Disney World Essentials: What to Pack in Your Disney Day Bag
In this article, post, I’ll fill you in on everything that you need to pack in a Disney day bag when going from sun-up til’ sun-down at the Happiest Place on Earth!
I am confident that by using our Disney World essentials day bag checklist that you’ll be well on your way to an amazing day at the Disney theme parks!
Here are our suggested Disney World essentials that you need in order to pack the perfect Disney day bag!
Stick around until the end of the article for Travel With A Plan’s FREE printable checklist to ensure that no items are left behind.
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Disney World Essentials: Packing Basics
First-things-first is that I do recommend that you bring a backpack with you if you plan on spending an entire day at either Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, or Hollywood Studios.
Being prepared with some of the basics will not only help you tour more efficiently, but it will help you save money at Disney by not having to purchase Disney World essentials inside the park.
I absolutely recommend carrying a backpack, versus a cross-body purse or bag.
In order to avoid getting a back or shoulder ache, you most definitely need to disperse the weight evening across your back, especially if touring for an entire day.
If you don’t already have a sturdy, decent sized backpack, this is the one for you!
Purchasing a park bag that can double as a carry-on or a standard backpack once you’re home is a budget-friendly choice.
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Disney World Essentials Checklist
Here are the absolute must-haves to take with you when you spend the day at Walt Disney World!
- Weather-related items
- Pantry items
- Disney World touring items
- Electronics
- Miscellaneous
Weather-Related Items
Heat, rain, and sun are all factors that will affect your Disney experience at any time during the year.
During the months of November through March, chilly mornings and cool evenings can also be an issue.
For these reasons, bring along the following:
- Rain ponchos and/or an umbrella
- Spray misters
- Hand-held fan
- UV protection hat
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Sweatshirt or light jacket
Rain ponchos and/or an umbrella
In Florida, there are pop-up showers almost every single day. We’ve been to Orlando when there was only a 20% of rain forecasted and it unpredictably poured twice.
Lucky for us we had brought our own rain ponchos and could keep touring the park.
Hundreds of others did so while getting drenched as the park’s gift shops sell out of rain ponchos within minutes.
Don’t delay, get an 8 or 12 pack of disposable rain ponchos here.
Additional planning tip: Rain ponchos are also a great way to stay dry on rides like Kali River Rapids at
Spray misters
If you are going to Disney in the summer months, you absolutely must bring along a misting fan or misting water bottle.
When waiting in lines for rides that you are unable to Fastpass, the Florida heat can be overwhelming.
Instead, simply spritz yourself down to help survive the heat.
Additional planning tip: These kid-friendly misters are also a great way to help distract toddlers and children while waiting in lines!
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Personal Items
You can pretty much count on needing all of the following convenience items at least once during every family excursion.
These day bag items are a key component of your Disney World essentials.
- Mini first-aid kit. Be prepared to mend after slips, trips, falls, and blisters!
- Wet wipes
- Hand
sanitizer - Hand lotion and lip balm
- Pain reliever. Don’t forget child and adult doses of each.
- Motion sickness medication
Pantry Items
- Bottled water. The easiest way to stay hydrated in the parks is to bring your own water bottles. Bring one bottle of water per person and label them with a Sharpie. There are water stations located frequently throughout the park that you can use for
re-fills .
- Dry, portable snacks/lunch. Or in our case, both. Bring along food items such as trail mix, granola bars, PB&J sandwiches, and apples to prevent the kids from getting hungry. If you happen to be participating in a Disney dining plan, however, save the space in your park bag and bring along less of your own food.
- Mini cooler. Lockers are available on a first-come, first-served basis at all of the Disney theme parks. For pantry items that need to stay cold, some people choose to bring in a mini cooler and stow it in a locker when not being used.
Disney World Touring Items
The most necessary items to pack in your Disney day bag include your park tickets, maps, and touring plans!
- Magic Bands or theme park tickets.
- Lanyard. For easy access to your park tickets, which also serve as your FastPass+, keep them all in an easy-to-access waterproof lanyard. After swiping your ticket to enter a FastPass line, oftentimes you have to swipe it again further down the queue (to prevent line jumpers).
- Park maps. You can pick these up at the parks if you haven’t printed any off ahead of time.
- Touring plans. Find ours here:
- 1-Day Animal Kingdom Itinerary
- 1-Day Magic Kingdom Itinerary
- 1-Day Itinerary for Epcot
- Photo ID. While your MagicBand or card is your ticket into the parks, it is always a good idea to carry personal ID. All guests must use the biometric (fingerprint) scanners before entering each park. Should the biometric scan fail, you will be asked for a photo ID.
- Credit card/cash.
Electronics
- Smartphone. With your smartphone, you’ll be able to access the My Disney Experience app while you’re in the parks to check showtimes, rearrange Fast Passes, and look at your pictures if you’re using PhotoPass.
- Smartphone apps. There are many iPhone apps will help you easily navigate your Disney vacation.
In addition, the My Disney Experience app is a must.
- Portable charger with
cord and plug. As one of the most commonly forgotten items to bring to Disney, bringing along a portable Smartphone charger is an absolute must! A day of snapping photos and using the My Disney Experience or other touring plan app is going to drain your battery. This portable battery charger is one of the smallest and lightest you will find and charges your phone in a flash!
- A fitness band or watch to keep track of your steps!
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Disney World Essentials – Miscellaneous
- Autograph book and S
harpie marker. Disney gift shops sell autograph books, but the smart move is to pick up an inexpensive one before you go. Disney autograph books are the perfect idea to bring along for toddlers to help them look back on their experience someday.
- Glow sticks. When the sun sets and the parks really start to come to life, you’ll be so glad to have some glow sticks in your bag. Make necklaces and bracelets that will help your party keep track of each other, or hand them out to the kids while waiting for fireworks or parades.
- Quarters and pennies. At many of the attractions throughout the parks, you’ll see machines where you can create souvenir pressed pennies. Each machine delivers a different design, and some offer a choice of designs. You’ll need two quarters and a penny (51 cents), to make each souvenir penny. They are cheap and fun souvenirs to collect.
Does Disney Allow You to Bring your Bag on Rides?
Yes! Upon my first visit to Disney, I was pleasantly surprised to find that guests are allowed to take their day bags and personal items on all of the rides.
Most rides have a large open area near your feet where your day bag can be safely stowed.
Faster, more jerky rides, such as Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom, have a mesh pouch attached to the seat directly in front of you.
Day bags and purses can be placed safely inside without risk of tipping over or falling out of the ride.
Can You Bring Your Own Food Into Disney World?
Another ‘yes’! Guests are allowed to bring food, snacks, and beverages into Disney parks.
The only items that are prohibited are glass containers and alcohol.
Being able to bring food and your own water bottles into Disney is perhaps the main reason to consider bringing along a backpack to serve as a day bag.
It is amazing how hungry the kids get while walking long distances in the parks! Also, munching on snacks is a great way to fight off boredom while waiting in long lines.
For these reasons, having snacks readily accessible is an absolute lifesaver!
Security and Screening
All persons, bags, and parcels are subject to screening and security checks before going through the turnstiles at all Disney theme parks
Before entrance into each Disney park, bags are screened and ‘gone through’ by security personnel. This is a fairly quick, yet thorough process.
Guests without bags get to bypass this security screening, and therefore, enter through a different line.
Conclusion
If your Orlando itinerary finds you enjoying the magic of Disney, use this Disney World essentials checklist to help guide what you pack inside of your Disney day bag!
In combination with our Disney World essentials checklist, don’t forget to consult helpful ‘know before you go’ Disney tips to avoid preventable touring mistakes.
And last, double-check your Disney packing list to be sure that you have not left behind the top 9 most forgotten items!
Here it is! You can download and print our Disney Day Bag Checklist to ensure that nothing gets left behind!
As a member of our Travel With A Plan family, click through the following articles for exclusive tips, checklists, and touring plans for your Disney World vacation!
Disney World Touring Plans:
- 1-Day Magic Kingdom Itinerary: A Perfect Day At Disney
- 1-Day At Animal Kingdom Itinerary: The Perfect Family Touring Plan
- One Day Itinerary for Epcot: Family Touring Plan
Disney World Ride & FastPass+ Tips:
- ‘How-to’ Secrets and Tips for Booking Disney FastPasses+
- Top 5 Rides to FastPass+ at Magic Kingdom
- Disney World Magic Kingdom Wait Times (Longest and Shortest Lines)
- Top 5 Rides for Toddlers at Magic Kingdom
Disney World Planning Tips:
- The 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Our First Disney Vacation
- Disney Packing List: 9 Things You Can’t Forget
- 7 Things to do on a Disney World Non-Park Day
- Best Off-Site Hotel Near Disney World, Orlando
- Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue: Our Complete Guide
Disney World Cost:
- Disney World Cost Calculator: How Much Will it Cost?
- How to Save Money At Disney World: 15 Ways We Saved Big
Karen
Love your printable list, I always forget things when packing for disney and end up paying way over the odds for essentials in the park. This is going to be so useful for our next visit.
Jen
Thanks for reading! Yes, it is so helpful to consult what it is that we really need to bring along with our kiddos!
Tiffany
This is such a thorough list! I’m totally pinning it for when we make our next Disney Trip!
Jen
Awesome! Thanks!! I’m glad that you find it helpful 🙂
Margie
This packing list is very detailed and has some great tips! It’s so important to bring your own snacks and water as prices add up very quickly!
Jen
Thanks! I love that you can bring backpacks on the rides at Disney without having to check out a locker like at Universal 🙂
Julie
This packing list is spot on! Disney is a place you definitely want to be as prepared as possible so this is super helpful!
Jen
Thanks Julie! Yes, Disney is definitely not a place that you want to show up underprepared 🙂