Your Stroller/Stroller Bag/YOUR Bag - How do you navigate the parks?

[mmbrad02]

So first two trips to Disney we did not have any children. I have settled on a Baggalini bag that I LOVE for us to use; it's perfect.

Third trip was 1.5 days at the park following an off-site conference my husband was in Orlando to attend. Our daughter was still an infant, so we had a travel system stroller that we put her diaper bag underneath with bottles, formula, diapers, wipes... the whole thing. I carried my baggalini on/off rides and we left the diaper bag.

Fast forward 3 years. My daughter is now almost four and we will be using a MaClaren Quest, which has the basket. I feel like we still need a change of clothes and underwear at the park, along with our usualy stuff we take, like ponchos, our refillable mugs, etc.

(I promise I am getting to a point here....)

I'm thinking I really want my baggelini to hold stuff I do not want to leave in the stroller (like my camera, money/cc's I might carry, DH& I are diabetic so I take a bloodsugar meter, etc) while we are on rides. However, I think I'd like a small bag to stash under the stroller during the day with a change of DD's clothes, empty refillable mugs, ponchos. Though none of that is heavy, there is just not a huge need for me to truly carry it all day. Yeah, I would hate it if it got stollen, but I could live without it.

ANyone else do this? If so, what kind of bag do you leave under the stroller? I have a 31 cinch sack I was thinking about?

 

[jll2800]

We haven't been to Disney with the kids yet (trip planned for January, yay!), but we have done lots of zoos and local amusement parks. I absolutely agree that you want to bring a change of clothes for your daughter--we still usually bring clothes for our 4.5 year old!

Until we had a baby a few months ago, we were just using an umbrella stroller for DS. Usually we took a medium size bag with spare clothes, a snack, a drink of some sort, hand wipes, sunscreen, etc. We tried to stick to just the basics to keep it compact. This bag stayed in the stoller basket, even when we were on rides, etc. Nothing really of value in there to steal, and I think it's pretty standard practice for parents to leave that kind of stuff in a stroller. (Look around some time and you'll see people generally leave their diaper bags in the stroller!)

Then we took a separate tiny shoulder bag for important/valuable stuff like a camera, wallet, glasses, etc. That bag stays with us at all times. I think any kind of small bag you can keep on during rides (like a hip pack, an over-the-shoulder purse, etc) would serve you well.

 

[kcpinwdw]

On our last trip I left a lot under the stroller, but I also left my diaper bag there all the time. Like the PP said, I just had the real valuables in my purse or a tinier bag for rides and meals. When we go in December I am hoping (fingers crossed!!) that my twins will be well potty trained so I'll just need lots of clothes and snacks in the basket. I don't think you'll need to worry too much leaving your stuff.

 

[rblucy]

This will be our first trip with DS and I plan on carrying a small cross body bag with valuables on rides and leaving diaper bag under the stroller.

 

[texasroni75]

When we went to WDW last September, youngest DS was just under 2. Way fewer clothing changes and equipment needed for ages 2-5 than infants. Here's what we did:

ME: Baggalini with 2 changes of DS clothing (2 shorts, 2 shirts), travel wipes container, 4 diapers, 1 swim diaper (for splash pads), money, some small baggies with snacks, phone, camera and sunblock. Still lots of room in there, and not too bulky to take on rides.

DH: Backpack with hats, his phone, wallet, ponchos, and a few water bottles.

And of course by the end of the day the bags are lighter due to using up diapers and the snacks and waters.

The only things we tended to leave in the stroller were wet ponchos, and sometimes DH would toss his backpack in there if he didn't feel like taking it on a ride (after taking out his valuables). We tried not to leave any bag with snacks in the stroller, because we've witnessed firsthand how the squirrels in the parks will dig in there for a treat! yuk!

 

[hpsalb]

We went when DS was 2.5 and was a change from when DH and I went along and took NO bags! We took the stroller with a small bag and small soft-sided cooler in the basket. I also have a small cross-body Baggallini and all of the important stuff goes in there. It is small enough to wear on rides.

We went back recently with DS and took DN too. Same situation, but we had a double stroller. We always left stuff in the basket and it was fine, although I didn't take anything I would be sad about losing, just in case.

I took a gallon ziplock with change of clothes the first time, but not the next trip. Each child got a little $1 Disney themed bag for the stroller plus the cooler for snacks. I didn't have any kind of special bag for under the stroller, just whatever we had around.

 

[JoeyEmmaMomma]

We bring 2 backpacks and bring them with us on most rides (DH and I each wear one).
If we want to leave one behind in the stroller while on a ride, we just take the valuables with us.

 

[jll2800]

That's so good to know that you can bring bags on rides! I learn something new every time I come here.

 

[buzznina]

Over the last 10 years (over 20 trips) in which we have taken at least 1 stroller, we have left all sorts of stuff, clothes, ponchos, diaper bag and even toys and have never had anything take. We usually have a small camera bag, so we put the important stuff in it and take it with us. Ooooops! My bad, once we did have an incident. We were at AK and while we were in the Nemo show, some squirrels got into our trail mix and it was all over the stroller

 

[MichaelaF]

We have two bags - one waterproof backpack and one diaper bag.

For the diaper bag, we have stroller clips to hang the bag on the handles, rather than put it underneath in the basket. I find this INVALUABLE for a couple of reasons: 1) It's easier to grab something out of it. Need a wipe? Just unzip and grab it. Sometimes, if we are just changing a wet diaper, I would just grab a single diaper and the wipes and head into the bathroom. 2) The clips actually make it very easy to clip on and off. We have an older version of this bag , and its very easy to clip the bag on and off. But you can also get similar clips that fit almost any bag, such as this set. 3) This leaves the basket free to throw random stuff in as needed. Blankets, sunblock, waterbottles - various things have ended up in there, generally things that we aren't too afraid will get stolen, but don't want to carry in our backpack. This is definitely where we keep the Ergo baby carrier as well. 4)It allows us to put our battery charger in an easy spot for our phones without it being in eyesight while charging. Ours has a pocket in the front where we put our battery charger, and can connect it while we are walking around, and then we can grab our phones when we get into lines.

In the waterproof bag, we have a couple extra clothes, wallets, snacks, and anything we wouldn't leave with a stroller while on a ride. The bonus about the waterproofness is that we aren't ever worried about the wet rides or rain.

So practically speaking, what this looks like is that my husband carries the backpack and I push the stroller, and then for lines I grab the Ergo baby carrier, and put the DS in there during the lines. We leave the diaper bag with the stroller, and just don't really put anything in there that we are too afraid of getting stolen. Sometimes we swap and the DH takes the DS for a line and I will carry the backpack (the Ergo is easy to adjust quickly). This year, since he's walking, we may let the DS poke around more and stand/walk in lines (esp interactive queues) and then put him in the Ergo when needed.

All that said: Two bags. Neither in the stroller basket.

 

[kiramay]

DS9- cinch sac with water, snacks, and sweatshirt

Stroller- ponchos, extra water, gallon ziplock bag of snacks, baby wipes, sunscreen, ds4's sweatshirt, my hoodie

My bag- crossbody vera Bradley with phone, battery charger, wallet, lip gloss, hand sanitizer

Dh carries his wallet and phone in his pockets. Any thing else he sticks in the stroller.

 

[slzer0]

We are planning on a stroller cooler which attaches near the basket, while a small diaper bag and the Boba will go in the basket.
Front pocket of the camera bag will double as my purse. Camera bag will likely go in basket while walking also, with camera up top in console for easy access.

For rides, one gets the camera bag and the other gets DS in the Boba, while cooler and diaper bag will stay in stroller.

DD18 will likely carry her own small purse as well.

For buses, one gets DS & camera, one gets stroller and cooler (both have shoulder straps), and DD18 gets the diaper bag along with her purse.

Diaper bag is really just a small llbean sail cloth bag (DS is 2.5) and could easily be carried looped on cooler bag if there were just 2 of us.

Stroller is a summer infant 3d lite, so really just an umbrella on steroids lol.

It all sounds like a lot but we only take one bag on rides, and in transit we each get 2 items to carry.

 

[slzer0]

I should add that refillable mugs will live in cup holders. Plan to loop cooler strap through on the way out so no extra juggling.

We have a small retractable lock that I can run through cooler, bag, mugs, and through one wheel which disables stroller and discourages quick-grab theft.

Since we are going in November, if it seems like it's getting chilly on our MK EMH day, we will probably stash some sweaters in a locker after nap time. Our late ADR is near lockers.
That'll add one cinch sack to our haul.

 

[kiramay]

We have a small retractable lock that I can run through cooler, bag, mugs, and through one wheel which disables stroller and discourages quick-grab theft.

That is a FABULOUS idea!! I have a light weight bike lock I can use! Thank you!!!

 

[mrsp1030]

We usually carry a backpack filled with necessities since youngest DS is only 2. I take my good camera in a neoprene sling and put inside backpack. Throw a cinch sac in bottom of stroller with extra diapers/wipes/etc, ponchos. We also carry a 31 picnic tote full of snack and drinks on back. I also bring a hipster type bag for shorter day/evening trips.

 

[Lupeix]

Last year when we went and DS was 2 1/2 we carried a stroller cooler and a small backpack and that was enough room for everything, even the diapers.
The good thing about the stroller cooler is that it still leaves your stroller basket available. We left snack, drinks, folded ponchos and change of clothes in a ziploc bag on the stroller cooler and took valuables in the backpack on the rides. Planning to do the same next year.
Our stroller cooler has a detachable strap, so DH carried it through security and I carried the backpack and we strapped the cooler to the stroller after that. We also got a sunshade that we left always attached, we have a similar umbrella stroller and although it is great it does not have enough sun protection.

 

[slzer0]

Agreed, the sun protection is minimal. It's usually ok because I don't use it for long periods of time. I considered getting an extender, but we are going mid November. We are natives so by then just a bit of sunscreen will be sufficient.

 

[NinaBella]

Put the change of clothes into a ziploc bag, then use whatever bag you like. It could be a plain shopping bag like a walmart bag or inexpensive bag if you are just storing it under the stroller. The ziploc bag will protect the clothes from spills, rain, ice cream drips, etc.