By Amanda of Mouze Kateerz.com.
Some of you have been clipping coupons and saving money to get to Disney for a long time, and hopefully you’ve done your research on the best resorts, restaurants, and park rides to enjoy when you get to Orlando. Arranging a Disney vacation can be a complicated matter, with multitudes of decisions to be made and more entertainment choices than you could ever actually enjoy.
Overwhelmed by your Disney vacation planning? This can help.
Let’s talk about packing.
Packing for the actual Disney vacation is a big deal, both the luggage you pack and the bag you take into the theme parks. Take a bag into the Magic Kingdom that is too heavy, and you’ll be carrying extra weight for what will already be a long day of walking. I hope you’ve been putting in some miles in preparation for Disney, because it’s definitely a lot of walking, especially if your bag is overpacked or you had to walk back to pick up something you forgot.
Frances Hedrick is a veteran of over 150 days in Disney parks. This means she has spent some quality time with a back pack. She related her woes with toting a bag all day long.
“My husband and I used to haul in two back packs for us and our two children every time we entered into the parks. Faced with bag check lines and sore shoulders, we narrowed it down to one with room to spare.”
Here is Frances’ must-have list for the Destination Disney back pack.
- Condensed wallet: Driver License, room key with charging capabilities and a few dollars cash.
- Two bottles of water. Freeze them during the hotter months.
- Small bottle of Hand Sanitizer.
- Baby Wipes. Even with older kids, it’s nice to be able to quickly clean your hands.
- Sunscreen & lip balm with SPF. Some people don’t realize you definitely can get a sunburn in December while in sunny Florida.
- Granola bars, trail mix or goldfish, some nice quick snacks to tie you over till your reservation. Avoid chocolate because it melts.
- Inexpensive rain ponchos for everyone, like the $1 kind at Target and Wal-Mart. Because they are small, just toss them in the trash after use. Buy 8 to 10, and only take in 4-5 at a time.
- During summer months, pack a washcloth in a Zip Lock bag. If you wet it down, it can help keep you cooler. Zip Lock bags can also keep your camera dry.
- A hairbrush for any mid-day hair emergencies.
- Your camera, extra batteries, and maybe an extra photo stick.
- Don’t forget your tickets; these may be the most important thing you take besides #1.
Frances cautions, “The well-planned backpack, or any sort of bag, is essential for your day at the parks.”
Packing everything you need for the day can keep your trip costs down and make your life far easier, your vacation much more fun, when you don’t have to worry about everything you forgot.
When should you plan that trip to Disney, now that you have your list to get it together?
Thanks to Frances for her great packing list, and thank you for stopping by for a photographical Disney ride. We’ll see you in the parks toting the world’s best backpack!
Amanda writes about all things Disney at Mouze Kateerz.com, and she hangs out too often at Mouze Kateerz on Pinterest.
You will also find her articles on Meet the Magic.com.
Going to WDW for the first time in October with my husband and our two kids (ages 4 and 5 at the time of the trip). What is the best backpack that you’ve found to work for the parks?
I always pack gum, since you can’t buy any on Disney property.
I take our ponchos and we never throw them away. Why would I throw $5 away every time it rains??? I keep ours, roll them back up when we don’t need them and they have lasted us 7 years. That’s 7 separate disney trips…and a lot of saved money by not tossing our ponchos. And they’re not even expensive ones!
I bring kool-aid & crystal light packs (the little ones that you put into a bottle of water). It helps the kids (and me, I admit it) keep hydrated when they get bored of drinking plain water. I also bring glow bracelets from the $1 spot in Target (15 for $1 beats $14.99 for one in the park!!!) And I always have bandaids, ibuprophen & antacids just in case. We have small backpacks for our kids so they tote their own water, snacks & ponchos. It saves us the backache and they like not having to ask me every time they want a drink of water.
I wish the suggestion to “throw the ponchos in the trash” wasn’t included. Not only is that wasteful moneywise ($10 can get a lot of stuff!), but it also contributes to a huge problem of creating trash in this country.
I do have a “good” ($5) poncho to pack that has lasted me many many years, but many times I pack an extra grocery bag or trash bag for emergencies and then use the bag for trash or packing or anything else to reduce consumption and waste.
I have handed my used poncho to others that are waiting in line for the wet rides and hopefully they do the same when they are done.
Some other items I pack that were not listed are: Sunglasses, Tums or Rolaids, hair ties and a few safety pins in case we get a rip or a button pops off.
I’d also put in a travel Tylenol or Advil.
Loved the list–we also packed a ziploc baggie with neosporin & a few band-aids in case of skinned knees, and also a few pieces of pre-cut moleskin just in case of blisters (super-cheap at home, super-expensive in the stores there!). We also bring our own glow bracelets (bought in bulk at home) to avoid the “gimmes” when the fabulous light-up souvenirs come out at dusk. I get 100 for $7 at home, they don’t take much room, and the kids can have as many as they want while we wait for the parade/fireworks. Can’t wait to go back! :)