bluezy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2008
One year at AK I saw two families (obviously traveling together) unload 3 huge backpacks with an entire picnic lunch for their group of 10-12 people. They had *everything* in those backpacks...tablecloth, napkins, plates, plastic utensils, stuff to make sandwiches, several large containers of salads (looked homemade), drinks, desserts, etc. It was unbelievable. They carried it around for the morning (they were in front of us at rope drop and I was trying to figure out what could possibly be in the backpacks) before eating at about 12:30. I can't imagine lugging all that around for a few hours and then the half empty containers for the rest of the afternoon. Not for me.
In my last 5 trips to Disney, I've carried a backpack 3 times. Twice was when we returned to a park in the evening simply for a nighttime show (Fantasmic and MSEP/Wishes). Both times I had some snacks to eat while we were sitting and waiting (and I bought those snacks in our hotel on the way to the bus), a plastic table cloth to sit on (it had rained both times), and a few things to entertain the little kids while we waited. We didn't go on any rides or into any restaurants on those occasions. On our trip during Monsoon Week in 2009, we needed to take the Disney rain ponchos with us every day because we knew we would need them -- if it wasn't raining when we left in the morning, we knew it would be within 2 hours...and it wouldn't ever stop. So we had to put the 7 rain ponchos in a backpack. I hated every minute of carrying it (we did take turns, but I still hated it). It was constantly smacking into people or things and it was a huge annoyance (to me) to have to take it off and figure out where to to stash it at every attraction. We downsized to 2 small drawstring backpacks the rest of that week which weren't as bad but were still annoying.
All the other times I've used a small (6" x 8") crossbody bag and still carry a bunch of stuff I've never used even once. We're heading back to Disney in June and I'm currently looking for an even smaller bag to carry. I really only need to carry one cheapy rain poncho (for me -- I hate being wet but the rest of my family refuses to wear a poncho except in the case of monsoon rains), a little cash, credit card, KTTW card, a few ziploc bags, chapstick, travel-sized sunscreen...that's about it. I wear my sunglasses all the time (I have really sensitive eyes) and when we're indoors, they get hung on my shirt or put in my pocket. We keep our cell phones in our pockets. DH carries the camera in his pocket (we have a point a shoot that we love and leave the big camera at home). We buy water when we need it (and we drink a lot of it...especially me) and a few snacks here and there. Even in June, we don't stand in long lines for those things (1 or 2 people in front of us at most) There have been a few times that we've forgotten something and needed to buy it (tylenol and tissues come to mind -- because we used more than I carried with me those days) but I didn't have to wait in any line to get them -- just walked up to the first merchandise kiosk I saw and asked them if they sold those things and they pulled them out of a drawer. There are numerous things I've carried to the parks day in and day out (30+ times) and have never needed. I'm eliminating those things on this trip.
I have no doubt that there are some people who truly do need to carry a backpack full of stuff (those with infants/toddlers, those with health issues, those traveling during a time of year where the temperature fluctuates dramatically -- though personally, I'd stuff those sweatshirts/jackets in a locker, etc.), but I'm sure that a lot of people are carrying a bag full of stuff that they never, ever touch until they get home and unpack the backpack.
In my last 5 trips to Disney, I've carried a backpack 3 times. Twice was when we returned to a park in the evening simply for a nighttime show (Fantasmic and MSEP/Wishes). Both times I had some snacks to eat while we were sitting and waiting (and I bought those snacks in our hotel on the way to the bus), a plastic table cloth to sit on (it had rained both times), and a few things to entertain the little kids while we waited. We didn't go on any rides or into any restaurants on those occasions. On our trip during Monsoon Week in 2009, we needed to take the Disney rain ponchos with us every day because we knew we would need them -- if it wasn't raining when we left in the morning, we knew it would be within 2 hours...and it wouldn't ever stop. So we had to put the 7 rain ponchos in a backpack. I hated every minute of carrying it (we did take turns, but I still hated it). It was constantly smacking into people or things and it was a huge annoyance (to me) to have to take it off and figure out where to to stash it at every attraction. We downsized to 2 small drawstring backpacks the rest of that week which weren't as bad but were still annoying.
All the other times I've used a small (6" x 8") crossbody bag and still carry a bunch of stuff I've never used even once. We're heading back to Disney in June and I'm currently looking for an even smaller bag to carry. I really only need to carry one cheapy rain poncho (for me -- I hate being wet but the rest of my family refuses to wear a poncho except in the case of monsoon rains), a little cash, credit card, KTTW card, a few ziploc bags, chapstick, travel-sized sunscreen...that's about it. I wear my sunglasses all the time (I have really sensitive eyes) and when we're indoors, they get hung on my shirt or put in my pocket. We keep our cell phones in our pockets. DH carries the camera in his pocket (we have a point a shoot that we love and leave the big camera at home). We buy water when we need it (and we drink a lot of it...especially me) and a few snacks here and there. Even in June, we don't stand in long lines for those things (1 or 2 people in front of us at most) There have been a few times that we've forgotten something and needed to buy it (tylenol and tissues come to mind -- because we used more than I carried with me those days) but I didn't have to wait in any line to get them -- just walked up to the first merchandise kiosk I saw and asked them if they sold those things and they pulled them out of a drawer. There are numerous things I've carried to the parks day in and day out (30+ times) and have never needed. I'm eliminating those things on this trip.
I have no doubt that there are some people who truly do need to carry a backpack full of stuff (those with infants/toddlers, those with health issues, those traveling during a time of year where the temperature fluctuates dramatically -- though personally, I'd stuff those sweatshirts/jackets in a locker, etc.), but I'm sure that a lot of people are carrying a bag full of stuff that they never, ever touch until they get home and unpack the backpack.