What do you take into the parks (and what do you leave behind)?

[Tink_83]

I don't get how people spend the day in flip flops.

I LOVE my flip flops. I have a nice pair from REI, OluKai is the brand. I have the ones that can get wet, for me they are great. And we spend all day at the park (RD to close)... but I also spend all summer in flip flops, so maybe I’ve just gotten use to them.

 

[paradesintherain]

I use a cross-body purse and bring:

-cell phone
-external battery and cord for cell phone
-camera
-chapstick/lip stick
-poncho if I think there might be rain
-small pouch that can hold debit card and ID, I hate to bring the whole wallet
-anti-chafe gel if it's hot out (so most of the time)
-small water bottle during the really hot months

 

[Timothy02359]

I bring myself and wallet. Anything else needed I can get in the park.

 

[CarolATravel]

I bring my phone, ID, a credit card, aasmall bottle of sunscreen that clips on a belt loop, a bottle of water that I can toss when I'm tired of carrying it. That's about it. What else do you really need?

Cast members let you dip those towels in their ice buckets, so that’s what I do- it saves space from having to pack it in ice.

 

[CarolATravel]

I bring an empty water bottle, medicine like excedrin and Imodium. Charger-battery for phone. A pair of flip flops in case of rain.

 

[easyas123]

I'm a minimalist - sunglasses, rain poncho, phone, chapstick. All carried in pockets so I can be bagless through security.

Bagless is the only way to go! We feel weighted down with anymore that this.

 

[YawningDodo]

I don't get how people spend the day in flip flops.

I didn't get it, either, until I bought my first pair of Sanuk flip flops on something of a whim in Disneyland's Downtown Disney in 2017. I'd brought sneakers and a pair of hiking sandals, but it was too hot for the sneakers and wearing the sandals every day was getting to be a big much. By the end of the trip my feet were too swollen to fit comfortably in anything but the flip flops, and I was shocked to find that I could go a full day in them without any blisters or foot pain. The arch support is that good, and for whatever reason the straps don't chafe. I wore the Sanuks almost exclusively on my DCL/WDW trip in January 2018 and had zero regrets.

On the other hand, I have a pair of cheap, flat plastic flip flops I bought at Walmart years ago. I keep them by the door since they're quick to put on for taking out the trash, and they work fine for going to or from the pool at the resort. I can't walk more than fifteen minutes in them without being in pain. That's what I always thought of when I heard the words "flip flops," but there's a world of difference between low end and high end.

The shoes that did give me major chafing sores on an earlier Disney trip were Birkenstocks, when it seems like just about everyone swears by them. On that trip I was really glad I'd brought a package of cloth bandaids since I had to keep using them to stop my shoes from rubbing my feet raw. The Birks had been fine at home, but not so much when I was going dawn to dusk in high humidity.

 

[YawningDodo]

Aside from footwear thoughts, my typical list:

--MagicBand
--Phone
--External battery and charge cord for phone
--Travel wallet with ID, one or two credit cards, and cash
--Bandaids (heavy-duty/fabric style is best since they'll like as not be used on feet if they're used at all)
--Tylenol
--Tums
--Ziplock bags (one or two extra)
--Sunblock (travel size; I usually bring a large one from which to refill it)
--if I feel like it: locking pin backs and allen wrench so I can add more pins to my bag as I buy them

I transfer a couple bandaids into a ziplock so I'm not carrying around a whole box (too much space and it'd get crushed anyway). Ditto transferring painkillers and tums into ziplocks or small containers. I'm prone enough to headaches and stomach weirdness that I'd rather be able to take care of it without hunting out the first aid station. Extra ziplocks are good if I'm worried about keeping my phone and external battery dry. All of this fits into a fanny pack, which I wear as a cross-body, and still leaves room for little odds and ends I might pick up along the way (Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards, newly purchased pins, etc.).

My "travel wallet" is a very small/slim wallet into which I transfer the bare necessities. The leather wallet I use at home is much bulkier; the travel wallet is small enough to fit in a front pocket.

 

[KSR0330]

I have always carried a small backpack with my phone, wallet, camera, disposable poncho, chapstick and sunscreen. Lines for bag check were so long our last trip that this year I'm going to try just carrying my ID, credit/gift card and phone with no bag.

 

[ScoutsMom21]

I use a small cross body bag that contains my phone, a money clip with my ID, major credit card and some cash, lipstick, sunscreen and a couple packets of some awesome cleansing towelettes I discovered made by Sweat Cosmetics. On days when we have earlier dinner reservations & won't have time to get back to the hotel to freshen up before heading to dinner, we use those towelettes in the public bathrooms to freshen up a bit. I hate the idea of sitting down to dinner feeling sticky and sweaty.

My husband sometimes carries a daypack. Whether he does depends on the weather when we're visiting. If it's super duper hot without a cloud in the sky (like it was for our last trip), we need the extra bag to carry a few cooling towels and boatloads of sunscreen. Otherwise, I can usually fit everything in my purse.

 

[Jessica Rust]

How did you find Tieks in the park/for that much walking? I'm a teacher and recovering from a broken ankle a few months ago, and Tieks look amazing but are not a small investment on a teaching budget. Did they hold up?

I am a teacher too and I LOVE my Tieks. I have lived in them since flip flop weather has been over. I have planter faciaitis and it doesn't flare up with them. Never worn them in the park, but I am going to take them on my next trip.

 

[TammyLynn33]

Yes!! And why would you want to go on a family vacation without babe and gramma who are part of the family

QUOTE="Countrywife45, post: 60279532, member: 613474"]Speaking as Grandma.....I don't WANT to stay home with the baby.....I would much rather carry a few extras and help watch the baby at WDW.....how unfair we Grandma's should not get to go [/QUOTE]

 

[epcotobsessed]

I am a teacher too and I LOVE my Tieks. I have lived in them since flip flop weather has been over. I have planter faciaitis and it doesn't flare up with them. Never worn them in the park, but I am going to take them on my next trip.

I have plantar fasciitis and can not wear Tieks in the parks. I average 20-25,000 steps on a park day and can only wear Tieks if it's a 10,000 or less day. I love Fit Flops for the parks.

To answer OP's question, we try to go bagless. If we do take a bag, we take one for the four of us and use it to hold sunscreen and water and possibly our phones. But we try to keep phones in pockets (or in the hotel room) and carry 1-2 sunblock sticks and get water from QS locations. Bagless is so much easier.

 

[diznee25]

On our first WDW vacation 17 years ago, we carried around a lot! I had a regular, full sized purse with wallet, sunglasses, phone, camera, touch-up makeup stuff, chapstick, pain meds, wet wipes, WDW travel guide, etc. On top of that my husband lugged around a large backpack holding 2 large water bottles, camera, tripod, his wallet, sunglasses, ponchos, and my extra stuff that wouldn't fit in my purse! lol Did this for about the first 3 trips, and then we lightened up a bit.

Realized we didn't need all those pills: buy from the stores within the parks as needed, or go to the first aid station.

I wasn't touching up my makeup as much as I thought I would: So busy touring the parks, and after awhile I started caring less and less how I looked to other people!

Ponchos: Will eat the cost and buy at the parks if needed. These can take up a lot of space in a backpack.

On our most recent trip I downgraded to a small crossbody bag and just carried my wallet, chapstick, blotting tissues, eye drop vials, sunglasses, and phone. My husband still carried a smaller backpack which contained his wallet, phone, sunscreen and sunglasses, and just 1 water bottle that we share.

Money tips: always, always carry around multiple methods of payment! On 2 trips we had money issues; Rainforest Cafe's credit card system was down, and were only taking cash. We asked about an ATM, but either there wasn't one close by, or it was down too. Can't remember, but we did inquire. Those of us paying with cards had to wait 45 mins for the system to come back online! The other Disney trip we got stuck at Emeril's restaurant after both our debit cards were declined. Hubby had to take cab back to Disney CBR, (while I waited at the restaurant), to grab a different credit card, which we kept in the room safe. Ugh! Never again. Always carry cash, or at least one extra credit card with you.

Since our money issues, Disney came out with magic bands, so that helps on property. Nonetheless, we still carry 2 different credit cards, and a bit of cash. You never know!

 

[jec6613]

I used to carry a literal backpack (it was the only one in the group), but now I go much lighter since I'm doing it with only adults who can deal without much more. I'm still the pack mule though if there are kids along - I'm a big guy so what was I supposed to expect? So it's a pretty simple getup that fits into a small cross body DSLR shoulder bag that's smaller than many women's purses:

• DSLR with 16-85mm lens, 35 f/1.8, and for AK a 70-300 zoom lens, SB-400 Speedlight, one spare battery and one spare media card, and a lenspen.
• Dual phone QC3.0 20k charger with cables for MicroUSB, USB-C and Lightning, plus a C to A adapter so that someone can siphon battery from my phone in a pinch.
• SPF30 sunblock.
• Antacids and ibuprofen, plus one day of prescription meds.
• Small rain jacket (WDW branded, actually) that folds into its own pocket.
• Extra pair of socks.
  
• Small P&S camera that we can handle to people and get pictures of us - usually a Nikon P330, but also sometimes an A.
• Hard sunglass case clipped to the outside.
• 1-2 emergency snacks, usually a tangerine or something (blood sugar is an issue for me).

Besides that, I have a thin wallet with 3 cards in it (ID, one credit card with concierge service on it, and key to the world) and about $80 in cash, magicband, wristwatch, baseball hat, and phone, and that's it.

When I'm going out to something where it's not a full day, the bag disappears and I either carry a Nikon P7800, P330, or A in a small bag on my belt, slip a thin 10k QC3.0 charger in my pocket, and clip sunglasses and jacket to belt or throw it in the ever stylish cargo pocket.

And of course for V&A, I only take my wallet, phone, magicband, wristwatch and then slip the P330 into my cigarette pocket.