Jeremy and Rhonda have a new Disney Prep series where they get you ready for your trip and this time are giving you the ultimate guide to packing for your vacation.
Listen now on your favorite podcasting platform!
- iTunes: http://bit.ly/MSM-iTunes
- Google: http://bit.ly/MSM-Google
- Spotify: http://bit.ly/MSM-Spotify
- Amazon: https://bit.ly/MSM-Amazon
Ultimate Disney Packing List
by Amy Frazier
For most people, going to Walt Disney World is not a spur of the moment decision. It takes a lot of time and effort to research and plan, even for Disney veterans. (Shameless Plug Alert: Main St Magic Travel can help alleviate that planning stress! Visit our website for a free quote.) Regardless if you are a Disney pro or first timer, there are some things that everyone should pack, no matter your travel party composition.
First and foremost, everyone should pack their patient pants. There will be crowds, there will be lines and, spoiler alert, not everything is going to be 100% magical even in the most magical place on earth. Oh and by the way, said magical place is in Florida, where it is hot 350 days of the year and will rain, at least a little bit, most of those days. Those patient pants will go a long way towards your own enjoyment of your trip, not to mention those around you.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s take a look at the more tangible things that we all need to have in our suitcase.
One of the most important items is sunscreen. Florida sun is different from the sun where you live. I only live one state north and the sun is different. You will burn more quickly and more severely here than many other places. I recommend taking a full size sunscreen to use each morning and a small travel size to keep in your park bag to reapply throughout the day. And don’t forget to cover your scalp, feet, ears, and use a lip balm with sunscreen as well. OH! Sunglasses! Make sure you have a good pair of sunglasses for those park days. I also keep a stash of those straps that hook on the earpieces of your glasses so that when you take them off they will hang around your neck. SUPER helpful for littles who haven’t quite mastered the skill of keeping up with things or carrying their own stuff.
Next up – comfortable, broken in, supportive shoes. This alone can make or break your trip. This is not the time for new shoes. You will walk a lot more than you realize during your typical Disney Day. Often we will get back to the room after what we consider an easy day and check our step count and it’s well over 10 miles. TEN miles, y’all! On an EASY day! So while your cheap-o flip flops might be the most comfortable thing ever for running errands at home, you’ll want something more substantial for park days. Seriously, form over fashion here people. Also, make sure your kiddos have comfy shoes as well. Especially at that age where they can go up 5 shoe sizes in what seems like a week. However, do not be those people who try to sneak in that extra inch of height to get on Slinky Dog Dash with thick soled or stuffed shoes. It’s a super fun ride and all but those height requirements are there for a reason.
And on the subject of shoes, take back ups. As I mentioned before, it rains a lot in Florida and there is a good chance that your shoes will get wet. If not from the rain, then most certainly on Kali River Rapids. Also, pack at least twice as many pairs of socks as you think you will need. I have recently caved in to the Crocs phenomenon. I have to admit, they are incredibly comfortable, and yes, I do sometimes have to wear socks with my Crocs because even these hideously shaped but ridiculously comfy shoes will sometimes start to rub your feet.
Another related item: blister pads. Or moleskin, band-aids, etc. All of these things are essential and fall into that “better safe than sorry” category. Personally, I prefer the Dr. Scholl’s blister pads to a regular band-aid when my shoes start to rub or, horror of horrors, I end up with a blister because they give a little extra cushion. You may also want to consider products like Body Glide or a blister prevention cream or spray. In a pinch, gel deodorant applied in strategic locations can help prevent rubbing and chafing from head to toe. 😉
And while we are packing the band-aids, let’s go ahead and pack our mini-first aid kit. You’ll likely want to toss in travel size pain relievers, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, and antacids in your park bag. Should you forget any of these items, there is a fabulous first aid station and baby care center in each park that can help you out. However, if you are all the way across the park, it can be a real chore to hike all the way back to first aid just for a Tylenol. Something else to toss in with that first aid stuff – nail clippers. This is the number one thing I end up purchasing while on vacation because I didn’t pack them. I typically have clippers in my everyday purse, but I will switch into a smaller bag for travel and that’s the item I just don’t switch over. It took a while but after buying the 15th set of nail clippers, I finally remembered to start packing them!
If you wear glasses or contact lenses, make sure you have an eyeglass repair kit and plenty of contact solution. I also carry a little dropper bottle of a product called Blink ‘n Clean in my park bag because there are times a lens will get wonky, or make-up or sunscreen will cloud your lens and you need a quick clean.
Not exactly first aid, but definitely self care related, pack some type of rub or lotion for “tired feet and legs”. The best I have found is Barefoot Scientist brand’s Sigh of Relief. It really does help at the end of a long park day to massage into your calves and feet before crashing into bed. I also use a little handheld massage roller on my feet and legs each night. This will help prevent the unsightly, sometimes painful, always dreaded Disney Rash. Or as it is formally known: vasculitis. If you know you are prone to vasculitis, consider bringing some light compression socks to wear around the room. I cannot stress enough how important taking care of your feet and legs will be to your overall enjoyment of your Disney vacation.
Once again, it rains often at Walt Disney World. We aren’t talking about an all day “toad strangler”, as Grandpa might say. Rather short afternoon showers that will usually come and go within about thirty minutes, maybe an hour. That means that you will definitely want to pack some sort of rain gear. Personally, I tend to grab several of the dollar store disposable ponchos that are folded up into a little bitty pouch. I find them much easier to schlep around in the park all day than a full on rain jacket and/or umbrella. But to each their own. Just remember if you do wear a rain jacket or reusable poncho, make sure to spread it out to dry each night. A wet poncho will mildew in a heartbeat in the Florida heat.
These days, pretty much everything is on the My Disney Experience app so you will be using your phone a lot. Not to mention playing games, scrolling social media, listening to the latest episode of Main Street Magic, etc. while waiting in those lines. This means you will want to be sure and bring a portable charger for your devices. We pack what my husband calls “The Gadget Bag” for every trip. This is a back pack that carries at least one of every kind of charger for every kind of portable device we own; phones, watches, laptops, chargers for the portable chargers, chargers for the new Magic Band+….you name it, it’s in there. And with all those chargers, we also toss in a power strip. Actually, these days it’s more like a USB hub for us, but whichever suits your needs will work. There are fuel rod stations for a fee in the parks as well as some VERY limited charging stations (pro tip: the sitting area across from the Tangled restrooms has USB ports in the fake tree stumps) throughout the parks, but who wants to be tied to an outlet when you can charge on the go?
One of the more uncommon items I always pack is zip loc bags of varying sizes. I use these in the room for leftover snacks, in the parks to protect those electronics on water rides or in those rain showers, and use them to organize the park bag. Another great tip, if you have multiple children, use those zip loc bags to divide up the popcorn out of the latest popcorn bucket while waiting for Happily Ever After so everyone has their own portion and no one is fighting over who has the bucket or who is hogging it all.
Something else I always pack wherever we go, a night light. Even if you typically sleep in the pitch black dark, when you are sleeping in a strange place, a little light for those middle of the night bathroom trips or those early mornings grabbing a virtual queue is a great thing.
If you are not flying with limitations on liquids, toss a pump hand soap in one of those zip loc bags to bring along. Maybe it’s just me but using those little hotel bar soaps to wash hands is just – yuck. So messy.
Did I mention that it’s hot in Florida? As such, you’ll likely want to bring some sort of refillable water bottle, cooling towels, personal fans – battery operated or the old fashioned hand held kind, and any other cooling accessory you may find. Another PSA: don’t forget the deodorant. Maybe even toss a travel size in your park bag and reapply when you reapply sunscreen.
Now, there are a few days each year that are not totally hot in Florida, but nobody really knows when those will occur. These days just randomly pop up between November and March each year. So if you are traveling during the winter season, you will want to check the forecast like the day before you leave and still pack a little bit of everything. Seriously folks, one of our February trips it was 95 degrees. Ninety five. In February. Another year we visited the last week of January and the Temps the first half of the week were in the high 50s to low 60s, but by the end of the week we’re back up to the upper 80s. Traveling April through October, light weight shorts, tanks, and tees. Jeremy would recommend 32 Degree brand here, and our family would have to agree. If you travel from November through March, a little bit of everything; jeans, long sleeves, and jackets to tee shirts and shorts. You just never know!
So how do you keep up with everything that you need to pack and everything you need to purchase ahead of time? With a good old fashioned list! I am still a pencil/paper kind of girl. I make a list of each outfit by day including a few extra outfits or special outfits if we plan a signature dining experience or other event that would require something other than typical park attire. And yes, I list out each top with which pants, shoes, and Minnie ears. (Pssst! This is another place that those zip locs can come in handy, especially for the kiddos – pack their outfits from socks and underwear to shirts and shorts in a gallon size bag and label it by day. Makes those early Rope Drop mornings much easier.) I also make a list of every single thing I need to pack: cosmetics, toothbrush, toothpaste, hair products, curling iron, flat iron, daily medication, etc. And finally, I make a list of the things I need for my park bag. I also make a list of all the chores and errands that I need to complete before leaving on a trip, because if I don’t write it down, it’s not going to happen. One of those errands inevitably is a trip to Walmart, with my list in hand shopping the travel/trial size section for all those park essentials. My husband makes lists as well. He keeps his list electronically in the notes app on his phone. However, his list isn’t quite as detailed nor comprehensive as mine. But that’s what works for him. Whatever system works for you is perfect; however, you will need a system, because it’s a lot. However, if you do happen to forget something or if you are flying and can’t pack sunscreen, shampoo, etc., our friends over at Vacation Grocery Delivery have you covered! Check them out for your grocery and essentials needs.
And while you are making those lists of things to do, check your supply of any daily medications you need and be sure you have enough to last until you get back home. I’m the mom who had to call the pharmacy at home and have my daughter’s prescription transferred to the pharmacy where we were vacationing because I didn’t double check how many doses were left in the bottle.
Along with those zip loc bags I’m so fond of, I am also a big proponent of packing cubes. Not the cutesy kind that basically keep your shorts separate from your shirts or your clothes separate from your partner’s, I’m talking space saver travel cubes. I was able to pack for a full seven day cruise including shoes, accessories, toiletries – everything in a small carry on and a tote bag using these bad boys. I was all proud of myself til my husband said “That’s great, babe. But where are you going to put all the crap you are going to buy while we are there?”
Which brings up another great suggestion. Pack an empty bag. Whether it’s the suitcase within a suitcase trick, a rolled up duffle bag, or one of those Mary Poppins type bags that folds up to the size of a postage stamp but has the capacity to carry the entire contents of aisle 5 at Publix, you’ll need the extra space coming home. You may not think so, but you will. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve gone in with the mindset of not buying any souvenirs and came home with all sorts of things.
While this list may not be exhaustive, it definitely is an excellent place to start. Hopefully we’ve mentioned things that you may not have thought of or reminded you of things you thought of but didn’t put on your list. Are there any “Must Pack” items that we’ve left out? Let us know down in the comments!
We provide travel services for families, couples and friends looking to visit any and all Disney locations, Universal Studios, Sea World and beyond, including the top destinations in the US and around the globe.
Contact for a FREE vacation quote today!
