So you are planning to spend a day in Magic Kingdom (or any of the Walt Disney World Resort parks). What all do you need to bring with you? Well, possibly….nothing! With a credit card linked to your Magic Band, you can pay for any food items or souvenirs, and, in theory you can get by without anything else. If you can manage to be such a free spirited individual, you get the added perk of getting to skip the bag check lines and proceed directly to the park entrance. Of my many days spent at Disney Parks, I have only been able to do this ONCE. But I must say, it was wonderful!
Normally, I feel the need to be prepared should the apocalypse hit while I am on vacation. Well, maybe not the apocalypse, but there are definitely items I feel the need to lug around with me “just in case”.
Depending on the time of year and the forecast, I either want sunscreen, rain ponchos, a light jacket or all of the above! And then there is my daughter’s autograph book and trading pins. I usually want my own snacks and bottled water to save money. I only have 2 hands!
For us, what makes the most sense is to carry a back pack (complete with ID tag) into the park. That way I can be hands free yet still have all of my “might-needs” accessible at any moment. It is also nice to have a place to stash items you DON’T need- such as your sunglasses after sunset, or the Mickey ears your kid just HAD to have but no longer feels like wearing. You are able to bring a bag onto all Disney attractions, but as eluded to above, you will have to go through a rather thorough bag screening area. You can expect a delay of about 10-15 minutes to get through that line and inspection before approaching the actual park entrance.
Here is a list is what I keep in my usual stash (It looks like a lot, but most of these items are rather small):
~ Small Hand Sanitizer
~ Sunglasses
~ Tissues
~ Chewing Gum (which is not available for sale anywhere on Disney properties)
~ Autograph Book and Pen (or another item for characters to sign such as a photo frame, pillowcase, etc)
~ Photo ID (for those of age who would like to buy an adult beverage)
~ Cell Phone and Portable Charger
~ Sunscreen (depending on forecast)
~ Light jacket (depending on forecast)
~ Rain Poncho (depending on forecast. note- these are available for purchase when it begins raining at any park giftshop, but at an inflated price)
~ Band-aids (available at the First Aid station as well, but sometimes your child scrapes their toe far away from that location)
~ Ibuprofen or Tylenol (also available at the First Aid station)
~ Snacks (fruit snacks, ritz bits sandwiches, mandarin orange cups, slim jims, pretzels, goldfish crackers)
~ Hair ties
~ Disney Gift Cards
~ Trading Pins
~ A couple of Ziploc bags (for unfinished snacks, or to protect electronics on water attractions)
~ Quarters and Shiny Pennies (for the Penny Press machines)
~ A refillable water bottle
~ Single Serve Flavor Packets for water bottle
~ Deodorant (a midday reapply in summer benefits everyone J )
Other things to consider packing:
~ Rewetting drops for contact wearers
~ Diaper bag essentials for those with babies/toddlers
~ A change of clothes for kids
~ Entertainment for small children (small coloring book/crayons)
~ Glow necklaces (for easier tracking of your child/ren after dark)
So there you have it. With my bag packed I’m ready for the long haul, park open to park close!