What or how much do you carry around with you in the parks?

[newkie]

We're booked for trip in October finally! We leave 22nd and get back to Tassie on 7th November, with 4 days at DL/DCA and then we are hopefully going to get tickets for the Halloween party on Halloween night! Soooo excited

I'm starting to get to the finer details now, and packing for 6 people (2 adults, 4 kids) is freaking me out! I think I have the suitcases under control, but I plan on carrying a backpack in the park and I'm really not sure how much I'll need to lug around with me?

We're staying at the Del Sol Inn, which is directly across the road from the main entrance, so I'm not going to carry around jumpers or cardigans all day if we only need them at night, but apart from that, I'm not really sure what else I'll need?

I was thinking a few snacks for waiting in lines, and a filled water bottle, baby wipes and our camera (maybe? Maybe just use Photo Pass?). Will I need any panadol, bandaids etc?

What else are necessities?

 

[Royal Consort]

I take two things: my DSLR and sunglasses. That's it. The less you bring the better. 'Course it's easy for me as I don't have kids so I get to be super swervey around crowds. I still think keeping it minimal is the best policy though. Pack travel tissues maybe.

 

[heidispidi]

Lip balm, water and a wallet. They are my only necessities!

 

[LeanneDownUnder]

Hi Newki,

My 2 daughters and I stayed at the Del Sol on our trip last October.

You are pretty much a 5 minute walk from the gates of the park so VERY close.
We took my (small) over shoulder bag with our tickets, camera, drugs (I suffer from migraines) and the girls books for Character signing.
On the day we did the Halloween Party we got a locker that I think was $10 for the day, we took jackets into the park and left them in the locker, plus we stowed our trickatreat bags as we collected stuff.

Take as little possible. Disney food shops/stall offer free water, you only have to ask, so no need to carry water.

 

[PrincessInOz]

As little as possible.

 

[Meemoo]

The Camera, a bottle of water, in a light bag which usually becomes filled with the kids jackets if the morning starts out cold!

 

[Tashinwdw]

I had each child carry a mini backpack - so that I didnt have to lug everything. In it they would have a bottle of water and their autograph book oh and they also had those cheap rain ponchos, if they wanted to bring their own camera or anything else it was fine as long as they new they had to carry it. This ensured that all I had in mine was camera, sunscreen, little bottle of hand sanitiser and water. We all also had wallet lanyards which held their park card in it and also some money (they also had their own money they had saved for the holiday and they were responsible for budgeting that money so that it lasted the whole trip and they could decide to spend it on whatever they wanted, usually only carried $20 at the most in case they lost it)

It was amazing to see what things they decided they didnt need after the first day when they had to be the ones that carried it. I think sometimes they shared so that it ended up two bags between the four kids.

My kids were aged 8 to 13 so it helped that they were older.

 

[dollarmite]

My camera is in my bag all the time at home, so it's the number one thing I pack when on holiday, especially Disney. I always try and have a back up camera (or 3; these days my phone usually doubles as at least one of the backups) as well, having learned about that the hard way. I also take spare SD cards (or film in the olden days ), and batteries if need be.

I also try and remember a rain poncho for things like Splash Mountain, and some sort of drink and maybe a few snacks. Also a pen, my wallet or small purse, and a Disney autograph book.

 

[Fairy Floss]

I bought a sholdit scarf from ebay
http://www.sholdit.com
It is an infinity scarf with a zip pocket
Have a wallet case for my phone - so pop that + camera + panadol & I'm right for the day
No bag!
Also great for flying - pop your passport in there

 

[newkie]

Fairy Floss, I like the look of that thing! Does it get heavy with your phone in there?

Oh yes Autograph books! Times 4! Maybe they should all share one family one?

It looks like I wasn't completely off the mark then, but I'll have to rethink my big wallet, maybe I need a new small one if I have to carry around 4 Autograph books.

 

[Fairy Floss]

Fairy Floss, I like the look of that thing! Does it get heavy with your phone in there? Oh yes Autograph books! Times 4! Maybe they should all share one family one? It looks like I wasn't completely off the mark then, but I'll have to rethink my big wallet, maybe I need a new small one if I have to carry around 4 Autograph books.

Here's what I use as phone case/ wallet

I use the 'non zip loop' to support the 'zipped loop' with the wallet /phone
This stops the heavy part from pulling down
Far better than carrying a bag

(Photos from the internet)

 

[zanzibar138]

I take both cameras and back up battery, sunnies, lip balm, tickets (of course), credit card, and a small amount of cash for small purchases/tips at meals. And a raincoat/brolly if it looks like rain.

Last time we stayed at a place that was a good half an hour walk from the parks, so we also took jackets etc for when it got cold. We're staying closer this time around though and will just pop back to the room if we need anything like that. Plus it will be summer, so we probably won't need it anyway!

If you really value your photos, I would take your own camera as well as getting photopass. There are LOT of things you would miss relying on photopass.

 

[newkie]

Thanks Fairy Floss! I'm very interested, though DH thinks it might be too hot? I'm from Tassie and don't wear a scarf unless I'm going to the snow, so maybe it might make me too hot.

Taking our own DSLR requires me to get it looked at as it's currently not even turning on, not matter how many new batteries I try. I was hoping to get away with DH and my iPhones as well as Photo pass, but I do want to make sure I get some great photos, so maybe I need to get my camera looked at.

 

[zanzibar138]

I'd say you'll probably be too hot for a scarf.

If your phones take good photos you'll probably be ok with them. I just meant you should have your own photo taking device to capture the moments that the photopass photographers miss. I don't have a DSLR, only take a point and shoot.

 

[Aussiefamof5]

We're booked for trip in October finally! We leave 22nd and get back to Tassie on 7th November, with 4 days at DL/DCA and then we are hopefully going to get tickets for the Halloween party on Halloween night! Soooo excited

I'm starting to get to the finer details now, and packing for 6 people (2 adults, 4 kids) is freaking me out! I think I have the suitcases under control, but I plan on carrying a backpack in the park and I'm really not sure how much I'll need to lug around with me?

We're staying at the Del Sol Inn, which is directly across the road from the main entrance, so I'm not going to carry around jumpers or cardigans all day if we only need them at night, but apart from that, I'm not really sure what else I'll need?


I was thinking a few snacks for waiting in lines, and a filled water bottle, baby wipes and our camera (maybe? Maybe just use Photo Pass?). Will I need any panadol, bandaids etc?

What else are necessities?

Hi newkie congrats on booking your trip!!!! Are you departing from hobart? We will be leaving hobart this year on October 25th, we went last year about the same time and the weather was gorjus. Compared to tassie's perfect summer days. It gets cool on evenings so if your planning to go to parks and view world of colour take a jacket. It gets dark very quick too. Regarding packs we are 2 adults and 3 kids everyone has their own backpack the boys just take water hat and jacket and a cheap poncho for grizzly river run as you get soaked. For my 3 year old she has one of the little bags that has a lead... I know some people hate them but this one is soo cute and she can fit a hat and a small pack of wipes, it's very crowded so I felt safer with her bag/lead. Me... I have a cross shoulder bag by pacsafe it's RFID safe and is perfect for your phone wallet. Sunscreen, sunnies and hand sanitiser, and I take one camera and hubby takes the other. And yes definitely do photo pass plus, it took approx 3 weeks to arrive and it's so worth it as some days you are so mesmerised by it all you forget to take photos!!
Hope you all have a great time

 

[WickedDreamer]

I tend to carry quite a bit when we travel into the parks, because we stay off site, and don't drive as well. But last trip we started renting a locker at the parks, it became easier for us, as the weather was always half an half, we would stash our jackets, and other bits and pieces in there for the day. I had a small backpack and my sister had a shoulder tote bag for the parks.

The lockers are WDW are only $12 for the day and you get $5 back when you return the key at the end of the day. Not bad it worked out $3.50 each a day when we needed the locker, and for the convenience of not carrying our jackets around all day.

We generally carried, our Video recorder,my camera, and than our medication, spare batteries for both, sunscreen and our phones. The only really bulky items we seemed to carry were our Pins to trade, I always had a bag of maybe 30 to trade with and our vinylmations.

We used Photopass + our last trip, it was great as some of the shots we missed, they were able to capture, and some of the shots didn't work on thier cameras but we managed to get great ones on our. The ride photos are worth it particularly if your kids and you will ride the Mountains, Test Track, Dinosaur ETC. Plus its fun to edit the photos with the borders!

Shannnon

 

[dollarmite]

We generally carried, our Video recorder
Shannnon

Ah, you just reminded me that we also take our video camera as well (along with all the other stuff I mentioned in a previous post)!

On our Christmas HK Disney trip DS1 took his new GoPro camera gear, so that got us some unique shots, so I presume he'll be bringing that along on our October trip.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

My DH always carries a backpack with our camera, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, ponchos (if it looks like we might need them), and a bottle of water to share (nothing like a few germs between family). Our backpack is a Kathmandu one with comfortable, padded straps, so DH doesn't mind carrying it. He prefers it to carrying a camera strap around his neck and it's a safe place to put his wallet and phone when we're on rides. Sometimes we also put our tripod in it.

We're yet to encounter a ride where the backpack was an issue.