What's in my park bag?
Pack light and pack smart. Here are my essentials to have a great day at the parks.
When planning a trip to any theme park, it’s important to think about what you’re bringing in your bag — you’ll spend hours on your feet, standing in lines, walking miles and miles, rain or shine.
But when it comes to planning a trip to Disney, you need to be even more strategic; the parks are gigantic and you use your phone all day, whether it is for character photos, taking gorgeous videos of parades or booking Lightning Lanes on Genie+.
When I’m at Disney, every night I take five minutes to reorganize my bag, clean up what I don’t need and pack up the essentials. And here are my must-haves for a light weight and fun-filled day at the Disney Parks.
A Light and Small Backpack
Let’s start with the bag you're bringing to the parks — think about something you can get on most (or all) rides with. You want it to be big enough for your charger and bottle of water, but small enough that you can squeeze in between your knees when riding Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. What I love about my Dooney & Bourke is the front pocket, that allows me to quickly reach for my phone when it’s time to book the next Lightning Lane. This bag is not only super light, but so beautiful. Each purse is unique, with different patterns and it was exclusively designed for Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
The Smallest Wallet I Can Find
You know that giant, bulky wallet, where you carry your entire life, all year round? You do not need that at Disney. It’s really important to be conservative and think about which credit cards you’ll be using on your vacation (make sure you get those Travel Cash Back Rewards). Take one or two cards and your ID. If you’re staying at a Disney Resort and have a MagicBand, even better: you don’t even need to worry about bringing a room key.
A Collapsible Water Bottle
I have been obsessed with LifeStraw products forever. When we go on long hikes in National Parks, we always bring our LifeStraw with us and believe me — it’s a life saver. It actually filters up to 1000 gallons of water and it’s BPA free.
When I found out they also made collapsible water bottles, I was sold. That’s exactly what we needed to bring to the parks. This way, I avoid buying that expensive (and terrible) Dasani water, and I can take advantage of the water fountains at the park, while filtering the water myself.
A Portable Charger
Imagine being in the middle of Magic Kingdom at 2:00PM and your phone goes into low battery mode? Sounds horrible, right? You know you’ll take dozens of photos in front of the castle and get the best videos of the animals at Jungle Cruise. Not to say stacking all those Lightning Lanes, right? So believe me, you do need a portable charger.
This is the first thing to go into my bag on park day. And I love the Mophie charger because it charges two devices at the same time — multiple times! And if you plan on using your MagicBand+ a lot in the parks, I would recommend bringing your MagicBand cable. You can use the Mophie to charge it too.
A lot of people swear by the FuelRod in the parks, which is a great option if you end up forgetting your portable charger. But its price, compared to how many charges it provides, ends up not being so worth it.
Rain Ponchos
One of my top tips for theme parks visits — and especially Walt Disney World in Orlando — is to not let the rain ruin your fun. You don't want to be caught in the rain and spend the rest of the day with your clothes wet. Be prepared with comfortable shoes, appropriate clothing and a quality rain poncho.
— “Ohh, but they sell ponchos at Disney!”
Yep, for 6x the price of Amazon. I swear by this Amazon poncho, which has saved me and my family several times, even during Hurricanes in Orlando — and Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom.
If you’re bringing a stroller, don’t forget to get a poncho for it too. Some stroller rental services already provide a cover, so make sure you ask your Travel Advisor to help you with that.
Non-Drowsy Dramamine
Not a lot of rides at Disney will make you feel dizzy because there aren’t so many simulators. But many people have reported feeling sick after riding Guardians of the Galaxy at EPCOT, or Star Tours at Hollywood Studios. If you’re prone to motion sickness, I’d recommend getting the Non-Drowsy Dramamine. I take one when I get in line for an attraction and know I won’t lose the rest of my park day after a ride.
For me personally, I need this at Universal because of all the simulators, including Minions, Transformers, Spider Man, The Simpsons, Race Through New York, and (unfortunately) so many others.
Miscellaneous
There’s so much planning involved when going to Disney. You planned the perfect vacation, the most amazing Resort, the most whimsical Enchanting Extras. So it’s worth it to put some thought into your park bag too. You need it to be light and fit everything you need, including other miscellaneous such as sunscreen, hand sanitizer, chapstick, a handheld fan (if you’re visiting in the summer) and even a couple of light snacks for that looong Flight of Passage Line.
With my support and guidance, I’ll make sure you don’t forget anything when preparing to go on your trip and will find options that fit your taste, personality and budget.
Sensacionallllll
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