What to Bring into Disney Parks: The Bare Necessities

Life inside of a Walt Disney World park is unique. Along with the immersion, there is a sense of being cut off from the outside world. Even if you do crossover to the other side, the idea of borders becomes kind of fuzzy. You are still in Disney World after all. So there is this sense that you need to be prepared when you go in, but there are all kinds of convenience and safety measures designed to put you at ease and make your stay a little more convenient. So do you travel light, or do you gear up and lug it all over the park with you? How do you know what to bring into Disney parks? What are the absolute essentials?

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Pros and Cons of Traveling Light

The good news is that you don’t have to lug anything around if you don’t want to. Even if you do bring in a backpack full of remedies for what-if scenarios, you can still check it in a locker which you can return to throughout the day. However, with security baggage checks slowing down park entry, you may want to travel as light as possible anyway. It’s not exactly convenient to have to return to the same spot for your stuff when you are traversing a park over 100+ acres. After all, what you need to bring into Disney parks is already available inside the parks anyway. It will just cost a little extra. So you can pay more for the freedom, but then you still have to make inconvenient stops to buy things you know you already have or should have. Irritating moments like this can mount and really start to spoil the experience if you aren’t careful to stay positive and “just keep swimming.”

Leaving your bags at the hotel makes you more free and mobile, but it can also leave you vulnerable to potential setbacks while you are past the gate and trying to have a good time. With all of this in mind, be prepared to be prepared. Here is what to bring to Disney parks even if you don’t want to carry too much around with you.

Cold Beverages and Snacks

You can save yourself a lot of time, money, and hangriness just by having a few snacks handy for emergency situations. Although you may have meal reservations, and Mobile Order handy, plans have a way of falling through. If somebody gets unexpectedly hungry in the wrong time or place, you want to stop and handle the situation as speedily as possible so it doesn’t derail everybody’s experience. Having cold drinks also just makes good sense considering how expensive a bottle of soda or water is. Any backpack you bring into a Disney park should include an ice pack and some nonalcoholic beverages in plastic 20 oz bottles.

Back up Batteries and Chargers

You can charge your stuff at the hotel. There are several outlets including USB charging stations in your room. However, in case you forget, or something didn’t charge overnight, you don’t want to be left without the technology Disney relies so heavily on for the theme park experience. You also will use your phone batteries a lot running the Disney apps and taking lots of pictures. You want to be able to communicate in emergencies, too. So the need for backup is evident. Don’t be in the park without some way to charge your phone if the battery drains.

OTC Medications

Necessary medications are important but don’t forget to bring OTC remedies such as aspirin or even antacids. You can go to first aid in any of the parks for basic treatment, but it’s best to have something with you for convenience’s sake. The bright sun, dehydration, hunger, a bumpy ride, stress… all can lead to a pretty bad headache. You don’t want that ruining the whole day even if it’s just an annoying distraction at best.

Sun Protection

They don’t say hang on to your hats and glasses for nothing. You should be wearing these items in the Disney parks. They’re more apparel than what to bring into Disney parks in a backpack. But many people forget these essential accessories. Overall they will make you feel more comfortable and help prevent headaches and heat stroke. But you should also bring sunscreen, even if you applied it at the hotel before you left. You will need to reapply throughout the day as the effects wear off or even wash off. Sunscreen is really expensive if you have to buy it at the resort, so don’t forget to pack it!

Ponchos and Light Jackets

Finally, you never really know when a shower will hit in the Disney World parks. Sometimes these are just short bursts, but they can last long enough that you will want to wear something for protection. It’s always a good idea to bring disposable plastic ponchos so you don’t need to buy them from a vendor in an emergency. Depending on the time of year, it can also get quite cold at night, so a light jacket is never a bad idea to have on hand. Even on hot days, you may still like to use a jacket in table service restaurants where the air is often too cold.

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