wow my bag is full and HEAVY

[redbonec]

We leave tomorrow, and I am packing a bag to carry what I think are things we will need in the DL park.
I am not quite done with it but it is HEAVY.
Do you carry a lot of things with you around the park?

I have: disposable paper bib, camera (with four extra batteries in case), small videocamera, small package of baby wipes, small package of kleenex, one pair sound reducing earmuffs for my girl's sensitive hearing, change of undies in a ziploc for two youngers, tickets, sunglasses for everyone, small phone, small compact umbrella (if waiting in the sun for long period of time in line), wallet, sunscreen, small hand sanitizer, my medium sized thick spiral with my notes about DL, two small lightweight hats for girls.

That is what I have so far and it is heavy!

I still have yet to put in: change of clothes (they will wear princess dresses when we go, and thought I would bring a change if they get too hot or wet from a ride), light sweaters (for morning or evening), a few small activities or small books for waiting in lines

And we were also going to bring a soft sided cooler with waters and snacks or light lunch.

Goodness do you usually lug around a lot? Maybe it is because of the ages--our 2 and 5 year olds.

Just wondering if there is any of the above we should leave out, and heaven forbid, is there anything I haven't put in there that I should?

THanks for any help you can offer!

 

[hlbtimes2]

We go light! But, when the kids were younger, and we had a stroller to hold stuff we did take more. Now I use a small camera bag. I'm able to keep my money, credit card, ID, small tube of sunscreen, camera and phone in my bag. That is typically all we need. I'm the only one that carries anything, for all 4 of us. We stay at a hotel that is close enough if we need to change for some reason. Plus we always take an afternoon break to pick up sweaters for the evening and touch up sunscreen.

 

[AshleeH]

I would definitely go lighter - if it's heavy at home, it's going to be miserable after lugging it around the parks all day!

If it was me, I would carry the camera, the earmuffs if your daughter really needs them, change of undies, tickets, sunglasses, phone, and sunscreen. Even some of that is subjective. Leave the notebook at the hotel and go through it every night or morning to review what you want to do that day - no reason to carry it with you where it will probably just get torn up.

We've found that at least half the items we take in a backpack are not used. Now we're down to what are the bare essentials for our family (sunscreen, sunglasses, camera, phone).

 

[todzwife]

Are you taking a stroller? I highly recommend leaving as much as possible in clear ziploc baggies in the stroller (if someone can see that they'd be stealing a diaper or extra pair of underpants, they aren't going to take it, but a regular bag, they are trying to be fast and can just take the bag w/out knowing what's in it).

Undies, diapers, wipes, change of clothes, sweatshirts, hats all stay in the stroller. IF someone really wanted to take them, it would be inconvenient but usually people are looking for cameras, phones etc.

Sunscreen is applied before we leave the hotel so I don't have to carry it all day.

Important stuff is in a small bag I carry with me on rides.

When we went in March, I carried a backpack for 3 days and the last 2 left it in the stroller because I was tired of carrying it. My camera, wallet and phone were in a small bag I carried cross body. It was much easier that way.

 

[DisneytheKid]

Don't hurt your back lugging it around! Go light

 

[bekster26]

If I am staying within walking distance, I leave a lot in the hotel and go back as needed. If I drive my car to the park, I keep everything in the trunk and go back to the car as needed. It is a bit more walking, but I find it is better than carrying everything. However, I do not have any children to worry about. However, if you are bringing a stroller with you than you can put a lot of your items in there.

 

[SeattleRedBear]

I'm a librarian...trust me, paper weighs A LOT! If you can ditch the notebook (or only bring the pages you need that day), it will help. The stuff that you don't need to have with you at all times (changes of clothes, notebook, food) can go into a locker, so all you need to carry with you is what you need over the course of a couple hours. Lockers are daily (not one-time use) so you can add/drop things off over the course of the day as you need them.

The California sun is nowhere near as strong as it is in Florida, so if your kids already have sunscreen and hat, I don't think you need umbrella as well. Just bring the sunscreen and reapply occasionally.

With a 2-year-old I would definitely recommend a stroller (which you could carry things in as well).

 

[Disney Dreams]

We leave tomorrow, and I am packing a bag to carry what I think are things we will need in the DL park.
I am not quite done with it but it is HEAVY.
Do you carry a lot of things with you around the park?

I have: disposable paper bib, camera (with four extra batteries in case), small videocamera, small package of baby wipes, small package of kleenex, one pair sound reducing earmuffs for my girl's sensitive hearing, change of undies in a ziploc for two youngers, tickets, sunglasses for everyone, small phone, small compact umbrella (if waiting in the sun for long period of time in line), wallet, sunscreen, small hand sanitizer, my medium sized thick spiral with my notes about DL, two small lightweight hats for girls.

That is what I have so far and it is heavy!

I still have yet to put in: change of clothes (they will wear princess dresses when we go, and thought I would bring a change if they get too hot or wet from a ride), light sweaters (for morning or evening), a few small activities or small books for waiting in lines

And we were also going to bring a soft sided cooler with waters and snacks or light lunch.

Goodness do you usually lug around a lot? Maybe it is because of the ages--our 2 and 5 year olds.

Just wondering if there is any of the above we should leave out, and heaven forbid, is there anything I haven't put in there that I should?

THanks for any help you can offer!

Wowzers, that does seem like a lot. Let's see if I can help:

disposable paper bib - leave it out. Use a napkin as a bib
camera (with four extra batteries in case) - perfect
small videocamera - perfect
small package of baby wipes - do you need these? Really really need them? small package of kleenex - do you need these? (Probably don't take up much space though)
one pair sound reducing earmuffs for my girl's sensitive hearing - are these just for fireworks or for all throughout the day?
change of undies in a ziploc for two youngers - can't imagine they take up much room
tickets - perfect
sunglasses for everyone - will the girls wear them? If not, don't bother carrying them around all week
small phone - perfect
small compact umbrella - leave it behind. Wear a hat
wallet - perfect
sunscreen - put it on at the hotel. If you need one with you for "re-applying" buy a small 2-3 inch one
small hand sanitizer - do you need this if you have the baby wipes?
my medium sized thick spiral with my notes about DL - can you either tear out the pages or re-write onto index cards?
two small lightweight hats for girls - perfect

Wallet and tickets: Tickets go in the wallet. Wallet: can you use one that is small enough to put in your pocket? Or... what I do: credit card, ID, cash goes in pocket with tickets. Wallet stays in hotel safe.

Small phone: goes in pocket or on a belt holder
Camera: Is it small enough to put in a belt holder

Okay now, for your "to be packed" list:

Change of clothes (they will wear princess dresses when we go, and thought I would bring a change if they get too hot or wet from a ride), light sweaters (for morning or evening) - my goodness! You have a small suitcase going to the Park everyday with all that! If you feel you need all of that, pay the money and put it in a locker. If the girls want out of their dresses, they can wait a bit until you get up to the lockers. As for the sweaters, plan into your early evening a stop by the locker for their sweaters. This would also be a time to ditch the hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen.

a few small activities or small books for waiting in lines - how about games you don't need anything for? "I spy..." "Name Disney characters..." Etc....

And we were also going to bring a soft sided cooler with waters and snacks or light lunch. - Wow! Really? Okay, you need a locker. Put this in it as well so you don't have to carry it around with you all day long. (Or... one water per person in the backpack and refill throughout the day.)

Hope this helps,
Dreams

P.S. FWIW: I put credit card, cash, and ticket in pocket. Small camera clipped to belt loop, spare batteries in same camera case, snacks, water bottle, wear hat and sunglasses, no hand sanitizer or tussues (there's bathrooms everywhere), "tourist notes/books/etc" in small sling backpack with sweatshirt for evening and small sunscreen. (But we don't have kids so that part means a bigger pack for you.) Good to go!

 

[CamoMama]

My kids are much older now, but we only carry the bare essentials. Everything is so much closer at DLR than at WDW, if I need something I can go back to the room and get it and it doesn't kill my day. I carry only a small point and shoot camera bag from shoulder to hip which contains tickets, cash and ID. It's hot during the day but cool at night, so I always go back to my room in the evening just before dinner time and change from shorts or capris to jeans and grab my sweater. No need to carry it around all day when I'm not going to use it until the evening. We wear ball caps and use spray on sunscreen, which usually fits in a pocket.

 

[Califgirl]

If you want to take all that, why not get a locker at the parks and that will keep you moving around much lighter. No need to lug around extra batteries, or extra clothes - you can just go get them when you need them.
Have a great trip!

 

[CrazyDuck]

I carry what can fit in my pockets... Wallet, ParkHopper and Photopass thats it...

 

[nannyz]

We carry a lot of stuff too. We use a bag that has handles long enough to fit over the stroller handles so we don't have to carry it.
There are places in DL and DCA where the little ones can play in the water so if your kids will do that, you will need a complete change of clothes.
We always carry bandaids because if a little one gets a boo-boo, we don't want to walk back to First Aid to get a bandaid.
We also carry Tylenol or Advil; and I carry a spare t-shirt because walking around DL with a big food stain on your shirt is not cool.
And I carry a pair of flip-flops to wear on Splash Mtn because, again, walking around in wet shoes is yucky.

 

[lwilkison]

We leave tomorrow, and I am packing a bag to carry what I think are things we will need in the DL park.
I am not quite done with it but it is HEAVY.
Do you carry a lot of things with you around the park?

I have: disposable paper bib, camera (with four extra batteries in case), small videocamera, small package of baby wipes, small package of kleenex, one pair sound reducing earmuffs for my girl's sensitive hearing, change of undies in a ziploc for two youngers, tickets, sunglasses for everyone, small phone, small compact umbrella (if waiting in the sun for long period of time in line), wallet, sunscreen, small hand sanitizer, my medium sized thick spiral with my notes about DL, two small lightweight hats for girls.

That is what I have so far and it is heavy!

I still have yet to put in: change of clothes (they will wear princess dresses when we go, and thought I would bring a change if they get too hot or wet from a ride), light sweaters (for morning or evening), a few small activities or small books for waiting in lines

And we were also going to bring a soft sided cooler with waters and snacks or light lunch.

Goodness do you usually lug around a lot? Maybe it is because of the ages--our 2 and 5 year olds.

Just wondering if there is any of the above we should leave out, and heaven forbid, is there anything I haven't put in there that I should?

THanks for any help you can offer!

We usually have at least an umbrella stroller and husband wears a backpack because we have water, sunscreen, sun hats (for whole family) camera, batteries some light snacks (goldfish crackers/cereal bars/raisins) in backpack...then in my purse I put in tickets, wallet, tissues, bandaids, chapstick and any other miscellaneous....plus we are close enough to hotel we can walk back for change of clothes. You could also keep in mind there are lockers you can put heavy stuff in. If you need anything while in parks check out baby center on main street in DLR. Ask any cast member...if we (inevitably) forgot something they can always direct you where you can find it or they can get it for you

 

[LisainCalifornia]

Even when my kids were little, I kept it to a bare minimum. I am not a pack mule! I tend to go for either a small waist pack or swing bag. Everything else can be left behind. Ditch the the extra batteries! If you have fresh batteries in your camera, then you are good to go. Sunscreen in the morning before you leave is fine (don't bring extra!).

 

[seagodess]

I just got back last week. I had a small across the chest purse. Anything that didn't fit in that or in our pockets didn't go. Heres how I did it.
Sunscreen- put it on before we left, brought a small travel size one.
For those of use who use sun glasses... We each have them on our faces or heads.
Wipes-Put a couple in a ziplock bag. Used them for tissue as well. Didn't even need them much. Also just used them to wipe hands. No sanitizer needed, didn't touch anything so gross I felt the need.
Camera. Mine is a rechargeable battery, but I did have extra memory cards.
Cell phone.
Tickets, money, CC's. Didn't need my whole wallet.
Light jackets- Tied around each of our waists.
I believe that is all I took.

Like someone else said, use a napkin for a bib if its really needed.
Are you planning on breaks during the day? Maybe have your girls wear dresses part of the day then change?
Do you really need to take notes while in DL? Can you bring just a piece of paper and pen?
As for games, I dont think they are needed. When we were there, lines were not bad at all. Most were only 10-15 mins tops. We just pointed out things around us and talked about different things going on. Went by really quick.
Snacks- Dont have any advise on this one. I know a lot of people bring them, but I didn't. My DS doesnt really do snacks and none of us are big eaters when its warm outside and busy doing other stuff.
If you really think you have to bring all this, I would suggest a locker.
Good luck.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

1 the fanny pack was so heavy my first day Why? Because i had the note books in ther. The second day i ditched them and it was a breath of fresh air.

2 we are looking for a new bag for our oct hope trip, because all ours are braking after 5 years. I want one that holds the cameras, a wallet or two (mine and cap banes) and then the small stuff we need. We took drinks with us and this made things heavy but once we dumped the bags for them and put the night time stuff drinks and camras all in one bag (to big to be the one we always use) it was much better. By end of the trip we said we dont need half of the stuff and left it in the hotel.

drinks are heavy but i found one half litter of pespsi filled our 3 free glasses of ice up (med size glasses not small)
Then tossed it, so after lunch that big one wad gone. we kept water in bag too but the kid drunk so much standing in the first two hours they were gone and then we asked for free ice water the rest of the day.

It worked well I have seen how easy things can be next time i may even dump the fanny pack and just go all one bag one place.

We took brakes every day but the first one (because i wouldn't take chance missing tea party) I would plan on letting the girls have there dress till about lunch time. change them and go back to room to drop it off.

I also saw many kids had there out fit under the dresses. if so then just put the dresses in locker after they take them off (if you don't want take a brake.)

 

[jumparound]

Sunscreen is applied before we leave the hotel so I don't have to carry it all day.

QUOTE]

Just wanted to let you know that sunscreen only protects for 4 hours...I think this is part of the reason you see so many sunburned people walking around, they forget to reapply.

 

[seagodess]

Sunscreen is applied before we leave the hotel so I don't have to carry it all day.

QUOTE]

Just wanted to let you know that sunscreen only protects for 4 hours...I think this is part of the reason you see so many sunburned people walking around, they forget to reapply.

I've always read that, and usually reapply for DS (especially on really hot days), but I have never had a problem putting it on me and not reapplying. And I BURN very easily. Even if I'm only out for a little while with no sunscreen, I completely skip the tan part and go right to lobster.

 

[cp11]

Locker. Now that are kids are older we tend to take less, but we always have a bag/backpack with extra sweatshirts etc. First thing we do is purchase a locker and stuff those in there. Other than that we now carry light on our person. Our kids are now 13 and 16 so they can carry their own tickets and fastpasses. I carry a small camera now instead of a big one, plus we now mostly use our iphone for pics. Thank Goodness We just budget for locker rentals everytime we go.
Good luck and have fun!

 

[CurlyGirlyGirl]

I was at Disneyland over Memorial weekend and it was fairly busy. As people walked through certain areas of the park with umbrellas (especially in front of Indy), it was frankly pretty annoying - those suckers take up a lot of space! I'd wear a hat if I were you.