Disney Packing List: Park Bag Must Haves

Strategize your Disney packing list of park bag must haves with this helpful roundup! For long days at Disney, you don’t want to be stuck carrying too much, but you also want to be prepared for whatever may come your way.

I did so much planning for our trip to Disney World. Having now gone 3 times as a family, I'm sharing what items were a must have for us during the trip, and what you might want to considering bringing on your next Disney vacation!

Disney Packing List

Strollers - 1 for each kid.

Yup, we rented a stroller for our 2 year old as well as for our 7 year old. We used Magic Strollers, who delivered both strollers to our hotel AND picked them up on our last day (check with on-site Disney hotels, though, as I read they are no longer allowing stroller delivery and pick-up so you may need to coordinate picking them up yourself). Our own stroller wasn’t ideal for long park days, so it was a no brainer to rent one for Henry - one with a wider seat for extra comfort/lounging and ample storage underneath to help cart our stuff around. Meanwhile, after a lot of deliberation, I decided to rent one for Penelope, who is 7, as well. As I’ve mentioned, when we travel we really like to GO - we only take food breaks and we don’t go back to the hotel to rest. To keep everyone happy, and so she’d have somewhere to rest, we rented a big stroller for her and I can truthfully say that we couldn’t have done the trip without it! In fact, there were many times when Henry refused the stroller, but Penelope was happy for the rest.

Foldable tote bags

This is one of my favorite life items and my feelings about them in Disney World was no different. This RuMe All bag was perfect for carrying souvenirs, extra food throughout the day, and worked well for toting sweatshirts for all of us to wear at night. Plus, it folds up into a little square for the times you're not using it. I also had a couple of these free form foldable totes in my backpack for extra carrying.

Sweatshirts & throw blankets

Depending on the time of year, the weather at Disney World can change drastically throughout the day or throughout your stay. We packed 1 sweatshirt per family member; and small fleece throw blankets for the kids when they were smaller.

It was relatively chilly when we went, so at least 1 sweatshirt per person was necessary. We also brought small throw/snuggle blankets for the kids to have in their strollers at night, which was great for them taking a rest to make it to the Happily Ever After fireworks.

Backpack

Both Shaun and I carried backpacks in the parks. Seems like a lot, but we had a lot to tote around since we were out of the hotel all day long. We filled them with water bottles, snacks, diapers, wipes, sunscreen...not to mention both kids wanted their Mickey and Minnie dolls respectively, and once we picked up souvenir bubble wands, that was another item we ended up toting around all day. I used a sturdy Herschel backpack that held a lot and never felt too heavy on my back.

Belt bag

Loved having this for me. Yes I wore both a belt bag and backpack for much of the trip. The belt bag made reaching for money, credit cards, my phone, hand sanitizer, ibuprofen, stevia packets (you know I bring my own!) and lip balm a breeze. Couldn’t have done the trip without it. I used this Herschel belt bag in Ash Rose which was a nice size - big enough to hold a lot but small enough to feel lightweight.

Snack bag (or box)

This was a must with kids, not only to keep them happy and entertained during the less fun parts of the day (like waiting in lines, or bribing Henry to get in the stroller), but also to save some money in the park. We bought the refillable popcorn bucket (also a must) but having a stash of snacks and cream cheese and jelly sandwiches was the only way to travel. Each day I filled up a gallon size Ziploc bag with all kinds of goodies - KIND bars, applesauce and yogurt pouches, Pop Tart bites, mini muffins...and added some bribable stuff too like M&Ms and lollipops.

Hand sanitizer & sanitizing wipes

Coronavirus or not, this is a good idea. You’ll be touching lots of things that other have touched before you, in rides and on line, not to mention wiping down tables at quick service eateries and diaper changing stations (if you're in that stage, like me). It’s just a good idea to be able to sanitize because the very last thing you want to happen on your trip is for you or one of your family members to get sick. At one point I caught Henry licking a railing while in line for the Tomorrowland Speedway. Best efforts ya know?

Stroller fan or portable fan

I loved having these portable handheld fans for those hot moments. I kept 2 in my belt bag and we passed them around while waiting in lines. Another idea for something smaller is the iPhone fan.

Portable phone charger/backup battery & cord

Phones drain fast in Disney, between the My Disney Experience app (which you’ll need for booking Genie+ throughout the day and for checking ride and character meet n greet wait times) as well as taking hundreds of pics and videos. A backup battery is a must!

Masks

I know mask mandates have been lifted, but it’s not a bad idea to carry one mask per person just in case rules change during your trip.

Sunscreen - for faces and lips

Not much else to say here aside from the fact that Florida sun is strong whether it’s hot out or not, so sunscreen is always a good idea for both you and the littler family members. We use babyganics for face, arms & legs (I ended up ditching our adult bottle of Hawaiian Tropic to lighten the load and just used the kids stuff when needed) and Neutrogena moisturizing lip balm with SPF for lips.

Card holder

I downsized my wallet for a small cardholder and kept it in my belt bag throughout the trip. It was an easy way to alleviate some weight from my bag!

Refillable water bottles

Another must. Shaun and I shared one (to save pack space) and each kid got their own new water bottle for the trip (Frozen for Penelope and Cars for Henry). We filled them at the hotel and at the park water fountains throughout the day. It's also worth noting that I brought a sponge and dish soap for the hotel room to wash them each night.

Autograph materials

Another item I toted in my backpack daily. We chose to have the characters sign these frame mats which I think turned out so adorably! I’ll do a separate post about how I kept these safe in my bag. Also, I brought a pouch of clickable Sharpies in different colors. This was one of my favorite items of the trip.

MagicBands

We each had our own band and it was really fun to pick them out! They are not necessary for anything in the park, but they add convenience and fun.

Bonus item: tablet or device

We made it most days without needing a Kindle to keep the kids occupied, but for littler kids who need a rest, we found having Henry's tablet on hand for those rough moment to be a Godsend. We had his preloaded with downloaded shows and only broke it out at moments when he was in the middle of a meltdown or we really needed him to get.in.the.stroller. A phone would work too - if you're willing to hand it over!

So there you have it! All the items that were our must-have for long days at Disney World. What would you add to this list?