don't care to carry around a heavy diaper bag!

[inloveindisney]

Ok, we're trying to plan some ways to limit the amount of "stuff" we carry this time at Disney. We'll be traveling with a 1 1/2 year old and to be honest, the bag we carry around now is a bit ridiculous.
Today we found some of those cups with a table cover, bib, etc. in it on clearance and we thought-what a great way to combine everything we need in one small container. So, that limits carrying 20 bibs, a bunch of cups, etc. with us every day. We'll just throw a cup in the backpack and go!
Any other neat ideas out there? I'm sure other Mom's face this same dilemma. I'm really bad about it because I like to pack EVERYTHING!
What do you take with you? What do you feel like you can't live without while you're in the parks? And how do you fit everything in a bag you can carry?

 

[PA Princess]

I am a reformed big diaper bag carrier I have four kids. Our first two are 12 months a part and I spent years lugging around everything and the kitchen sink.

Over time I have realized that we were using about 10% of what I was carrying, and being prepared for all of those "what if" moments was exhausting. In real life we have found that we can simply carry emergency type supples (like a change of clothing, first aid, etc.) in our mini van since we are almost always able to get to the car when out - perfect solution.

At Disney we have found that since we stay on site, it is really no big deal to just plan to return to the room if something comes up. We are not all day in the parks people, and we almost always go back to the room mid-day. So we are gone from the room for what, 5 or 6 hours? How much can we really need? Plus, we are on vacation so we are just willing to spend a bit if a need arises.

For example, I do not carry a change of clothing for anyone. If we need a clothing item, we buy something. This has only ever happened one time in 8 trips with 4 kids...dd was freezing after getting damp in a downpour and we were at a restaurant for dinner. She and I slipped out and bought a sweatshirt. We sometimes buy clothing as a sourvenir, so no big deal. And 2 years later dd still wears and loves that sweatshirt!

Another example, at home we often carry things to entertain kids in restaurants. I leave all of that behind in Disney. Most restaurants provide crayons and coloring, we are always being handed stickers, park maps are great fun to draw and circle on, etc. We use what is there...weighs us down less and frankly the kids seem to enjoy the Disney stuff more than anything I ever lugged in our bag.

As for medical supplies, I carry a small amount of motrin and a few bandages...that is all. If anything more is needed we look for a place in the park or we go back to the room. Also, we generously apply all sunscreen before we leave the room, so we leave that behind.

My biggest secret to carrying less in the parks is simply to have a smaller bag. Sounds simple, I know, but it really works. We carried a small tote bag (about 12 by 12 inches square) when our youngest was 18 months, and for our last trip when she was 2 1/2 we carried a skip hop saddle bag that attached to our stroller.

 

[Elmo888]

I really liked disposable things - bibs (the Munchkin brand at Target is THE BEST with the bottom pocket that catches everything), sippy cups, etc. I just packed what we needed for the day at the park. I mailed a box of disposable stuff (including snacks, diapers, swim diapers, etc.) using UPS Ground (don't use USPS) to our resort, knowing that I wouldn't have to lug it back It worked well. With UPS Ground, you can look at their web site and it will tell you exactly when it will get there. So, you know exactly when to send it (just keep in mind that they don't deliver Sat/Sun).

I would reuse the sippy cups, depending on the situation. I always packed one water sippy cup and one empty one. If we ended up using the empty one for milk while out at the parks, I just trashed it. If we were back at the resort, I washed it in the sink. I used 2 packages of 5, and it was the perfect amount. And even though she was already using straw sippy cups at the time, the ones with the sippy cup lids were easer to use since you only had to deal with two parts - lid and cup vs. lid, cup, and straw.

I'm not usually a fan of disposable stuff, but this is a good situation for it.

Good luck!

 

[Minniemouse07]

When we traveled to WDW w/ dd (at 17mo and 28mo) we used a Land's End backpack diaper bag and thought we were doing great!

Well, this past December we went back (dd is now 6.5yo) and although we had the backpack diaper bag w/ us for ds (2yo) we left it in the room and just threw a few diapers, a pack of travel wipes, and a disposable sippy cup in my Baggalini and we were good to go.

I'm all about traveling lighter. We even skipped the bibs... just not worth carrying them around.

We did carry some Thomas the Tank Engine trains for ds because he's addicted to them. He generally was carrying 2-4 of them at any given time during our entire trip!

HTH

 

[inloveindisney]

Well, thinking about all this, I believe I could skip a lot of things that I normally carry too. We really don't need bibs either. I guess if you really narrow it down, all you need are diapers, wipes and a cup.
I was going to carry bandaids and such, but you can get those at the first aid centers.
I was thinking about putting my daugther (1 1/2) in swimmy diapers while we're there. Then, she can get wet in the fun water things and those diapers seem to be VERY absorbent. Anyone taken this approach?
Regarding toys (which honestly takes up a good 30 percent of my bag now) I am thinking we dont' need any. My crazy husband is always buying ridiculous souvenirs and we learned last time that one baloon will entertain her all day.
You know, those 10.00 baloons with he mickey ears inside of a clear baloon will last a few weeks too!!

 

[katied]

I plan on using the Bagglini to carry what I need for DS (1) and I. I'll also have a basic diaper changer which will hold diapers & wipes and spare outfit. I'll throw this in the bottom of the stroller, along with a water mister fan.

Then the Bagglini will hold snacks, sippy cup, rain poncho for me, wallet, sun screen and a few other odds & ends. Only 1 sippy cup. I'm not giving DS milk in the heat (sticking to juice or water).

No bibs, no spoons, no toys...

I will have a swim diaper and keep DS in swim trunks at the park so he can play in the water spots. Then, the change of clothes will be for once he needs changed. We're only planning to be in the parks about 5 hrs / day or so. Worst case, I head back to the hotel if there are things I really need.

 

[HelenePA]

by 1.5 for my kids I didn't carry a diaper bag anymore. I just put 2 diapers and a few wipes (in a plastic baggie) in my purse and went. I'm a rebel when it comes to things like that. I like to live on the edge.

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

we are now out of diapers, but I say pack a ziploc of wipes and 5 diapers. A sippy cup and sunblock. And you are good to go. I would not use the swim diapers as they appear absorbant but do let the #1 leak out.

 

[TriMom]

I was thinking about putting my daugther (1 1/2) in swimmy diapers while we're there. Then, she can get wet in the fun water things and those diapers seem to be VERY absorbent. Anyone taken this approach?

In my experience, the swim diaper are NOT AT ALL absorbent. They are ment to catch "solid" waste, and keep it out of the pool. They are designed not to absorb water, so it won't swell up to 10x it's size. Meaning if you have a swim diaper on, are not in a pool, and pee - you have an instant leak.

As for not carrying a lage bag - I didn't carry one at all. I have a 2 yo, and a 4 yo, and my own stroller. I put a ziplock bag with 4 diapers and a travel package of wipes in the bottom of the stroller. They each had a clean sippy cup each day, and we would wash it out after we used it.

We didn't miss any of the other stuff that we used to lug around. It was very freeing!

 

[Princess Roo]

Don't do just swim diapers!!!!! They leak like crazy. If they absorbed urine, they would absorb pool water, too, and puff up like regular diapers.

One tip I have is to fill a large ziplock with a few diapers, wipes, and changing pad and put in the stroller basket. Then you can just grab that for a quick diaper change. We also put change of clothes in the stroller basket, since we hopefully won't need it, and sunblock since it's only used a few times per day. We carry very little around with us and use our stroller as "home base".

 

[Girly_Qs]

Add us to the "we carry very little" list.

Last year dd#2 was 16mos. The only things we really needed for her specifically fit into her tiny changing pad bag (a couple diapers, which didn't get used as much as you might think as we all just 'sweat' it out, and a soft pack of wipes). Other than that: a couple of small misters, hand sanitizer, and maybe some sunblock (though since we went to the room each afternoon, that wasn't really necessary).

Oh, and I carried our room keys (at least mine and the girls) and our PhotoPass in a waterproof case on a lanyard around my neck. But, I've always been a minimalist at heart!