Park Touring Supplies Archives - Living a Disney LifeLiving a Disney Life

I felt I needed to add a qualifier to this post’s title. If you’ve got little one’s (especially of the diaper-wearing variety), this article won’t be very helpful – in the end, you’re going to need a bigger bag than any of the ones I’m about to recommend. I’m also not recommending a specific brand – the three bags featured today ranged from cheap (discount store) to not-so-cheap (upscale outlet mall) to pretty-darned-expensive (major department store). You can find the perfect bag or bags for your next Walt Disney World vacation at a multitude of stores – brand doesn’t matter.

When choosing a bag for a day of park touring, I take a few things into consideration:

What size camera will I be carrying?
Will I be going back to the resort mid-day or to dress for dinner or not at all?
Will I be toting anything for gathering character autographs?

Once I know the answers to those questions, I can choose from among the three bags I bring along. They are: the small backpack, the smaller hipster, and the teeny, tiny wristlet. I know what you’re thinking: THREE bags? This chick is bonkers!

All I can say is that after a dozen trips to Walt Disney World, I know what I like. I like choices! I don’t carry the same stuff everyday and I don’t want to tote around a larger bag than absolutely necessary. Also – I want my bag to always fit in the “stuff holder” provided on many rides and attractions. If I’m not going to be collecting autographs, I don’t want to carry those supplies. If I’m carrying my super-small camera, I don’t need a big bag. If I’m not going back to the resort before dinner, I may need supplies for a little hair or make-up refresher. I like to travel as light as possible and still have everything I need. See how that works? You don’t have to have multiple bags, one or two of the perfect size will do.

In EVERY bag, I need to carry:

Travel-sized sunscreen
Emergency medical supplies (ibuprofen, antacid, band-aids)
Smartphone and portable charger
Camera

Optional things I may WANT to carry:

Extra pins for trading
Photo mats / ornaments / pens (for autographs)
Visor and/or hair utensils (I refer to as hairaphernalia, ’cause I’m clever that way)
Touch-up supplies like lipstick, oil blotting papers, pressed powder, etc.
Rain jacket or poncho (folded tightly)

When packing, I put the unused bags inside each other and they don’t take up much room or weight in my suitcase. For touring without a bag, see my tips here.

What’s your favorite bag like? Do you bring multiple options with you? Do you have any tips to share that I haven’t mentioned?

Think how much time you’d save if you could avoid the bag check lines at Walt Disney World park entrances! Be among the first to ride Toy Story Midway Mania before the standby line is more than 60 minutes long! I often spend a day or two traveling light – footloose and bag-free – on my vacation and, unless you’re still in the diaper bag phase of life, with a little careful planning and the right wardrobe choices, you too can waltz right on in and bypass those nice folks at the bag-check tables.

You will need pockets for this to work. I divvy up all the items we need to carry among everyone in our group – Cargo shorts, skorts, capris – whatever you like – the more pockets the better!

TEN Small Things (to help you tour bag-free):

1 & 2) Mini sunscreen and lip balm – these two are absolute necessities. Applying the first coat of sunscreen liberally before leaving your room in the morning is a must. After lunch, a quick touch-up helps ensure you remain burn-free. Lip balm with a high (at least 30) SPF or a clear zinc stick for lips and face is a great investment!

3) Small camera, no case – Just carry it around by the strap and snap away!

4) Pins for trading – Love Disney pin trading? It’s not comfortable to always have a pin-filled lanyard around your neck all day – especially on days without breaks or super-hot, humid ones. On a bag-free day, pin a few pins on a cap or visor or just pocket a couple for emergency trading purposes.

5 & 6) Cap and sunglasses – When the summer sun is beating down, I must have at least a visor and some shades. Added bonus with the cap – no need to worry about carrying any hair styling tools – nobody’s going to see your hair!

7 & 8) Cell phone (and portable charger) – If you plan on frequenting your My Disney Experience mobile app to keep up with, book, or change your FastPass+ selections and ADRs, you will want a portable charger (around $40) or be tied to a charging station for a period of time. The chargers are usually about the same size as a cell phone – easy to carry and use on the fly.

9) $2.50 – more figurative than literal, this item refers to the fact that being bag-free comes with a price…in this case, the price of a bottle of water. I like bottled water versus any other beverage on a hot day. When I’ve opted not to bring any drinks or snacks into the park with me, I’ve got to suck it up and pay for them. I’m okay with that. Sometimes you spend a little money to save a little time.

10) Bag of first aid/medical necessities. We have a small plastic container that works well, but we’ve also used a mini-ziplock bag to hold an assortment of “in case of emergency” items – travel packs of ibuprofen, antacid, bandages, blister relief etc. This tiny first aid kit fits easily into a pocket (and has come in handy many times).

Believe it or not, we’ve also carefully (and aggressively!) folded rain ponchos to fit into cargo pockets as well! I still take a small backpack on many days to carry water, snacks, and character autograph items and pens, but from time to time, I just want to get a jump on the day. Sometimes, no matter how light the bag is, it just feels like a burden and I need a break! Whatever your reasons for wanting to be bag-free, I hope you found some useful tips here today.