Park Backpack Must Haves

Over our two trips to Disney World together we have come to realize how important it is to be properly packed for a day at the park. During the times of year we went, late May and early June, it was important that we were prepared for the heat and the periods of rain that comes with that time of year!

Before we even thought about what we would pack in our bag for the day, the first question we had to answer was what type of bag would we would want to use while walking around the parks. We wanted something that allowed us to carry our items, but it was also important that it was something that wasn't too bulky so that we could easily open it to be searched at the bag check before entering a Disney park and so that would could fit it in the storage compartments that are found on many of the larger rides.

This camel-pack style bag turned out to be the perfect choice for our needs and was very easy to carry, while still being able to hold what we needed it to. It also fit comfortably into the rides storage compartments!

Camel-Style Bag

 Now of course a bag this small may not be realistic for larger groups or families because you would need more space designated for snacks or drinks for the little ones that the two of us didn't need to worry about.

After choosing the bag, here is a list of "Day at the Parks" must pack items that we took with us everywhere at Disney...

1. Sunscreen - Don't want to get burnt!

2. I-Pad - Great for bringing up our Disney App to check out park maps and up to date wait times.

3. Digital Camera - To capture all the moments

4. Park Map (Paper Copy) - Quick and easy resource to find your way around the parks without the need of Wi-Fi.

Quick and Easy Park Maps

5. Sunglasses - The sun is nice and bright in late May and June!

6. Ponchos - Can be folded up very small and brought out during down pours (life savers at times)

Ponchos!

7. Bag of Quarters and Pennies - For the souvenir Penny Machines :)

8. Medication - Safety First

9. Water Bottle - Can be filled with water at any Quick Service Station (Even if it is not a refillable Disney mug!)

10. Wallet - Keeping those valuables safe

Taking the time to be packed properly for a full day at the parks meant that we were able to enjoy everything that Disney had to offer and be prepared for any conditions that came our way!

**Important Note: We did NOT take a bag with us when we went to Universal Studios the second time we went. Unlike rides at Disney, Universal Studios will not allow you to take a bag on the majority of rides at their two theme parks. You are required to store them in lockers that are located outside the ride itself.

Universal's Islands of Adventure

Now this is okay at first because they are free to use while you are on the ride so it says, but if it is a slow moving line and takes over a certain period of time it begins to charge you for storing your items in them. So much money for each minute stored. This became problematic for us the first time we went in 2012 because I had my wallet stored in the locker and had no way of paying to get it out. Luckily Ellen was able to track down an employee who opened it up for free and we were able to retrieve our items.

Overall, we found the lockers slowed us down and were a hassle. The lines to get to the lockers were crowded after the ride was over and you often had wait for people to move out of the way before you could even get to your stuff. It's bad enough waiting in a line for a ride, but waiting in a line just to get to a locker was no fun at all.

To get around the locker issue during our second trip, Ryan stored our items in a pair of cargo-style shorts with closing pockets. Since we only really needed our passes, a camera and our wallet we just left everything else at the hotel and were able to enjoy the day without a bag. This allowed us to jump on and off rides without the added locker delays!