... but also, maybe not too prepared. To each their own, but I personally don't want to lug absolutely everything on my back or on my shoulder. Yes, you'll pay a premium on everything you have to purchase in the parks, but you're paying for convenience. Which can be valuable in and of itself.
You'll see below a lay of the items in the mini backpack I carried with me (minus the cellphone, which I used to take the picture). I could have brought a larger backpack, true, but I wanted something small and relatively lightweight that would fit easily on most rides. I therefore made a judgment call as to what was most important to me to bring, though I've also included in the list below some of those items that weren't as important to me (but which you may want to bring).
Another thing: I personally wouldn't bring an over-the-shoulder bag—bring something that will leave your hands free, like a small backpack, crossbody, or *gasp* fannypack.
Mini Backpacks: Mine is the Eartha Iconic Backpack by ZAC Zac Posen (incidentally, my favorite dress designer), and a very similar bag is still available at a steep discount at Saks Off 5th ($140) . I like it because it has comfortably wide straps rather than drawstring, which might wind up cutting into your back and shoulders over the course of the day. It also holds a decent amount and kept everything dry, while fitting neatly on any ride that permitted bags. The dimensions of mine, for reference, are 10" (length) x 4" (height) x 11.5" (width).
Other similar options/brands on the pricier/designer side include Kooba and Elizabeth and James. And here are some cute options from Free People, TopShop, and Forever 21.
Of course, you can also go full Disney with a Loungefly backpack or a themed crossbody, like this referential poison apple bag,this cheeky Tinkerbell, or this cute sidekick (buy here or check out even more of Danielle Nicole's Disney bags here):
I'm also partial to this adorable Kate Spade bag (more Kate Spade x Minnie Mouse accessories here):
Once you've decided on your bag, you'll want to know how to pack it. Or maybe you want to reverse that process—decide how much to bring before you buy a bag. Here's what I put in mine, plus a few other items for your consideration:
- Tickets (duh). As I detailed in this post, you do not want to buy your tickets at the gate.
- Something to Hold Your Tickets. I brought a couple of Ziploc bags and put my tickets and any Fast Passes in one to keep them dry. The other Ziploc bag was there just in case I needed it for anything else—for example, my cellphone on water rides (if you want to get fancy, I'd recommend this waterproof cellphone bag or this one). You could also bring a lanyard for your tickets and Fast Passes—they'd make for quick and easy access, but I personally don't love wearing lanyards, so Ziploc bags for me.
- Wallet. I've seen some people advocate bringing the absolute bare minimum, like your ID and a single credit card along with hotel room key, all of which, they say, would fit in the right lanyard. While this approach probably works no matter which hotel you stay in, perhaps it works best if you're staying at a Disney property, since one of the perks associated with a Disney stay is being able to charge most purchases to your room using your room key. I personally love this iPhone crossbody from Kate Spade, which you can find at other retailers like Nordstrom's, Macy's, etc. in a variety of different colors. I love to use mine in my everyday life, too—it's so convenient on short trips or walks or when I am going out with friends to a bar. Henri Bendel has a similar style that comes in an XL size that will fit an iPhone Plus or Samsung Galaxy S III. If you have another style of phone, consider going in store to try it out in person if you can. If you can't, you can order online. While returns aren't completely free with Henri Bendel, they are made easy with prepaid shipping labels.
- Sunscreen/Sunblock. The LA (or Orlando) sun is nothing to sneeze at, and you'll likely need to reapply your sunscreen/sunblock (aside: did you know there's a difference? Apparently, most brands today contain both, but you can still do your research to see which one works best for you) throughout the day. If you're traveling with carry-on luggage only, you'll be restricted to a 3.4 oz. (100 mL) container. Alternatively, you can purchase sun lotion once you arrive in LA or Orlando or order some through Amazon to be delivered to your Disney hotel in advance (in the second address line, just indicate your arrival date). I've actually never indulged in this, but it is tempting to try it out sometime for a vacation—I'm sure any larger or more reputable hotel would be able to accommodate this, no matter the location. Or there are travel packets of sun lotion you can purchase instead—the Amazon reviews indicate that they are TSA compliant and they barely take up any room in your bag. The downside is that not every brand or make of sun lotion will come in these packets, so your options are a bit more limited.
- Sunglasses. I actually went for most of my life not being able to wear sunglasses, thanks to my nearsightedness. The only options were prescription sunglasses or transition lenses, neither of which I ever really cared for. Now that I can wear sunglasses, I'm obsessed, and my eyes are thankful. Bring a pair for your trip or be prepared to squint. (If you're interested in my pair above, I have the Henri Bendel Serena Cat-eye Sunglasses. Henri Bendel always has a cute and sizable collection.)
- Hand Sanitizer or Baby Wipes. I'm always torn on hand sanitizer because of its reported impact on antibiotic-resistant bacteria and immune systems. I wound up not bringing any to the parks, though perhaps more because I was running out of room for liquids in my carry-on than through any true conscious decision to not use any. Although it might have been nice once or twice to have been able to use hand sanitizer, we just wound up running into bathrooms to wash our hands before and after meals, and I suspect that even park visitors with hand sanitizer might choose to do the same. If you have children, I suspect this item might be higher on your list—just be sure to do a little bit of research beforehand and stay away from hand sanitizers labeled as anti-bacterial or ones that contain triclosan or triclocarbon. This travel-sized Purell should do the trick—and it's alcohol-based. Alternatively, consider bringing travel packs of baby wipes.
- Insect Repellent Wipes. Mosquitoes love me, unfortunately. And unfortunately, sometimes I can even get pretty bad reactions to their bites. Walking around Anaheim, I definitely got bitten quite a few times, and I'm sure the same would hold true in Orlando. Carry-on liquids are precious, but if I had to do it all over again (or pack for my next trip), I would have brought insect repellent wipes. There are lots of different brands available, and they'll have different compositions in terms of deet or other chemicals. Do your research to see what might work best for you and your family.
- A Water Bottle. You'll probably get thirsty walking around in the hot sun all day. A tip is to bring your own water bottle and fill it up at the fountains located throughout the park. I opted to rinse out one of those half-sized water bottles (8 oz.) because it took up so much less space. I gave my travel buddy one, too, and that made it easy for us to tip any remains from ice water requested from the Disneyland counter service restaurants or to split the remainders of any bottles of water we did purchase in the parks for easy carrying. If you do want to go full-size, though, and you don't relish the taste of water fountain water, you could try a collapsible filtered water bottle.
- Snacks. Virtually everyone recommends that you bring snacks, like granola bars, nuts, dried fruit, gummy bears, jerky, etc. But I'm here to tell you that, unless you're traveling with children or really on a tight budget, skip packing snacks. Part of the fun of Disneyland is the classic snacks, like churros and Dole whip or turkey legs (post to come).
- Flip Flops or an Extra Pair of Socks. If you're planning on getting wet and have a bit of space in your bag, I'd recommend bringing either flip flops that you can slip on before a water ride or an extra pair of socks (quick-dry socks are best—just do a search for them on Amazon) that you can swap out afterwards (though this second tactic doesn't work if you plan on going on multiple water rides and not immediately one after the other). For reference, the main water rides outside the actual water parks in Orlando are Grizzly River Run at Disney's California Adventure, Kali River Rapids at Disney's Animal Kingdom, Splash Mountain at Disneyland or The Magic Kingdom, or even the Pirates of the Carribean rides at Disneyland or The Magic Kingdom.
- Poncho. A poncho can be really helpful if you don't want to get completely soaked on one of the water rides, but even if you don't intend to get on one, a poncho might be a good idea. Sudden (if sometimes short-lived) downpours are not uncommon in Orlando, especially in the summer, and the last thing you want to be is caught unawares. A poncho barely takes up any room in your suitcase or bag (as compared to an actual umbrella), and, while they are pretty cheap on Amazon, they'll cost you a pretty penny at the parks.
- A Sweater or Flannel Shirt. It may generally be hot during the day, but it cools down at night in both Anaheim and Orlando. You'll be thankful you came prepared with a second layer. I opted not to bring a jacket (though I think a jean jacket would have worked perfectly with what I ultimately wound up wearing) because I didn't want to carry something separately and instead stuffed a cardigan into my bag. I saw quite a few people in the parks with cute flannel shirts or thin sweatshirts tied around their waists—really, anything works, with the idea just being to bring a second layer that doesn't require carrying around in your arms all day.
- Cellphone. I would hope I don't need to separately call out bringing your cellphone, but just in case I do—bring your cellphone. It will make it easier to find the others in your party should you somehow get separated, plus it makes snapping pictures a, well, snap. I would also recommend downloading either the Disneyland app (for Anaheim) or the My Disney Experience app (for Orlando). The apps are a good way to keep all of your restaurant reservations in one place, plus they give you wait times, show times and Fast Pass distribution times for all the attractions.
- Camera (and Additional Memory Card). It's up to you whether you'd like to bring a separate camera to the parks. I usually do because a camera (even a simple point and shoot like the Casio Exilim, which has been my go-to for several models and years) can often yield better results than just the camera on my cellphone. And you'll of course see some people with DSLRs and lenses (like my friend Hamilton—seriously, check out his Instagram and say hi if you do see him at the parks). It's really up to you. I will note that cellphone cameras are improving each year and that there are now several portable photo printers on the market that would enable you to connect to your phone (via Bluetooth or otherwise) and print your memories for sharing, like the HP Sprocket, the Prynt Pocket, or the Polaroid ZIP. You could very well skip the extra camera if you don't have the room, plus have and share easy, adorable mementos of your trip.
- Portable Rechargeable Battery Pack. This is a must. The Disney apps suck up a lot of battery, and for some reason, the reception at the Disneyland parks is pretty bad. Depending on how much you're interacting with social media while you're there (Snapchat! Instagram stories!), you'll run your cellphone battery down quickly. Or your camera battery down quickly if you're taking a lot of pictures. This is the one I have—it's a good value for the price and will charge my iPhone 5 or even 6 times on a full charge, but I note it's a bit heavy and one or two reviews on Amazon note that their batteries overheated.
- Cooling Towel. I'll be honest, I haven't used one, but I read about these after my trip on the Disney Tourist Blog, which recommends the Frogg Toggs Chilly Cooling Pad. A cooling towel will dry cool after you wet it, and it can be placed around your neck to help cool you down from the hot sun. While I can't at this time personally vouch for one of these, I will definitely be considering buying one for my next trip to any amusement park or outdoor concert.
- Moleskin or Band-Aids. In case of blisters from walking or small scrapes and injuries, consider bringing some moleskin or Band-Aids.
- Pain Reliever or Other Medicine. Consider bringing a pain reliever of your choice. I didn't, but I rarely get headaches or aches generally. I did, however, take an allergy pill and something to help with digestion in the mornings in the hotel room before heading to the parks.
- Hairties. Bring a couple of loose hairties with you if you have long-ish hair, or even if you don't. They'll double as rubberbands should you need them, for example, for your very own artwork from the Animation Academy.
- Blanket for Parades. We made do without a blanket, in part because we paid a little extra to have access to the reserved area for both the Main Street Electrical Parade in Disneyland (through August 20, 2017) and World of Color in Disney's California Adventure (post to come). But if you're thinking of staking your claim outside the reserved area(s) or if you just don't want to sit on the ground or stand (like we did), consider bringing a small blanket, like the Kanga Pocket Blanket or the Matador, which comes in two sizes, Full-Size (63" x 44") | Mini (44" x 28").
- Autograph Book. I've actually never been one for autographs, even as a child, but this is a big part of the Disney experience, especially for little ones. While you can buy an autograph book in the parks, you can also purchase one in advance and bring it with you. I really like Disney Tourist Blog's suggestion to bring this Junior Encyclopedia of Disney Characters as well. The junior encyclopedia includes pictures and information about 150+ Disney characters, and you can have the character sign their own page, which seems much better than having them sign a blank page.
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