Disney Packing List
When we pack for Walt Disney World or Disneyland, we make a check-list of what we need to bring for the trip. We’re sure most of you also have similar lists, and probably don’t need a reminder to bring toothpaste and deodorant. Instead, here’s our list of less obvious items that we bring with us to Disney, which you may want to consider adding to your own checklists!
We change our packing list regularly based upon feedback and suggestions we receive in the comments on this list (thanks!), as we like to try new and useful travel products that will improve our trips. Our 2013 updates include a few products we’ve yet to try and one we wouldn’t be caught dead using–but we note the few things that we have not actually tested ourselves.
For the food and consumables, to avoid adding weight to our luggage that might cause us to have to pay baggage fees, we often place an order with Amazon.com prior to our trip, and have the items shipped to our Disney resort. (In Address Line 2, specify your arrival date.) Shipping on orders over $25 is free with Amazon.com. One tip for this is that you need to specify when ordering that you want your order in “as few shipments as possible.” A few Disney resort-hotels charge a small “package fee” when you pick up the package. This $2 or so fee isn’t much for one package, but could really add up if Amazon ships each little toiletry separately!
With all of that said, let’s get to the lists, grouped by category.
Gear & Stuff
“Lipstick Size” External Phone Battery Pack/Charger – Poor reception in the parks and the need to check wait times, planning apps, or share photos via social media can be a drain on your battery; this very small backup will get you through the day and doesn’t take up much space. Another small option with double the juice is this backup.
Frogg Togg Chilly Pad
Mini USB Power Strip
Photography Stuff - Only mentioned here because we know a lot of people visit us looking for camera suggestions…if that describes you, you’re on the wrong page! Check out our Camera Buying Guide for photography suggestions.
Neck Wallet - For those who fear being pick-pocketed or just don’t like carrying a wallet in your pocket, the neck wallet is for you. We know a couple people who swear by these. We’re including it on the list because we see a lot of people wearing lanyards and fanny packs in the parks…and this is a step up from both of those things!
Magnetic Clothespins - We were a bit surprised to hear so many people recommend these things (and we’ve yet to use them), but it makes sense. These cheap clips allow you to close drapes so no light gets in your room and pin reminders or park tickets in your room so you don’t forget them.
Grid-It Organizer - The concept behind this is great, and it works wonders for organizing your suitcase, assuming you have a lot of little trinkets (chargers, batteries, cameras, etc.) like us. If you don’t, or if you don’t have items sized appropriately for it, it’s just one more piece of clutter.
Plug-in Yankee Candle Scent - It may sound hokey, but if we have space in our suitcase, we bring a new Yankee Candle plug-in to give a “scent” to the trip. When we return home, we forever associate that scent with our Disney trip. Room spray also would work, but we no longer recommend actual candles. Our favorite YC scents are Sun & Sand
Shout Wipes
Downy Wrinkle Releaser
Body Glide - Since making the original list, many others have recommended this product to us as the best way to combat chaffing. We have not used it.
Food
Beef Jerky
Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Coffee
Gatorade G2 Powder Packs 
Clif Bar Energy Bars
Brita 24-Ounce Water Filter Bottle 
Clothing & Accessories
Dresses – If you’ve ever viewed one of our trip reports, it’s no secret that Sarah likes dresses. Based on the emails we’ve received, she’s not the only female who does. Check out this page dedicated to her dress-buying tips.
Hats
Travel Umbrellas - Sarah and I each received “Totes” mini umbrellas a couple of Christmases ago, and they’ve held up wonderfully. We often forget to take them to the parks, but when we do remember to take them, we prefer them to ponchos (which are always in our bags). I have no clue whether this is the exact model we own.
800-Fill Down Coats - This is obviously a seasonal recommendation. If you’re traveling in the winter months, we highly recommend packing an 800-fill down coat. We recommend 800-fill over 600-fill because 800 is a higher quality of down, and compresses far better. The advantage of down over fleece is that it’s warmer (no synthetic is as warm as down) and takes up much less space. An 800-fill down coat takes up barely any room in a suitcase. Sarah wears a Patagonia Down Sweater and I wear a Marmot Zeus Jacket, both of which are pricey but are very high quality and backed by great companies. I recently wore my Zeus on a winter expedition to Yosemite National Park, and I was never cold. If it can handle real winter weather, it can handle Florida “winter” weather. If you’re looking for some cheaper options, check out the 800-fill down coats on SierraTradingPost, which is an off-season/overstock outdoor retailer with inexpensive and low stock inventory that changes frequently.
Mountain Hardwear Windproof Fleece Hat - Fair warning–this hat isn’t even remotely stylish, but it has an internal windproof layer, meaning it will keep you warm in any weather. I wear this on winter hikes, and it’s my favorite hat I’ve ever owned.
Handwarmers - Another seasonal recommendation, these handwarmers are cheap and excellent when you’re waiting around for a parade or fireworks, and a great “filler” item on SierraTradingPost.com.
Agloves Touchscreen Gloves - Another item that isn’t the epitome of stylishness, but these gloves will keep your hands warm while allowing you to use your touch-screen smartphones. Perfect for use in mild winter conditions.
Ponchos - If you don’t want to spend $45 on ponchos at Disney every time an afternoon shower begins, stop at Wal-Mart and grab some ponchos from the sporting goods section for $.50 each. These ponchos are also great for water-based attractions (well, with the exception of the water slides at Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach) and World of Color.
Footwear
Crocs Classic Sandal
Merrell Sandals
Saucony Shoes
Moisture Wicking Socks – Moisture wicking socks are really hit-or-miss in quality, so it’s best to head to your local Marshall’s or T.J. Maxx and feel a few pairs. We’ve had good luck with Wigwam Cool-Lite Socks
Water Shoes – If you’re hitting the water parks or plan on spending significant time at the pool during your trip, water shoes are a good idea. These Body Glove Riptide Water Shoes
Dr. Scholl’s Moleskin Padding Roll
As far as less-ordinary things go, at least, the less ordinary things that would be useful to others, this is about it for us. What about you? Are there any interesting things you pack that might make the rest of us say, “why didn’t we think of that?!” If so, share them in the comments!
We hope this guide helps you better-prepare for Disney! If you are considering a purchase of any of these items (or anything else for that matter–just click the links here to get to Amazon and navigate to any items you might need for your trip), we would greatly appreciate it if you use the links in this post to make your purchase. It benefits the site and help us to keep providing you with useful content!
Your Thoughts…
What unique items do you recommend packing for a Disney trip? Share some of your favorites in the comments!
76 Responses to “Disney Packing List”
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Moleskin is aammaazzziinng- I could not do Disney without it. My new favourite is Blister Stick. It’s more expensive than Moleskin but easier when you’re in a rush.
Love the list!
I agree 100% – Moleskin saved my vacation last year. My blisters (which I never get) were so bad that I could barely walk, then the person in Pop Century’s concession stand told me about this wonderful product. Worth every penny!
Totally agree. I don’t know how we toured before it. Thank you, moles for having such great skin!!!
Blister stick…do you have a link to it? I just want to make sure I check out the correct brand and don’t buy something generic that resembles the product but really isn’t the same!
As an avid hiker. I would recommend wrapping duct tape around a pencil several times throw it in a purse or backpack and use it in lieu of moleskin. The adhesive will last longer than moleskin and costs a lot less.
Whenever I am heading out for an extended walk / hike I put duct tape on the typical hot spots on my and kids feet. Then there is no worry about blisters developing.
I’ll have to give this a try!
re: blister stick – Dr. Scholls and Band-Aid both make one. On the DIS they seem to be more popular with some than Body Glide.
I have discovered Orthaheel sandals that have an excellent arch support. I have navigated the parks from morning to late evening wearing Orthaheels with no foot pain or blisters at all. Great to relieve lower back pain and knee aches. They are available in both women and men’s styles. If you order a pair to try from Zappos.com and don’t like them, you can return them without having to pay for shipping.
Thanks for the tip on these. I’ll tell Sarah about them!
While I had most of those items on my list, there were some I hadn’t though of. Now I need to find a candle to bring with us when we go in September! Love that aspect of bringing the scent home with you and remembering a trip.
for any trip that is before October, Sun & Sand is an AWESOME scent! I love that one, but hate that it rarely goes on sale at YC.
Holy Cow, the candle idea is genius. GENIUS. Scent brings back memories faster than any other sense… think about when you smell something that smells like your grandmother’s home. Or if you smell the perfume your wife used to wear when you were first dating. INSTANT memories.
Seriously, that is an amazing idea. We are so doing this from now on. Thank you!!!
Ha, glad you like the idea! I’m telling you…Sun & Sand! You can thank me later!!!
When I went on my ambassador trip to Europe I took a bottle of “Love Spell” body fragrence from Victoria Secret. Sometime during the trip the top came of and my entire suit case smelled of “Love Spell”. To this day whenever I smell that scent memories of Europe come flooding back. Now I always “accidently” leave the cap off a fragrence in my luggage when I travel.
Crazy how smells can become almost embedded in our memories and associated with things!
I’m somewhat confused about the candle tip. Do you actually burn a candle in your hotel room?
Yes, we burn a candle in our hotel room.
To save $$$ and space while traveling, YC also sells the Room Sprays of most scents (they recently did a sale on cans at 2 for $10!) Much easier (and lighter) to pack, and when you return home you can purchase the larger candle to burn at home. I recommend ‘Sun & Sand’ as well, and I recently tried ‘Forget Me Not’, a delightful spring-like scent. My Husband and I now use the sprays in our cars, too.
This is an AWESOME tip. Thanks for sharing!
It is absolutely true that smell is the strongest sense linked to memory. I always talk to people about this scientific nugget
The first time I ever used Coppertone spray-on sunblock was the first trip I took to DLR with my now wife, the trip on which I proposed to her. Now whenever I use the sunblock during the summer, as soon as it hits my nose I am taken to that trip and that day!
May have to bring a new scent with us for our December trip this year!
Cool Runnings all!
Gary
How soon before your trip do you place your Amazon order if shipping directly to the resort? Is there a time frame how long the resort will hold the package for you? I’m thinking of doing this for our next trip. Always enjoy reading your blog posts!
We order about five days before we leave. The resort will hold items for 10 days.
Your link for Sarah’s dress buying info doesn’t seem right… I THINK you’re aiming for this now, but…
http://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-trip-planning/disney-dress-clothing-tips/
Tom,
I’ll add one more to the list of must haves as far as I’m concerned: Body Glide. You’re skinny, so you never have this problem, but I’m a bigger guy and my muscular (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it) thighs rub together. After a hot day in the parks it gets VERY uncomfortable. Ever since I found this stuff, I won’t travel to Disney World without it.
BodyGlide Anti-Chafing Stick 2.5oz
Body glide is so great for hot, humid days. I bought it for running, but I use it on vacations like Disney as well. Highly recommended.
I’m concerned with the safety of a backpack when we ride some of the more intense attractions, like the roller coasters or water rides. I know lockers are made available near such places but there some great photo ops that can be had while on the lines to these attractions. What do you guys tend to do with your stuff, as I know you carry multiple large cameras around the park each day?
I apologize, I hit the wrong reply.
I plan on taking my awesome DSLR camera but will also always have my iphone with me for those moments when i can’t carry my big camera. I will take a ziplock baggie to store my cell phone in. Some of the lines are (almost) as fun as the ride!
Spandex people!!! I know this sounds funny but when I was in the Army Basic training, they made us buy Spandex for doing PT we would wear them under out shorts, and they are awesome!!! I am also a bigger guy and these will just replace your underwear. and at around 2-3 dollars a pair you can’t go wrong.
I’m concerned with the safety of a backpack when we ride some of the more intense attractions, like the roller coasters or water rides. I know lockers are made available near such places but there some great photo ops that can be had while on the lines to these attractions. What do you guys tend to do with your stuff, as I know you carry multiple large cameras around the park each day?
Personally I carry an across the body bag or a one shoulder bag. It’s small enough that it’s not a hassle to carry around and get on rides but it has enough room for all the essentials. I have a small point and shoot (hoping for a better camera for Christmas!) and I usually make sure I bring some bubble wrap or a small towel and wrap my camera in it’s own bag if I’m concerned about it on rides.
Consider packing and shipping items prior to your arrival. You’ll be able to navigate through the airports quicker, especially if traveling with children.
I’ll right away clutch your rss feed as I can’t in finding your email subscription link or newsletter service. Do you have any? Please allow me understand so that I may subscribe. Thanks.
I always bring Body Glide. I apply it to the entire bottom of my feet then put on moisture wicking socks. I haven’t had a blister in 10 trips.
The amazon tip is great! Thanks! I didn’t realize that the resort would hold packages. I never heard of the Brita Filter bottle i must get it. WDW water is aweful! The Starbucks VIA another great idea! And the candle idea is awesome! My sisters perfume will forever remind me of Disney since that was all I smelled the whole week. It’s be nice to have a different scent to remind me of Disney!
I LOVE the candle idea! And for those that are nervous about burning a candle in a hotel room (you know, like those that have kids running around) I would suggest the little room sprays from Bath and Body Works. They have some great fragrances!
This is a great list! I would add, for footwear, especially during the rainy season, Tevas. (Tevas are sometimes called River Shoes.) Like the Mens Hurricane XLT. When everyone scrambles for the buses, or stores, with a downpour, it’s great to bring out a slicker, and continue on the rides.
Tevas are also great for the HOT months. (I would imagine just as cool as crocs or sandals.)
(I will say that you may need to break them in a little before a trip.)
I used to wear Tevas all the time, and I loved them. Great for rafting or water sports.
I wore Teva’s for my first trip to Disney in August this year and they were PERFECT! Comfortable, dried quickly after water rides, and left my feet cool.
I’m going for my honeymoon this upcoming September and my fiance and I are both planning on wearing our Chaco sandals the entire week…those things are great! They go from wet to dry and back again with hardly a problem. I’d make sure to break them in first, though. We’ve had ours since we were camp counselors in college. I also wore mine all over Europe – they handle hiking through creeks and walking on cobblestones equally well!
Hi Tom!
Love these tips! Can’t wait to go shopping for the next trip. Also, the candle idea is soo great! I actually make candles and will definitely be bringing on the next trip to wdw!
$1 glow-in-the-dark nail polish for the black-light rides (if you’re there longer than a couple of days, you’ll need touch-up) – NOTE – may irritate your husband at bedtime when you are glowing & he’s trying to go to sleep
Haha, nice tip!
The candle idea is great! I did that with our disneymoon (Carribean Escape from Bath and body works) and I will forever associate the scent with our perfect week at CBR. Jerky idea is brilliant, and I plan on copying Sarah’s hat idea for our next trip too. She always looks so elegant! My favorite shoes for traveling are Clarks. For insanely comfortable sandels they have some really cute girly options.
Tom, my family are leaving for a 5 day trip at WDW in 10 days! Bringing my 7D (don’t hate), Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 OS, Canon 50mm f1.8, borrowing a Vivitar 7mm f3.5 (same as yours Rokinon), 580 EXII, yada yada…
I am curious about a few things.
Did you ever test that Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad? This is our 4th trip as a family and being from western NY, the heat is a killer for me. I am tempted to get a handful of these for the fam, but wanted to get some feedback from a trusted source. Help?
I am also thinking about a different camera bag. I work in video production so I have a nice Pelican case for my camera system, but I was thinking of one of those sling bags like the Slingshot 202AW. Last time I brought my Canon backpack with all my gear. My wife was 8mo pregnant and I had to push her in a wheel chair. It was dreadful. I almost wasn’t going to bring my camera at all after that… and then I found your site and it made me want to capture some memories.
Also up in the air is a tripod (not literally). I don’t have a great “photo” tripod only expensive (and massive) video tripods. Brought one last time (Manfrotto 055XPROB) only to use it to take one family photo at Riverside. Kind of a waste. Thinking of maybe a gorilla pod…
Funny thing is… my wife is pregnant again! We just got first ultrasound and she is 8 weeks! Talk about timing. _Rim-shot_cue applause_
Anyway, my plan is to go as light as possible to counter my reaction to heat and my experience from 2 years ago. Now we have more kids (3 going and 1 in the oven) so memories will probably be important.
I may drop the 50mm and just use the 7 and the 17-50. On a crop those are not too bad. But I am open to suggestions and criticisms. I hate spending money on crap I don’t really need. After finding your site I all, “Gotta get a NDx400, carbon fiber sticks, brand new fisheye, new bag…” Then I took several moments to consider how much do-re-mi I would need to lay out.
Long comment. Great site. Any advice welcome.
Frogg Toggs – one of the greatest inventions every brought forth on this earth. They work just as Tom described: wet, ring out, and drape around neck/over head/etc. When they start to dry or lose their coolness, simply repeat. And the water doesn’t have to be cold to work. I can grab a bottle that’s been sitting out in the sun, wet my Chilly Pad or Danna, and you’d think the water I used was straight out of the fridge.
We take a small pump bottle of liquid hand soap so that we don’t have to deal with a wet bar of soap for the whole trip. I usually buy a store brand for about a dollar, and don’t feel guilty leaving it behind at the end of the trip.
This was going to be my addition as well!! On our last trip I was so frustrated trying to use the dinky bar of soap to wash my hands at the hotel. I don’t know why it hasn’t bothered me so much before, but as soon as we got home “hand soap pump bottle” was added to our packing list file!
I have a huge supply of hotel shampoo bottles and we put some soap from the bathroom supply in a few different from the Disney type (trust me, I have plenty of those too), bottles. That way we know what it is. On this note, we also cut up some dollar store sponges, add dish soap and let them dry out. Then just add water and viola! Instant mug cleaning device and easily disposable.
I would add a night light to the list. Allows you to hit the loo in the middle of the night without having to turn on the big light.
Great list! I always bring some carabiners – they are great to attach your water bottle or reusable resort mug to your backpack or other bag. You can also throw keys, etc, on there for easy acess. The one I use most is shaped like Sorcerer Mickey’s hat
For those who have young ones, I suggest stuffing a few disposable straws in your bag. Not all vendors around the parks have straws and not all little ones can drink from a bottle of water without drenching themselves. I learned this the hard way!
for your charging needs – http://www.amazon.com/i-Sound-Portable-Power-iPhone-BlackBerry/dp/B00439G3WS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347983321&sr=8-1&keywords=isound+power
a 5 in 1 charger with 480 hours of backup battery.
what kind of tripod do you use? i have a fold up which doesnt really do it for the fireworks at the magic kingdom with the crowds – i also have a sunpak ultra 7500m but it seems that it wont fit in the disney lockers,
Thanks for so many great ideas. I’ve found two websites that have really worked well for me.
For the toiletries and small food items, I use http://www.minimus.biz. They have a wonderful selection of travel-sized items.
For some of the electronic adapters and chargers, I have found http://www.monoprice.com to be favorable in pricing.
Can’t wait for my next trip!
Thanks for the tips–I love monoprice for HDMI cables!
Nice suggestions. Love the grid-it, that’ll come in handy for electronics items. I’ve heard Anti-Monkey Butt products are great for chafing and “swamp arse” You can purchase them here http://www.antimonkeybutt.com/ I’ve never though to bring Jerkey but that’s pretty smart, especially if you’re on a budget.
I love the idea of a collapsable water bottle, I just wish they made one with a filter. Even using flavorings like MiO is sometimes hard to mask the gross florida water taste.
Tom, the day you re-posted this was actually our return from Disney! We had a great trip and want to send mad thanks to you for all of the pointers.
The moleskin and Merrell’s were a great idea (though no matter what, after a week at the parks you’re going to have some sore tootsies).
We LOVED the water bottles. I don’t think we paid for any non-alcoholic beverages throughout our trip (we’re both water drinkers) I swear by my sweet Brita bottle now, which I cart to work daily.
I didn’t acquire the Body Glide, but my best friend found a Monistat anti-chafing cream that worked really well with skirts and legs that rub together.
The hats were also a great idea! I don’t think the sun even came close to me. Not a hint of color on my pale Irish skin.
Some things that we brought not on your list–
Clorox Wipes (the maid didn’t always clean our table off, and there were days that we told her not to come.)
I had a tiny credit card sized wristlet with a clip hook that I hung from my lanyard, which was perfect for easily accessible tickets, cards, and money.
Gas X strips: Great for people with digestive issues, these puppies relieve that overwhelming feeling after eating quickly, and they’re TINY. They slide in anywhere.
A Small Dispenser of Foaming Soft Soap: As much as I love the Disney soaps; we’re big fans of liquid/foam soap. It helped us keep the sink free from a slippy slidy bar of soap.
Thanks again Tom!
instead of candles we use that orange room spray -the real concentrated orange scent, not the usual brands like Glade. Love that Florida orange smell !
Sarah – Please let us know how you bring your hats? I’ve been struggling with this for the last three years, as my vacation uniform is like yours. Do you wear it on the plane or carefully pack around it? Thanks.
She typically wears/carries them onto the plane. They get smashed in suitcases.
I love me some camelback. Camelbacks are gfreat for hiking and carrying stuff through the parks. I have upgraded to a larger one with a 3 liter bladder, but it is nice to stand in line and just take a sip from the hose that is inches away from your mouth. It is also great to store your camera in or a rain jacket or a hat after the sun has gone down. I hate fanny packs and will forever more take some sort of camleback into the parks with me.
In addition to the hydration, the size of the Camelbak is just about perfect for carrying a few things at Walt Disney World!
I always bring a big plastic bag such as hefty or ziplock that closes tightly so that when I go on water rides I can put all electronics or things I don’t want to get to wet in it. It works great on Grizzly River. I even had people I didn’t know putting their stuff in my bag. Then when you get off take every thing and you can wrap it up and its small enough to put in my back pack. I also always bring a pair of flip flops so I can switch out my shoes for the water rides as well. Its nice to change foot wear throughout the day. I know my feet like it! ha ha
I am not a seasoned traveller, so I feel a little dumb not understanding some of the tips. Could someone please clarify how to go about ordering sundries from Amazon and having them shipped directly to Disney to wait for us? I’m not clear how this works, unless you are paying for overnight shipping/next day air how do you know when your items will arrive? If they arrive before you do, then what? I’m sorry if these questions seem dumb, this seems like a good idea and I really just want to understand.
Thanks.
Amazon gives you a delivery estimate prior to ordering, so make sure you order when that estimate is on or around your arrival date. If the package arrives before you, they will hold it. A lot of people do this and I’ve never heard of Disney losing anyone’s package. Just don’t order months or weeks in advance!
You can also ship to yourself; just write “Hold for Guest [NAME] – Arrival [DATE]” on the top of the package.
Thank you
I was worried what would happen to it if it arrived before we did. Thanks for the clarification.
I always bring ziplock bags. work great for snacks, left overs from a meal, wet clothes – I put a handful of ziplock bags inside one ziplock bag when I pack the suitcase.
I also found laundry detergent that comes in sheets (it looks like a bounce sheet) I bring a few of those (in a ziplock baggie) in the suitcase – we usually do a load or two of laundry at our resort – this detergent takes up virtually no space and no worry of spills in the suitcase.
Anyone traveling with a family member in diapers – I learned the hard way that during hurricane season there is terrential rain – and the backpack holding the diapers was drenched all the way through – including every diaper and the back up clothes – now I throw a few plastic grocery bags in the luggage and everything in the diaper bag is in a grocery bag. Also sometimes you need something of your own to lay your child on when changing, in the absence of a changing pd – a grocery bag works and you can toss it when done. I also get extra cheapie ponchos to cover the gear and one for going over the wheel chair (or if you have a stroller) so that your child doesn’t have to sit in a wet seat when you remove thier poncho.
We take stainless steel bottles and fill them up in our resort with plain old water (filtered?) and use our Disney mugs (hooked to backpack with a big Caribbeaner) to make the little packets of lemonade if we need a change from water, since my son doesn’t drink soda. It seems that the only lemonade availble at Disney restaurants is “lite” and it contains aspertame (nutra sweet) – my son has seizures from aspertame!!! so I bring these packets from home, they take up very little space.
I agree a power strip is a good idea. I had to charge our cell phones in the bathroom last visit
One thing that we have found useful to take is from the dollar store. It’s a blow up bath pillow. We use them to sit on the hard ground while waiting for parades or shows to start, and since they deflate they take up almost no room in a bookbag/purse/stroller. Because they are only $1 or so, we usually bring extra incase one pops. Also, if you do go in the summer it’s a great idea to pre-buy one of those fan water bottles. They are next to nothing at Wal-mart while $15+ inside the parks. We also bring our own glow sticks from the dollar store also, then the kids don’t feel so left out but we’re not spending extra $$ on the ones in the park since they only last for a few hours anyway.
There is nothing like a beautiful day at the beach, the sand, surf and the rays of the sun beating down on your body. Beach visits have been popular with people of all ages, and are as much of a family activity as they are an individual excursion. No beach visit is complete without spending some timer relaxing on the beach with some suntan lotion on and getting that perfect tan. ..
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We have a timeshare, so instead of a hotel room we stay in a full condo, sometimes two joined ones. We have a kitchen, laundry, everything. I am a couponer so I always have samples of anything we’d need and you better believe I bring them! Laundry detergent, dryer sheets, bleach wipes/pens, dishwasher detergent, liquid dish/hand soap, etc. I also bring whatever food won’t spoil because I can get better deals at home than grocery shopping somewhere foreign. Nuts, peanut butter packets, popcorn, dried fruit, candy bars, gummies, crackers, coffee packets, mio/crystal light, etc. I also bring ziploc baggies (a MUST) for everything from snacks in the park to saving electronics on wet rides. Whatever food we don’t bring, we buy at the grocery store there. We always pack snacks for inside the park to save a LOT of money. Apples, carrots, snap peas, pretzels and hummus, candy, etc. And of course, a water bottle. It’s easier if you have a stroller to tote everything around in, but the younger person in our family is 19 so that is kind of out of the question. A cross-body purse is very useful, and a centralized locker can be a reasonable option. Sorry, got a little off topic there at the end! I’ve been doing this for a while, ha.
Another to add are Wet Wipes. You can buy them as a travel pack or invidual packs. I like the indivdual packs. Small single use. They tend not to dry out as fast. Great to use to wipe down messy hands and faces or to clean hands before eating.
Wet Wipes are a great tip! We tend to bring a small bottle of hand sanitizer, but Wet Wipes would work, too!
Hamster bags are a great alternative to a bulky backpack/ diaper bag. They are designed for use with an umbrella stroller but we use them with our double stroller as well. They come as a pair and allow for weight distribution so the stroller won’t tip over if unoccupied. They velcro on the sides of any stroller and also have clips that allow for easy removal and easy reattachment of the bags. They are a sling bag and surprisingly hold a lot of “stuff”.
Great tips – thanks so much!
Here is a tip for anyone travelling with children who are uncomfortable with automatic flush toilets (everywhere in the parks). Pack a pad of “post-it” notes. Peel a couple of pages off the pad and stick over the red “electronic eye”. The toilet will not flush as long as the eye is covered. Your child can use it without concern and you can removed the paper to flush and toss in the trash. These were life savers with my daughter!
good tip for people traveling with kids…when we travel i put each days clothes in its own big ziploc bag. like shirt shorts socks and underwear(/diaper for little ones) in a gallon size bag then in the suitcase. takes a little longer packing but when its time to get dressed or get little ones dressed its super easy. this way i know how many outifts i have and i can throw a spare set in the backpack if we get soaked on a water ride.
I always have taken hand sanitizer and wet wipes but I found in the 5 years I have been going to Disney World that most parks do have hand washing / sanitizing stations all throughout the parks. So this year I do not plan on taking hand sanitizer, however I will take wet wipes just in case. They always are needed when you are taking smaller kids with you [this year my whole family is going together total of 25 people]