What to Pack in Your Disney Park Bag? 10 Must Have Items

Are you headed to Walt Disney World soon? Or just dreaming about your trip in the future? Through my trips to Disney World, I have honed down the excess items to find 10 items that I always pack in my Disney park bag and I use on almost every visit into the parks.

How do you decide what to Pack in your Disney Park Bag?

So I have quite a few Walt Disney World trips under my belt at this point and I’ve packed my park bag a lot of different ways. I’ve been alone and with my kids ranging in ages from 7 months to 11 years old. I still go to Disney with friends from time to time but most of my trips do include my kiddos.

When you are deciding what to pack, think about what you use on a daily basis and what you really need to have with you. A lot of items you can find in the park if you get in a crunch. However, there are a few necessities that just make life easier to have in your bag at the ready.

Regardless of the time of year, here are the 10 items I always have with me whether I am packing backpack for a full day or a small bag for just an evening park visit. I always have these 10 items in my bag no matter how long we are going to the parks, rain or shine, summer or winter. There are a few bonus items at the end–so keep reading!

Small Wallet

You need to pack some kind of wallet or coin purse in your Disney park bag. You can have your ticket, ID, credit card and cash in a small wallet. I also carry Disney gift cards that I get from Target at 5% off. You can click here or here to find 2 options that I like to use.

Sunscreen

We all know that sunscreen is a necessity any time you are going to be outside for a while. So since you are out for extended periods in the parks, you may need to reapply throughout the day. I found this sunscreen roller that is great for reapplying in the parks. These applicators also work well if you want to use your specific sunscreen. You will definitely want to make sure you have sunscreen in your park bag.

First Aid Supplies

Basic first aid including band aids, antibiotic ointment, hydrocortisone cream, and moleskin are a few items you might want to have with you in the parks. Most of these can be found at the in-park first aid center but I like having them on hand so I don’t have to trek across the park with a crying kid. I also like to have some pain reliever too. I have this awesome first aid kit from Keep Going. It has everything you could possibly need. Highly recommended!

Wet Wipes

Wet wipes are not just for kids! I always carry a small pack of baby wipes, as they are great for faces, hands, and cleaning up a scrape. However, when you want to wipe off a dirty table, for instance–you need something stronger. I keep individual wet wipe packets or these small travel packs in my bag every time I enter the parks.

Portable Charger

This is my favorite phone charger and the one I recommend to everyone! I have a smaller one but this charger has built in cords to fit micro USB, USB-C, and iPhone. This alleviates the problem of forgetting a cord to actually charge our phones.

Water

This one should be obvious. Drink, drink, drink. Getting dehydrated is one way to ruin your Disney trip. Now usually I will take a water bottle with me. It may be a disposable or a reusable bottle but make sure you have water to drink throughout the day. Bonus tip: You might also want to bring some water flavoring in case you get some of the funny tasting Florida water from the water fountains or quick service.

Snacks

This is completely up to you. You might be someone who likes to try a lot of snacks in the parks, and in that case, Go For It! But the idea here is to have a small snack, think trail mix or a granola bar, in your park bag for that moment that you feel like if you don’t eat something right now–you might not be held responsible for what happens next. I’ve had those moments, especially with kids in tow.

Hair Ties

Being a mom of 3 girls, we never have enough hair ties. So I highly recommend if you have need of these, make sure you have some in your bag. Here are some basic ones, and here are some super cute ones that are perfect to pack for your Disney day.

Straws

One thing to know about Disney World, straws are scarce. For that matter, lids are too. So I recommend to bring some reusable straws with you for those instances that you really need one. If you are traveling with littles, you definitely want straws, possibly even a cup to help them to be able to drink on their own. Here are the straws I carry to the parks. I like that they come with individual cases and cleaning brushes. Here are a set of silicone straws that you could also use at home.

Zip Top Bags

You will find that there are times you need a bag to put something into. It might be the remains of a snack, wet socks, or a dirty shirt from a messy ice cream bar (no judgements); but a baggie to keep it away from the other items in your park bag will be a life saver.

Bonus

I have 5 additional items that can be useful to pack in your Disney park bag but not everyone will actually need them. First is ponchos or something for rain. Here are a 5 pack of ponchos if you are looking for some. I will keep ponchos in our stroller bag for emergencies. You can also use a packable rain jacket or an umbrella if you prefer.

Second is autograph books with a fat pen or sharpie. If you have plans to meet characters in the parks or a character meal, you will probably want to have autograph books handy. Fat pens are easier for characters with gloves to hold and write with. Another tip is to have your book open to the page you want to the character to sign to make things quicker and easier.

Next, you might be a pin trader and need to bring your pins into the park. We do pick up pins on our trips but rarely trade. So this may or may not apply to you. I am glad pin trading is back at the parks, it a great activity when lines are long.

If you are traveling in the summer or anytime from March to November, you will benefit from a portable fan or cooling towels. It can be miserably hot in the middle of the day and a little breeze or cool towel can cool you down and make it bearable.

The last thing you might need is chewing gum. Gum is not sold on Disney property. So if you are a gum chewer and know that you will need some while on property make sure to bring your own.

Remember Simple is Better when you Pack your Disney Park Bag

Just remember that you can overpack your Disney park bag and your shoulders will be dying by the end of the day. On the other hand, you can just bring your Magicband, credit card or cash, and ID and be perfectly fine…maybe. When I go into the park with 3 kiddos, I feel that these are the few items that I need to feel confident and stress-free. Let me know in the comments if you have additional items that you need to be stress-free in the parks.