How Do You Carry Your "Stuff" in the Parks???

[PenguinGal]

Making our first family vacation to WDW in June (self, DH, and 3 children ages 12-17). Interested to hear how some of you Disney veterans like to carry your "stuff" (ie tickets, cash, camera, snacks, water, sunscreen, Passporter, etc.) Fanny packs for everyone? (already know that DD17 will absolutely refuse this idea - not the fashion statement she wants to make!) Backpacks for one or all? What works the best without being too heavy or getting in the way on rides? All suggestions appreciated!

 

[Mickey76]

I try to carry as little as possible. I put on sunscreen in the morning before I go anywhere. I usually don't stay at any of the parks all day, so I can always reapply sunscreen when I get back to the resort if I need to. As for carrying my money and tickets, my money is in my wallet and so are my tickets, since they are also my room key for whatever resort I'm staying at. I'm certainly not a fan of fanny packs and anything that I buy at any of the parks, I usually have it sent back to my room so that I don't have to carry it all day. If I have to carry something small, like my camera, I put it in my pocket ( I always wear cargo shorts).


Mickey76

 

[mcgrawfan]

I also try to take as little as possible. I just use a Sak brand backpack that is lightweight and stylish. All of my things including my camera fit just fine in it. At the age of your kids I would think they could carry their own bags with what they want in them. When I went with my family years ago I was 12 and I took my own little bag. I kept my own money, park maps, and I brought a book I read while waiting in the longer lines. It really helped the time go faster. I would agree with your DD no fanny packs for me either. To me my little backpack is really handy because my hands are free.

 

[chloebob]

We bring a backpack that we bought in Disney. We tried using a smaller bag but it didn't wotk for us. We put our camera, extra film, wallets, sunscreen, hats (if we're not already wearing them), and any other little stuff we might need. It's not heavy at all. Then if we but anything little, we stick the bag in the backpack so we only have one thing to carry. Also, it's a nylon-type material so we can take it on wet rides and not worry about our stuff getting ruined!!

 

[TCKK]

I use a fanny pack & I carry everyone's tickets, plus camera & some money & driver's license, etc. DH carries his wallet. Last trip both DD's ages 6 & 9 then carried small backpacks with their cameras & autograph books & fat pens, money & anything else they wanted to carry. This trip in June I still plan to use fanny pack & DH will use his wallet & DD (age 9) plans to use fanny pack for her stuff & DD (age 12) says no way to fanny pack - not her proper fashion statement either. I think she plans to use a back pack again.

This seems to work for us. Everyone pretty much carries their own stuff, so no one has too heavy a load.

 

[DizBelle]

I personally like the Ameribag Healthy Back Bag. It's available at ameribag.com, ebags.com, llbean.com and some local retailers.

It's available in a variety of sizes so you can get a size that suits your needs.

 

[NMAmy]

I got an extra ID lanyard from work before I left and that's what I carry our AP's in--tucked underneath my shirt. Sunglasses are on a cord around my neck. Driver's license, credit card, cash and an extra loose roll of film are in my pockets along with my daughter's inhaler and my camera on a cord around my wrist.

That's about all we take in with us...if we can't fit it in a pocket--it doesn't come along! I hate carrying things and I hate going through security...we travel light!

 

[ktglads]

I got a cool bag on ebags.com that is both a fanny pack and a shoulder bag. You can convert it from one to another so you would not have to wear a fanny pack all day long since yeah, they are kind of dorky, but you could use it as one at Universal or any other park that does not allow purses or bags on the rides. That way I can switch it back and forth if I wish. I feel that it is the best of both worlds there.

 

[cmonroe]

We have two little ones, so we need to carry diapers, water, and a couple of distracting toys for long lines and lunch. Tickets are length of stay in our case, so they go in my wallet( I carry for family). I carry the video camera on a strap around my neck, no bag.

 

[lostatdisney]

We felt like our system worked really well on our recent trip. My husband carried a lightweight backpack with jackets and ponchos in it. I carred a small luggage-type back that held our videocamera and camera as well as sunscreen, Disney passes, money and credit cards, hand cleanser, etc. My bag had several compartments, so it worked really well. And the ponchos came in handy when it rained at MK! Have a great trip!

 

[Ames]

It all goes in my fanny pack. Camera...money...tickets...sunglasses (if I take them)...tylenol (just a few pills not the whole bottle) ...cigarettes and a trial size deoderant. Water bottle strap on my shoulder.

And everyone should try the trial size deoderant...it really helps freshen up mid day!!

 

[PatriciaH]

I LOVE my fanny pack/waist pack for WDW! I can not imagine using a backpack or larger bag. Who cares if people think they look silly-they ae the most comfortable option for me

 

[kandmwedding]

I can't comment on what to do with some of the kid stuff, since it's always just me and my husband, but here's what we do:

We each carry cash, credit cards, tickets, room keys, and IDs in a zipper pouch that hangs around the nexk (got them at Target I think). We both usually hid them under our shirt, and since they hung down to our waist, we'd just discretely lift our shirts a bit to get something out if we needed it.

We carried a small bottle of sunscreen (kept the big bottle in the room and just refilled it), two bottles of water, a light jacket/sweater and camera in a back pack. We were always careful to leave extra room in the backpack for any small souveneirs that we didn't have sent to the front of the park or the resort.

I would guess that you could have one or two backpacks for your group and just switch who has to carry them.

 

[luapgib]

With just one backpack you are able to share the load. Meaning that one person does not have to carry it all day. This is what I often do at any park I go to.

 

[PandyPaws]

A waist pouch with a few essentials; wallet, aspirin/kid's Tylenol, a couple of bandaids, cellphone, ciggs, and sunscreen if the weather calls for it. License and park passes are in a lanyard thing around my neck. If cooler temps expected at night, i'll brig jackets or sweatshirts and stow in a locker for later.
Families with small children/infants aside (I know and understand the plethora of essentials needed for little tykes' comfort and happiness), I am absolutely, totally amazed and sometimes stunned at what-all I have seen some folks hauling around the parks; luggage on wheels, 3-foot wide overstuffed backpacks, etc Some look as though they have packed up their entire rooms and brought everything they own along with them, LOL.

 

[Claudia Kellenberger]

I am a 50 year old woman, and I vacation solo. That said, I love my fanny pack. Yeah...it makes my hips look even wider than they are, but so what ! I carry my disposable camera in a holder, on a rope, around my neck. My sunglasses are also on a rope around my neck. In the tiny zippers of my fanny pack I carry ear plugs in one side, and any medicines on the other side.
I vary how I use the fanny pack. Sometimes it is around my waist, sometimes I lengthen the strap and wear it crosswise from one shoulder to the other side. I also wear a sun visor on my forehead. Just about dusk ( in December ) I go back to my room, get rid of the sun visor and sunglasses, get my sweatshirt, and go back out again. I really hate carrying around my sunglasses and sun visor when I don't need them anymore.

Inside my fanny pack I carry just enough money for the day, tissue, chap stick, tickets.......and......dental floss. LOL

That's how I carry my "stuff " !

 

[Nebsky]

Sorry, but I will not wear a fanny pack. I carry around a backpack. Just your normal Jansport Backpack. I constantly have it with me if Im on the road. Its been to just about every major city in the United States and several outside of the US.

When going to the World, there is no question its going with us. It carrys :
Ponchos, Snacks, drinks, maps, camera, cellphones, autograph books. Sometimes it carrys a camcorder, flipflops if its a rainy day forecasted, gifts, etc...Heck, my wife sometimes puts her purse in it.

Its very rarely stuffed full. Its not hard to carry. Most of the time its just over one shoulder, but when that gets to be a problem, just put both straps on. I usually carry it but sometimes my wife will take over.

To ride the rides, just slide it over your feet and up to your knees. Its not going anywhere.

Its favorite rides are in this order...
Tower of Terror
Rock and Rollercoaster
Test Track
Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain
Tomorrowland Transit Authority..

Least favorite (and yes you will hear it groan and whine if it is forced on it...)
Small world.......

 

[PenguinGal]

Thanks for the great suggestions. Gives me lots of ideas to consider.

Ktglads - What brand is your bag from ebags? I logged onto their website but couldn't figure out which one it might be.

 

[bearzabout]

I wear a money belt and keep my money, credit cards and tickets safetly secured around my waist, under my shirt. I am used to wearing one on trips overseas. Eagle Creek's belt is my favorite. I never have to worry about loosing anything important no matter how many times I am flug upside down! I even put my car rental key in it.

I carry an Eagle Creek backpack if I need my water bottle, rain gear, camera, pullover, etc.

Eagle Creek make great (but expensive) stuff with a lifetime guarantee.

 

[tar heel]

Fannypacks for everyone except the 16-year-old. He used to wear one, and now he's too cool. His decision, but I think he misses the snacks he carried! We also share a couple waterbottles on straps and a mister fan on a strap. We pack the essentials -- sunscreen, ponchos, small camera, youngest child's autograph book, etc. Although having videos would be fun, we don't carry the camera b/c it would be way too much of a pain.