Magic of the Mouse

You’ve booked the resort, tickets are purchased, My Disney Experience account set up and everything has been linked, your parks are reserved and you were even able to score reservations for some amazing dining locations ( Maybe you even had an amazing TA help you do all of these things!) Your perfect Disney days are waiting, so let’s make sure that you have everything you need to ensure that your park days will go off without a hitch, and that you are able to fully enjoy the fruits of all your hard work and planning. Nothing can put a damper on a perfect Disney day more than wishing you had brought this or that to the parks with you. As someone that frequents the parks, I have a tried and true checklist of essentials that I always pack in my park bag, and a few additional items you may need depending on the season. Let’s cover the year round, tried and true items first. 

1. Wallet- This one is probably pretty obvious, but if you are not utilizing a MagicBand for making purchases, you will need access to credit cards or cash to cover your purchases for the day. If you intend on drinking around the World at Epcot, it’s probably also a good idea to have your id handy. After losing my own wallet on a trip last year, my caveat to this item is to only carry some cash and one or two cards, and to consider leaving some of your cash or a back up payment method in the safe at your hotel. Many Disney locations do accept Apple Pay, but Google Pay for my fellow android users is not as widely available unfortunately. Learn from my mistakes friends!
2. Phone & Portable Chargers. – Like it or not, our smartphones are an integral  part of our days at Disney.  Booking lightning lanes, mobile ordering food from quick service locations and checking wait times will drain your battery. I have utilized  an Anker brick charger ( is a bit faster and charges more than one device) but they can be bulky and are more cumbersome when you are pulling your phone in and out of your bag or pocket, so I have started to utilize Fuel Rods and these have been a game changer for my park days! I typically bring two fully charged rods with me each day, and Disney very conveniently has machines in each park, and in most resorts to trade your depleted Fuel Rod for a fully charged one, free of cost. I recommend purchasing a two pack from Amazon, as you will pay a premium to buy them directly from the parks. 
3. MagicBand- I am on team MagicBand and for me they are personally an essential item for every Disney day. Tapping the Magicband to scan into the parks, redeem lightning lanes and pay for food, beverages and merchandise just makes my days run a little bit more smoothly and without effort. While I don’t know that everyone needs to spring for the more costly Magicband +, having at least a basic Magicband is a nice bonus. 
4. Hand sanitizer/Wipes- While these obviously don’t replace good old fashioned soap and water, they fill the gaps between bathroom breaks. Germs are unavoidable, especially in a heavily populated place such as Disney, but I at least always attempt to do what I can to stack the odds in mine and my family’s favor to hopefully avoid picking up a bug while at Disney. 
5. Ponchos- I almost added this item to the seasonal list, but I have been to the parks 8 times in the past two years and despite the trips being in different seasons/months, I have never had a trip where it didn’t rain at least one day. You don’t need anything fancy, simple ponchos from either Amazon or Walmart will do the trick, and luckily, they are pretty compact and don’t take up much room in your bag. 

These are my staple items, but I do tend to add different items depending on the season

Spring/Summer/Early Fall

• Sunscreen. I always apply this in the morning, but during these hotter months I am more diligent about reapplying throughout the day, packing a small tube in my bag. If you do forget, you can typically find sunscreen in select retail locations in the park. Don’t skip it all together! A bad sunburn can really be a bummer for the next few days of your trip. 
• Handheld Fan. During the hotter months I typically pack a handheld fan. I recommend getting a rechargeable one that you are able to charge up each night back at the hotel. This can provide a little relief between air conditioned ride queues and attractions. 
• Cooling Towels. These are another item that I always bring along during the summer season. They can definitely make a difference when I wrap it around the back of my neck while hustling to the next attraction or character meet and greet. If yours do not come with a baggie, pack a couple plastic baggies to place them in when they aren’t being used. 
• Reusable Water Bottle. While it’s always important to make sure you are staying hydrated, it’s especially important in the hotter months. I will typically fill my bottle with ice and water before leaving the resort, and make sure to start sipping on it before I even arrive at the park. In addition to bottle filling locations sprinkled throughout the parks, you are also able to ask for complimentary ice water in most quick service locations. Consider also bringing along some electrolyte packets to add to your water once or twice a day. I love Propel, but a lot of people also recommend Liquid I.V.

Winter Months

• A light sweater/sweatshirt. Winter offers a wonderful reprieve from the hot weather Orlando typically sees, but during the early morning hours/evening hours you may find that the t-shirt isn’t cutting it! Don’t be forced into that expensive gift store purchase (unless you want to 😉 to warm up. 

Since we have covered all the things you should be bringing, here is a list of a few things to NOT bring into the Disney Parks. 

• Loose ice. While Disney does allow you to bring in outside food, even in a small soft sided cooler, all ice needs to be in a baggie and not loose in a cooler. 
• Weapons of any kind. Please do not bring guns, knives, ammunition or anything of that nature. I would also leave the toy weapons at home as well. 
• Selfie Sticks or Large Tripods- Even if you don’t purchase Memory Maker- cast members will be happy to capture amazing photos for you on your own phone or camera. Leave the selfie sticks at home. 
• Did you purchase one of those pricey balloons at Magic Kingdom? Leave it at the resort for your Animal Kingdom day! No balloons allowed in the park for the safety of the animals. 
• Basic first aid. This isn’t a don’t bring more like a non necessary part of your park bag. Each park is equipped with a first aid location and will dispense a dose of over the counter pain relievers, and other basic items such as bandaids. Definitely bring along any specific medication such as inhalers or epipens, but you don’t have to weigh the bag down with the Tylenol bottle. 
• Wagons. While this is not an item you would pack in your park bag, I feel like it’s worthy of sharing. Disney has limitations on stroller sizing, and unless approved due to be considered a medical device, wagons will be turned away at the gate. HERE is where you can find the specifics on stroller specifications. 

Hopefully this will help you decide what is worthy of the park bag, and what can be left back in the resort!