what baggage do you take with you into the parks??

[alicia1506]

in my attempts to research & take less luggage on our next trip, i am looking to minimise the baggage we take into the parks with us.

last year, we used a small crossbody messenger bag, and we each had a lanyard with holder for kttw cards/tickets etc.

in the messenger bag we originally had:

wallet
spare money
passports
camera & case & spare battery/sd cards

what ended up in the bag by the end of the day was:
my wallet, carlo's wallet, trina's wallet
my camera, carlo's camera, trina's camera + cases & sd cards
spare money
passports
stuff we'd bought throughout the day
a build a bear

by the end of the day, i was loaded down with everyone else's stuff and it got quite awkward to carry around.

i was wondering what kind of bags you use in parks?

do you just take your lanyard + wristlet kind of purse for money/id etc?

a backpack for the whole family?

each person to their own bag with incidentals etc?

please feel free to comment, and for giggles since we haven't done one in ages, i have included a poll

 

[becpee]

We have always gone the backpack, this time though i've seen a small rollup backpack, and I figure the less we can fit into it the better because i'll probably be the one carrying it

In saying that my hunt isn't yet over and I haven't been into a luggage store.
Everybody here knows that a luggage store when you're travelling is like being a kid in a candy store

Like you I am looking to pack light this time around (we all know we'll end up buying at least a bit of stuff...)

 

[deakam]

I have what is called a wallet on a string....small wallet size purse---I also have a tote---just in case--for rain poncho or water bottle if it is super hot...both are water proof for wet rides or rainy days. I travel with adults---so I only carry my stuff....

 

[Andona]

I have a small crossbody bag, it fits my video camera, my phone, a small water bottle and a small wallet. Also a couple of little battery-operated misting fans for DS and myself.

DH takes a small backpack - he gets to carry around our rain gear as well as his camera, wallet etc

DS just has a water bottle hung on a lanyard which he used to wear cross body - he's probably too big for that now unless I can find one that fits him. (note to self - more pre-trip shopping to do)

This time I also have lanyards to put our KTTW cards in and our MNSSHP tickets.

Andona

 

[BigDisneyOE]

Oh tell me about these KTTW lanyards please. Are they ones with normal clip at the bottom and you hole punch the card or something different.

We were talking on this very subject (park packing) last night as we don't know what to do. We have a big camera with three lenses and we use them all. I'll need some water bottles of the kids, spare clothes for the kids (sadly we can't avoid these items) and wallets etc. I don't want to lug around a day pack. Ideas?

 

[Travel Mum]

For our family of five, we took one back pack but I wouldn't call it large. It was my Kathmandu day pack that I also take on the plane with me. DH or I would take turns carrying it and it is very comfortable to wear. I had our KTTW cards in a lanyard around neck which makes it easy for getting Fastpasses

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I take my fabulously comfortable cross body messenger bag, see it here:- http://www.strandbags.com.au/handbags/hedgren-inner-city-x/body/3074621.

I cannot rave about this bag enough. I have taken it on our last 3 overseas trips and numerous domestic holidays. It is like a "tardis". I can fit a little or alot in this baby.

And did I mention comfortable, wowsers. Pockets in all the right places and it's on sale. I paid $110 but Strand have got it for $89 at the moment.

You can throw it into the washing machine, it's incredibly lightweight. I should buy shares in the company for the rave I'm giving this thing but I truly cannot recommend it enough.

In my bag I carry, purse, spare lens, handwash, wipes, tissues, 2 spare lightweight folded backpacks for kids jumpers so that they can pop them on their back rather than me carry them, lip balm, spare camera batter and SD cards, that's all I can think of for now. I wear my DSLR over my shoulder for easy access.

I carry our KTTW tickets and fastpasses in a landyard around my neck. I don't trust the family to be in charge of theirs .

My DH wears a small slazenger backpack that doubles as our DS's carry on. In that we have 2 bottles of water, video camera, sunscreen, chamois, 1 or 2 snacks, I think that's all I can think of for now.

 

[australiankaren]

just for a water bottle , camera, small zip lock bag of medication (chap stick, bandaids, neurophen, etc) and maybe our ponchos .....DH carries it most of the time...its light weight and easily washed if any spillage or staining happens...

because we drive to most of the parks we tend to leave stuff in the car, or buy as we need stuff

and lanyards with KTTW and a small amount of cash.. $10 or so for drinks

 

[Andona]

I take my fabulously comfortable cross body messenger bag, see it here:- http://www.strandbags.com.au/handbags/hedgren-inner-city-x/body/3074621.

I cannot rave about this bag enough.

Shuttergirl, I'm starting to think we were twins in another life..at least when it comes to bags/luggage

Not only do we share an obsession with Eagle Creek but I also love my Hedgren Inner City Bag - (only mine is the small version) http://www.strandbags.com.au/handbags/hedgren-inner-city-sml-x/body/3011573

I wish they had your one in a beige colour though - I wanted to buy a slighty larger version of mine for this trip in beige. I found an alternative brand which seem fine but I'd love to have had another Hedgren...

Andona

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Andona - you crack me up .

 

[BecBennett]

I take my little Mickey backpack.

That's it on my back.

My sister got it for me from Jay Jays a couple of years back.

There's only 2 of us, so most of the space is taken up by my camera and maybe a spare lens.

However it starts to get annoying when DH starts asking me to make room for his jumper and wallet and phone etc. etc.

 

[australiankaren]

aladdin area ???? outside the ride???

oh dear

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I was just thinking the same think Karen

 

[battymum]

Nope! Pretty sure it was in TDL!

 

[Bonniec]

I always tell my friends that if you don't have small kids (i.e. need diapers and such), don't carry squat into the parks.

I carry a wristlet wallet that I got from Animal Kingdom. It holds my key and money and fits into my pocket so I don't have to go through bag check. I also carry my cell phone and a zip lock baggie to keep the phone from getting wet. That's it. Not even a water bottle. I just get the free water from the vendors.

 

[mindy32]

Great question, I've got no idea what I'm going to take on our trip other than my suitcase! On our Europe trip I just took a big tote bag which was great for sitting under my feet on the bus (Contiki tour), and easy to carry on the plane. But I also had a small messenger style bag for taking out day to day. Thinking maybe similar again but not really sure!

 

[alicia1506]

these answers are great, and really helpful.

last trip i encouraged everyone to take a small bag with them. wallet/camera/sunscreen etc each, that way when we got separated, we would all still have our stuff with us.

it ended up that the others said they didn't need a bag, they would just take a wristlet/wallet plus lanyard with kttw cards etc and carry their camera via wristlet etc.

in the end, it all ended up in my bag, plus sweaters they took off, plus purchases etc and when we met up after being separated, we had to do another round of the park to buy various items they wanted to buy but couldn't cause their money was in my bag so much time wasted that could have otherwise been spent on rides etc.

this time i am strongly insisting on a small messenger style bag (mine is similar to andona's hedgren, but a cheapo version) for each person, even if it is mostly empty and just to hold a camera, money and sunscreen etc.

the other thing about our travel party is that we are all adults and often go off on our separate ways. we are family members, but not a family unit, so that usually means more luggage, different sleeping arrangements (one bed each), 4 x cameras on the trip etc. it also means that each person carries their own money for souvenirs/purchases, no joint gift cards or credit cards etc, so we can't do just one bag for the whole group as it just doesn't work logistically

 

[CandiceH]

The last time we were there, my FiL brought a small bag like the pink adidas one shown in a previous post. . .and we did use it. I'm glad we had it. Our family will not be splitting up.. . so only one, maybe two would be needed. but I found the perfect bag on LL bean website, it's a quite small messenger bag that is crossbody. it should be quite water resistant which is important to us. and I will NOT take it off. we ended up forgetting lots of small stuff on rides that wasn't in the bag we had. . and once we forgot the BAG on star tours since it had to be stowed under the seat. This one is small enough to not need to take off, it will hold one or two small cameras, phone, cards, money, etc. it won't hold purchases though, unless they are very small. . .but we tend to do that type of shopping at the end of the day or we use the delivery service that sends it to the hotel. A small clip on sunscreen and we will be all set.

 

[australiankaren]

The last time we were there, my FiL brought a small bag like the pink adidas one shown in a previous post. . .and we did use it. I'm glad we had it. Our family will not be splitting up.. . so only one, maybe two would be needed. but I found the perfect bag on LL bean website, it's a quite small messenger bag that is crossbody. it should be quite water resistant which is important to us. and I will NOT take it off. we ended up forgetting lots of small stuff on rides that wasn't in the bag we had. . and once we forgot the BAG on star tours since it had to be stowed under the seat. This one is small enough to not need to take off, it will hold one or two small cameras, phone, cards, money, etc. it won't hold purchases though, unless they are very small. . .but we tend to do that type of shopping at the end of the day or we use the delivery service that sends it to the hotel. A small clip on sunscreen and we will be all set.

yep, we clip on the sunscreen as well....awesome cancer council one...sorted!

 

[BecBennett]

aladdin area ???? outside the ride???

oh dear

I was just thinking the same think Karen

Nope! Pretty sure it was in TDL!

It is in TDL! but yes it technically is in the Aladdin area, but I don't think it's outside any rides