What To Pack In Your Disney World Park Bag 2021

What to Pack in Your Disney World Park Bag – List of Essentials You NEED to Know

This article is all about what to pack in your Disney World park bag.

Packing a day bag for Disney World can be a challenge. As a mom of 3, I want to make sure I have everything my family may need without feeling like I have been hauling a piece of luggage around all day.

The first time we visited Walt Disney World as a family, my husband and I each had a stuffed full backpack and a stroller with every pocket filled with items. I had read every list I could find and became terrified I would be missing something. I wanted to be that mom who on her first trip was prepared for everything and on her first trip was already a pro.

What actually happened was that when I actually needed something it was a full stop, pulling out armfuls, dropping stuff everywhere type of event. I laugh thinking back to how ridiculous I probably looked.

By the third day of our trip we had edited the items down to a third of what we initially were packing. And you know what? I didn’t miss a thing.

I want to help YOU pack what you need for YOUR family so that you can have a stress free magical day. Through my own trial and error, I have come up with the essentials (and a few helpful extras) so that packing my pack for the parks is a breeze, so let’s get to it.

The Bag

So first things first- The most important thing will be the actual bag you bring as your Disney World park bag. I personally prefer to use a backpack, but a cross body style works great too. You will just want to make sure it is something that you will be able to carry hands free and fully zips or closes so that you don’t lose any items as you are getting on and off rides.

You will want to make sure that it is:

• Comfortable: Comfort is key for your Disney World park bag! This is not the time to try to give that cute new bag a try. Make sure this is a bag you have used before (several times if possible) and know will be comfortable!
• Durable: It will need to be able to hold up to general wear and tear for 10-12 hours a day for multiple days. Also waterproof fabric, or something that at the least doesn’t actively absorb water is a plus.
• Lightweight: You will be carrying around enough, you don’t need a bag that feels heavy even before you fill to weigh you down.

Disney World Park Bag Essentials

• Basics: These are all the things you “must” have. Items like keys, ID, eyeglasses, etc.
• Bags within the Bag: You don’t want to be taking out 25 things to find a band aid at the bottom of your bag. I usually have 2-3 smaller bags within my backpack. They can be as simple as a ziplock or a cute pouch with dividers. I will usually have one with small miscellaneous items and another for snacks. Back when we were in pre potty trained days, I also used a small bag as my “diaper bag”- with a few diapers or pull ups, travel size pack of wipes and a compact change of clothes.
• External battery charger with phone charger cable: My Disney Experience is amazing, but you will find yourself using your phone for everything and you will more than likely want to recharge at some point during the day. My favorites are the Anker chargers which start at about $20 and are compact and hold up great.
• Sunscreen: Just a small travel size tube for touching up during the day will work.
• Snacks: There is no need to overdo it, just something small and filling in case you have a hungry kid and don’t have time to stand in line for a snack.
• Water Bottle: I always opt for something lightweight.
• Rain Gear: Umbrella, reusable, or disposable ponchos, whatever you choose, just make sure you have something that will keep you dry. Florida weather is unpredictable and you don’t want to be caught unprepared.
• Extra masks: I usually pack disposable masks for our backups because they take up very little space.
• Hand Sanitizer: There are sanitizing stations, but I always make sure I have my own as well.
• Band Aids: Because kids.

Park Bag Extras

These are items that I don’t necessarily think you have to bring with you, but can be really helpful.

• Ziplock Bags: These tiny bags have so many uses. I use them to divide up snacks like popcorn or candy, to hold leftover things like a snack a kid eats half of and wants you to keep for later, and even as a small trash container on the go.
• Toys: Small fidget toys can be really helpful if you have a little one that gets antsy waiting in lines. I find these especially helpful these days when we are trying to minimize touching the things around us to decrease the spread of germs. Things that have worked well for me and take up very little space are Lego minifigs, lol dolls, and even a tiny notebooks with a crayon.
• Cooling Towels: Theses little heroes take up little space, add almost no weight, and can really save the day when the heat starts to get oppressive. I will pour a little cold water on one and then place on the back of my kids necks for an instant mood booster on a hot day in the parks.

Your Perfect Disney World Park Bag

So now, my best piece of advice is to pack you Disney World park bag for your family. Just because you see something on a list doesn’t mean you have to bring it. Think about if you actually use this item anywhere else in your life before you decided you need it for Disney.

For example, if your kids never wear sunglasses, and you can never get them to keep them on for more than 2 minutes, this is probably not something that is going to be magically different at Disney World. This is just going to be something extra that you will be carrying around all day.

Also another pro tip is to pack the bag exactly as you plan to bring it into the park as a trial at home. Put the bag on wear it around for 5 minutes or so. This will give you an idea of if you are carrying too much weight so you can adjust as needed.

Now let me know below what your favorite bag is to bring in the parks. What are your must have items for your family’s Disney World park bag?

Need More Packing Ideas?

Got your Disney World park bag set, but still overwhelmed by packing? Check out my freebie 7 Secrets to Packing Like a Pro and learn how to make packing easier and more efficient for you next vacation!