15 Essentials to Pack in Your Disney Park Bag
Now that we have a couple of Disney trips in the works, I’ve been getting more and more excited about all things planning. Things are a little different this time around, though, and there’s not much I *can* actually plan at this point. It feels weird. No FastPasses right now, and it’s too early for dining reservations, so it feels strange to only have hotel reservations and park reservations! Not being able to plan much hasn’t stopped me from dreaming and thinking about our next trip, and I’ve even started thinking about what bag I’m going to carry and what I’m going to pack in it. So I thought I’d share what I consider to be essential park items.
Despite my best efforts, I’ve lost track of the number of times we’ve had to hunt down something specific that is hard to find or just really really expensive to buy on Disney property. I’ve fine-tuned my packing list over the years to ensure that we have most of our bases covered. It changes as the kids get older, of course, but some essentials have stayed the same. When we were traveling with babies, I carried a small crossbody bag that I kept with me everywhere, and then we kept the diaper supplies in a separate bag that we stashed in the stroller. Anything that we’d be devastated to lose stayed with us, but we didn’t see the need to carry diaper supplies through ride lines or into shows. That system always worked well for us, and as a bonus, if we split up, whoever had the baby in the stroller also had whatever they needed.
Traveling without diapers is freeing, and I would say we generally travel pretty light, but there are still quite a few things I like to have with me for a full day in the park. Sometimes I miss having the stroller to store bulkier things in, but I’ve learned how to pack the essentials into a bag that can go on rides and everywhere else with us. My goal is to have all of the essentials while keeping it as lightweight as possible. Who wants to carry a heavy bag around all day? Not me!
First things first: the bag itself. For a full park day, I carry a backpack. It holds everything we need while keeping my hands and arms free. For a trip to Disney Springs or a shorter park day when I don’t need *everything* on me, I usually prefer carrying a crossbody bag. A bag that has a spot for your phone to be where it’s easily accessible is a major bonus. My absolute favorite park bags have all been JuJuBe bags because they’re comfortable to carry, come in tons of sizes, and are washable.
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Water Bottles
Most of our Disney trips have been when it is HOT outside, and it is essential to stay hydrated. Rather than buy bottled water, we like to have refillable bottles with us. Since I’m picky about the taste of water, I loooooove having a filtered water bottle. Water Bobble is my very favorite brand because the bottles don’t have straws, but I noticed that the inventory on their website is limited these days. I did find some on Amazon, so if you can get ahold of them, they are fantastic. Disney’s rules only exclude glass bottles, so as long as you aren’t trying to carry around one of those, you should be good.
Card Holder
There are always a few cards that I need to have on me (ID, DVC, AP/park ticket, credit card, etc), and I like to use a little card holder for those. Keeps things together and moves easily from bag to bag. Something that has space for a little cash is also nice.
First Aid Kit
One of my most essential items is a little first aid kit. I like to have bandaids, alcohol wipes, and Neosporin spray, Not only have the bandaids come in handy for us, but we’ve also been able to offer them to other families who need them). The Neosporin spray makes it more sanitary to share than a normal tube. Disney-themed bandaids are especially fun to have on hand, by the way.
Blister Bandages
Speaking of bandaids… it seems that no matter what I do and how many different kinds of shoes I pack, I end up with blisters on my feet. So now I like to have special blister bandages on me at all times. I put these in my first aid kit, but I felt like they deserved special mention because they have saved my feet many times! I wish I had known about them sooner.
Medicine
Along with my first aid kit, I also carry an assortment of medicine. Pepto, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and Benadryl are all on my “must have” list. I know that Dramamine or something similar is essential for a lot of people. If I need the liquid version of any meds, I keep those bottles in the hotel room. I carry around adult and child versions (pills or chewable) of everything else.
Tissues
On some trips, we don’t use these much at all, but as soon as I forget them, you’d better believe everyone in my family is going to start sneezing. It’s much safer to just have them with me. For our next trip, we might be so overwhelmed and happy to be there that we might be using tissues to wipe away happy tears!
Wet Wipes
Even though we don’t need them for diapering, I find that we still use wipes all. the. time. Mickey Bars in the heat can make quite a sticky mess! I like using regular old wipes from the diaper aisle, but Wet Ones are another good option.
Facial Wipes
One new addition to my future bags will be facial wipes. I discovered them this summer, and I am so excited to use them in the parks! I rarely wear makeup anyway, so being able to use a wipe to freshen up in the middle of a hot and sticky day sounds heavenly.
Hand Sanitizer
This has been essential for me for a long time. Pandemic or not, it comes in very handy in between bathroom hand washing trips.
Sunscreen
I’ve learned the hard way that applying sunscreen once in the morning before we leave the room is not enough. And it is very expensive in the parks. We have learned that the hard way. I keep a bottle/tube of it in my bag, and we try to remember to reapply throughout the day. You might be able to find your preferred sunscreen in a travel-sized bottle, but if not you could always transfer some from a full-sized bottle to a smaller one. (If you DO get sunburned, by the way—like I inevitably do—I highly recommend having a bottle of aloe in your hotel room. It’s expensive in the resort gift shops, so I try to remember to pack it now.)
Ponchos
We have gotten caught in many Disney downpours, and while the ponchos that Disney sells are very nice and reusable, they do not exactly pack up small. You can buy disposable ponchos for a dollar or two apiece, and they pack up tiny. They’ll last at least a day; possibly longer. Not necessarily the most eco-friendly solution, but they’ve worked well for us. We don’t use them for water rides, so we truly save them for a rainy day.
Plastic Storage Bags
To protect anything I don’t want to get wet on a water ride (or if the rain is relentless), I keep zipper bags on me. They also seem to come in handy for various other reasons every trip. Enough so that they have earned a permanent place on my essentials list.
Lightweight Jacket
After I’ve been in the heat long enough, it almost always feels really good to get into the air conditioning. In case it’s a little chilly indoors or in the evenings, I like to have a lightweight jacket that I can roll up and keep in my bag. Chances are, if I don’t need it, one of the kids will. I’ve been carrying the same green jersey-knit jacket for years, and it gets a lot of use. On one October trip, I ended up buying not one but TWO different jackets because I was unprepared. I try to do better now.
Power Bank
Even with a phone that has good battery life, constantly using my camera and the Disney app can drain it fast. There are some places in the parks where you can plug in a phone charger, but I don’t like to rely on those being available. We charge a power bank overnight and carry it (along with a cord or two) with us during the day. The older our kids get, the more phones we travel with and the more thought we need to give to this.
Quarters and Shiny Pennies
Okay, so this one probably doesn’t count as essential to some people, but I ALWAYS carry a container of quarters and shiny pennies. Pressed pennies are a relatively inexpensive souvenir, and my kids absolutely adore them. They look for the machines everywhere we go. Most of the machines in the parks these days seem to be the kind that takes credit cards. Those are convenient, but they’re not as much fun. For the kind that accepts coins, I like to be prepared.
Other items to consider:
Odds and ends specific to you and your family—For us, that includes hearing aid cases and batteries. Make sure to leave room for things like that.
Snacks—Avoid having hangry meltdowns by carrying a few snacks, particularly ones that can withstand the heat. We generally stop frequently to try all of the yummy Disney snacks, but when our kids were little, we carried a lot of applesauce pouches and granola bars.
Entertainment—You will inevitably spend time just waiting at various points during your trip. Lines, shows, transportation, meals… lots of waiting. Most of my crew can be easily entertained with a phone if necessary, but even a pad of paper and a pen or a small pack of colored pencils can provide hours of fun. Maybe a deck of cards? Or a small sticker or activity book? There are lots of options that are small and don’t add much weight to your bag.
A hat—It’s always a good idea to have extra sun protection, and one that you can roll up and put in the bag is a bonus.
Autograph book—Whether you pack one with you or pick up one on Disney property, make sure to leave room for it in your bag.
A fan or misting fan—These can feel SO good on a hot day. We have a misting fan that we bought at Disney World—and it is amazing—but usually, we bring little fans from home if anything.
Some final thoughts…
If you decide that your bag is too heavy, you can always transfer some of the items in it to a locker at any of the parks. Then you can repack it the next day if you have a better idea of what you need (or, rather, don’t).
Disney’s Baby Care centers and First Aid stations are fantastic resources. We have stopped in a few times, including once to get a dose of Benadryl for me. They’ll do what they can to help you, whether that’s giving you a dose of OTC meds or directing you to where you can buy it on property.
Remember to leave room for sunglasses, MagicBands, Minnie/Mickey ears, and anything else you might be wearing but might also want to take off at some point.
You might consider leaving a little room for things you pick up during the day. I wouldn’t start out the day with a completely full bag, just in case.
Only you know exactly what you and your family will need to have with you, but I hope this is a good starting point for you as you’re preparing to make some magical Disney memories.
