What kind of bag do you bring?

[Lkem]

This is the first time I've been to Disneyland WITHOUT a stroller! I'm so excited...but then I think, how will I carry our stuff? My kids are 14, 12, 9, and 7. -So I don't think we need a lot of stuff...but we'll definitely want water bottles and snacks. Does anyone bring a backpack? I have a small cross-over bag...but will probably need my husband to bring a type of bag too...

 

[CateinPhoenix]

My husband carries the backpack with snacks and drinks, I bring a crossbody! Congrats on being stroller free!

 

[mouschievous]

I do one of those one strap backpacks, but we don't have kids. I like it because it's smallish and easy to get one/off, and not as hurty on my shoulders as a cross body bag (which I also have and use regularly, just not there)

 

[Disney_Alli]

My husband uses a small sling bag (currently using one from Thirty-one) and I use one of my Harvey Park Hopper bags as a crossbody most of the time.

 

[tsumgirl]

I use a Loungefly backpack and carry one snack and a reusable water bottle that I refill at the QS locations. I used to carry a regular backpack with me, but it got cumbersome very fast. Since I stay across the street on Harbor, it's much easier to hop back to my hotel to refill supplies if I need to, rather than carry it on my back all day.

 

[KateDrake]

I forgot our stroller last time, so I grabbed a cute Mickey backpack at the Target down on Harbor. I was worried it would seem super bulky and annoying, but it was great! I had to keep stuff like kids sweatshirts, lots of snacks, autograph book, markers, etc. My kids are still fairly young, 11 and 6, so I feel like I'm still packing around a lot of stuff.

 

[Going2DisneyAZ]

I bring a cinch sack. My boys as well. A few water bottles and a hoodie.

I sure hope at 14 and 12 years old those kids are carrying their own stuff.

 

[lalasmama]

We carry a small cross-body bag ("it's a satchel," Hubs says, but I call it his man-purse), and we rent a locker each day. In our satchel is 2 bottles of water, flip flops for water rides, the fuel rod, phones, and maybe a book (sometimes we read a book in line). In the locker are my extra pairs of shoes, sun spray, my water spritzer fan thingy, more bottled water, whatever purchases we may have, extra ears/headbands, sweatshirts/coats.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Yes to the locker -- so handy throughout the day and a total blessing by evening! Yes to having cinch bags or small backpacks for the kids to carry their own water and snacks and, maybe, a light jacket. DH has a sling bag or a backpack. I have a crossbody (lesportsac or Kipling), a convertible mini backpack (Loungefly), or a Dooney -- all depends on the day, the weather, and what we'll be doing in the parks.,

 

[StormyCA]

If I'm staying offsite I bring a Disney Jansport with my necessaries and jacket. That goes in a locker! I carry a small Disney Dooney Crossbody during the day.

 

[Peachy0118]

I'm apparently almost having a different bag for each day this trip, since we will be Disneybounding a bit and hubby keeps buying / finding me bags...

NOT that I'm complaining.

He has an at-at backpack someone gave him years ago (looks like one of those stuffed animals with the legs sticking out) so that's one of the items. I have a cheap Minnie-style mini backpack as another one. A black backpack I'm also crafting to carry the droid I will build. And a C3PO Loungefly bag he just got me for my Dapper Day...
He has a small crossbody bag for one of his Disneybounds and my parents just got him a super loud Mickey fanny pack which he says he will wear the rest of the days.

Since we don't have little kids and do not carry rain ponchos or umbrellas or extra shoes, we just will have a small thing of sunscreen (travel size that I refill), wallets, passports on day 1, ibuprofen, travel size thing of wet wipes, our fuel rod, and phones.

It would be much harder with younger kids.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I got so tired of carrying other people's stuff that for a long time, I only carried a very small cross body purse. Now, I use a Loungefly backpack. It's still too small for a water bottle or a jacket. If I have a lot more stuff (usually don't, but once in a while I bring food or a jacket), I'll use a locker.

Because you have 4 kids, I'd have them use their own sling backpacks with whatever they want.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

My son (10) carries his own sling backpack and I use a travel crossbody purse that converts into a shoulder strap- easier on my back to switch the weight up throughout the day. I’ve found that we never really need as much as I think we will.

 

[Winnowill]

I have an electric blue metallic tote with Maleficent on it that I always bring (prominent in my profile pic). In fact, the one I have now is the second one I've had, since the first wore out. It's lightweight, but roomy. I like it way better than I would a backpack, because I can just reach into it without having to take it off my back, and I can stick our Minnie ears into it easily on ear-eating rides. It's got a pocket near the top for my phone, so that's easy to retrieve, also.

 

[mrp4352]

No kids here, but my brother and sister-in-law have their three girls each carry their own water in a drawstring backpack. They're 12, 14 and 16 now but have been doing it for years.

 

[crystal1313]

So my DH and I usually trade off on carrying a backpack with our camera and snacks for everyone. I also carry a Harveys convertible clutch so I can easily access my phone and wallet. I never take it off, even on attractions. My 12 year old usually wears his Chewie backpack. We don't usually carry a bunch of water around because that gets heavy. We typically bring in one water bottle and refill it to carry with us and then ask for free water at the CS locations or Starbucks. Congrats on being stroller free! It is SO nice to walk around the parks without a stroller =)

 

[mocame]

A few questions about the lockers: Where are the lockers located in each park and how quickly can you get to one if you are at the other end of the park? What is the cost/day? A locker sounds like a good idea but if I'm far away from the lockers, we may not want to keep going back to get things we need. I don't want to carry much but my main concern is needing a jacket or poncho while we are in the parks and not having it quickly accessible.

 

[lalasmama]

A few questions about the lockers: Where are the lockers located in each park and how quickly can you get to one if you are at the other end of the park? What is the cost/day? A locker sounds like a good idea but if I'm far away from the lockers, we may not want to keep going back to get things we need. I don't want to carry much but my main concern is needing a jacket or poncho while we are in the parks and not having it quickly accessible.

Locker locations: Main Street, Buena Vista Street, the esplanade between the two parks. Grizzly has a small bank of lockers that are free for 2 hours while on the ride. So, never really more than 15 minutes away from the esplanade ones anywhere in the parks. Hubs prefers the esplanade ones, but I usually do the Main Street ones since I spend more time in DL proper.

They come in a few different sizes, and at $7-15 per day if I remember correctly. In small $7 ones, we can get everything we need for 2 adults and a kid, including coats.

My general thought is that there's nothing I need so suddenly that a 15-minute walk/wait is unreasonable. And if it is time sensitive (like my asthma inhaler), then I carry it with me. Coats? Locker, because I will know in getting chilly well before I actually need it. Extra shoes? Locker, because I can just change shoes when I'm near the locker. Flip flops? In my bag with me so that I don't have to go to the locker veggie riding Splash or Grizzly

 

[Pamela M]

I have tried a smaller back but find the cross body bags give me a backache after a day in the park.

I like a simple backpack - one that has 2 pockets. This will be bag for my next trip. the 2 pockets make it easier for going through security.
https://www.shopdisney.com/mickey-m...hType=regular&isProductSearch=1&plpPosition=1
I like the bigger bag vs smaller because I'm sensitive to heat & cold so I usually need a sweatshirt in the am & pm and during the day my sweatshirt is in my bag. I also wear ears and like to put my ears in my bag for thrill rides so I don't forget them on the ride. Also any merchandise I buy also fits in my bag. So basically I bring in what fits in a cross body but like the backpack for the verstility of holding more items through the day.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

We usually stay within a 10 minute walk of the entry gates, so I don't bring much with us to the parks since we can easily dash back to the room if we need something. That said, I do bring a small backpack for things I want with me, and my son carries his own small backpack with anything he needs (water bottle, extra snack, autograph book, etc.). I like having the backpack over a crossbody because I prefer to have the weight evenly distributed on my shoulders. I find that having the weight on just one side or the other tends to give me neck and shoulder pain by the end of the trip.