What Is Always In My Disney Bag
Charger
This should be a no-brainer for anyone who has a smartphone and is on vacation. We rarely travel without a backup charger in our bags. In Disney, with all of the things you need to use your My Disney Experience app for, and now with the release of the Disney Play app, your battery will not make it to the end of the day. We have the Portable Charger Anker PowerCore that we use for longer park days (the rope drop to fireworks type days). It is long lasting and powerful so that if you need to charge more than one phone you will have no issue. I also bring a smaller, but still pretty powerful charger for the nights we go out and don’t have our large bags. I use this one a lot on other vacations or anytime we go to a festival – small and compact enough to fit in a purse!
Water Bottle
I get dehydrated incredibly quickly in normal weather. So when walking around in the heat and humidity for hours is something I have to be extra cautious. My personal preference is a water bottle that can keep liquid ice cold for 24 hours. Not only is it refreshing on a hot day to realize your water is still freezing, but it won’t create condensation and make everything else in your bag wet! You can walk up to any counter service restaurant and ask for a cup (or two) of ice water and you can refill your water bottle for free! If you want a few options for the best water bottles for Disney, check out this post!
Camera
Some people prefer to stick with their smartphones and the PhotoPass pictures they will receive, but on our last trip I decided to buy a Fujifilm Instax Mini 70 and I loved it. I brought along some sharpies and used the camera for character meet and greets! It was so nice because they were able to sign directly on the Polaroid. It is small, lightweight, and reusable for other destinations as well.
Mouse Ears
Ah, the iconic mouse ears – you either love them or you hate them. I love them, even if they hurt my head after wearing them for hours. They just add to the magic in my opinion. So many options of colors or styles – I typically rock the rose gold like a great millennial…I mean they are just so pretty – it is sometimes hard to pick a favorite! If you are looking to score some ears before you head to the most magical place on earth, check Disney directly, Etsy, and even Amazon! Be sure to read reviews before you buy! I suggest looking at mouse ears before your trip (or any Disney gear). You might not find the same products in the parks, even when you buy through Disney directly. This rule of thumb applies in the park, if you see something you like, buy it there. There is no guarantee it will be in any other shop throughout the parks or even on their site.
Rain Gear
When you are at Disney you have to accept the fact you will get rained on. Some people buy ponchos in bulk so they are covered for their family, others have a light rain jacket that can fit in a bag, but the one thing I always keep handy are extra socks. I purposely bring socks that are made of dry material to wick moisture and accelerate evaporation. Regardless of rain or not these make long days in the parks a lot more comfortable for your feet. I actually recently bought this mini umbrella from amazon. It comes with a cover for it as well so your bag won’t get wet when you put it back in! It was the perfect size. Small and compact to fit in my bag, but wide enough to actually cover me when it rained.
Sunscreen
It is Florida, so this should seem pretty obvious, but if you are going in the summer especially all the sunscreen you apply at the hotel will have sweated off by the time you walk into a park. It is one of the things you really should overpack for Disney as well. The last thing you want on any vacation is to be in pain for the rest of the trip.
Advil
This is a personal thing, but pretty much any medication for your family shouldn’t be forgotten about in your luggage. The Florida heat mixed with a lot of pressure and crowds, not to mention yelling kids (and sometimes adults) make it fairly common to get a headache right when you least expect it. I always keep a small travel pack in my bag just in case.
Deodorant
Keeping with the theme of “Florida is really hot” you will be sweating ridiculously. I like to bring my spray deodorant with me as well (a favorite recent invention). The spray is perfect for your bag because it won’t melt and is incredibly lightweight. It is also a nice gesture for anyone you are standing in line with.
Sunglasses
Another item that I always purposely overpack are sunglasses. Part of the reason is because I have a tendency to leave them places or am unlucky enough to break them while we are traveling. I would hate to be without them though. When you spend the majority of your day outside in the sun, squinting gets old quickly.
MagicBands
MagicBands are your golden ticket around the theme parks. Literally, they are linked to your ticket for admission to the theme parks. They also get you into your Disney resort, can be used to charge items and food, use your memory maker or PhotoPass options, and more! If you are staying at a Disney resort you get to select a MagicBand.
Bandaids
I almost always have a small pack of bandaids in any purse. I have a tendency to injure myself in odd ways due to lack of coordination. Besides just good sense, they also come in handy when you get blisters from walking miles every day throughout the parks.
Sharpies
Once again, something that should be overpacked, but I always have at least one in my bag. Sharpies are not sold anywhere on Disney property. So unless you have a car to drive off property or are shipping ones to your resort, you need to pack these. I always have them in my bag in case I run into a character I have something for them to use to sign the camera print out!
Suggested Items
Autograph Book
There are so many great ideas for how to keep character autographs, but the easiest one is still an autograph book. Make one on your own, order one before you go, or grab one at the parks when you arrive, you’ll want something to keep your memories.
Ziploc
Hear me out! This might seem a bit random, but I always have some in my bag. Between water rides, loose items, snacks, or anything else, they are super helpful. If you are a parent you already know how handy these little bags can be.
Frogg Toggs Towel
The only reason this is in the suggested area instead of essentials is based off the time of year. If you are going in the winter months, you probably won’t need this item. However, if you are going anytime between March and October, you’ll want this in your bag. This cooling towel is amazing in the heat. It absorbs 8 times its weight in water, which means it can stay incredibly cold to cool you off, while not getting you wet. It’s amazing!
Personal Fan
Again, one of the reasons this isn’t in the essential list is the weather year round. Also, I don’t use this myself. We used it as a family when we were younger because either we could pack it in the stroller for any of the kids or one of the kids would gladly hold it. I’m fairly positive my brother and I each had one and would just walk around with them ourselves. The misting fan is definitely something to pack for your kids to help on the summer days.
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