What do you carry all your “Stuff” in when you’re at the parks?

[DVCjj]

Backpack
Smallish Purse

I want my 'stuff'.

 

[Louis morrell]

Wallet in my pocket and throwaway poncho in my sock. Band aids, lens wipes etc in my phone case.

 

[MamaMermaid]

Fannypack.

 

[skittles67]

Boutique Backpack from Thirty-One. It has two outside pockets, and I usually keep my phone in one of the pockets. I put my refillable water bottle, a small wallet, and a small pouch with band-aids, Chapstick, ibuprofen/acetaminophen, eye drops, and hand sanitizer. If the weather is calling for rain (it's Florida, so almost always) I'll throw in an umbrella or poncho. Somehow I always end up with my husbands reading glasses, lol. They start out in his pocket but by mid day/evening they are in my backpack.

 

[acarsme123]

Ideally I’l like to carry NOTHING, but as I’m putting my list together, it’s not looking possible. Looks like I’ll need:
- park pass (although I have a magic band from 2019, but I’m the only one in my group who does, I’m not sure that matters)
- room key (staying at SoG, so if I do use my band the room key won’t link)
- credit card (all 3 in a small wallet)
- cell phone
- battery charger & cable
- sunglasses & reading glasses
- rain ponchos (going first week of Dec, rain always a possibility)
- small bottle of OTC meds

Trying to decide if it would be better to have a small backpack, a drawstring backpack or a medium size crossbody bag.

Traveling with 3 kidults (over age 18) so they will be carrying their own stuff.

What do you use?

Backpack. Sometimes we carry a full size one, but we also have a mini one sometimes we can get away with.

 

[kwdw]

For what you LIST - a fanny pack for me as the phone charger rules out "just my pockets".

BUT - you said DECEMBER - and that's when it gets dicey in terms of what you need during the day.

I'd probably opt for a small drawstring backpack that time of year - so I would have a place to shove the "extra layer" I might need in the morning or at night. Though - sometimes I know the weather differential is going to be so large during the day that I rent a locker to store clothing changes/layers if I have a long day planned. I can tie a sweatshirt around my waist all day, but sometimes if I am taking just a lightweight long sleeve shirt, I like to be able to fit it into the small drawstring backpack. You can also tie a layer to a cross-body purse - but for me - that means the shirt ends up on the floor too often for my tastes.

I wouldn't go with a real backpack - or you may become the packhorse for the group even though you said everyone can carry their own stuff.

But if you have a bunch folks who are going to whine about the temp changes over the course of the day - you may need a plan for if everyone is going to carry clothing layers themselves or rent a locker or if someone willing to carry the bigger bag to hold stuff.

Note - every single trip - I have ALL of these options with me and it varies what I carry each day: cargo shorts/pants, fanny pack, small drawstring backpack, cross-body bag (mine is always "smaller"), and full size backpack. I vary what I use based on the plan for the day and what my needs will be that day.

 

[TCRAIG]

Cargo capris in the summer - cargo jeans in the winter…I have a little wallet that hangs off my lanyard for CC, AP, DVC etc…phone in 1 leg pocket - little charger and pack of wipes in the other - if it looks like rain or cooler weather - tie jacket or sweatshirt around my waist…my glasses are photosensitive so no need for multiple pairs…hair in a ponytail with baseball cap…if I need more than that - I give it to my husband to carry in his pockets.

 

[disneyseniors]

OP:

Ideally I’l like to carry NOTHING, but as I’m putting my list together, it’s not looking possible. Looks like I’ll need:
- park pass (although I have a magic band from 2019, but I’m the only one in my group who does, I’m not sure that matters)
- room key (staying at SoG, so if I do use my band the room key won’t link)
- credit card (all 3 in a small wallet)
- cell phone
- battery charger & cable
- sunglasses & reading glasses
- rain ponchos (going first week of Dec, rain always a possibility)
- small bottle of OTC meds

Trying to decide if it would be better to have a small backpack, a drawstring backpack or a medium size crossbody bag.

Traveling with 3 kidults (over age 18) so they will be carrying their own stuff.

What do you use?

We started going "minimal" a while ago and love it. But we don't have little ones to keep up with anymore, and that makes a big difference in what you can do without.
My husband wears pants with lots of pockets, so he carries a credit card, some cash, our little container of daily meds, our ID's, and that's it. I get to carry Nothing! Honestly we don't miss carrying alot with us. We don't seem to need anything else. If we are thirsty, we buy a drink - same with snacks. His pockets can carry a small foldable umbrella and our ponchos if needed.
We have an old flip phone, so no phone in the parks for us.
I love this so much; yea for pocket slacks, LOL! It's so freeing to know that you don't need alot of "stuff", but everyone is different. We are just lucky not to need much.

 

[Newbie500]

Full size backpack which serves as my "security blanket" because it has everything in it for our party of 3.

Water bottles, cell phone chargers and cables, hand towels, snacks, sweatshirts, ponchos, sunglasses, napkins, and room for merch bought in the parks!

 

[01Sweetpea]

Thanks everyone… looks like backpack is the winner!!
I never thought of sweatshirt, definitely going to need to add that AND hand sanitizer to the list.

 

[NavyDad]

Ideally I’l like to carry NOTHING, but as I’m putting my list together, it’s not looking possible. Looks like I’ll need:
- park pass (although I have a magic band from 2019, but I’m the only one in my group who does, I’m not sure that matters)
- room key (staying at SoG, so if I do use my band the room key won’t link)
- credit card (all 3 in a small wallet)
- cell phone
- battery charger & cable
- sunglasses & reading glasses
- rain ponchos (going first week of Dec, rain always a possibility)
- small bottle of OTC meds

Trying to decide if it would be better to have a small backpack, a drawstring backpack or a medium size crossbody bag.

Traveling with 3 kidults (over age 18) so they will be carrying their own stuff.

What do you use?

When our kids were younger we started with a backpack. By the end of many hot days it was filled with all kinds of crap we didn't need and that the kids didn't want to carry. My wife and I would fight over who's turn it was to carry it LOL.

Once the kids were a little older we started telling them that anything they wanted to bring or buy they had to carry themselves. All of the sudden, they didn't need anything anymore. If they did want to bring something in we brought some of those free give away drawstring bags for them to use. We stopped bringing a backpack and my wife reserves the prerogative to bring a small cross body purse if she wants.

I bought golf shorts that are almost like athletic short material but have two zipper pockets lower on the legs that are big enough to carry cell phones if needed. I put a small wallet in those pockets as well as anything valuable that I don't want to risk losing. If my wife isn't carrying her cross body purse she gives me these really small bottles for her meds that basically only hold 1 day worth.

Basically, unless my wife needs to bring a small purse, if it doesn't fit in our pockets we don't take it in. That has been an amazing game changer!

 

[disney-inspired]

I have a small crossbody bag that I think I'll replace with something a little more structured. I will have a scooter this time around so using the basket to carry my water bottle and poncho.

 

[Happy_2_B]

One of us uses a pacsafe (theft proof) fanny pack, the other takes a pacsafe backpack for water bottles, battery charger and rain gear/layering. We switch off during the day so one person doesn't get stuck with the backpack- and we only bring one phone to lighten the load. Sometimes we rent a locker for the backpack and just use fanny packs and carry our waters.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I use a crossbody bag since I don't have to take it off during most rides. In my bag generally are:

phone charger (phone is usually in my pocket)
a small squeeze of sun lotion
Small pack of kleenex
single use eye drops (love these - my newest addition)
a 3 chamber pill carrier with Tums, Pepto, Naproxin Sodium
Eyeglass carrier / sunglass carrier (depending on if I have contacts or glasses)
Chapstick
small hand sanitizer

Depending, I may have an odd or end other thing. But those are most of my essentials.

 

[goofyernmost]

95% of the time just in my pockets, but I have used a small back pack if I thought I might need a jacket. There is nothing that I need that I cannot fit in my pockets.

 

[Jennifer S]

I just bought this. Trying to keep it light

 

[RoseGold]

If carrying things is problematic for you, you can always bring a stroller and a bag and just park it somewhere. It’s not like they tag them to a kid or something. Gate checking a stroller on a plane is really easy.

I always wondered why the people with the giant hiking backpacks didn’t just throw them in a stroller.

 

[cjlong88]

The first few visits we always had a small bag with us. We no longer bring a backpack into the parks. Nowadays we always plan to take a midday break to charge our phones, nap, change our shoes, whatever, then head back out. All I need is my magicband on my wrist and a credit card / driver's license / chapstick in my pockets. Usually wear the all in motion athletic shorts with zipper pockets so I don't have to worry about stuff falling out

 

[Caseheidi]

I use to try to go without a bag and everything in my pockets, but have found that the bag works best for me. I use a backpack, so that I and DD can store our sweatshirts in it. We find that we need them when the sun goes down, and are use to dressing in layers as we live in the Pacific Northwest. Most of what you list is the same for us, but we also carry sunscreen (sun is much more intense down there then at home), lip balm and a bottle of water (frozen at start of day). We tend to have one bag between the three of us, and take turns carring it, so not too bad.

 

[Boopuff]

I’m the family Sherpa. For years I’d carry the small Vera Bradley backpack, back when we went in the summer, we found the quilted nature of the pack worked pretty good as a cooler. I’m a “we may need this..” so I probably carry way more than necessary. I always have water, sunscreen, wipes, sanitizer, poncho…. I know I need to downsize. Maybe next trip