Park Bag...what to pack?

[cricket_1_2]

Hi everyone, I've just joined this list. Our family is heading to WDW Sept 23 for 1 week. Can I get some advice on what to pack to take into the parks each day?

I planned on water bottles and small snacks (brought from home). DH doesn't like the idea of lugging this around the park and says I'll be on my own carrying it. Will it be a hassle? What has your experience been with taking items into the park for the day?

Thanks a lot!

 

[daisyduck123]

to the Dis!!

If you're not on the Dining Plan then I think you'll need water & snacks. If you are on the Plan, then my vote would be "leave it all at home".

We've done the Dining Plan for our last 2 trips....this past May & January. The first time we did the Dining Plan, we didn't know any better & packed lots of water & snacks...we didn't use any & literally brought everything back home with us after our 8 day trip.

In May, we knew better & brought no food, water, or snacks. With the Dining Plan, we were never hungry for any snacks.

**It can be a hassle to carry a cooler around unless you have a stroller to put it in. I wouldn't want to do it.

 

[kimmikayb]

small bottles of sun screen
ponchos
lip balm
cameras and extra batteries

it doesn't bother me too much to carry a small bag.

 

[cricket_1_2]

Thanks! We are on the "free" dining plan, but when I thought of the snack credit I was thinking we would need 2 per person a day. I was thinking of a nice big breakfast and table service for dinners!

I might have to carry in a small bag for the essentials....water, bandaids and sunscreen.

 

[artsya3]

If baby/little one need: sunblock, diapers, wipes, formula/drinks hat or blanket (light) for shade if you add onto the top of the stroller


If kid : need money, and a poncho
Adult : need kids (just kidding)
I remember packing like a lot the first day or two last year..

but my bag kept getting smaller each time..

If you go on rides you really don't wish to have much with you, I guess in that respect its good my SMM doesnt' go on much rides and stays with the baby complaining on the sidelines.. hehe

Really !!

Find out your camera/digital *extra batteries, memory, whatever it needs, , I remember buying memory inside the park! So if ya forget something , they have a lot... Although pricey its there and for what it was wasnt' too bad at that.

I think packing is a personal taste thing..

First there are the Basic , more advanced, complex or customized packing

Example: for clothes:

If your there 5 days,,, Maybe essential basics are
5 socks, 5 underwear, 2 pants/jeans, 3 shorts, a dress/skirt, 5 tops (short) one long top, one fancy for skirt if needed, bathing suit, sweater, light jaket and done!!
more to that would be few extra socks and underwear cause of mis haps or changing or pd.!! 2 sweaters, 2 long shirts,

And then a customized would come in and say well hey I don't mind wearing the same underwear in a week I'll just use this one the whole time hehe so just packe one or two and then say I want to go look flashy and my best more than one night or day so i'll bring three dresses and 2 skirts..

Or like me say I'm not sure what I"m going to wear until I get there so I"ll stick all I like best first in the bag and then shuve all i can into it and make up my mind there..

And same thing with what i needed for the park, NOt sure? go one day with a bunch of stuff you'll think you'll need. then the next day leave what you wont

**ps bring bandaids if ya remember and have kids that like them covering up boo boo's cause mine is like a fanatic and If he gets even a non=bleeding cut he'll want one.. not to say you'll use it, so like that kind of thing keep the next day.. plus if any medication or what have you...

Think I talked/wrote enough for now tc, gl all

few days till my next trip well like 32 thinking of what I can bring too someone put up this site that 'll help you too on nother post i'll post here

http://www.themouseforless.com/downloads/tripdownloads.shtml in the ultimate packing lists, for theme parks then after...

 

[pepe of ohio]

less is better. The more you take the less you seem to use and I've seen alot of people shouldering backpack, sweaty, sleeves rolled to beat the heat from a huge back pack like a pack animal for the whole family. We have always let each person haul their own and when confronted with that idea, articles seem to dwindle down to nothing but if mom or pop was going to be the pack mule then everyone wanted to take the kitchen sink. We have gotten by with a small hip pouch each just for a camera and place for resort ID's. Plenty of water in all the parks, its drinkable and free and we always have a good breakfast before hitting a park, most important meal of the day to me. A pop corn in a park isn't that much so hauling snacks seems to be a waste and leaving it in a locker for a fee never to return to seems a waste also, when you need the bag its way back at the front of the park and you're way in the back. We do the resort return after a few hours in a park when the heat is high and return to a park at sun down. Strolling Disney pack free, shoulders not burning from the weight arms swinging and free is priceless.

 

[english rose 47]

I bought the kids medium backpacks on sale $4. I plan to pack camp towel, raincoat, deodarant, sunscreen, little fan,cameras, change of clothes, tiny first aid kit, water bottles, We will have a stroller for DGS when he gets tired so bags will not be carried hopefully. Can anyone add to my list???I will have a fanny pack for valuables like tickets , money

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I carried two dollar store umbrellas (very lightweigt and compact), snacks, sunscreen, rain ponchos (in a plastic storage bag) and a PassPorter PassPocket in my small backpack/purse. There was a separate place to hold the clutch/wallet in the front of the bag that didn't take up room inside the backpack.

DD had a mini backpack and carried the Brita bottle filled with ice and her autograph book. She even took the wet ponchos at some point because her bag could tolerate the moisture better than mine.

 

[littleladykaty]

I bought the kids medium backpacks on sale $4. I plan to pack camp towel, raincoat, deodarant, sunscreen, little fan,cameras, change of clothes, tiny first aid kit, water bottles, We will have a stroller for DGS when he gets tired so bags will not be carried hopefully. Can anyone add to my list???I will have a fanny pack for valuables like tickets , money

We carry a camp towel too!!! It's great for those sudden soaking rains. You can really dry off...especially your feet if you are in sandals. I hate walking around with squidgy feet! It really is nice to be able to get all the water really dried off of you once you've found shelter!!

Um we also carry our miracool bandanas in case the heat is unbearable...they REALLY help!

 

[RIDisneyFan]

Since you're on the dining plan, I would skip packing snacks. We were on the dining plan last year and had plenty to eat. We usually used our snack credit for ice cream each day, and didn't need anything else. I had packed some snacks from home, and brought them to the parks the first couple of days, but we never ate them. We are going again this Sept , and I plan to pack: a small first aid kit (or at least a couple of bandaids) rain ponchos, sun screen, and a small digital camera. Most of this fits in my fanny pack. My DH uses a wheelchair, so we do put a backpack on the back of his chair, but all we really need the backpack for is the rain ponchos and sometimes our resort mugs - we usually fill them just before we head out to the buses.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

I love our backpack! I feel naked without it.

There's only DH & I, so we put our ponchos in there, hidden Mickey book, camera (if it's raining...otherwise I put it around my neck), a water bottle for each of us, small amount of cash, one credit card. This leaves plenty of room for anything small we buy and our hats to mush up in there if we find we don't need them.

I don't bring snacks for us. I love WDW snacks

 

[tatooed goofy]

I agree with Pepe from Ohio. Less is better.
We only take the camera, film, autograph book, pen, some cash, and a tiny (I emphasize tiny) first aid kit. I keep some money and chapstick but have a clip on sunscreen. I wouldn't go without the backpack. It is a sling across and I love it. Got it at Walmart, too. I have space if we buy something, too. I found my kids won't carry or wear waist packs. We bought them the first time and they only lasted one day. It was too hot for them to wear things. Plus, it didn't really work on the rides. I wouldn't waste money....JMHO. Have fun!!!!!

 

[tatooed goofy]

I agree with Pepe from Ohio. Less is better.
We only take the camera, film, autograph book, pen, some cash, and a tiny (I emphasize tiny) first aid kit. I keep some money and chapstick but have a clip on sunscreen. I wouldn't go without the backpack. It is a sling across and I love it. Got it at Walmart, too. I have space if we buy something, too. I found my kids won't carry or wear waist packs. We bought them the first time and they only lasted one day. It was too hot for them to wear things. Plus, it didn't really work on the rides. I wouldn't waste money....JMHO. Have fun!!!!!

Oh, WELCOME TO THE DIS BOARDS!!!

 

[VAN]

There are a lot of varibles when deciding to take a backpack. We almost always have one even now that the kids are grown and it is just us two.

There are a lot of varibles in deciding to take one. Will you be out from sun-up to after sun-down? If so, you will definitely want one to carry an extra shirt and/or sweatshirt. Agree with ponchos and if rain is forecast, umbrella. Even if you are on the dining plan, carry at least one water that can be refilled at the fountains (I know, I know - the water is awful but it's wet and free). The bag is also good to carry the camera and extra batteries, sunglasses, sun screen, etc for when you are on the rides.

We have a small (what an elementary kid would carry) backpack in a neutral color (black) that either my DH or myself can carry. It really is no big deal and is great for putting those small souveniers in that you may purchase.

If we are going in for just a couple of hours - like late in the day, we won't take one, but definitely for the all-day outings.

Remember that they have bag checks, so keep all the smaller items in a plactic zip-lock bag that can be easily taken out ... makes things a little neater.

Have fun - If your DH WON'T carry the bag at all, make sure he knows that you will not carry anything for him. As the "purse carrier", my DH always thinks I'll take his sunglasses, eye drops, etc when he is done with them!!! Ha! Not if he won't take a turn with the bag!!!

 

[Mickey&Donald]

I just purchased a vinyl backpack from eBay with Mickeys all over it for our upcoming trip -- last time we used a Jansport canvas bag and water got inside on the wet rides. For a typical day in the parks, we carry:

- wallets (keep our ADRs with confirmation #s in there)
- sunglasses
- 2 bottles water
- guidebooks (last time was Birnbaums, this time will be Hidden Mickeys)
- cell phones
- digital camera
- extra batteries and memory for camera
- DH's contact solution, contact case and glasses just in case contacts get uncomfortable/lost
- sunscreen and chapstick with SPF
- lightweight long sleeved shirts for evening (especially for me, I get the chills when the temp is below 70 yes, I *did* grow up in California.. )

We keep it pretty simple, though this time I think we'll also include a washcloth in a Ziploc bag to wet at drinking fountains to keep cool.

We share the carrying of the bag, but we still like to keep it lightweight.

 

[vhoffman]

Well, I used to carry stuff like the lists here. My best day ever at Disney I took myself and my Visa Card! Actually, I had a small waist pack, with my cc's, driver's license, room card, some cash and coins, packet of tissues, small brush, cell phone, pencil and small notebook. I did great!

 

[tlovesdis]

I haven't been to Disney World, but I go to Disneyland often. I always have a backpack and here's what's in it!

small first aid kit (bandaids, asprin, etc...)
bottle of water
lip balm
cash and credit cards
camera
my contact case and glasses (in case something happens to my contacts)
coin purse (I seem to collect a lot of change)

 

[deekaypee]

My DH and I try to travel light, balancing between ensuring our carrying comfort and providing solutions for foreeseable problems (thirst, hunger, sunburn, aches and pains). We follow a LCD (least-common denominator) decision-making process for packing, meaning that the person who wants to have the lightest load or feel the least encumbered gets to call a stop to the packing. That said, I tend to want to pack a bit more than DH does and I do try to convince my DH that the items I lobby for are practical based on two things: 1) less time spent in lines to 2) buy things we have available in the hotel.

- Both of us: we carry small card cases with a driver's license, credit cards, cash, tickets. We leave extra wallet materials and the wallets in a hotel safe.
- On DH's belt: digital camera case, with camera, extra memory card and batteries. (gets stored in pack for certain rides)
- We both wear hats.

We carry a insulated lunch box (10 1/2"H x 8 1/2"W x 6 1/2"D) because it keeps things cool. It doesn't have a lot of interior compartments, but the trade-off for cool drinks/snacks is worth it to us, at least during the summer. We carry the following in it:

-an ice pack or two, depending on the other items
-one water bottle; we carry the other (and fill both with Disney's CS ice, free and tastes better than fountain water)
-a couple of snacks if we're not eating DDP or are in DLR (Powerbars or Luna bars, carrot/celery sticks, mini-boxes of raisins or snack-size peanuts. We try to force ourselves to eat healthier than Disney smells encourage!)
-sunglasses, sunscreen and lip balm with SPF
-touring plans (Ridemax and Hidden Mickeys)
-small moleskin journal and pen (with ADRs, phone numbers, addresses for postcards, postcard stamps. We also use it to take TR notes during lunch and/or in lines)
-pillbox with aspirin & breath mints (other folks carry gum, which isn't sold in the parks)
- moleskin
-Handi-wipes for lunch and a couple of facial cleansing cloths (for peak season, when I get hot and sticky)
-disposable ponchos ($.89 kind) for rainy season or if we're going on water rides & don't want to get wet

We don't have a cell phone--we're holding out, perhaps the last in America to do so!

 

[masters58]

in my bag, I brought:

Digital camera
antibacterial hand gel
pack of Huggies wipes (best thing ever! lots of melting ice cream to wipe up)
gum
tissues
little packs of crystal lite, koolaid
sunglasses and case
washcloth in ziplock to cool kids off

the kids each took in their fanny pack:

autograph book
pen to sign book
penny press book
Epcot passport (to get signed at the different countries)
hand gel

We each had our own water bottle and also took ponchos for those afternoon showers

 

[KatieIsSoPR]

Water bottles are good, sun screen, all the junk you know you need, but also, a little umbrella comes in handy, a few plastic baggies (if you go on any water rides, you can put your camera/cell phone in them to keep them dry!), a damp wash cloth in a plastic baggie, a cool wipedown feels good on a hot day, and will cool down little ones who may not be feeling well in all the heat. Also the little fans you can get at walmart for like, a dollar work REALLY well. hmmm...I wouldn't bring any odd-shaped bags though, they won't fit well on all the rides.