Where do you put your stuff?

[Mommyof3boys2017]

So, I know the stroller debate can ruffle some feathers, and I'm truly not trying to do that, but we've always needed a stroller for the kids in the past. Next year, we won't, but dang where am I going to put our stuff? What do you do with your back pack filled with family things, that you don't necessarily need all the time but walking to the front of the park to the locker for a snack for your kid, or a poncho when it starts raining seems like a huge hassle. Has anyone (and hear me out here) brought a small umbrella stroller for your stuff?? That way it moves to each area with you, but you can park it and come back to it. (Please don't be mean)

 

[sk!mom]

Maybe we were always woefully unprepared but…what stuff?

once our kids were out of diapers there was very little stuff. I like a small crossbody bag that holds my wallet and a small bottle of ibuprofen. I never carried snacks as buying a Mickey bar or some such was part of the experience. Everyone started the day off with a largish bottle of water which they tossed once empty. For me the beauty of bigger kids was traveling light.

 

[loves to dive]

I'm with previous poster, even when my son was in a stroller I didn't carry much and actually didn't carry a stroller, we rented one if he got too tired to walk but after about 3, he refused to use one. I would carry just a regular sized bag with both our ponchos, maybe a small baggie of cherrios when he was smaller, my wallet and that was it. If he got too dirty, we went back to the room and changed. We don't really snack much between meals, never did but if he needed a piece of fruit or something we bought it. I try to go bagless now, if I can find skorts or shorts with pockets I put a poncho in there or carry an umbrella around my wrist. Or I wear a fanny pack if I need a bigger raincoat or a bigger poncho. I have a little wallet thing on my phone that holds my ID, CC and room key if staying at Dolphin and my AP, magic band around my wrist. Phone goes in a pocket. If my cards don't all fit in the phone, I carry one of those magic wallets that flip that holds a few cards and cash and fits easily even in small women's pockets. My reading glasses around my neck and I'm good to go. I get free water at the QS restaurants or carry a water bottle in my hand and fill it up at water fountains.

 

[ucf_knight]

So, I know the stroller debate can ruffle some feathers, and I'm truly not trying to do that, but we've always needed a stroller for the kids in the past. Next year, we won't, but dang where am I going to put our stuff? What do you do with your back pack filled with family things, that you don't necessarily need all the time but walking to the front of the park to the locker for a snack for your kid, or a poncho when it starts raining seems like a huge hassle. Has anyone (and hear me out here) brought a small umbrella stroller for your stuff?? That way it moves to each area with you, but you can park it and come back to it. (Please don't be mean)

Our kids are 6 and 7 (soon to be 8) and we still bring a small stroller for the snacks and “stuff” that you mentioned. They could easily walk and Disney is the only place we go were we still use a stroller because of its convenience of holding our stuff. It holds our popcorn buckets, souvenirs, rain jackets, water bottles, fans, jackets (in cooler weather). To me having a stroller sure beats carrying around a back pack all day and taking it on rides.

 

[Mommyof3boys2017]

I envy everyone who can not have a purse or just a small cross body, but alas, that's not me. With 3 kids, my self and my husband, even just keeping our cell phones charged will require multiple battery packs. We definitely do popcorn buckets, refillable water bottles, I've always taken (and used) ponchos (for 5!) and snacks are needed since for us to all have a Mickey themed snack every time someone said they were hungry could easily run us $30+ each time. I usually take a small sunscreen, and things like bandaids and migraine meds. It all adds up pretty quickly and I'm just not looking forward to carrying it all on my back. Last trip I even took a change of clothes for the kids in case they got soaked, but I'm not planning on taking as much, but it's still a lot.

 

[Kingdome8]

We always have had a stroller as well. As my oldest is 9 years older then youngest. Always great having a stroller and we always got the Disney one as so easy to hop in and out. I still carry a book bag with ponchos, sunscreens and even flip flops for when it rains. My kids have a lounge fly too. But this next trip will be first without a stroller and I agree will be different as I always thought of stroller as home base. Lol. I’ll just continue to bring book bag

 

[Tkelen]

There are 5 of us and I started using a Kipling backpack, keeping things light and organized helps! It’s smaller than most backpack, fits under the seat of most rides, yet keeps things organized so you can fit everything you need, without over packing.

 

[ElenaRN]

We always have had a stroller as well. As my oldest is 9 years older then youngest. Always great having a stroller and we always got the Disney one as so easy to hop in and out. I still carry a book bag with ponchos, sunscreens and even flip flops for when it rains. My kids have a lounge fly too. But this next trip will be first without a stroller and I agree will be different as I always thought of stroller as home base. Lol. I’ll just continue to bring book bag

Our ODD is 8 years older than our DS. DS is 2 so we have a few trips left with a stroller.
This year though my 2 daughters 10 & 7 wanted to bring their loungeflys. Hubby said no we paid a lot of $ for them etc. I argued why buy them this stuff if we aren't going to allow them to use it blah blah. I also said if they carry their own stuff, less for us to have to shove in the diaper bag.
At AK we were doing child swap for EE and ODD left her Ghost Host Loungefly on the bench where we were waiting. It had our cellphones in it. We didn't notice until 15-20 min later after we rode EE and we were already past Dinoland.
Thank goodness for honest people. It was turned in to Guest Services, cell phones and all.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Missed the stroller need because the children in our party no longer used them by the time we started visiting Disney. Each child was given a mini backpack to carry their own needs and if any souvenirs were purchased they were sent back to the hotel via the free service Disney offers. The man carried his belongings in the cargo pockets of his pants or shorts; I use a wristlet.
We are people who travel light wherever we go so WDW is no different.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Missed the stroller need because the children in our party no longer used them by the time we started visiting Disney. Each child was given a mini backpack to carry their own needs and if any souvenirs were purchased they were sent back to the hotel via the free service Disney offers. The man carried his belongings in the cargo pockets of his paasts or shorts; I use a wristlet.
We are people who travel light wherever we go so WDW is no different.

as of now not able to send purchases back to hotel or even front of park. you have to plan to carry with you or get at end of day

 

[NYCgrrl]

as of now not able to send purchases back to hotel or even front of park. you have to plan to carry with you or get at end of day

Yes but as of now I’ve no plans to go on any vacations that involve being around large crowds of people.
I'll return to WDW when various eateries reopen, CL is full service, and I’m comfortable getting on Amtrak or a plane. Just not my idea of a relaxing time with the diminished services currently in play.

Your suggestion to make purchases at the end of the day is a sound one from my POV.

 

[piglet1979]

Having a stroller didn't change much for us. We always used a backpack and never left it with the stroller when it was parked. We were always afraid it would get stolen. My kids are older now and we still take a backpack. I get cold easily and always have a sweatshirt/jacket with me. We always take snacks with us as DD (14 now) is a grazer and when she says she is hunger we need to get her something quickly or she gets very hangry. So it is nice to have something quick to give her.

 

[Disney.Dreamin.Dee]

What "stuff" do you REALLY need?

I would ditch the popcorn buckets and refillable water bottles.

Get water bottle clips that can be used with throw away bottles and then if you don't want to buy more then refill them.
At least they are lightweight compared to most refillable ones.

Ponchos I get you need.

Snacks you really don't need.
Eat breakfast before you go to the parks.
Eat lunch at the parks.
Have an afternoon snack at the parks.
Eat dinner at the parks.
Should be plenty of food that you're not stopping every hour buying EVERYONE an overpriced snack.
But you're in Disney... you should budget for an overpriced snack daily vs lugging around a bunch of random snacks that isn't really what anyone in the family has a real hankering for.

You also really don't need things like band aids.
Heck they even sell many over the counter meds like Advil although I do like to just bring a small pill container with things like that so I'm not spending $5 on one dose.

I've found that as long as I apply sunscreen before heading out to the parks I'm in the shade enough throughout the day that I do not need to reapply and I don't get tan let alone burned and I have fair skin.

I'd say get a portable charger that packs a punch. Even those are not that big/heavy these days.
Do do the Fuel Rod where you exchange it every time you need more power.

How old are the kids?
If they need something maybe its time they carry a bag.
They could carry their own snack and ponchos in it as well as a water bottle clip.
I realize you'll have extra work to make sure they don't leave it somewhere but if you got them a hip pack/belt bag/fanny bag they can pretty much leave it on at all times.

Personally this is all I take anymore keep in mind its just for myself though... Phone, small wallet, pill container, foldable brush, chap stick, travalo perfume atomizer, ponchos, water bottle clip, wear a hat...

 

[TCRAIG]

I carry no bags - I wear cargo capris - phone and pack of hand wipes go in the leg pocket - phone charger in the other - CC and DVC and AP and license go in little wallet that hangs off my lanyard. I put sunscreen on in the room - if I need a coat or rain poncho - I tie it around my waist.

 

[sponica]

Pre-kid I just took a small cinch sack type backpack.

Once we're out of the stroller phase, they can carry their own backpacks if they want stuff.

 

[alyssa810]

I am the pack mule for the family, carrying a backpack. While we were happy to get rid of the stroller for our DS a decade ago, it definitely it more convenient for drinks, extra layers of clothes, snacks, sunscreen and other essentials that we still use.

 

[Skywalker3]

I carry LOTS of stuff, and I use a regular sized backpack. Husband usually has a fanny pack, or small backpack, or just puts stuff in cargo shorts pockets. But I have a backpack for ponchos, snacks, several water bottles, leftover food, all kinds of assorted stuff like hairbrush, medicine, contact case, personal products, (used to be autograph books,) sometimes food leftovers, etc, etc. We call my bag 'the magic bag.' I've got just about everything in there....DD has started carrying her own mini backpack.

 

[bakerworld]

When I'm without pockets, I use a crossbody purse to hold mints, my cell, my cards with some cash, my MB, mini umbrella or ponchos (folded neatly) and a pen (!). With pockets I carry a travel sized wallet and my cell. LOL

Back when the parks had a bag check line I was behind a women with a huge back pack and out of it came a umbrella and 8 balled up ponchos. If she'd've folded the ponchos they wouldn't have taken up the entire large sized back pack. Neatness counts

 

[ShazzySteph]

Firmly in the back-pack camp. We're BIG fans of using Camelbaks in the parks. They hold a large amount of water and keep our hands free. We returned from a trip about a month ago and while we did have a stroller (my younger son is almost 1), we didn't using it too much to haul things.

Husband - Backpack with a Camelbak insert: This held our water, diaper bag necessities, ponchos
Me - Waistbag: This had cell phone and back up battery pack, a small first aid kit and wallet
Son (4) - Kids' Camelbak Hydration Pack: This had his water as well as a few small grab and go snacks
Stroller: Rain Cover, Stroller Fan, Ergo Baby Carrier

It'll be a while before we can do a stroller-free trip. I wish you the best of luck with finding what works best for you!

 

[kimj88]

Get several of those cinch-style cheap backpacks for every family member. Spread out the stuff you need to take among those. They are lightweight, easy to carry, washable, cheap. Buy extras in case you want to wash them or one tears. Just spread the items out accordingly, for example nothing of high value in say a 6 year old's backpack. Also, perhaps consider changing the way you do the parks somewhat. If you do a few hours then do a midday break, you won't need to worry about things like change of clothes. We've always been a midday break family, even if you just sit around the room, have a snack, freshen up, whatever. Or you can swim or eat a meal at the resort. And of course charge all phones. Everyone can recharge themselves and head back to the park, with less to carry.