Since my kids are to old for strollers, can we....

[ruthgator]

bring a small rolling bag into US/ioa? It will have sunscreen, snacks, waters, etc... in it- all the stuff I used to be able to shove in the stroller basket!

Thanks!
Ruth

 

[Metro West]

bring a small rolling bag into US/ioa? It will have sunscreen, snacks, waters, etc... in it- all the stuff I used to be able to shove in the stroller basket!

Thanks!
Ruth

Yes...you can bring in a rolling bag.

 

[Badge]

bring a small rolling bag into US/ioa? It will have sunscreen, snacks, waters, etc... in it- all the stuff I used to be able to shove in the stroller basket!

Thanks!
Ruth

Like Metro said, yes you can bring a small rolling bag. However, keep in mind that some rides do not allow any type of bag onto them (MIB, Mummy, HP FJ to name a few). They do provide free lockers, but the bag may be to big depending on the size which would mean somebody would have to wait with the bag and not ride.

 

[zack123]

If you need a larger locker, you can rent one at the front of either park for about $10 per day. They might be big enough to hold a small rolling bag.

If needed, you could rent a locker, do all of the "hands free" rides together, and then go back and get your bag.

You might also consider leaving the bag with a non-rider or getting a locker for the water rides - on Ripsaw Falls and Bilgerat Barges, you get completely soaked, and may not want to get all of your stuff wet as well.

 

[ruthgator]

So-- are there no 'stroller parking' areas at IOA attractions? I thought that I could bring the wheelie bag around with us in the park, leave it near the strollers and then go 'hands free' on a ride, like FJ... Is this not possible? i'm not worried that someone will steal the bottles of water and sunscreen that will be in the bag... i'll have my cell phone/cash in a zip lock bag in my buttoned cargo shorts pocket.

 

[fairyprincess88]

So-- are there no 'stroller parking' areas at IOA attractions? I thought that I could bring the wheelie bag around with us in the park, leave it near the strollers and then go 'hands free' on a ride, like FJ... Is this not possible? i'm not worried that someone will steal the bottles of water and sunscreen that will be in the bag... i'll have my cell phone/cash in a zip lock bag in my buttoned cargo shorts pocket.

I wouldn't do that despite not being worried about theft. A bag is not the same as a stroller, leaving a bag unattended anywhere is a bad idea as it is very likely to cause major security concerns for the park. There is an extremely good chance that as soon as the bag is spotted it will be called into security as something that could be a threat to public safety in the park. Just not a good idea at all.

 

[ruthgator]

so i guess i need to borrow a stroller and put our stuff in it... sigh...

 

[Badge]

Could you do without the bottles of water/sunscreen?

All the restaurants/counter service lines give out free cups of water, and if you buy one of the big refill mugs, they will fill it full of water for free. Those bottles fit nicely into the free lockers.

As far as sunscreen, just put it on before you go to the parks. If you MUST apply some more during the day, just buy a small little bottle that is travel size that can fit into a pocket. If you use it all during the day, simply refill it with your bigger bottle that you leave in your hotel room.

No idea how old your kids are now, but walking around with a stroller just because you want to bring a lot of things into the park seems a little extreme. If you MUST bring snacks, get small little bags and use a fanny pack to hold them. I can understand needing to bring a lot of things into the park when you have stroller age children, but once they are old enough to walk around the parks without one, they should be old enough to hold their own water bottle or be in charge of a small snack that they put into their pocket.

Like another poster said, do NOT bring a bag and just leave it in the stroller area. That would cause some major issues for security and could even end up getting you tossed out of the park if it causes a big enough issue with them (even if there is nothing bad in it). Not to mention pulling around a bag all day would just seem...odd. I have never witnessed it in a theme park before simply because there does not seem to be enough stuff that you would need to bring with you that you can not fit into a pocket once the kids are big enough to walk around the whole day by themselves.

 

[zack123]

I wouldn't do that despite not being worried about theft. A bag is not the same as a stroller, leaving a bag unattended anywhere is a bad idea as it is very likely to cause major security concerns for the park. There is an extremely good chance that as soon as the bag is spotted it will be called into security as something that could be a threat to public safety in the park. Just not a good idea at all.

I agree with this. I do not know exactly how Universal security would respond, but it most areas like this, where there are large numbers of people present, unattended bags are confiscated by security. Also, considering you'd be leaving it in a stroller area, which is likely right next to an attraction entrance and a place where large numbers of people with small children congregate, people might be very concerned to see an unattended bag there. And if security determines you are the one who left it unattended, regardless of what's in it, who knows what the consequences would be - they may ask you to leave the park.

The previous poster gave some good suggestions. If you're not going to rent a locker, you might think about taking a smaller bag, or not taking a bag at all.

 

[AJA]

Just give it a try with a normal size backpack. You should be able to keep all the essentials and it would be a lot less hassle than rolling a bag around. It will fit in the lockers and not be heavy on your back.

Universal really doesn't require as much packing and planning as Disney.

 

[keishashadow]

bring a small rolling bag into US/ioa? It will have sunscreen, snacks, waters, etc... in it- all the stuff I used to be able to shove in the stroller basket!

Thanks!
Ruth

if kids are old enough to walk in the park, they're old enough to haul their own 'stuff'.

Give them one of those cool string bags, much lighter than a backpack. You'd be surprised how the load lightens each day.

enjoy your trip

 

[Badge]

if kids are old enough to walk in the park, they're old enough to haul their own 'stuff'.

Give them one of those cool string bags, much lighter than a backpack. You'd be surprised how the load lightens each day.

enjoy your trip

Totally agree. Once the kids can walk, they can carry what they want. If they don't want to bring a water bottle, no problem. Like I said in an earlier post, there are a ton of places to get FREE water in the parks.

I like your idea about those string bags! They can hold a few things and are really light. A few little snacks will fit nicely into them and will easily fit into the free lockers on some rides. I really don't see the need to bring a bottle of sun screen. I can't think of a reason to need to apply more during the day. Doesn't most sun screen work for the most of the day? Appling more throughout the day seems pointless. I apply it before I leave for the parks and never get sun burned.

I know you may be used to having a ton of stuff with you when you visit the parks, but know that your kids are old enough, try going without so much stuff. You will enjoy the trip a lot more because you don't have to lug around so much un-needed stuff. When I go to the parks I just have my wallet, cell phone, and a small thing of hand cleaner. Sometimes I bring a camera. Everything fits easily into pockets