I didn’t realize how important a park backpack was until I started planning our first trip to Disney. Granted Jane was just a little over a year old at the time, so strategy at that time was of utmost importance because toddlers can be tricky y’all. Once I realized how much nicer I could make our trip simply by what I bring in the bag we carry throughout the day, I started making my bag a priority every trip! So here are my must haves when it comes to my park backpack.
1. Hard Copies Of Itineraries
If you know me at all, or you’ve read my other posts about planning Disney trips, it probably comes at no shock to you that I make very detailed daily itineraries for our trip. I may or may not even go to the length of color coding them, emailing PDFs to all adults and printing our hard copies for the backpack. I do this for a few reasons. The main one being I try to conserve my phone battery, and constantly being on it to check the itinerary would drain it pretty quickly. It’s also nice to have because Owen really likes to know what activity is coming next, so it gives him something to look at and is a great way he can help out by letting us know what’s next.
2. Sunscreen
I heard it said once that Walt Disney believed in fun but he didn’t believe in shade. There aren’t a lot of shade trees that allow you to get a little sun relief in the park, which is why sunscreen is super important to remember. Usually we have a few layers of clothing on, so I don’t bother packing a huge tube. Just a small travel size works just fine for us.
3. Bandages
When you’re walking 13,000 plus steps a day, blisters might happen. Or when you have a 4 year old who constantly gets “invisible injuries”, you need bandages. I am sure you could buy bandages in the park, but i’d rather not take out a second mortgage on my house to pay for them. This is why I always come prepared. And let me just tell you, we have never not used them!
4. Plastic Rain Ponchos
Depending on the time of year you are planning to go to Disney, rain might be of high probability. I prefer to buy the cheap dollar tree ponchos. They are literally $1 each. They are pretty thin, but for us it still beats the alternative of paying big bucks to buy a poncho in the park. Also, if you are going in a month that is a bit chillier, I recommend layering up, and using a windbreaker out your outermost layer. This will take care of any rain you might get and save you from needing to bother with a poncho at all.
5. Autograph Book & Pen
Some years we decide to do character autograph books and some years we don’t. When we do, we are sure to buy them in advance and bring them along. I also pre-purchase the pens. My favorite pen for autographs are the thin Sharpies with the clicking top. This helps the constant fumbling for the cap, and most times makes it easier for the character to hold onto. Plus they have a clip on them. which makes it easy to keep track of in your bag when you attach it to the book.
6. Hand Sanitizer
With a global pandemic it has become pretty common to carry hand sanitizer everywhere. It just makes a lot of sense for so many reason to carry it with you. The convenience factor alone, when grabbing a quick snack, of being able to wash up quickly is really helpful. Now, throw a novel virus on top of convenience, hand sanitizer is just a smart idea.
7. Medicine
This is probably one of the most important things I pack in my bag. Owen has a severe nut allergy so we always carry Epipens and quick dissolve Benadryl. I am becoming a little old lady, and the tiniest of rides gives me motion sickness, so I carry Bonnine to help with that. Jane has a super sensitive stomach, and Tums are really great for her. I do carry a bit of Tylenol in my bag as well, because you never know when a random headache will come along. I always say to myself “it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.” There have been times where these have come in handy. Thankfully, never the Epipen. It’s nice to know if something were to happen, we are covered.
8. Plastic Bags
It’s inevitable, at some point during our trip someone will spill something on their shirt or get soaked on a water ride. It is just handy to keep a few plastic bags in the back pack for when this happens. When my kids were smaller I would even carry an extra set of clothing in my bag just in case. Now that they are bigger and their clothes are bigger, it’s just not worth the hassle.
9. Snacks
My kids could eat snacks all day every day, especially at Disney when you are walking a ton and using up a lot of energy. And while we do splurge on fun Disney snacks inside the park, to do that 3 times or more a day would cost more than I want to spend on snack foods. Throwing some granola bars, fruit snacks, and goldfish in my bag at the beginning of each day is a time saver as well as a money saver!
10. Other Random Items I Pack
To wrap up I just want to share a few random items that I always keep with me in my backpack but don’t really need a whole explanation. So, here we go: hair ties, chapstick, baby wipes, sunglasses, wallet, and lastly glow sticks for evening fun and entertainment while waiting for fireworks!
I hope my list helps you feel ready to take on a fun day in the park at Disney! Being prepared for the day honestly helps us so much and gives us a lot of peace of mind. Thanks for reading and happy planning!
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