Should we all carry a bag for the parks?

[dancebird78]

So, I planned to have a bag (portable charger, poncho, snacks, water, tylenol, band-aids) but is it best that we all have our own bags? Traveling with my husband and 9yr old and 6yr old. I don't want my bag to be too heavy but also don't want the kids leaving their stuff somewhere. What do most families do?

 

[thelittlemermaid2]

My family tried several things when I was younger, including one bag, a few bags, and individual fanny packs. The family favorite is to take two drawstring bags and limit the things we bring as well as we can. We would take turns holding the bags, and they never seemed too heavy, even as a kid!

 

[Hikergirl]

When my kids were younger we didn't really bring a bunch of stuff into the parks so I would carry a bag. I'd throw some $1 store ponchos in it and that is about it. I always have advil in there anyway. We bought snacks and waters, the price paid was worth not having to lug that stuff around IMO. I know not everyone feels that way though.
and if we needed first aid things, we's just ask for what we needed. Never had to do that.



So, if it were me and I was bringing all that stuff, I'd make my kids carry their own in a small backpack or sling bag. I am not a pack mule

 

[loves to dive]

When my son was little, I didn't bring much in either. Just some cash, ID, CC, room key (did't have mbs back in the dark ages) a small ziplock back with some cheezits for him and that was it. I only carried a small cross body. I was a single mom and had enough to keep track of just keeping track of him. He was almost 3 when we started going, no stroller either. If he got too dirty for words, we just went back to the resort and changed or went to the pool for awhile or mommy napped and he watched cartoons. We bought all our meals in the park.

 

[ajwolfe]

We've done it both way, 1 backpack that gets passed around the family or the kids having their own cinch sacks to carry and one of us parents still carrying a small bag with the essentials. Honestly, our whole family prefers for the kiddos to have their own cinch sacks and be in charge of their autograph books, penny collections, lanyards, etc. And usually they decide on certain days they don't want to mess with bringing it and that's cool too.

 

[gorkt]

My husband doesn't carry a bag, but I usually carry one and my kids also end up carrying a drawstring bag.

 

[jvz82]

At my kids' ages I wouldn't expect them to carry bags. I imagine lots of whining lol. When I was a kid I used a fanny pack! I wish those were still in style lol. Although really there's nothing they even need to carry.

My plan is to carry my small purse across my chest with my phone and wallet, and my camera case for my dslr camera. I bought a smallish across chest bag for my husband and I imagine we'll keep snacks, Tylenol, a couple diapers, wipes, portable phone chargers, a bottle of water, and things like that. As light as possible. I will also have some extra clothes in the stroller baskets and maybe extra water bottles, stuff that we don't necessarily need to carry around with us at all times. I'm a light packer by nature but with 4 young kids I definitely need stuff. We can't afford to buy all our snacks so my husband's bag will definitely have a lot of that.

 

[Bob Dolewhip]

I tend to travel with a lot of Stuff in a regular basis so I will likely be the backpack pack mule. I think one bag is easier since you will get into the park faster when you have fewer things for security to look at.

 

[BaymaxForever]

We always bring a small backpack and there are four of us. Mostly because I have to have two bottles of water easily accessible at all times....when we visit it's HOT! My husband and I switch off carrying it. We carry a small wallet, 2 autograph books, very small aid kit, travel size sunscreen, small battery-operated fan, portable phone charger and pennies and quarters for penny press.

 

[kohlby]

We do just one small backpack for our family of 5. We can take turns carrying it. At 9 and under, I don't remember if my kids carried it at all. My eldest was my size - in both height and weight - by the time he was 11 so he was plenty big enough to carry it at 9. But I would have worried he would have left it somewhere and I can enjoy the parks more if I'm not worrying.

 

[mjkacmom]

One bag for our family of 7. The chances of having someone leave a bag on a bench or ride is high.

 

[BaymaxForever]

My husband left our bag by a table at Epcot in Japan and we didn't realize it until 45m minutes later when we getting on the boat in Morroco to take an afternoon break. Tensions were high-I'd already left my homemade Baymax hat at a gift shop that morning (was still there 30 min later).
And it was blazing hot!
It was still in the same spot when we made it back-in the patio seating by the gardens-whew! I joked with my husband - only in Japan!

 

[ScrampShopper]

I typically carry a small backpack with cameras, wallet, bandaids, some snacks, stickers/activities, one diaper, and wipes. Extra clothes and more diapers stay under the stroller. On our last trip we were going to MK for just a couple of hours so I just took my small purse with a diaper and some wipes and my wallet. DD got a small cut on that night and we had to go to 5 different stores before we found a bandaid. I thought buying a bandaid would be easier than going all the way to 1st aid, but we were not so lucky. I did not take shortcuts after that, and took my backpack. I do not allow the kids to carry anything because I don't want them losing stuff.

 

[Allison]

We never carried bags for everyone. For me that would be a pain.

 

[cmarsh31]

One bag - ponchos, sunscreen, granola bars, bandaids, and baby wipes, plus one water bottle. 4 is insanely heavy. We buy and refill as needed. We tried more stuff in the bag but were turning into pack mules and melting in the heat.

 

[nursejackie]

Maybe just the adults carry a bag each? We do this so one adult goes through security line with both bags and the others walk through and get in line for park entry, then I join them.

 

[Mmw37]

I'm a light packer. Kids are little, but one small cross-body bag holds diapers, wipes, a water, wallet, phone, cheap ponchos, a wrap (baby carrier), and a couple of very small toys. I don't carry any more at WDW than I do at home, aside from the ponchos.

 

[monorailsilver]

We all carried a bag our last trip as we were strollerless.

My kids were 12, 9 and 7 (I think). They each had their thermos water bottle, a park map if they wanted, oldest had her phone, middle had his iPod and youngest probably just the park map! DH and I each had a bag, my was a crossover and he used the lightweight back pack. We each had a water as well and he would bring a few extra bottles but we take mid day breaks so having a lot of extra isn't vital.

Mid trip, he carried my youngest water in the back pack. I cRried a few snacks and the camera.

We go in summer when it's hot and no one left their bag.

 

[jeepnjudy]

We carry one backpack and that way none of the kids are misplacing a bag and less whiny at the end of the day!

 

[Julylady]

My girls have always carried their own bags. Our rule is that everyone is responsible for their own stuff. When they were really little, they used little fanny packs. Now as teens they use string bags for jackets/snacks/rain coats and also carry a small crossbody for their phones. When they were really young I would need to make a point of making sure that everyone had all their stuff, but by about age 6 they were responsible and have never left anything behind. They also pack their own bags each morning. If they forget to bring something they do without it. My mother raised us this way and I followed suit.