What do you carry to the park?

[keptwoman]

We are coming to Disneyland for our second visit. The last time we had a stroller and used it to carry our snacks and water bottles and sweaters for the evening. This time our short people are much more grown up and we will have no stroller to be our packhorse.

Can you take small backpacks on the rides? Or only fanny packs (we call them bum bags LOL)?

And if you have an SLR how do you cart that on the rides?

Thanks so much in advance.

 

[Kayla's Mom]

We carry regular sized backpacks on rides all of the time.

 

[PigletGurl]

fanny pack

and this year im going to buy a small eeyore bag

 

[LV Disney Fan(atic)]

We've always taken a regular backpack on previous trips with no problems. But in June I'm finally going to try the Baggalini (sp?) messenger bag so many DISers have recommended.

 

[Kittyskyfish]

We use the lockers on Main Street to stow our extra stuff. It's $7 I think and worth the cost of not having the extra weight on me all day long.

All I carry on my person is my camera, pillbox of assorted analgesics and antacids (stinks being an adult), wipes and money.

At the locker I keep pullovers, extra socks filled with foot powder, comfy flip flops for Splash Mountain time (no need to get my sneakers wet) and stuff we pick up that day in the park.

 

[CanadianPaco]

A smal back back that is shaped like a sling... ove one shoulder style. We did the fanny thing but it was just not big enough for water bottles!

 

[Husker Mickey]

We take a sling backpack with water, meds, snacks, lip moisture . . . When our kids were little, they took fanny packs along with our sling pack.

 

[Belle Ella]

All I carry with me into the park is what I can fit into my camera bag and occasionally my purse but I usually leave that in the lockers and get my money/ID/cell phone/whatnot into whatever pocket of the camera bag I can.

Depending on the ride my SLR usually goes back into the bag or it stays in my hand so I can pictures on the ride (no flash).

 

[Disney Dreams]

Camera bag or light backpack. Everything else goes in there.

If I am not taking the SLR, everything goes in my fanny pack.

- Dreams

P.S. Welcome to DIS!

 

[wideeyedwonder]

Can you take small backpacks on the rides? Or only fanny packs (we call them bum bags LOL)? And if you have an SLR how do you cart that on the rides?

We go twice a year, for 3 days at a stretch, and we've whittled down our mule train to this:

Backpack with:
* Sweaters
* Bottled water
* Compact point-and-shoot camera with video capability
* Sunscreen

Lanyards + pin trading pins

Secure lanyard for carrying passes, room keys, etc.

Phones (for texting other travel party members when we split up)

Traveling light is essential, especially on crowded days, or late in the day when someone needs to be carried on your shoulders.

On most rides, the backpack fits between my legs...on others (Soarin' over California), they let me leave my backpack in an out-of-the-way area until the ride is over.

As far as SLRs go, you can't beat the picture quality...HOWEVER, they are so much of a pain to lug around ALL DAY, and they start getting HEAVY. I usually plan on a half a day of DSLR use, and use the P&S for the rest of the time. You get pretty good photos from modern digital P&Ss, as long as you are taking daylight shots. However, if you are planning any nighttime shots, or want sharp portrait shots with a blurred background, you will have to lug the SLR around with you. If you have a small enough SLR case, and it can fit into the backpack, then it's less of a pain...until you have to dig out the SLR for yet another shot. The take-home from this is to use the P&S as much as possible (including for 10-20 seconds of video).

 

[peppermint]

We usually just have a fanny pack with P&S camera, money, cc, tix, and lip balm. If the weather's quickly changing we put sweaters and ponchos in a locker. I like to travel light.

 

[Mike_M]

Regular sized backpack here. Ususally only pack camera, Cellphone and a hoodie in case it gets chilly. Backpack is nice for stashing souvineers in throughout the day.

 

[pixiewings71]

I have a small sling style bag I carry. In that I keep my small wallet, my cell phone, my P&S camera, lip balm, sunscreen, water bottle, hand sanitizer, extra pins and a bball cap and sunglasses. Of course that stuff varies due to the weather but it's what I usually carry. My girls each have a small backpack, they carry their own autograph books, extra pins, water bottles and sunglasses/hats and DBF carries whatever he can put in his pockets and his pin bag.

 

[mechurchlady]

I have a red messenger bag I won from a cookie company. I carry lots of zipper baggies, paper towels, aspirin, rolaids sometimes, notepad, pen, my person, snack bars, food if I am eating where they do not use gluten free bread.

I once took to Ariel's cornbread and a piece of cherry pie to prove that I could have full meal with bread and a dessert that is not sorbet.

I leave the bag in the ECV but sometimes I have taken it on rides with no problems. Just make sure you secure loose items. A problem for ride operators is that they must send out the rice vehicle at set intervals and it can shut down a ride if the guest has to fiddle with their luggage while riding. Getting into a ride should be in and out fast unless the person is disabled.

I was on Alice in Wonderland ride in the back seat and a lady and her daughter of about 6 to 8 years old was in the front seat. The lady had the video camera, purse, backpack, and camera bag so it was slow loading. Through the whole ride the kid was scared and mommy just kept videotaping. Ride ends and mom wastes time trying to get out because o her luggage then mom walks off the ride and out the exit turnstile. The woman was so busy with her bags and camera that she left her daughter sitting in the ride vehicle. I had to get the kid off the ride.

If you must take bags on the ride do make sure you are not holding up the ride.

 

[Judy from Boise]

I carry as little as possible! I fit it all (including a bottle of water) into my travel/safari/fishing vest, plus use a locker. For pictures i just use my Iphone or photopass.

 

[avalon451]

Every once in awhile there's a thread on here where everybody says what their favorite kind of bag or backpack is. Baggalini messenger bags got mentioned so often that I finally broke down and got one last fall-- loved it! I got it from Bagsbuy.com, on recommendation from a friend. The one I had is here: http://www.bagsbuy.com/baggallini-mes160-messenger-bagg/121602/285133 It's on sale for about $38, but there is a discount code, "SAVE10", which gets you $10.00 off, plus there is free shipping. It's a great bag for that price. Small but surprisingly roomy, lots of pockets and a secure pouch for my water bottle. My favorite is the pocket in the strap that crosses your chest, just the right size to hold your cell phone. So if your phone buzzes while you're walking around in the noisy parks, you can feel it, but it's very secure inside the zippered pouch.

 

[fairykin]

I carry different bags for different trips.. if it's just me or my DH..i carry a little wristlet purse.. if it's me and my Mom.. i carry a shoulder bag....if it's me and the grandchildren... i'll bring a backpack!

Inside wallet, cellphone and bottle of water, maybe a little snack.

 

[mystic_path]

I carry a small sling over the shoulder bag, but other people take fanny packs or bum bags too. I just carry a bag just big enough for some suntan lotion, a bottle of water, some money, and a camera.

The great thing about most rides is that they have a compartment on the front seat, or under your chair for you to store your things in. Its wonderful.

Also if you have kids, they can also carry their own mini backpacks where they can store their own drinks and such.

 

[Luverly]

Wow, why did I never think of a backpack before? I was stressing out about how I was going to bring my camera, wallet, etc.

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

I'm going to be using a Baggallini for the first time this weekend. So far I have a light rain jacket, umbrella, hand sanitizer, wipes, small stick of sun screen, and chap stick in it. I will also carry around my camera, cell phone, one or two water bottles, and whatever else I find to put in there.