Going bagless in the parks?

[MouseMamaToMany]

My oldest son (12) and I will be at WDW for a surprise birthday trip.

I'm wondering if it might be good to try to go without a bag?

On my solo trips, I carry a very small Kavu cross body bag, but always end up tired of carrying it by the end of the day.

Can you give me advice? Pros? Cons? What are the little wallet-type things that clip to your belt? I think they are a new-ish thing?

 

[Donna M]

What I do is bring a small cross over bag that can be shoved in my pocket along with chap stick, a small amount of sun screen, money, and cards. Then after security, I take everything out of my pockets and use the bag. I don't mind carrying the bag since it is very light and small. But I have also just used my pockets, it's great avoiding bag check.

Take a minute to think about what you have to bring into the park, then think about what clothes can carry those items. Maybe your son can carry something in his pockets too. The days of carrying in backpacks are long gone.

 

[MouseMamaToMany]

Agreed. No need for a backpack for us. I'm thinking I'll pack my son cargo shorts. He loves them, and can stick a few small things (ponchos, etc...) in the pockets.

 

[AngiTN]

I'm fine with just a few items myself. A wristlet to hold my phone and a bag for my sunglasses and case. I can fit everything I need in a small string back pack. I fold it up, put it in DH's pocket and once we arrive I take it out and carry it. If I have on clothes with a pocket I don't even bring that. The issue is most of my park outfits have no pockets of any sort.

 

[hoffman1]

I have not taken a bag for the past few years. It is so nice not having to go through bag check and not having to carry something around all day. I found that I really did not miss having the extra stuff (band aids, Kleenex, make up, etc). Sometimes I carry a small wristlet that I can stuff into my pocket until we are past bag check. Or I just put the essentials directly in my pockets. I am pretty low maintenance. I just need my phone, a bit of cash, some gum, and my id. Maybe a $1 poncho.

 

[LSUfan4444]

My oldest son (12) and I will be at WDW for a surprise birthday trip.

I'm wondering if it might be good to try to go without a bag?

On my solo trips, I carry a very small Kavu cross body bag, but always end up tired of carrying it by the end of the day.

Can you give me advice? Pros? Cons? What are the little wallet-type things that clip to your belt? I think they are a new-ish thing?

It's a personal decision and neither is right or wrong. If you bring less, you may spend more. Water, sunscreen, poncho, hat, sunglass/sunglass case, winter hat/gloves or clothing layers, snacks, etc. Without a bag, you will ave to buy all of those things.

I drink at least 150 ounces of eater per day (in the cooler months) and even more when it's hot, plus I constantly eat. While I enjoy grabbing snacks in the park I also bring fresh fruit and sometimes a PB&J and a protein bar in case I get hungry. Additionally, i am a big advocate in dressing in layers for avg tems in months November through usually March"ish" so us not having a bag seems kind of miserable.

I do think the right bag is pretty essential as well..those across one shoulder bags are not the best for a day filled with miles of walking. Get something to go over both shoulders.

 

[autkidd]

On days when we brought the big camera I just used the camera bag as it has two side pockets perfect for a couple of bottles of water and it was small enough to fit beneath my feet on rides. I had originally brought my book at to carry stuff but realized the camera bag would be perfect. It also held two ponchos really nicely as well.

 

[nicolej92]

I don't think I could ever go without a bag. We bring way too much stuff in.

If you don't need sunscreen, bottles of water, camera, etc, then you should be good.

 

[kwdw]

I'm one who goes bagless MOST of the time - unless it's winter and I need layers.

A tip for ladies is to look at shorts or pants with pockets. Now - I know that is hard to do with female clothing - but there are options out there. You could also look for a small "holster" style cell phone carrier that you can attach to a waistband or belt.

I have three pairs of cargo shorts (men's but with some elastic in the waist so they fit me really nicely as a women) - bought specifically for sightseeing in nice weather. With those - I don't need a bag and I RARELY need to buy something I didn't have room for. Here's what goes:

a small wallet thing that holds the needed cards and some cash
a lip balm with sunscreen in it
cell phone
ponytail holder and a 4 inch comb
ziploc snack size bag with dental floss and ibuprofen
sometimes a mini-travel sunscreen
D-ring clip that can attached to a belt loop and can hold a cap of a drink bottle
sunglasses with a string attached (bought at WDW)
magicband
car key (if I rented a car)

SOMETIMES a baseball cap, SOMETIMES my nicer camera (case attaches to waistband/belt loop), SOMETIMES I start the day carrying a disposable water bottle, SOMETIMES my SOTMK cards, SOMETIMES a "wet one" single wipe

Things people seem to take I never bother with:

poncho - drizzle I will walk through and well, I'm hiding under cover if its pouring, so what's the point?
snacks - nope, nada. I'm an adult without medical needs dictating I should carry food, I can wait or buy
water for the day - sometimes I start with one bottle and refill it, but you can also get free water all over Disney
bandaids - okay I HAVE needed these and not had them. One time - a mom handed me one, another time I went to first aid to get cleaned up
hand sanitizer - bathrooms are plentiful at Disney (thought sometimes I slip in a single wet wipe - the individually package kind)
changes of clothes - now in winter, I do wear layers and I may bring clothing/a bag for this - but I put the unneeded items at the time in a locker or its something that can tie around my waist

 

[tndisneyfan]

I have went bagless. I don't carry a lot into the parks, just keys (we drive), phone, and maybe lip balm. My problem is my phone, my pockets tend to be shallow and I'm always worried about my phone falling out of my pocket. This has happened to me before at WDW, I lost my first iPhone 3gs on TSMM. So even tho I have went bagless I always worried about my iPhone, so I find it easier just to take a small string backpack. But if I could find a way to secure my phone I would be bagless too.

Just want to add that I'm Pooh sized. I have looked for cargo shorts for women with deeper pockets, or pockets with a button or zipper, but have had little luck. The few I've found are a little too expensive for me and are way too long. I don't like short shorts, but if they are down past my knees they aren't really shorts anymore.

 

[Cee]

I went bag less once last trip and loved it! I shall endeavor never to bring a bag again.

 

[ustasmom]

We just went for 14 days. I bought a crossover bag with lots of pockets. That bag was retired after the first bag check. Thirty one cinch bags were my backup. They lasted for almost a week. Two of them ended up breaking and I bought the WDW cinch bags. They survived.

It was easy for bag check to look through them. They were very light and not bulky so they could fit in the ride storage compartments. They held lanyards and extra pins for trading, ball cap, small travel umbrella, wet wipes, glass cases, etc. My kids ages 14, 12, and 8 all opted to bring their string bags when given the choice.

 

[maxiesmom]

I could never go without a bag. Having a bunch of stuff crammed into my pockets would drive me nuts! Plus, I would spend my time worrying that something would fall out without me noticing. I'd much rather carry a small bag then walk around like a gunslinger at high noon, with my pockets full.

 

[starsweeper]

I could never be without a bag, my iPhone 6 and portable charger would never fit in my pockets. I also like to have a few essentials (lip balm, powder, sanitizer, sunscreen, small brush). I usually carry a small cross body bag. With 4 kids nearing 6 or older on our next trip in 2017, we'll ditch the stroller with extra clothes, etc.--that will be freeing to me!

 

[KristinU]

Pockets for me! Bag free is very freeing. DH and I used to go bag free, then of course started carrying everything and the kitchen sink when DS came along. Now that DS is older we're back to bag-free, baby!

Shorts are OK, but I've taken to wearing a brand of running skirt called Sparkle Skirts most of the time in the parks. I love them for long runs with energy gel and water bottles and phone, and now I love them for the parks! My phone is very secure in a pocket on my leg in the undershorts and any cash, cards, and chapstick that I want to carry is stashed in the zipper pocket at the waist.

 

[MouseMamaToMany]

I could never be without a bag, my iPhone 6 and portable charger would never fit in my pockets. I also like to have a few essentials (lip balm, powder, sanitizer, sunscreen, small brush). I usually carry a small cross body bag. With 4 kids nearing 6 or older on our next trip in 2017, we'll ditch the stroller with extra clothes, etc.--that will be freeing to me!

The only reason I'm thinking bag less is because of this!!! Only one kid, and he will be 12. If I had our other 4 kids along, no way would I go bagless! As fun as Disney is with little folks, I'm still so excited to do it with my kids now that they are bigger!!!

 

[J and R's mom]

We go bagless now, too, and LOVE it...no more strollers and diaper bags and purses for us. DD (12) brings along her little string backpack she got from Disney a few years back. She folds it up nice and small and either puts it in dad's cargo shorts pocket or just carries it in in her hand. We walk in with our phones, portable charger and cords, a bottle or two of water, carmex, etc., IN OUR HANDS through the "No Bags" entrance. Then, once we pass through, DD (12) pulls out the bag, opens it up and we put all of our items in there and she wears it. No "gun slinging" for us (that was a hilarious visual, btw, maxiesmom).

If you don't want to carry a backpack in (or forget it like we have done), you can always go into one of the MANY shops and ask them for a bag. They'll gladly give you one.

 

[kaybird]

We have ALWAYS gone bagless, even when the boys were small. Cargo pants or shorts for everyone, the ones with Velcro or zippers are a big plus. With this method, in 40 years of trips we have never lost a camera, billfold, cash, or anything else. Have carried (back in the day) diapers, wet wipes, sunscreen, chapstick, bandaids, waterbottles and more in addition to the above list. Every one carries their own stuff, and with MB now, the billfold is a small foldover with ID's only.

 

[MattsPrincess]

We've never taken a bag. Db puts my ID, debit and cash into his wallet which he would be carrying anyways. We take one phone which goes in his pocket. He also carries one of those small travel tubes of advil. If we get thirsty we ask for a free cup of water at one of the CS places. When we bring a camera I hold it in my hand most of the day anyways, and it fits in his other pocket when I'm not holding it. We apply sunscreen before going in, and if we feel a need to reapply, we just go out to the car and do it there. We also keep a bag with few small snacks, dry socks, etc in it in the car. Haven't had any problems or regrets for not having a bag yet.

 

[Thing 1]

Cargo pockets for us. Only extra items we have is epi pens and they fit into DH cargo pocket. Cells phones, a tiny hand sanitizer, sometimes a bit of cash is about it. We go winter and an AM sunscreen is good and we get cups of ice water and will share a snack or two if we are hungry. I sometimes carry a tiny cross body bag but never more than that.