How many backpacks does a family carry to the parks?

[Lucy6]

We leave in 11 days for our first trip to WDW, it will be me, dh, ds9 and dd5.All along I figured we would carry one backpack for the day to the parks, but now I am wondering if we will both need to have one. I'm thinking about the sweatshirts we may need to shed, the water bottles, the sunscreen, the snacks, blah, blah, blah... How do you veterans with children handle this???

 

[jel0511]

We carry nothing, except maybe one small fanny pack. We have two kids 7 and 4. I'll put the a tube of sunscreen in there, my room card for charging, camera, and a few bucks. That's it. If we're there dudring a time where sweatshirts are required in the AM, they get tied around our waists in the PM. I travel light, because I don't like the feeling of moving into the parks. If we're thirsty, I'll buy water. It's so much easier.

 

[BoPeep]

It depends on how much you'll be taking to the park. We have 2 kids, and we just take one backpack. We take a camera, wallet, each of my kids' wallets, antibacterial hand gel, antibacterial hand wipes (yep, we're germ freaks), my son's jacket because he refuses to wear it around his waist when not needed...
You know, no matter how much we wipe our hands or use antibacterial gel, we still all get sick everytime we go to Disney World.

 

[judben821]

The last time we went our DDs were 3 and 5 months. Even with the extra stuff we needed for the baby, we still managed fine with one backpack.

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

When we took our first trip, DD 8 and DS 4 each had their own fanny pack for snacks, autograph "books" (actually spiral-bound 3x5 index cards), and anything else they wanted to bring. I had a huge fanny pack for water bottles, ponchos, sunscreen, money, camera etc. By the second day, both children had opted to forego their packs because they were annoying to work around on rides - both kids willingly gave up the snacks in exchange for greater convenience. I myself switched over to a much smaller pack later in the week.

When we went this past summer, I took only what I could fit in my pockets and found we do much better that way. I did need a jacket in the morning during my solo trip in April, so I either wore it anyway or tied it around my waist until I returned to the resort. You may decide you need to carry more, but I'd rather be as unencumbered as possible.

There are also locker rentals available for jacket and/or backpack storage if you want them handy but don't feel you need to carry them all the time.

 

[Brina]

one backpack for the family.

 

[RedSox1974]

Sorry if this has been answered before, but a search could not return the answer I needed.

We do plan on taking a backpack into the parks. My question is, what do you do with the backpack while on rides?
Do you bring it on the rides with you, or is there a designated place at each ride to leave it while riding?

Thanks in advance. First visit in 9 days!!!

 

[MELSMICE]

We're like jel0511 - we don't do the backpack thing - haven't done it since our youngest 2 were about 4 or 5 years old.

Everyone gets their own fanny packs for snacks & water bottle holder. Anyone that wants a sweatshirt/jacket can tie it around their waist when they're not wearing it.

I carry tickets, small sunscreen, camera, chapstick, gum, etc. with me.

Have never liked the idea of lugging around a backpack all day long. There's nothing I could put in a backpack that I can't get while I'm in the parks.

 

[MrsPete]

We don't carry any backpacks into the parks; the more you carry, the less energy you'll have. Each family member has a fanny pack, and that's plenty; in fact, the kids don't even take theirs most of the time. The only thing I really care about carrying is my camera. I think most people carry much more than they really need.

Money and tickets -- Pockets.
Sunscreen -- Be sure you get a long-lasting type, and put it on before you leave the hotel. If you're especially fair-skinned, take one of those "fat chapstick tubes" for facial touch-ups.
Sunglasses -- Worn at all times, or kept on an around-the-neck string.
Sweatshirts -- If you really need them in the morning, tie them around the kids' waists when they come off later in the day.
Water -- Use the free water fountains (they're everywhere) or get free ice water from the counter-service places.
Snacks -- My kids are 7 and 10, and they don't need to snack between meals. Truth be told, any kid past the toddler age doesn't NEED to snack as long as he's eating good meals.
Autograph books -- My kids got tired of that about the second day -- about the time they realized that they were tired of wearing their fanny packs.

One more thing: You can rent lockers by the entrance. If you're staying off-site and plan a long day of "parking", that could be the answer to sweatshirts, lunches, and other bulky things. I've never bothered with them myself.

 

[MELSMICE]

Money and tickets -- Pockets.
Sunscreen -- Be sure you get a long-lasting type, and put it on before you leave the hotel. If you're especially fair-skinned, take one of those "fat chapstick tubes" for facial touch-ups.
Sunglasses -- Worn at all times, or kept on an around-the-neck string.
Sweatshirts -- If you really need them in the morning, tie them around the kids' waists when they come off later in the day.
Water -- Use the free water fountains (they're everywhere) or get free ice water from the counter-service places.
Snacks -- My kids are 7 and 10, and they don't need to snack between meals. Truth be told, any kid past the toddler age doesn't NEED to snack as long as he's eating good meals.
Autograph books -- My kids got tired of that about the second day -- about the time they realized that they were tired of wearing their fanny packs.

Mrs. Pete - are you sure we aren't related. These are my thoughts exactly!

 

[cslittle999]

Sorry if this has been answered before, but a search could not return the answer I needed.

We do plan on taking a backpack into the parks. My question is, what do you do with the backpack while on rides?
Do you bring it on the rides with you, or is there a designated place at each ride to leave it while riding?

Thanks in advance. First visit in 9 days!!!

You take off the backpack and bring it on the ride with you. Typically you put it on the floor between your legs. If it's a faster ride then stick your leg through the straps so that the backpack won't go flying.

 

[G00fyDad]

We plan to take one backpack. In that we will have 4 bottles of water and quite a few single serving packs of powder Crystal Light. (mix one per bottle of water and you have a bottle of Crystal Light.) We also want it for anything we dont necessarily want to carry around. We will keep it under the stroller unless we all go on a ride together. This way, if we need to grab everything in a hurry to get on a ride or something we can. We are a family of 4 and one pack will be enough. Well, that and DW and DD's Disney fanny packs.

 

[calena]

We are a family of five and took one backpack and four fanny packs. One for mom and each of the kids. Each fanny pack had a bottle of water and a granola bar for each child. The older ones had an autograph book and a pen too.
In my fanny pack I had water, SMALL wallet with ID, credit card, cash, lipstick and my camera.
I had a backpack with more water, box of crackers, sunscreen. We also rented a stroller some days and would leave the backpack in the stroller... nice big bag. There are lockers and we used them at times too, but did not like going back to the front of the park for stuff.
This time we will also have the backpack for ponchos/jackets because if you get soaked on rides it just isn't as much fun in Feb/March.

 

[BARBARAAPPLE]

We Went In July And I Carried The Back Pack And The Rest Of The Group Carried Fanny Packs With There On Stuff!!!!

 

[gigi1313]

i have a tote bag that i like much more than a backpack... it kinda slings over my shoulders and i carry "everything" in it (although everything is not much! LOL! but the bag holds a ton should we pick things up along our way)

the one thing that i bought and LOVED and would recommend in a heartbeat are "sp'wipes" which are sunscreen filled wipes (think baby wipes but w/sunscreen in them) and they are light, easy to carry, one large does our arms/faces (four of us) and a small does just our faces... and they don't make a mess, never need to worry about spilling or leaking! i bought them online as i have never seen them in a store... http://www.spwipes.com/

 

[Reflection]

We don't carry anything. My daughter and I have the plastic containers that hang from your neck. These can be purchased from Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach. My container is large enough to hold driver's license, room key, admission media, credit card. I attach car keys to the strap. I keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer in my pocket. I definitely of the 'travel light brigade.'

 

[paulish]

i am sorry--i may be cheap--but that is alright.
we are a family of 4--2 a& 2 c. we go in aug. and lord knows it is realllllly hot.
i am not going to pay $3 for a water or soda every time we need a drink--which is constant.
we pack about 6 bottles and freezer them overnight in the resort and then when we need a drink they are refreshing.
i also pack granola/pretzels/fruit.
we usually get 2 lunches and split and always eat a great dinner.
what i do is buy a cheap umbrella stroller $20 and put the backpack in the seat. this way i am never carrying this heavy bag.
we have the strooler week long and works out at every park. dh wears the fannypack for keeping money and camera, though.

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

We found the water in the fountains to be quite acceptable, and didn't touch the snacks we'd brought - buying only one Mickey bar just for the experience! I have to admit, I was rather annoyed at having spent money on a large fanny pack and all those snacks to have both go to waste, but then again not having to carry so much is a decent trade-off.

 

[G00fyDad]

i am sorry--i may be cheap--but that is alright.
we are a family of 4--2 a& 2 c. we go in aug. and lord knows it is realllllly hot.
i am not going to pay $3 for a water or soda every time we need a drink--which is constant.
we pack about 6 bottles and freezer them overnight in the resort and then when we need a drink they are refreshing.
i also pack granola/pretzels/fruit.
we usually get 2 lunches and split and always eat a great dinner.
what i do is buy a cheap umbrella stroller $20 and put the backpack in the seat. this way i am never carrying this heavy bag.
we have the strooler week long and works out at every park. dh wears the fannypack for keeping money and camera, though.

Thats not being cheap. It would if you didnt let the kids get snacks at least a couple of times during the trip. But we plan on taking a six pack of water and quite a few single serving size packs of powder Crystal Light to mix it in the water. Instant Crystal Light. We'll be taking snacks too. That is only of we can get them into the World past the "Border Guards" at the gate.

 

[powellrj]

I will carry a passporter lanyer and a fanny pack, and thats all we take to the parks with us. The fanny pack holds camera, sunscreen and cell phone and the passporter will hold tickets and money. We don't mind the waterfountains and we never really snack, we will eat breakfast in the room and lunch at the parks so we really never eat snacks. I hate having all the "stuff" to drag around the parks with us. I like to travel light!