FIRST TRIP! Need advice for bags/what to pack for the park!

[DAKnits]

Hi all! I just found this forum, and I'm hoping you all can offer your wisdom. Although I grew up in Miami and went to Disney many times as a child, now I am taking my almost four year old daughter to Disney World for the first time at the end of September, so it's a totally different ballgame for me. We are going with her best friend and her best friend's mom. I am really, really struggling and obsessing with which bags to bring to the park. I am bringing my Maclaren Volo, and plan to wear a small bag (I've ordered an embarassing amount of bags from shoebuy.com and ebags.com just to try out -- all thanks to their policy of free returns), and then I planned to have a large backpack resting in the stroller basket. Can anyone recommend specific brands/styles of bags they've brought and loved using? I am leaning towards wearing a sling backpack as my valuables/personal bag, and leaving a large (but lightweight) backpack in the stroller. Is this a good plan, or should I wear a regular, small backpack or a regular messenger for the rides, and have a large tote in the stroller which is somewhat easier to get things out of?

Also, I'm stuck on how much I want to carry in the bag I take with me on the rides, and how much I leave in the stroller.

In the smaller bag I take with me, I was planning on bringing:

a small change purse for money (I just bought a lanyard with an attached pouch to keep the tickets, fast pass, dining card, and will wear that around my neck).
water bottle for me
foogoo thermos for DD
video camera
digital camera
travel wipes
small purell
snack bar for DD
snack bar for me
thin, light overshirt for DD in case she gets cold on a ride
small pouch of essentials like chapstick, extra contacts, bandaids, small scissors etc...

***Do I need those little fans in my small bag?

In the backpack I leave in the stroller, I plan to have:
large ziplock of dry snacks
mini coooler of food for DD (she has a restricted diet so I always bring food)
2-3 extra bottles of water in a very small cooler
extra set of cothes for DD
pashmina
Three $1 rain ponchos (1 for me, 1 for DD, 1 for the stroller, in case of rain)
Potette Potty (****should I take this with me in my "valuables" bag when I leave my stroller? It's my life saver and I have a "thing" about her using most public restrooms ...)
extra Potette potty liners
extra pack of wipes
small pack of tissues
small pouch of other essentials like medicines, tide to go pen, some moleskin in case of blisters)
extra ziplocks
1 travel size "kid" sunscreen for DD and 1 travel sunscreen for me
a hat/visor for each of us
extra ziplock bags

***I am probably going to keep the potty and the coolers out of the backpack and in the basket loose for easier accessibility -- should I make sure to bring a backpack that will fit everything including these items, or can I bring a smaller backpack that fits all the other stuff --- will there be a time when I need to collapse the stroller and shove the potty and the coolers all in one bag? I'm staying at the Carribean Beach Resort, if that makes a difference as to whether I'll need to collapse my stroller.

OK, THANK A MILLION for reading this essay, and for ANY help you can offer!!!!

 

[vcgirl925]

Well welcome to the world of other "obsessors".

Honestly with a 4 year old, there isn't much you have to bring into the park. I think one messenger type bag is fine. But i like to travel light. I recently bought the baggellini messanger bag but i haven't gotten yet. In the past i've worn a regular backpack.

This year i plan on bringing in just the baggellini bag and a double stroller and that's it!

This is what i'm bringing and i have a 4 year old boy and a 2 year old girl (will be 5 and almost 3 on our november trip). And both are potty trained.

Bag:

1. lanyard with a id badge that i can keep in my bag or wear around my neck. it will house my money, park passes, & room card.
2. plastic m&m container with quarters and pennies for the penny press machine
3. 2 penny press books (holds all of their pressed pennies)
4. Cell phone
5. Small pack wipes
6. Ponchos (cheapo dollar store ones)
7. Ziplocks (to keep cell phones, wallet, and camera dry on water rides)
8. 2 Water bottles (to refill throughout the day)
9. Autograph Books (one for each kid)
10. Sharpies (two)
11. Snacks (fruit gummy snacks, lollies, nerds, crackers...etc. Two snacks per kid per day)
12. Change of clothes for kids
13. Clip on sunscreen
14. Clip on hand sanitizer
15. Digital Camera
16. light jackets for all of us at night only (i'm taking a mid day break so we can get the jackets later)

When i get there i'll probably take out the change of clothes, ponchos, jackets, and water bottles and store them in the stroller. The rest will stay in my bag and i'll take with me on the rides.

*******
As for you list.....

In the smaller bag I take with me, I was planning on bringing:

a small change purse for money (I just bought a lanyard with an attached pouch to keep the tickets, fast pass, dining card, and will wear that around my neck).
water bottle for me
foogoo thermos for DD
video camera
digital camera
travel wipes
small purell
snack bar for DD
snack bar for me
thin, light overshirt for DD in case she gets cold on a ride
small pouch of essentials like chapstick, extra contacts, bandaids, small scissors etc... - Personally i don't think you'll need these..JMO.

***Do I need those little fans in my small bag? - If you are planning to bring them then yes, bring them in you small bag because you'll need them for waiting in lines.

In the backpack I leave in the stroller, I plan to have:
large ziplock of dry snacks
mini coooler of food for DD (she has a restricted diet so I always bring food)
2-3 extra bottles of water in a very small cooler - IMO i think you don't need these. You could just ask any CS restaurant and they will give you a cup of ice water for free. Then you can just refill your bottle and dd's thermas.
extra set of cothes for DD
pashmina
Three $1 rain ponchos (1 for me, 1 for DD, 1 for the stroller, in case of rain)
Potette Potty (****should I take this with me in my "valuables" bag when I leave my stroller? It's my life saver and I have a "thing" about her using most public restrooms ...)
extra Potette potty liners
extra pack of wipes - Personally i wouldn't bring this. All the disney bathrooms have toilet seat liners.
small pack of tissues - Only if she has a cold, otherwise use wipes to clean hands and faces.
small pouch of other essentials like medicines, tide to go pen, some moleskin in case of blisters)
extra ziplocks
1 travel size "kid" sunscreen for DD and 1 travel sunscreen for me
a hat/visor for each of us
extra ziplock bags

 

[DAKnits]

Thanks so much for responding and for the welcome!!! I really wish I could just bring a baggallini messenger, but my packing list IS my version of traveling light! And now I need to add to the list an autograph book/pen and ziplock of pennies/quarters for the penny press to pack in my backpack. It's scary, but this will be the lightest I've ever traveled with DD!! I can't stand the thought of walking around the park feeling burdened by my bag (like I feel when DD are in NYC, ughhh), so I am attempting to at least carry a light bag with me when I leave the stroller.

I also ordered the Baggellini messenger bag as one of the many bags I ordered in the last week to try out, and I hope it's the "one" b/c it's one of the smaller bags I ordered. In my quest to find the "perfect" bag, I also ordered the Overland Luna, the Jansport Boardwalk Sling, the Pottery Barn diaper bag sling (I like the two bottle pockets and the organization and it's on sale), and the CalPak Gate Sling -- I figure something has to work for me ! I've never worn a sling bag before, so I'm not 100% sold that it will be comfortable for me, but I know I don't want a true messenger b/c I have some great, small, lightweight ones that feel like lead when I pack them full and have to wear for any length of time (like my Overland Donner or LL Bean regular Touring bag).

As for a backpack for the stroller, I ordered the High Sierra Impact (on sale) on ebags, and although I don't love the green "spring" color, it's the lightest backpack I could find at that size and with those features.... but I'd gladly check out others....

****thanks for going through my list! I probably don't need the extra pack of wipes or the small tissue pack --- but I won't travel without my Potette!!! I wish that the travel wipes pack and tissue pack weighed more so I'd feel like I lightened my load. LOL! As for the essentials pouch, I seriously use those things every day, and I carry them at all times. It's really bad for an overpacker like me, b/c people always say "you won't ever use that stuff," but I truly do ... and then they come to me for bandaids and neosporin .

Thanks again for responsding and for your packing list!

 

[hoosiergirl7]

I love my Baggalini messenger bag. I bought it for our trip in April and loved it. Granted I often put it in the basket of our Mac stroller but nonetheless I was able to put in it my digital camera, our video camera (it's the size of our hand - very small and very portable). I had money, our KTTW (Keys to the World). I also had a marker & tags for characters to autograph. That way I could come home and put together a scrapbook without having to lug the book around. I also had Tylenol, Wet-ones in individual packets, band-Aids, hand sanitizer and other small necessities including my cell phone. I still had plenty of room left over for other things if I had wanted to put them in there. I think a few days we even put individual snack packs in for DS 4 who is always complaining that he's hungry.

Enjoy your 1st trip with your DD.

I also wanted to add after I reread your post that it's still very warm at the end of September and I doubt that she'll get cold on a ride. We never have and actually look forward to the cool down. And we've never had cool weather at night at the end of September. We've been there twice at that time of the month and it was still warm in the evenings.

 

[vcgirl925]

I probably don't need the extra pack of wipes or the small tissue pack --- but I won't travel without my Potette!!! I wish that the travel wipes pack and tissue pack weighed more so I'd feel like I lightened my load. LOL! As for the essentials pouch, I seriously use those things every day, and I carry them at all times. It's really bad for an overpacker like me, b/c people always say "you won't ever use that stuff," but I truly do ... and then they come to me for bandaids and neosporin .
Thanks again for responsding and for your packing list!

Sorry for adding two more things to your list!

What is the potette exactly? Is it a portable potty or just a seat top? I guess i'm not quite sure why you would need it. But if it's a thing you MUST have then don't listen to me!

I used to pack a lot and i used to bring an emergency kit. But i NEVER used it. We were always to busy running around and if we don't have chapstick we don't miss it. I'll probably throw in two bandaids into my bag just in case someone falls and gets a skinned knee. But i hate when i pack a lot and then don't use it.

 

[DAKnits]

I can't post a link yet b/c I haven't posted 10 times, but if you go to amazon you can type in Potette potty and see it. It's super small, and totally convenient. I can't tell you how many times my DD has waited to the last minute to tell me she had to go potty, and I whipped the Potette out of my stroller basket and brought her into a corner where no one could see her ... it's not the most classy thing to do of course, but an emergency is an emergency ...

Thanks for the tip about the weather -- it probably isn't necessary to pack that pashmina -- another thing I get to leave out of the backpack!

***BTW, hoosiergirl7 -- was the baggalini messenger your only bag?

 

[christianne]

We're leaving tomorrow and this is what's going into my Land's End daypack- my bag for park..a great bag w/ lots of compartments and padded shoulders (even lights up at night like a glow stick w/ the press of a button!)

sunscreen 70+ spray
neck coolers in ziploc bag
autograph books w/ sharpies attached
face sunscreen
wipes
purell
wallet/tickets
passporter
digital camera
pennies for pressing extra set of clothes for DD 5
5 rain ponchos
cell phone in ziploc

In the rental stroller we will have a tall, elongated cooler that holds 15 water bottles (a great soft cooler I got at The Container Store) When the water runs out, we will get cups of ice/refills of water

We are bringing the video camera only two days into the parks & plan on using photopass as much as possible
Each of my 3 kids will have a mini mist fan aroung their necks and will carry their pin lanyards on the days they want to trade
Hats & sunglasses for all on themselves
My DH had shoulder surgery a few weeks ago, so it will be up to me to carry everything, so we are packing as light as possible.

 

[DAKnits]

Thanks for the response! You've definitely got everything well planned out and I hope you have a wonderful time!

DD won't be holding anything other than maybe a fan around her neck, if she wants one. I'm really bringing very little with me into the rides (I've cut down on things even more since I originally posted), and the rest will be in the backpack in the stroller. As for which bags to use ....

....I've finally received all of the bags I ordered and most of them are going back ... The only two I'm keeping are the baggalini messenger in black crinkle nylon and the Jansport Boardwalk Sling (the Jansport is not for Disney, it's too big to carry on my back for the rides, and I want a regular backpack for the other supplies, so it will be a local park/museum bag). The baggalini is much larger than I need, but I like having the extra space in case I need to shove things in there. However, I'm 5'3" and on the smallest setting,the strap is too long. I might go to a bag repair place and see if they can shorten the strap, but only if I can't find another bag that works better for me. I'm still looking. I'm also debating about using a mini backpack instead of a sling b/c I'm worried I'm going to be uncomfortable with all the weight on one shoulder.