15 Essentials That Should Be In Your Disney Park Bag

Let’s talk about The Bag. I know most of us want to enter Disney without The Bag, but The Bag is an essential part of your vacation. Yes, I am talking about the park bag, the bag that you take into Disney to help you keep your vacation organized. Going to the parks is a true test of stamina because you will be walking around facing things like heat, germs, and moisture. We all hate the dreaded bag line, but if we are planning to stay in the park for hours this bag is truly a life saver! I recommend a medium sized backpack because it will evenly distribute the weight of its contents to both shoulders so you won’t get one sore shoulder from a cross body bag. Plus it gives you some room in case you want to store some souvenirs you pick up in the park. Here are the 15 most important items in my Disney park bag.

15. Hair brush/mirror compact I always plan to take lots of pictures in the park so a mirror/hairbrush combo is essential! Sometimes after riding water rides like Splash Mountain or thrill rides like Space Mountain, my hair becomes quite a mess. Having a small hairbrush handy ensures that I can quickly brush out those knots and get ready for a surprise photo op with Peter Pan. Most compact hairbrushes come with a small mirror too, which another great feature for checking your make up.

14. Mints You’ll quickly notice that Disney does not sell chewing gum anywhere. They want to keep the park looking pristine, so instead of bringing gum that might end up on the sidewalk bring mints in your bag. Tic Tacs or Altoids are great choices because the containers are so small and hold plenty of mints for your trip. After eating in the parks, mints are great for freshening your breath and you won’t need to search for a trash can once it loses its flavor.

13. Hand sanitizer or wipes Getting sick at Disney is one of the worst things that can happen. Although washing your hands is ideal, it’s not always practical. Hand sanitizer or wipes are incredibly important because you don’t know where everyone’s hands have been. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

12. Sunscreen Orlando remains fairly hot and sunny all year and if you aren’t prepared for it, you could get a nasty sunburn. Bring a small container of sunscreen that you can keep in your bag. You’ll need to reapply it after a few hours and after water rides to make sure you have complete skin protection.

11. Camera Don’t forget to bring a camera to take lots of pictures! This one doesn’t really need much explanation. Just make sure you leave enough space for it because this is one item you really don’t want to forget.

10. Portable Charger You don’t want to be caught with a dead camera or cell phone so a portable charger is the way to go. There are some in every price range and they will last you the whole day. All you have to do is charge it the night before and in some cases bring your own cord. You’ll never have to worry about dead batteries again!

9. Water flavors If you didn’t already know, Disney gets expensive quickly. When you start adding up the meals, snacks and drinks you might see that you’ve gone over budget. I’m all for indulging on vacation but it’s nice to find ways to save some cash so I recommend bringing flavoring packets. You can find a variety of flavors by Dasani, Mio and Kool-Aid to name a few. You just add it to your water bottle and shake! You might get tired of drinking water but buying a flavored drink might be a little more expensive than you’d like. If you’re craving fruit punch just take out your flavor packet and you’ve got a zesty drink at a fraction of the cost!

8. Hair ties If you have long hair, it’s great to have some basic hair ties to keep it out of the way. After getting drenched on the Kali River Rapids I like to pull may hair back in a ponytail just to make my hair look a little nicer. It’s also good on those scorching summer days because you pull that hair off of your neck which helps cool you down.

7. Water bottle Another way to cut down on your costs is by bringing your own water bottle. You can fill it up in the water fountains in the park then combine it with your flavor packets and you’ve got yourself a refreshing low cost drink!

6. Autograph book and pen You are never too old to collect autographs from the characters so don’t forget to make room for an autograph book and pen!

5. Cheap sunglasses Protecting your face from the sun is a must and a great way to do that is with sunglasses. Keep a cheap pair in your bag because it’s likely that you might lose or damage them in the park. You don’t want to worry about ruing an expensive pair so pick up a cheap pair to take with you.

4. Ponchos Florida weather is unpredictable. You can be sure that it will be hot and that there might be several light showers throughout the day. To cut down on your costs, bring your own ponchos instead of purchasing souvenir Disney ones. They don’t take up a lot of space and you can get them at the store much cheaper than you’ll find in the parks.

3. Basic first aid necessities You never know when you might need a band-aid. Your little one might fall and scrape his knee so having antibacterial cream and bandages are a must. You can also add over the counter pain medication such as Tylenol in case you get a headache from all the activities during your day. I also like to bring some antacids with me in case I get a little nauseous after riding the Tea Cups.

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2. Lip balm Your lips will get chapped in the heat so you need to keep them protected just like your skin. Grab a couple sticks of your favorite lip balm to make sure your mouth stays hydrated. I once lost my lip balm in the park and it was several agonizing hours of dry, cracked lips so always make sure you have a spare stick with you!

1. Change of shoes/flip flops This one can be considered optional but my family and I have been doing this for the past few years. I hate getting on water rides in my tennis shoes and socks because my feet get soaked every single time. It gets pretty miserable walking around in wet socks, and it can also cause blisters. Ouch! I bring a pair of cheap and lightweight flip flops with me that I slip on before I get on water rides. After exiting the ride, I dry my feet and put my tennis shoes back on. I’ve done the wet socks thing plenty of times to learn that I never want to do that again.

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