Walt Disney World Essentials
For Disney trips, I start planning early to make sure I have all my Disney World essentials to make our vacation as stress free as possible. The question is, “What do I actually need to bring into the parks?”. For those that have never been to Disney, you don’t need much, but it does take a little extra planning.
At Disney, the weather plays a big factor in what to bring such as needing sunscreen or ponchos. Additionally, you spend a lot of time on your phone ordering food or booking your next lightning lane, so it is important to have things like a portable charger. These are the must-have items that I bring with me on every trip to make things go a little more smoothly.
1. Unofficial Guide to Disney
Now, I wouldn’t actually bring this book into the parks (it is fairly thick), but it is the first thing that I pack on every trip to Disney. Each year the publishers come out with a new version of this guide book with every single updated ride and restaurant. Disney changes a lot year to year and is constantly expanding, so this is one of the best ways to stay up to date.
What I love most about this book is that it suggests tour plans.
My son especially loves going through this book with me and highlighting the restaurants and rides he wants to do at the park. It is a great way to get your kids involved and excited about going to Disney.
2. Stroller
If you have young kids, a stroller is an absolute must. When our son was three, we took him on his first trip to Disney and I debated if we should bring a stroller for him. At his age, he was walking nearly everywhere and never really used a stroller. At Disney though, you walk an average of 10-12 miles per day. Little toddler legs just can’t handle that amount of walking.
The added benefit of taking a stroller is that it provides an easy place for kids to relax and get out of the sun. My son would take naps in his stroller, which prevented us from having to go back to the room in the middle of the day. Strollers also make navigating through crowds so much easier since it is easy to keep track of your kid and not lose them in the sea of people.
Hot Tip: Strollers have to park outside of each ride. Sometimes cast members might move them as well to make more space. Tie a a bright ribbon to your stroller to make it easy to find when you get off the ride.
If you are looking for a recommendation, I love our Mompush Lithe v2. I bought this when my daughter was born and we needed a stroller that could lie flat. This stroller is lightweight, compact, and can be folded with only one-hand, which is great if you are utilizing Disney transportation. It comes with a snack tray and has an oversized sun shade. I truly could not have done Disney without this stroller.
Explore More: Taking your littlest one to the park? Check out my other planning guide for traveling to Disney with a newborn (0-3 months) for tips and tricks.
3. Fanny pack
I remember the days of fanny packs back when I would travel to Disney with my mom in the 1990s. Yes, they aren’t exactly the coolest fashion accessory, but they are making a comeback! But fashion aside, they are extremely practical and I love wearing one while at Disney.
Fanny packs are great for everything I need to have on me at all times and it can fit a lot! I used my fanny pack to hold my cell phone, a small wallet, sunglasses, park map, hand sanitizer, portable fan, and my portable charger. I also tend to carry around my son’s MagicBand as he is prone to lose it.
What I love about fanny packs though is that they are very easy to take on rides because you can just push it to the side rather than having to put it in a locker.
4. Small backpack
As my kids got older and we were temporarily out of the stage of needing a stroller, we needed to have extra space to store our stuff. While a fanny pack is great, for a family of four it didn’t have room for quite everything (mainly my kids’ extra snacks).
So, I think it is great to invest in a small backpack such as the very popular Disney Loungefly backpacks. They are great for keeping things we might need, but not necessarily anything we need to have easily accessible all the time. For us, we used an extra small backpack for things like water bottles, a small first aid kit, sunscreen, ponchos, and my son’s autograph book.
5. Water Bottles
We all know Disney is expensive, but the one thing that is free is water! You can ask for it anywhere in the park where they serve fountain drinks.
Rather than buy expensive water bottles in the parks, we bring our own from home. We personally love collapsible water bottles because they can fold up and fit in your backpack or fanny pack. They are great for keeping you hydrated during the hot waits and definitely helps keep cranky children at bay.
6. Snacks
Another way my family loves to save on money while at Disney is to pack your own snacks. I tend to buy items like goldfish or fruit snacks in bulk and then separate them into mini ziploc bags to take with us to the park each day. Snacks keep kids happy during the long lines and can help hold them over until your meal reservations. We still splurge on sweet treats every day, but bringing our own food stops us from buying snacks multiple times during the day.
Hot Tip: You can preorder food and snacks through Amazon and get them delivered straight to your Disney resort when you arrive. Just select the time and date that you wish to have it delivered during checkout.
7. Portable fan
If you are visiting Disney during the summer, be prepared to be downright hot! The one thing that can help with this is using a portable fan. I’ve seen people use the neck fans, or stroller fans, but I really prefer portable handheld fans. Our family will charge them the night before and they last us most of the day. They are also great to use while waiting in line. Again, anytime you can keep kids hydrated and cool, it helps keep everyone in good moods.
8. Sunscreen
Not only is it hot at Disney, but you will be in the sun for extended periods of time standing in lines. There are multiple shady areas and splashpads throughout the park as well if you need a minute out of the sun. We always apply sunscreen in the morning before we go out, but keep a travel size with us in our backpack to reapply throughout the day.
9. Portable Charger
At Disney you will heavily rely on your My Disney Experience app for things like making your lightning lane reservations, mobile meal orders, and checking wait times throughout the day. Using your phone consistently will drain your battery pretty quickly so it is important to bring a portable charger. I find the best portable charger to use is the iWalk, which plugs directly into your phone and doesn’t require any extra wires. Also, it easily fits in my fanny pack and doesn’t take up too much extra space.
10. Ponchos
Florida is known for pop-up storms that can last for a few minutes to a few hours. In order to not let it put a damper on your day, it is easy enough to pack a few cheap ponchos in your bag. Disney sells ponchos for about $12 each or you can get a family pack for the same price before your trip.
11. Hat and/or Sunglasses
It is important to keep yourself shaded and protected from the sun. In addition to sunscreen, I recommend using a hat or sunglasses to keep the sun out of your face. Just be sure to remove those items before going on any fast rides!
12. First Aid Kit
With all the walking around Disney, blisters can be inevitable. We tend to travel with a small first aid kit or at the very least a few bandaids. While there are first aid stations throughout the parks, having your own tiny kit can help save you from the hassle.
13. Hand Sanitizer & Masks
Disney is a breeding ground for germs due to their large crowd sizes. Kids especially like to touch everything while in line making it easy for colds and such to spread. I like to keep our family protected as best we can by using hand sanitizer regularly. Having a small travel spray sanitizer is easy to use before and after getting on rides.
14. Good Pair of Sneakers
As I mentioned before, if you are spending a whole day at the park, you will be walking on average 10-12 miles every day. Whatever you do, do NOT wear flip flops! I am constantly shocked when I see people doing this in the parks and have no clue how their feet don’t hurt.
While you might want to put together the perfect Disney outfit, make sure you have well supported shoes. I personally love my Brooks Ghost shoes which offer just the right amount of support. You can check out your local running store though to see what type of shoe they might recommend for your unique foot.
15. MagicBands
MagicBands help make your Disney trip less of a hassle by keeping all your digital information in one place. It links with your My Disney Experience app to use as your room key, store credit card information, Photopass pictures, park tickets, and lightning lane selections. I find it easier to tap my wristband to get on rides or pay for things rather than having to deal with a separate key card. While these use to come complimentary with your Disney reservation, they now are sold separately making them more of a suggestion than an actual essential.
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