Help no stroller this year so what do.....

[chelsea&austinsmom]

I do with all my stuff I log around. What do I do with my camera, snack ect......I so used to throwing everything in the stroller. Anyone have suggestions?

 

[Sharby]

Light backpacks nylon (preferably) or quilted cloth - not canvas. Pack lightly and you won't even notice the backpack. And everyone gets one (including children!) because everyone totes their own 'stuff'. When going on a wild ride - put one leg through a strap of the backpack and rest the strap on your knee.

Not a problem - you'll see! Have a great trip

 

[mcnuss]

When my DD got beyond the stroller years, this became a dilemma for me too.

Last year, we did the Disney cruise and I got these fabuous knapsacks from Gap. They are made of nylon and weigh next to nothing. The straps pull up and cinch the top. There is a water bottle pocket, a place for a phone, and an attached key ring. It's water proof, and has a mesh bottom so things can dry (and dirt can fall out LOL). I paid $9.99 for them on sale, but I think the full price was a whopping $12.99. I originally bought one for DD to take to overnight camp, when I saw how handy it was, I bought 2 more for the trip.

 

[chelsea&austinsmom]

Thanks for the great tips.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

Try cutting back on what you take into the park. If your kids are past the stroller stage, your should also be past the age of having to take so much gear too. If you still need to tote quite a bit, go for a good backpack. We have one that also is a cooler on the bottom. We are now, with a 10 year old ,down to one nice size fanny pack. It holds the camara (a small but good one) the room card/ passes, a little cash, tissues , small waterless hand soap, fruit snacks, band-aids and a small sunscrean. If it is quite warm we might carry the back-pack to carry bottled water but we are not big snackers and most of the time just eat from the parks.


Jordan's mom

 

[Baloo]

I was freaking out about this too the first trip Erich wasn't going to be in a stroller anymore.What would I do with all MY stuff...LOL!!! It's true the older they get the less you need.We have one backpack between 4 of us now.When we've been there on days when we thought we'd need a sweatshirt or jacket later and we wouldn't be running back to the room,we rent a locker at the parks and store our grear until we need it later.

 

[MELSMICE]

I think our youngest DD's were 4 or 5 (twins) when we stopped using the stroller in WDW. From then on it was "you want to bring it, you carry it".

Each person in our family gets their own fanny pack, with water bottle holder attached. If they think they will need a jacket or sweatshirt it gets tied around their waist. Sunglasses are on a sunglass strap around the neck. I carry tickets, money, sunscreen, camera, bandaids, etc. in my fanny pack.

It has worked well for us because everyone is responsible for themselves. It has also helped in not "overpacking" for the parks & not bringing things that could easily get lost.

 

[BethC]

With the kids out of the stroller, it's definitely time to downsize. We take as little as possible with us. Since I absolutely HATE carrying things in the park, a backpack is out for me! It's especially awful having to carry extra stuff when it's so hot outside.

I really try to limit what we bring into the parks. My kids each have their own small fanny pack with their autograph books, sunglasses, a snack or two and sometimes a disposable camera. If we think it might be chilly, we also tie sweatshirts around our waist. We used to do water bottles too, but that got to be a hassle. Now, we know where to find the water fountains, or we'll stop and buy a drink if we really need one.

My husband will also wear a fanny pack with the digital camera, room keys, park passes, cash, bandaids, wet-wipes etc. We both wear our sunglasses when outside and tuck them into our shirts when inside. If I'm by myself, I skip the camera and use my pockets for everything, that's how much I hate to carry stuff through the theme parks!

With the extra security and bag checks now, the less you're carrying, the quicker you get into the parks. I absolutely love it when I'm by myself and can bypass those long lines altogether.

 

[TerriBelle]

In November we did our first stroller free trip with the kids!
YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our youngest were 4 almost 5. My husband carried a backpack with water bottles that we would fill before leaving the room and light snacks. During Nov. we started the day with sweatshirts and we would stuff the back pack or tie them around our waist when we got warm. My DD (9) carried her own fanny pack that include a large pen, autograph book, and penny book. I started the trip with a fanny pack for the camera and small wallet. I bought a Disney black backpack that I had wanted for a long time while we were there.

For us the freedom of no strollers was wonderful!

 

[MELSMICE]

Originally posted by TerriBelle
For us the freedom of no strollers was wonderful!

I'm with you there!

Many people like taking strollers as long as possible, but we couldn't wait to get rid of it so we could "really move" through the parks.

What a difference it made for us. We hold hands, form a chain and away we go!! Plus, no stroller to hunt for when the ride/attraction is through.

 

[Suedrews]

this August will be our first "strollerless" trip & now I am really looking forward to it.....all of the above ideas are great.....especially not having to hunt for the stroller after getting out of an attraction.....I will also take the advice about the light-weight backpack from Gap.....thanks!!!

 

[Whosemom]

LOL - forget Disney - my DH is worried about what he'll do without the diaper bag on a daily basis. He's gotten used to a place to stash stuff and seems reluctant to carry a purse. heeeheehee

 

[dandelion]

Originally posted by Whosemom
LOL - forget Disney - my DH is worried about what he'll do without the diaper bag on a daily basis. He's gotten used to a place to stash stuff and seems reluctant to carry a purse. heeeheehee

Me too - well, I am a woman and will have a small cloth backpack - but I was still going to miss the diaper bag for wipes (for messy faces and hands), the sunscreen, snacks etc. I got a mesh tote bag at Target. They sell them as beach bags. It's rectangular, zippers closed, is lightweight and has nice long straps to go over your shoulder while you're grabbing kids. We're going soon and I think it will be warm but DD might still want a jacket in the evenings, she's always cold.