We’re constantly bringing ya new Disney tips and tricks.
After all, we’re in the parks every day! And that kinda makes us pros at ride strategies, Park Pass reservations, and so much more. But we’ve got you covered with the little stuff, too! And today, we’re showing you what, exactly, we bring in our park bags, so you don’t show up at Disney World unprepared.
Our theme park reporters spend hours in the parks every day, which makes them our go-to people when figuring out park bag essentials. So we’re taking a deep-dive into one of our reporter’s bags!
First up, we’ve got the backpack itself. One of our favorite bag brands is Loungefly! Now, these do tend to run a bit pricier (in the parks, they sell for around $75), but they’re a great size and they fit a lot. We’d recommend them if you’re willing to pay a little extra!
You’ll notice in one of the side pockets, we’ve got a few grab ‘n’ go essentials. Sunscreen is a MUST — Florida summers are HOT, guys! We opted for something water resistant because sweat is very much a thing.
We’ve also got a FuelRod to recharge our phone. You can buy these in the parks for $30 a pop and swap them out for free each time they die, so your phone always stays charged.
In the other outside pocket, we’ve got Germ-X. Now, the parks do have hand sanitizing stations sprinkled throughout, but we’ve noticed they’re often empty. Plus, it helps to have some of your own on hand in a pinch.
Now we’re digging inside the bag! We’ve laid out all of the toiletries we bring to the parks here for ya, including lotion, chapstick, and eyedrops. You can store these in a little baggie so they don’t get buried at the bottom of your backpack.
This pouch is super helpful for stowing away all those goodies…
…but we prefer to use it for face masks!
We always have at least 2 face masks on hand. They’re so easy to drop, lose, get wet…you get the picture. Just stash an extra one in your bag for emergencies, and you’ll be good to go!
That plaid thing ya see is a Koozie, to keep our drinks cool. Drinking a hot can of soda in the Florida sun just isn’t ideal, so here’s our quick fix!
Because we’re out in the parks all day taking photos and videos, we’ve got a tripod for our phone. Now, this isn’t necessarily an essential, but if you find yourself in need of one, make sure you buy one that folds easily! You won’t want anything bulky in your bag, especially when every inch counts for space.
Then, we’ve got a few smaller must-haves, like car keys and gum…
…and MORE portable chargers! That’s right, folks, the FuelRod is not enough for us. We’ve always got a backup on hand! If you’re not using your phone in the parks as much as we are (and you probably aren’t), then this isn’t a need. But it’s part of our little setup!
Then, there are a few miscellaneous things tossed into our bags (and we’re SURE you can relate). There are pressed pennies and a wipe (which is handy for cleaning sticky fingers after eating!)…
…a stack of Disney gift cards…
…and a handful of pins! If you’re a pin collector, it never hurts to have some on you in case ya want to do some trading.
Our umbrella takes up a TON of space in our bag, but it’s very necessary. You need some type of rain plan in place — whether that’s an umbrella, poncho, or rain jacket — because there’s a good chance you’ll get caught in a spontaneous rainstorm or two.
Lastly, we’ve got Ziploc bags and some Tupperware. Because we spend so much time eating in the parks, trying all the new food for you, we’re bound to end up with some leftovers! These helpful storage tools make sure nothing goes to waste. Again: do YOU need these in your park bag? Probably not (unless you’re doing some major snackin’!). But they’re a lifesaver for us! And you could use this space to bring some snacks of your own.
Those are all the individual components of our park bag…but how do they fit together? Well, when everything’s all packed up, they fit pretty neatly inside the backpack. We’ve utilized our space so not an inch goes to waste. And that, friends, is when you know you’ve done park bags right.
So there ya have it! You may notice a classic park bag essential — a water bottle — is missing from our line-up, but that’s because Disney offers free cups of ice water at many Quick Service locations! But if you do want a bottle, it’s easy to swap out a few of our other items to fit it. Use our set-up as a guide and make it all your own!
To be clear, as we mentioned at the start of this post, this is the bag of just one of our reporters. We’ve got quite a few reporters and they’ve all got their own style, personality, and (of course) way of packing for their days in Disney World. Our other reporters may carry totally different things than what was shown here!
Some of our reporters love to carry reusable straws and utensils with them. Others HAVE to bring their DSLR Camera. And some prefer to use bags other than a Loungefly. They’re all unique and have their own list of must-bring items. We’ll actually be working on more posts in the future to show you just what’s in our other reporters’ bags so be on the lookout for those!
We hope you can put our tips and tricks to good use next time you’re in Disney World. Let us know what’s in YOUR park bag! And stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news.
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What are your park bag essentials? Let us know in the comments!
DebC says
Question: How much does that bag weigh with all that stuff in it?
Cindy says
I always carry an extra pair of socks in my park bag. They feel AMAZING after it rains. Even if your shoes are still wet, at least your socks aren’t also soaked. It’s also great on really hot days to have an dry (not sweaty) pair for blister prevention. They may not get used everyday, but they’re great to have when you do need them.
Nicole says
This is great! I didn’t realize those little backpacks could hold so much. That said, who is going to tell them that bear pin is a scrapper? Oof. Looks like it falls to me.
DFB Sarah says
DebC, I’m not sure exactly, but it’s gotta be quite a bit, right?
Jami says
Please do a video on this!
DFB Sarah says
Jami, we’ll be doing more posts, and I’ll see about a video!
Elizabeth Johnston. says
Just got back last night. I had chapstick, hand sanitizer, hand lotion, sunscreen, bandaids and moleskin, pain reliever for sore muscles, disposable raincoat, two portable chargers/plug/cord, car key, credit card (in case Apple Watch failed, happened a few times), and photo ID .
Athena braun says
No small brush no small hairspray? Your hair goes through alot . Powder? For touchups eh I fit all of that in . Your bag seems a little incomplete and I do use the same bags
Darah says
Who knew loungefly made Mary Poppins carpetbag? And where did you find the mint tin? I love those things
Amy Abrey says
Since our first WDW trip, we pack Brita water bottles and just fill up at the drinking fountains around the park. The empty bottles weigh practically nothing in our backpack, and we don’t have to worry about waiting in any lines or, during COVID restrictions, waiting for a cast member to give us a small cup of water that may not fully quench our thirst. It’s super convenient, and since there’s a filter, the water always tastes great!
DFB Sarah says
Darah, our reporter tells me the tins are available in most merchandise locations.
Jennifer says
I was surprised to see the tripod. I’ve never tried to bring mine because I thought it would be considered too similar to a selfie stick. You’ve never had any issues at security with it?
DFB Sarah says
Jennifer, our reporters tell me that they have not had trouble getting through with tripods and that tripods under six feet are generally okay.