Things you NEED in the parks

[JennyDrake]

All of you who don't take phones in the parks...do you remember your FP and ADR times and reservation numbers (just in case) or write them on something to carry with you?

I write down (just) the ones I have for that day on a small piece of paper and tuck it into my pocket.

 

[tink9702]

me: chapstick, sunscreen, water bottle, id, 1 credit card, phone, camera & poncho if weather calls for it. I apply the body glide prior to leaving and don't need to re-apply typically.

for my kids: a change of clothes if not fully potty trained or recently potty trained (finally won't need this anymore!!!!), autograph book & sharpie


PS: we also carry an epi-pen & Benadryl tablets because DS has a peanut & tree nut allergy.

 

[soccer mom]

Regarding a driver's license, back in the olden days before magic bands, we had trouble getting into a park on two occasions with our room keys. They straightened everything out at customer relations but they asked us for ID and we didn't have any. Also for some reason on one occasion, the disney store asked for ID when I used my disney visa to get the discount. We decided it was probably a good idea to carry ID. And we are old and if we croak on mission space, at least they will know who died.

 

[Magpie]

Like many others, we are currently minimalists. One of us will have a phone, in case of emergencies at home. ID. Magicbands. A credit card or a little cash.

If our teens are with us, everyone carries a phone so we can split up and get back together easily.

When our kids were little, of course, we carried a lot more. Everything from snacks to safety pins. It's so nice being able to bypass bag check these days!

 

[alliecat523]

Sunscreen, band aids, cc, hat, Advil.

As for the chill towels, at home we put them in a ziplock with a little water and lots of ice when we're headed out for a long day in the sun. That seems to work really well.

 

[crostorfer]

I used to bring all kinds of stuff. Over the years, my bag has gotten lighter and lighter. I don't like waiting in line at bag check, especially at rope drop. It can add 45 minutes to your morning. If I do bring a bag now, I just carry sunscreen and a portable phone charger. If it rains we just pick up Disney ponchos. We also always wear hats now. 1. It keeps the harsh sun off of your face. 2. If it does rain more than a sprinkle, those ponchos don't keep the rain off of your face, which is miserable for a lot of people. We were much happier with the ballcap/poncho combination. We just buy snacks and a lot of bottles of water. Expensive, yes, but I don't like lugging around full water bottles.

 

[ammag]

Lol if we croak on mission space!!!! Very practical

Sunblock
Tide stain stick
Band aid brand body glide type stick
Small moleskin and two band aids
Medications (RX, a chewable childrens Tylenol tab in taste of headaches)
Powder and lipstick for me
Hair elastics (2)
Camera
Phones
Small wallet with just ID and one card
For kids: 2 autograph books, two penny MnM containers and their penny books
My daughters pin lanyard, she likes to wear it I don't actually have to carry
Waters
A few snacks like a small bag of crackers or a dried fruit bar for kids
If needed: kids flip flops for water play, they usually wear sneakers in park
Baby wipes, small pkg.
If needed: ponchos
For ECV: shower curtain for rain cover

 

[ZephyrHawk]

You can get aspirin for free at first aid stations.

Yes, you can.....at the aid station on the other side of the park....when its 1,000 degrees out...and you have just gotten off a ride with the world's worst headache.

Or just carry some aspirin. It's worth it.

 

[JennyMP03]

A small handheld fan from the camping section at Target or Wal-Mart. About 3-5 dollars, and ours have lasted for years and years. They fit neatly into my little bag and are an immense relief when standing in a hot line. I always think the fans they sell in the park look so huge and cumbersome.

 

[ShinyRedGloss]

Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Lip balm with spf
Hat
Cellphone (for pictures)
Magic Band
ID
Hand Sanitizer

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

a small bag to hold the following:
a pared down wallet with only essentials as many have already listed (money, cc, id, atm card if needed, some cash).
magic band or ticket
sunblock
chapstick/lip stuff
tissues
mirror
gum
sunglasses/case
camera/phone
aleve
any notes I need for the day
pen
couple trader pins sometimes

 

[bluezy]

Yes, you can.....at the aid station on the other side of the park....when its 1,000 degrees out...and you have just gotten off a ride with the world's worst headache.

Or just carry some aspirin. It's worth it.

Or go to the nearest gift shop and buy a single-dose packet. Not worth it to me to carry anything I won't need 99% of the time we're in a park. On the off chance I need it, I'll buy it if we're not near the first aid station or don't feel like walking to it. Now, if I get up in the morning and have a headache, I'll throw extra pain relievers in a ziploc bag and stick it in my pocket in case I need another dose -- but I won't carry them with me "just in case". The less stuff in my pockets, the better.

 

[chicagogrl]

Sunblock
Rain jacket
Phone
ID
Hand gel
Water bottle

 

[aVASTGrl]

hand sanitizer
hand sanitizer
phone (for MDE)
gum
chapstick
did I mention hand sanitizer?

 

[chartle]

I'm having trouble understanding some minimalists here. It almost sounds like a game trying to take the absolute least amount of stuff to a park.

You have to balance the likely hood of needing something, always need Ibuprofen after certain rides, with how hard, expensive, inconvenient it is to get those items in the parks.

But it can go crazy, someone found a list of things needed and took everything including a small screw driver to change the batteries in some toy they may buy.

 

[BudgieMama]

Sun cream. I can burn in minutes. I carry a spare tube of factor 50 wherever I go in the summer!

 

[nkereina]

Ooo I forgot about body glide. My husband gets terrible chaffing from walking all day!
Is the moleskin for shoes? Where do you buy it

Moleskin is supposed to go on shoes, but I think most people put it right on their skin where it's rubbing. It can be found at any drug store, usually in the area where shoe inserts/sprays are found. Some places may have it near the bandaids even.

For in the parks, we try to bring as little as possible to avoid bag check and just so we're more comfortable walking around. We do take mid-day breaks, so I do have some of the mentioned items in the room in case we need them.

 

[missnic]

I'm having trouble understanding some minimalists here. It almost sounds like a game trying to take the absolute least amount of stuff to a park.

You have to balance the likely hood of needing something, always need Ibuprofen after certain rides, with how hard, expensive, inconvenient it is to get those items in the parks.

But it can go crazy, someone found a list of things needed and took everything including a small screw driver to change the batteries in some toy they may buy.

For us, it was trial and error figuring out what we actually needed, and didn't. Luckily, we've been able to go often enough and that was an option for us. We do still have days that we take a small bag - DH likes the SoM game, and the cards don't do well in a pocket. On really hot/long days, we'll bring a FroggTogg towel. And sometimes on party days we'll bring a change of clothes and get a locker. It's just so much easier and more convenient to not have to keep up with a bag all day. I don't think we've ever come across something that we needed but didn't have or couldn't get easily. Of course, YMMV on that since everyone's needs/styles are different.


I did have to go buy a roll of Tums and a ginger ale at the Poly gift shop once, though, but that was my own (and Trader Sam's) fault though..

 

[bluezy]

I'm having trouble understanding some minimalists here. It almost sounds like a game trying to take the absolute least amount of stuff to a park.

You have to balance the likely hood of needing something, always need Ibuprofen after certain rides, with how hard, expensive, inconvenient it is to get those items in the parks.

But it can go crazy, someone found a list of things needed and took everything including a small screw driver to change the batteries in some toy they may buy.

It's not a game for me, just simply a reality. After numerous trips of carrying a crossbody bag containing everything we could potentially need in the parks (including a small screw driver) I realized we *never* (in 30+ park days) used 99% of what was in that bag. The 1% of the things we used were tickets, credit card, cash, tissues, lip gloss, band-aids (because kids think band-aids fix everything), and a few other small odds and ends -- all of which fit in our pockets or a tiny crossbody bag that fits in a pocket until we're in the park. The only thing I've ever had to buy at the parks were 2 small packs of tissues (paid $1 each for them -- no big deal) when my daughter had a cold and went through the supply I had brought with us faster than I anticipated (I had plenty of travel packs back in the room). Ironically, that happened when I was carrying the big bag of crap around the parks. If we know we'll need something, I don't hesitate to take it with us. Like if the weather forecast calls for hours of rain, we have a small draw-string backpack that holds our good ponchos. I just don't feel the need to carry those around when there's nothing more than the typical afternoon shower in the forecast. I'll keep a cheap rain poncho in my pocket for KRR. When the kids were younger, I had a small bag of toys/games that I would take to the parks in the evenings when we'd return for fireworks shows because I knew we'd be sitting and waiting for an hour or so. If we know we're going to need medication, I'll bring a few individual pills in a ziploc bag but I don't feel the need to carry around bottles of medicine "just in case". I'd rather pay $2 for a travel packet of ibuprofen or pepto at the gift shop if someone needs it. We keep the bottles of meds in the room. I'm not on vacation to "save" money, so I don't have an issue paying for things like that if we need them. And since we've spent over 50 days in the parks in the last 12 years and have only spent $2 on "emergency" supplies, I think we're good.

I realize that going bag free isn't for everyone for many reasons (having young kids/babies is certainly one of them) but I'll bet there are a lot of people lugging a lot of stuff around the parks that never use 90% of what's in their bags. I never realized how "freeing" it would be to go to the parks with just a handful of items rather than my OCD bag of supplies until I tried it. My back and shoulders love it, too!

 

[loves to dive]

I'm having trouble understanding some minimalists here. It almost sounds like a game trying to take the absolute least amount of stuff to a park.

You have to balance the likely hood of needing something, always need Ibuprofen after certain rides, with how hard, expensive, inconvenient it is to get those items in the parks.

But it can go crazy, someone found a list of things needed and took everything including a small screw driver to change the batteries in some toy they may buy.

Like others have mentioned, it's a matter of trial and error. If the kids are older or grown (my case) you find you don't need much and after years of being a pack horse you learn what you really don't need. I usually go in August/Sept. and you are guaranteed rain so some sort of rain protection is always with me, it's either a cheap poncho that can be folded up and put in a pocket, an umbrella or a decent poncho/raincoat that is still small enough when folded to fit in a small crossbody. I've found with the really strong showers the cheap ponchos are just like having nothing and I don't like walking around wet. If it's not rainy season, I will risk it and just buy one if rain happens but seriously, I don't think I've been there more than 3 days in 30 years it hasn't rained. Like others, I don't like going through bag check, not that I mind standing in line nor am I ever in such a hurry that the time is a big deal, it's just a mind thing. If they made women't cargos with pockets as big as mens I would never carry a bag but alas they don't so a small crossbody is usually my choice (and I'm a sundress kind of gal so no pockets)