First trip without a stroller... What are your backpack essentials?

LookingGlass25

Earning My Ears
Joined
Apr 4, 2018
Hello! We will be attempting our first stroller free trip. Our kids will be 5 and 7. What are the backpack must-haves, and what can we live without? Obviously, I want to minimalize what we are carrying, but I don't want to get stuck without something we end up needing as well. What are your essential backpack items for long park days? :)
 
Wet Ones (wet wipes) are a must
Insulated water bottle.
Snacks (goldfish, crackers, stuff like that)
USB battery pack for phone
Sunblock
Rain jackets/ponchos depending on weather

We split our days up and take an afternoon break. Usually I don't take anything to the parks in the evenings. Maybe a small battery pack for my phone that fits in my pocket. I leave the big one in the backpack.
 
I have two kids - 7 and 9. Everyone carries a small backpack at least since they turned 5.

Adults only - Wallet, phone, gum, comb, lip balm, rolaids, advil, pen.
Adults and kids - sunglasses, sunblock, handkerchief or tissues, wet wipes, refillable water bottle, poncho (if rain is in the forecast) and a sweatshirt (if we're having a cool morning or expecting a late/cool night).
 
Sunscreen stick, chapstick, and phone. I put my license in DH's wallet. We never bothered with changes of clothes or anything like that after our kids were out of a stroller. If they wanted to take anything "extra", they took it in their own small backpack.
 


Hello! We will be attempting our first stroller free trip. Our kids will be 5 and 7. What are the backpack must-haves, and what can we live without? Obviously, I want to minimalize what we are carrying, but I don't want to get stuck without something we end up needing as well. What are your essential backpack items for long park days? :)

We don't "park commando" so our essentials are pretty minimal: MBs, mini sunscreen bottle from the hotel (ask Housekeeping if there is none in your bathroom, at least at deluxe resort they give out Coppertone Sport 50 SPF), a credit card or two and cash; lipstick tube, and cell phone (one per person w/ everyone carrying their own).
Most of us have Mophie cases (looking for a Mothers' or Fathers' Day gift? This one will be appreciated by many) for our phones so no need for an extra battery except for the Android phone one of us insists on using (flip top, no less :lmao:) and thus he carries that himself.

At the age of your children I gave up on carrying food since there are many places to get fresh fruit at Disney (our preferred snack). Lots of bathrooms throughout the park and resorts so I don't generally pack wet wipes either. Also no extra clothing.

The man tends to store his phone and battery in his pant/shorts' pockets; all my stuff fits in a wristlet, and when the kiddos carry a backpack it's more for "fashion" than anything else; otherwise their phones go in a pocket.

When rain is threatened I carry a telescoping umbrella that fits in my wristlet and everyone else has a fold able rain poncho that fits in a plastic envelope.
 
Phone, credit card/minimal cash (sometimes. Sometimes I just use MB only), sunglasses, travel pack of wipes, travel pack of Kleenex, travel size sunscreen, sometimes the actual camera, and a dollar store poncho. Nothing else. I’m not lugging around stuff all day. All in the tiniest bag possible.
 
How old is your child as a change of clothes may be needed/wanted. Usual items are ponchos, sunblock, phone charger/battery pack, water, snacks, plastic grocery bags, any meds you may need, bandages, blister care items, wet wipes/lysol wipes, and anything else you may want/need (hats come to mind).
 
We are also doing a no stroller trip this year and our kids are 8 and almost 6.. This is what we are planning to bring:
  • Collapsible water bottle (can be rolled up when not in use)
  • sunscreen
  • External charger
  • 4 ponchos, if rain is expected
  • Small wipe/kleenex
  • Small pouch for pennies/quarters for penny press
  • Signature books, if we plan to meet characters that day
  • Moleskin
  • DSLR camera
We are thinking of carrying these in pockets + a small crossbody or sling type bags to prevent overheating from a backpack... I don't think we will need extra clothes, socks (we will be wearing sandals), snacks (we will just buy them) and insulated water bottle (we will refill at QS and will probably not be carrying around that much).
 
We pack:
plastic throwaway ponchos
sunscreen
autograph supplies (usually a small booklet of bound index cards and some Sharpies)
band-aids
wallet (with ID, credit card, and AP/ DVC cards, cash)
small pack of Clorox wipes (new addition after our last two trips- tables can get nasty)
powder (DS11 chafes pretty badly and I haven't always escaped that fate either)
charger for phones, and cables
hats/ sunglasses or both (usually we are wearing these, so technically not in the backpack)
water bottles (everyone usually carries their own so technically also not in the backpack)

DH has an Amazon basics backpack meant for carrying his DSLR, and the back is vented so he doesn't get hot/ sweaty because of the backpack. I carry my DSLR in a small cross-body bag by e-bags.

For DS2.5 I toss in some diapers and wipes, and a small tube of diaper cream (I realize that doesn't apply to your kiddos, but for those following along at home, this all fits in one backpack so even when we have the stroller we don't load it up with stuff).
 
We have a 7 year old and packed the following in our park bag

  • Small “lunch bag” cooler with a few frozen water bottles
  • Sunscreen/spf chapstick
  • Wet wipes (I HATE the feeling of sunscreen on my hands, and kids always manage to get so sticky)
  • Few bandaids
  • Cell phone battery pack
  • Extra shirt (my daughter is a magnet for spilling stuff)
  • M&M mini tube of quarters and pennies (she loves pressed pennies)
  • Pin trading lanyard
  • Benedryl
  • Epi pens (for both my daughter and I)
  • Tiny bottle of glasses cleaner/microfiber cloth (sunscreen seems impossible to easily get off sunglasses/glasses)
  • Wallet
We all had hats and sunglasses on our heads and our cell phones in our pockets
 
Water bottles and raincoats. Everything fit in a small backpack with room to spare for new purchases. I loved our first no-stroller trip two years ago. Now we're back to square one with #3. :rolleyes:
 
Last year was our first trip with no stroller and I found it to be so much easier getting around and DS did not complain as I had expected. We took breaks when needed and I carried a backpack full of supplies that included:

  • Sweatshirts and/or rain jackets
  • Sunscreen
  • Chapstick
  • Wipes
  • Hand sanitizer
  • bandaids
  • Excendrin, Tylenol, Pepto, GasX (you just never know)
  • Refillable mugs - because after a long day in the parks we never want to go to the room first to get them when we returned
  • Autograph book and Sharpie
  • Small pack of tissues
  • Plastic ziplock baggies (just a couple, because, again.....you just never know)
  • Wallet
  • Chaffing cream
We usually don't carry a camera. We usually do the Memory Maker and take photos with our cell phones. I want to experience the memories and be a part of them, not with my face behind a camera.
 
Have your 7yo carry a bag.

Each of my kids carry’s a bag and when my youngest was 7, she just had her thermos container in it.

We bring, water (thermos containers and about 8 extra bottles for the 5 of us and replenish for pm park hours), phone and chargers, hat, sunglasses, sharpie for characters to sign the hat, chap stick, epipen and Benadryl, hand sanitizer.

As little as possible! DH carries his wallet. I stick my license and one credit card in a pocket in my bag.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!










Top