenching, because it's hot and they're tired and they need to cool off (and have some free play) so we can keep having fun. That fun stops quickly, however, in soaking wet underwear.

In Animal Kingdom especially, I personally have gotten "wringing out my unmentionables" drenched on Kali River Rapids. I had to purchase new tops and bottoms, wear a wet bra, and go *echem* "commando" not once, but twice. (tip: they sell kids underwear and in some places men's boxers, but not women's) So, while I have never regretted having changes of clothes, I have Definitely regretted NOT having them!

Now, I ALWAYS bring a change of clothes, for each person. I pick the lightest, smallest outfit including socks and undergarments, stick them in ziplocs and squeeze the air out so they'll be as flat as possible. I sometimes carry a small towel as well. There are 5 of us, but it all lays pretty flat in the bottom of the backpack and doesn't weigh much, so it's not even really noticeable. But totally, utterly worth it!

 

[Momma2PrinceNPrinces]

Yes, always! And I pack the extra clothes in a large ziploc (1 for each set of clothes). That way if clothes get wet, they just go into the ziploc and my book bag stays dry

 

[Crl1817]

Hmm, some of this doesn't apply for us. We are going in December and dd hates getting splashed or having her face get wet. She's taking pre-swim class this summer to work on it, so maybe things will change. But right now she wouldn't be deliberately getting wet. (And we definitely won't take her on any of the water rides unless she asks to go and we are sure she understands she would get splashed.)

I do see the arguments in favor though, so I will reconsider.

Thank you!

 

[Karenj2]

My now 4yo was almost 2 when we went to WDW last, and she hadn't been having any diaper accidents, so I didn't bring any change of clothes (we were going in March, so like you we didn't plan on playing in the water). What we didn't know, though, was she was severely constipated from all the park food, and she ended up barfing all over me and herself (after having just consumed a blueberries and purple carrot fruit pouch). The menfolk ran to the store while me and my friend went to the nearest bathroom to clean up... $$$$ later, she was sporting a too-small shirt and too big shorts. (I just cleaned myself off as best as possible.)

So, yes, I will be bringing in a change a clothes into the park - at least for the kids. (And I will NOT be bringing those fruit pouches!!)

 

[monorailsilver]

I don't but my kids never had issues other then food in them and I am not changing them for that.

Plus we go back mid day and refresh, aka nap, yes even my 12 yo napped last summer! Then everyone showers and new clothes get out on.

Unless I knew there would be some issue I won't bring clothes.

Last year my kids (12, 9, 7) were soaked head to toe (August) from the circus area. It was probably around 10:30-11. They walked around like that and didn't care. I don't allow sneakers in the park only keens or flip flops.

Also last year, dh, myself and our kids lucked out and got soaked on kali. We walked and dripped. At lunch there was a puddle beneath us. I had on thin clothes and it never dried but we go back to our room and nap and then change so it was no biggie.

 

[DisGirl819]

In MK there was a play area near Pooh that had water features to it, my kids LOVED that area - kept going back to it, had trouble getting the kids out of it.

I do believe this are is now part of the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride. However, there is a massive splash and soak station in Storybook Circus now where kids can get drenched.

And yes, you are correct, there are water stations/places to get wet in nearly every park as well.