Do your kids carry backpacks at the park?

[smithfamilyof7]

Thanks for all your responses! I think we will definitely try the backpacks this year. I figured if it doesn't go well the first day, we can always leave them at the hotel the second day and just try to pack light. There is a small basket in the stroller so we can keep the water bottles there to make their packs lighter - great idea.

I saw on Amazon last night they have some super cute (pretty inexpensive) cinch backpacks with Disney characters on them. As a PP mentioned, I worry a little about the string straps being more uncomfortable than a regular style backpack... But they're definitely smaller and less weight.

 

[mickey+minnie91]

My 15 year old still asks us to carry her stuff for her... I am trying to break this habit that my wife started before I married her (my 15-year-old is my step daughter).
Get them used to carrying their own stuff as early as possible so you don't find yourself in the position I am in now. I have discovered that 2 and 3 is still too young though.

Ive had the same problem with my teenagers a few years ago. I then realized if they were old enough to come on a day trip to DL with their school and hold their own stuff then why am I carrying it lol. At first they complained but when I asked whyb it was fair for me to carry 4 full water bottles all day and them carry nothing they quickly saw my point They now use cinch sacks for their snacks, phones, chapstick and water.

 

[rentayenta]

I'm still a sucker and carry everything.

 

[crystal1313]

I think that if I had kids wearing backpacks, I would spend most of my time watching to make sure they still had it.

I would be worried too. My 6 year old is always losing stuff. I was thinking of having him carry a small bag with his water and some snacks. He's obsessed with TRON and has a really cool TRON lunchbox that could be used as a cross body bag. I'm thinking since he LOVES this bag he wouldn't lose it...but if he did lose it he would be crushed. Decisions, decisions.

 

[wallawallakids]

We are a family of 6 and we do not have our kids carry anything. I always carry the tickets/fp/ snacks/wipes/ basically the "mom stuff!" I have a cross body travel purse that works well. DH carries a backpack with water and snacks. I find my kids can wear a cap and a jacket. When they are hot, we tie it around their waist or DH will sometimes put them in his backpack. If we purchase something we either deliver it to the room, or stuff it in the backpack.

My kids are forgetful, I wouldn't trust them to remember their backpack after every ride. And I am not one who wants to remind them every time we get on and off one. Plus with the 4 kids, we are not always together. Big kids are sometimes alone. I can imagine them getting off the ride and leaving the bag there and then having to go back and try to find it. Esp on rides like Soarin or Star Tours, where you put the bags under the seat, so you don't see them before you leave. Lastly, I could see someone complaining about it making them hot. They don't normally complain, but none of our kids like wearing a backpack on a normal day, so I couldn't see how they would enjoy it all day in the parks.

Anyway, I am always surprised at how little you really need in the parks. Besides some water and a few snacks, what else is there really? We carry an extra pair of glasses for our DS but that's pretty much it.

Have a great trip!

 

[luulu1999]

I still have no idea what we are going to do...my kids are 5&6 my 5yr old is quiet lazy so I am still debating on renting a stroller but then if my 5yr old is in a stroller my 6 yr old will want to be then I will need a double stroller and then if I don't rent a stroller I will be the one stuck carrying all their stuff I would really like a single stroller with that stand up thing on the back for the older one but I didn't see one on city stroller....also I am thinking we are staying at PVI right across the street do we really need a stroller!!...I will be taking my kiddos to the zoo next month some time without one and see how they do...I may even have them carry some sort of bag with them to practice that...all though I know my 5yr old wouldn't keep up with it getting on and off rides and stuff

 

[crystal1313]

I still have no idea what we are going to do...my kids are 5&6 my 5yr old is quiet lazy so I am still debating on renting a stroller but then if my 5yr old is in a stroller my 6 yr old will want to be then I will need a double stroller and then if I don't rent a stroller I will be the one stuck carrying all their stuff I would really like a single stroller with that stand up thing on the back for the older one but I didn't see one on city stroller....also I am thinking we are staying at PVI right across the street do we really need a stroller!!...I will be taking my kiddos to the zoo next month some time without one and see how they do...I may even have them carry some sort of bag with them to practice that...all though I know my 5yr old wouldn't keep up with it getting on and off rides and stuff

I have a DS4 and DS6. We told DS6 no stroller this next trip in July....I'm a little worried because he is 55 pounds and I don't want to be carrying him back to the hotel! LOL. We are bringing one stroller for DS4. We've been walking every weekend to try to get his stamina up. We are staying at the Ramada. The walk isn't that far, but I think it will be if I'm carrying DS6! But he looks ridiculously huge in a stroller. He's really tall and he could push himself with his legs touching the ground. So he needs to learn no more stroller! We will just have to take more breaks, etc to rest his little feet.

 

[luulu1999]

I have a DS4 and DS6. We told DS6 no stroller this next trip in July....I'm a little worried because he is 55 pounds and I don't want to be carrying him back to the hotel! LOL. We are bringing one stroller for DS4. We've been walking every weekend to try to get his stamina up. We are staying at the Ramada. The walk isn't that far, but I think it will be if I'm carrying DS6! But he looks ridiculously huge in a stroller. He's really tall and he could push himself with his legs touching the ground. So he needs to learn no more stroller! We will just have to take more breaks, etc to rest his little feet.

My 6yr old is really big also....he's not quiet as lazy as my daughter but I know he is gonna see her in a stroller and want to get in just to be honery...I guess me and their dad will have to talk about it and see what we should do but hopefully she will grow our of her laziness between now and July

 

[jory29]

I prefer the ugly fanny pack worn in front or at waist - I know it looks ridiculously silly, but I prefer not to have my neck/back in pain because of carrying something heavy (even if light, over the course of the day, it adds up to pain.) Another reason I won't use a backpack is that I am afraid someone will open it up while I am in line, and I might not notice... and take something. I've seen a lot of people with things (expensive cameras, phones, etc.) hanging on by a thread, out of a pocket, and I let them know, but to others, it could be an opportunity. My kids don't carry anything, but I do carry a few snacks for them.

I should edit to add - my kids help to carry when I need them to carry things, but they purposefully choose not to be bogged down with things to carry, for themselves.

 

[jory29]

I have a DS4 and DS6. We told DS6 no stroller this next trip in July....I'm a little worried because he is 55 pounds and I don't want to be carrying him back to the hotel! LOL. We are bringing one stroller for DS4. We've been walking every weekend to try to get his stamina up. We are staying at the Ramada. The walk isn't that far, but I think it will be if I'm carrying DS6! But he looks ridiculously huge in a stroller. He's really tall and he could push himself with his legs touching the ground. So he needs to learn no more stroller! We will just have to take more breaks, etc to rest his little feet.

Our dd, when she was 4 years old, walked all around the parks, and evenly matched us and her then 10 year old brother with what she could do. I think if a child is excited enough about the events, the walking won't bother them too much. Good luck!

 

[Gisele]

When my girls were younger, they each had a fanny pack that would fit a couple small snacks, hand sanitizer, sunglasses, etc.

Interesting that you say that, because my Auntie Minerva's twin sister Brie carrys all those very same things, only her fanny pack is by nature. My poor Auntie, she keeps a stiff upper lip and all, but still coming in at a ripe ol rotund weight of 350 lbs. makes for one Fanny pack too many man!
She does enjoy though always having a way to keep her hot cross buns warm, while on the go....

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I have a DS4 and DS6. We told DS6 no stroller this next trip in July....I'm a little worried because he is 55 pounds and I don't want to be carrying him back to the hotel! LOL. We are bringing one stroller for DS4. We've been walking every weekend to try to get his stamina up. We are staying at the Ramada. The walk isn't that far, but I think it will be if I'm carrying DS6! But he looks ridiculously huge in a stroller. He's really tall and he could push himself with his legs touching the ground. So he needs to learn no more stroller! We will just have to take more breaks, etc to rest his little feet.

Our first trip to WDW our youngest was 7. No wait, 6 because he hadn't made 7 yet. I remember worrying a little about him being able to walk the parks. I know I did at that age, happy as a clam even at the end of the day when my feet hurt so bad. I recall my son being a little whiny or complaining some about his feet on the way back to our hotel at night. I found a great method to distract him as we trudged onward was to play with him. Hops, skips, twirls. He'd play along happily forgetting about his complaints. Stops for rest helped, too. But I remember our twirl game so vividly. I had that kid in stitches! I'd give anything to go back and play again. He's taller than me now so its kinda impossible to spontaneously whip him around in a giggly twirl. Not that a too-cool 16 yro would even hear of such. LOL!

 

[seagodess]

We dont take much to the parks with us. We hate carrying a bunch of stuff around. DS's 1st trip 2 years ago (5yrs old), he didn't carry anything but a jacket. He wore it when he needed to and tied it around his waist the rest of the time. I had a very very small over the shoulder purse that held everything else. The only things I had were tissue, hand sanitizer, my camera and phone, chap stick and a travel size bottle of sun block. We always went back to the hotel for lunch, so we didn't bring food with us. We had a water bottle that we all shared and we just carried it or hooked it on us with the clip it had.
Our trip last month DS did have a small draw string bag. We put in a water bottle, sandwich for each of us and some crackers. He didn't have any problems with it. He didn't even notice it was there most of the time.

 

[crystal1313]

Our first trip to WDW our youngest was 7. No wait, 6 because he hadn't made 7 yet. I remember worrying a little about him being able to walk the parks. I know I did at that age, happy as a clam even at the end of the day when my feet hurt so bad. I recall my son being a little whiny or complaining some about his feet on the way back to our hotel at night. I found a great method to distract him as we trudged onward was to play with him. Hops, skips, twirls. He'd play along happily forgetting about his complaints. Stops for rest helped, too. But I remember our twirl game so vividly. I had that kid in stitches! I'd give anything to go back and play again. He's taller than me now so its kinda impossible to spontaneously whip him around in a giggly twirl. Not that a too-cool 16 yro would even hear of such. LOL!

I'm totally doing this! Thank you!! He's very competitive too, maybe we can "race"

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I'm totally doing this! Thank you!! He's very competitive too, maybe we can "race"

Oh yeah! Skip races are great. Or 1 foot hop races! Our "game" was to be walking with me holding his hand then I'd surprise whirl him around in a twirl. He be giggling and tensed up with anticipation of when I'd do it or which direction I'd go. It was so fun. We practiced different repetitive steps like 2 steps left foot then 1 step right foot. We made up cadence songs. Anything fun to think of to occupy the mind. One thing's for sure, after all that walking both boys slept like the dead! It was fabulous!

 

[crystal1313]

So fun! Both my boys sleep like the dead too after the parks! DS4 can never stay up too late and always passes out in the stroller. DS6 is a night owl, but such a bear when he wakes up in the morning!

I found a couple of inexpensive backpacks/sling packs on amazon. Going to ask DS6 if he wants to carry his own bag. He might, he likes being treated as a big boy. We will see!

 

[BijouBabe]

For our trip we all used cinch bags and my DS never once complained about carrying it. He would even put his foot through a string on rides to keep it anchored. I also had a lanyard with a pouch for my camera, money and photo pass that was handy.

 

[Mugglemama]

A couple of suggestions that may (or may not ) be helpful:

1) For those concerned about kids leaving their own bag on rides, at restaurants, etc (I fall into this category myself) - cargo shorts/pants might be the answer. The right pair of cargo shorts can hold anything my kids would need (money, chapstick, snacks, sunglasses, iPods, cell phones, etc.). They can clip a hat onto a beltloop and some designs probably even have a way to attach a water bottle.

2) If you have a kid who would constantly be slowing down to re-tie the sleeves of a jacket/sweatshirt that was repeatedly coming undone around their waist (I have one child for whom this would almost *certainly* be an issue...), getting them one of those windbreakers that folds down into a tiny pouch (that would then fit into a pocket of those cargo shorts/pants) might be the best solution. Salomon S-Lab Light Jacket is one - but there are probably quite a few brands out there.

I think I'm going to try to come up with some variation of this solution myself for our next trip - DH and I have spent the last several visits (and years!) taking turns lugging a Picnic At Ascot insulated backpack around the parks all day long and it would be nice to not have to do that anymore.

 

[Sally_fan]

We usually carry 2 backpacks between the 4 of us. We switch off throughout the day with my hubby & I starting off as there are more water bottles at that point (heavy). We've anyways done this & the kids have no problem whatsoever carrying it on "their turn". And we bring them on all the rides. There's never been a problem with that on anything at the DLR.

 

[KeKy4]

We got a bag that hangs off the back of the stroller, threw a couple of diapers, pack of wipes, change of clothes in there. Lunch box with snacks and water bottles underneath. Only a family of 4 though!
Can you have just 2 large Nalgene sized water bottles underneath for everyone to share and just refill throughout the day?
We go back to the hotel mid-day so don't have to bring too much at once, usually refill the snacks then, make sure the water bottles are full of ice water.
My husband carries a small bag with all the important stuff; money, tickets, hotel key, etc.