What to Pack for a Walt Disney World Vacation
Greetings Disney travelers
Today’s post is a popular topic; what do I need to pack? While somethings can change based on the seasons there are some staple items I want to cover. When you’re visiting in the summer vs the winter your clothing choices will most definitely be different. When we visit in the summer we pack more clothes, becuase we tend to wear two outfits a day. It is hot in the summer, like really hot. In order to not be miserable in sweaty cloths everyone will have two sets helping us stay more comfortable! While the winter in Florida can still be a beautiful spot, we might need a sweatshirt, shorts and maybe a pair of jeans all in the same day. Winter months we always pack layers of clothes. Somedays can be warm, some can be cool, and in most cases if you start the day off early it will be cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon. No matter the time of year it is always a good idea to bring a poncho or rain coat, you just never know with Florida!
Here is my list of must bring items, no matter the time of the year!
Phone- You will be using your smart phone in Walt Disney World now more than ever. We use our phones to board the planes now too. So this is a must have. Along with the phone make sure you have your chargers packed! You will be using the phone more, like a lot more than you did a few years ago. You will need a portable charger to bring with you to the parks. I swear my phone battery dies quicker in the parks than any other place. I have a fuelrod I bought in Disney World a few years back, and the benefit to those when they died you could switch them out. It made spending $30 worth it. Now swapping them out is not free so it is not so great. I just purchased a portable charger through Amazon and so far it has worked great. Find one you like and make sure you pack it!
Camera- I like to have a different camera than just my phone. The storage on my phone can fill up and having a camera helps save the phone battery. With the camera I make sure I also have a case and a charger.
Bathing Suit & cover up. No matter the time of year I want to be prepared for a little pool time!
Gum- although this may seem like a weird thing to pack, it’s not. If you are a gum person bring it with you. They do not sell gum anywhere in Walt Disney World. In fact it is not even sold at the airport in Orlando, so if you’d like it, bring it with you!
Sunscreen- no matter the time of the year sunscreen is important. You can purchase this in Disney World, but if you have a specific kind you like bring it with you.
Hair ties- this is a personal choice, but when I get hot, and that can happen anytime of year, I need to pull my hair off my neck. So I always try to bring extra hair ties
Annual Pass or DVC card- If you’re a DVC member or have an annual pass bring the card with you for special discounts!
Park Tickets- If you’re staying off site or purchased your park passes separately bring the hard ones with you. I know they may already be linked to your My Disney Experience account or you may have Magic Bands too, but technology is not always perfect and it is a good idea to bring them with you as back up.
ID- Even if you do not get on an airplane, bring your ID with you! You will need it when checking into the hotel.
Empty Water bottle- We try to bring a metal water bottle with us and fill it up before we go to the parks each day. You will want to stay hydrated as you’re walking all over the parks!
Good Walking Shoes- Once again this will be a personal choice. I personally wear my Hoka One One for every day I am in the parks. These are also my go to running shoes & are amazing. Since we put on 14,000 steps plus per day it is so important to have good walking shoes! Find a pair that works best for you. If you can walk 5 miles and stay in them all day comfortably then they are for you!
Flip-Flops- I never wear these to the parks, but when heading to the pool I don’t want to wear my sneakers to the pool. We bring sandals or flip flops or crocs for the pool time.
Sunglasses- I love my goodr sunglasses! I have had multiple pairs over the years. They start at $25 and are so comfortable to wear all day. Even more importantly they’re durable so when I toss them into my bag when hopping onto Big Thunder Mountain, I am not worried about breaking them.
Small backpack- I bring a small backpack or crossbody into the parks. This bag carry’s my: phone, chargers, camera, water bottle, sunscreen, wallet & more. This bag is separate than what I use for a carry on on the plane. When brining a carry on the plan I like a regular sized backpack. This way I can also bring my laptop to get any work done I need to do.
Laptop- This is not for everyone, but those who need to stay on top of work, like me! I have to also bring the charger and my external hard drive. I dump any photos or videos each day onto the external hard drive so I am ready to go the next day!
Hand Sanitizer- Pandemic or not I always carry a small hand sanitizer with me. I try to get the little carry on sized ones for each member of the family. So as we get on the plane, sit down for a meal, hop off a ride, we all have a handy hand sanitizer with us.
Baby Wipes- I have not actually carried baby wipes in a few years, but when my daughter was younger this was a must have. She always seemed to find a way to get messy so having some wipes in my bag made clean up quick and easy. If you have young children, or messy ones at any ages you will be happy to have these in your bag.
Headphones- for everyone in the family! This is not a must for the parks, but more for the travel days. This way we can each watch and listen to our preferred show or podcast on the trip to Disney.
Entertainment for the plane or car ride- If you’re driving or flying into Disney I recommend having entertainment for everyone. This cold be a new book, magazine, coloring pages, or a small toy. When my daughter was younger she would bring a couple small toys to play with on the plane or even in her stroller while we made our way to the parks.
Snacks- I am not sure if this is weird to some people, but we always try to bring small snacks with us. I bring peanut butter crackers and non chocolate granola bars with us, non chocolate because Florida is hot. I will toss a box or two into our checked luggage. You are allowed to bring non alcoholic & non glass beverages along with food into the parks. This is handy to not only save a little money, but if anyone is getting hangry while waiting they can snack with out having to go purchase more food.
Download the My Disney Experience app- This is a huge must! If you’re visiting as a day guest, as an annual pass holder, as a DVC member or visiting as part of a big resort stay, have the app downloaded prior to leaving. You will want to sign in and be familiar with it as well. After signing into the app all of your reservations will be magically linked. This will be helpful to know when your dining reservations are, what park you’re visiting that day & it has location services so this is extra helpful finding places like the closest bathroom!
What are somethings you always bring? I left out personal items like medicine and clothing items as each of is so different. Hopefully this is a little more helpful when you go to pack for you magical trip! Let me know if I forgot a must have item!
