Do you wear a fanny pack to the parks?

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

I cant possible go to any theme park without my fanny pack. I wear one, my hubby wears one, and on our last trip my son wore one. We carry all our junk around in them and dont have to worry about anything getting stolen and being in our way. They are soooo handy I cant for the life of me understand anyone saying "I will NEVER wear one". I dont understand if thats just a fashion thing or what.

I don't get it either. To me, it's just an amusement park accessory. We don't wear them anywhere else. It's just a handy way of carrying your stuff, and safer, I might add....at least for us.

I don't wear one, (I'm a little big around the middle ) but my DH and my 2DD's wear one, so we have 3 of them to make sure we can fit all of our stuff.

I don't see the big deal. And according to this poll, I guess I'm with the majority.

 

[alicenwonder99]

I only wear a fanny pack at Disney World. With two young kids, a wandering husband, a double stroller, a back pack, water bottles and jackets to keep track of, the last thing I need is to worry about losing my purse.

I did learn the hard way that I need to take my fanny pack off for pictures.

Ditto!!

I need my hands free helping the kids when going on the rides. I keep all essentials like tickets, cash, credit cards, cell phone in my fanny pack. The rest I keep in the backpack that's kept in the stroller. If the backpack gets stolen, at least I'll only have to replace snacks, wipes, change of clothes, etc.

My fannypack has Mickey Mouse on it so I guess it's ok to wear at the Disney parks...lol.

Mary

 

[Disney Ella]

I wear one, but only at WDW. I noticed on my last trip (one month ago) that less women had fanny packs and more seemed to carry purses or messenger bags. To me, carrying a purse would be a pain, plus I'm sure I'd leave it somewhere. Fanny packs just make more sense for me.

 

[pennst8r]

Add me to the club--I have one that only comes out for WDW! 3 DSs--it's a must. Ugliest thing I own, but don't want to lug around a purse or backpack.

 

[jordancej]

Got to have it!! I may look like a dork.... but how else are you going to carry stuff... backback to me is too bulky.... just my opinion.

 

[DoomBuggyBabe]

Well, I can ceratinly understand the need for them, but they just don't work for me. Too small. Instead, SkipperBubba and I use another mode we like to call our "geek vests." We both own Woolrich brand outdoorsman's vests, with pockets aplenty. In them we can stick cameras (he's got the relatively small digital...I have the 35mm film dinosaur complete with big honking 300mm lens, and yes, all pieces fit!), wallets, pads and pens, Motrin, and giant ziploc bags to put our stuff in on water rides. They distribute the weight, too. Plus they're not a bag, so we can breeze through the bagless entry line. As an added bonus, we can decorate the vest fronts with pins, and the backs with patches. Do we look like Disney geeks? Heck yeah! Do we care? Heck no!
Cheers,
Q

 

[BonnieA]

I always use mine on vacations. They are convenient and comfortable. I don't give a rats behind about fashion sense. For me it's common sense.

 

[Darkrobe]

I wear it during the summer and always at the parks (you can see a few photos of me with it on, in our trip report). I need the space for sure, which is why I take it. Plus, the extra security for the wallet since I can't be pick-pocketed at the park.
Not only does it carry my wallet, but the following: Business cards, Gum, Sunglasses, hand lotion, anti-bacterial hand lotion, extra batteries for the cam corder and camera(s), passport, park itinerary, and change.
On the fanny pack belt I carry the cases for the camera's, keys, and anything else that can clip (i.e. water bottle).
I feel the same as Bonnie, it's about practicallity; not fashion. I don't care what other people think about whether it's a "fashion sin" or not. It's use makes sense. Could you imagine lugging around a backpack for this and packing everything somewhere's for a ride? I can get away with it at most roller coasters; if it was a backpack I'ld have to spend time and money in getting a locker all the time.

 

[DisneyJen0504]

Fanny packs personally aren't my style so I never wear one. I just dont find a pack of stuff strapped to my waste to be comfortable...just feels dumpy to me. I find a small messenger bag is more suitable for me. Its not bulky like a backpack, its not inconvenient like a purse. It goes across the front of me diagonally over my shoulder and keeps my hands free. It fits everything I need and goes with any outfit I put on that day so I stay stylish! Haha!
That being said, I dont mind other people wearing them and wouldn't poke fun. To each his own. .

 

[Tabetha]

Eep. No fanny packs for me. I only carry my room key and photo ID when I'm in the parks, though. That fits quite nicely in my pocket!

 

[willis37862]

I will wear them at theme parks. They are very handy then, to me at least. I do not wear them in my day to day life though! My Dh on the other hand said something about divorce if I tried to make him wear one...and something about making fun of me if I wore one. Hey people could say worse things about me than "she wears a fanny pack."

 

[tlbwriter]

I find a small messenger bag is more suitable for me. Its not bulky like a backpack, its not inconvenient like a purse. It goes across the front of me diagonally over my shoulder and keeps my hands free. It fits everything I need and goes with any outfit I put on that day so I stay stylish! Haha!

I looked for a messenger bag, but the ones I can find are all so BIG! I'd love to find one big enough for a digital camera and not much else.

 

[jennyl772003]

The first couple of times I went to WDW, I wore a back pack. It was so big and it didn't fit me very well, and it made my back hot.

On the advise of some Disers, I bought the baggalini messenger bagg. It was the perfect size, fit perfectly, etc. I could just pull it around front to ride the rides and to get things out of it, otherwise I wore it on my back.

It was big enough to hold our camera, iPod and photo transfer stuff. When I wore it to 6 Flags, I even managed to stuff my DH's jacket in it. It is the perfect size, and it will be coming with me again in March, and August. Money well spent.

 

[jann1033]

just can not bring my self to wear one....they conjure up too many visions of 80 yr old blue haired women in " vegas "... now where did my bingo marker go?....

i got a cute little damask envelope type tiny ( 5"x 7")shoulder bag in china/epcot and that carries all i need that i can't stuff into hubby's cargo shorts pockets

 

[DannyDisneyFreak]

I'm the OP, and after I showed my wife this thread she sat and read through the posts then turned and looked at me and said: "I will not let you wear one." I don't know where she got the idea that I wanted to were one? Well happy packin' for you who do and lets try not to lose our cameras and passes for us who don't.

Just out of curiosity, what does fanny pack mean in australia? PM me.

 

[swanprincess]

We don't have kids so a fanny pack works for us. It just makes it easier to carry everything in them. We've also used small backpacks but they can get in the way on rides.

 

[Amyg]

I go for my own comfort, not what others (whom I don't even know or care about) think of me. Anyway, most people are too busy having a great time to be checking out what people are toting.

Theme parks are generally the only place that I do where a fanny pack. I think the next time I go I'll be a small backpack instead.

 

[snyderla]

I wear one at WDW only. And you know, it's funny, I've never noticed how many, if any other people are wearing them, too! I guess I'm too busy having fun to notice. However, for this, my 14th trip, I am thinking hard how to get by without one. The thing that bugs me the most is when I need to use the ladies room. I have RA and it's a pain (literally sometimes) to take off and put back on.
I carry a little canon digital camera, a cell phone, money/DDE cards and tickets, so I don't really need (or want) to carry a backpack. If I could find a small purse with a shoulder strap that would probably do. I love being hands free, but I think I might try something a little different for this adults only trip in 24 days!!!

 

[UrsulasShadow]

Why make hubby wear the cargo shorts? I wear them all the time at work in a garden center. They hold my phone, walkie-talkie, pruners, plant tags, sharpies, price tag rolls...you get the idea. To me, they're just as fashionable as anything else I wear (I guess that says a lot about my fashion sense!), so I think I'll be giving up the fanny pack in favor of a good pair of cargo shorts/pants. Probably will go with the ones with zip-off legs. Then I'll be REALLY cool!

Or maybe, I'll go with both the cargoes, the geek vest, and top it off with the golden ears! Oh, my teens will love me then!

 

[nightshaderose]

Our packs are cool. No really. Ours are cool. No laughing. They are Eddie Bauer and hold the water. It's somewhat like a hiking pack, which is what I like to think anyway. I adore my hiking pack (which has a strap for the waist or a shoulder strap when you want to change it) and don't ever go on a trip without it.

I also have an Eddie Bauer hiking pack (of greatness), and use it not only in the parks, but whenever I need a bag that is larger and/or more rugged than my regular purse. I will often switch between waist and shoulder strap, and always tie my refillable mug to the shoulder strap when I'm done with it (on those days that I drink my coffee on the bus).
I love that bag.

But I also bring another, very tiny, purse that goes with me when I go out in the evenings (nice dinners, PI, etc.).

Eliz