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Are you wondering what to pack in your Disney day bag and what essentials you should bring into the parks?

In this article, we cover what you need to pack in your Disney day bag when going from sun-up til’ sun-down at the Happiest Place on Earth!

Upon using our Disney World essentials checklist, you’ll be well on your way to having an amazing day at the Disney theme parks.

In fact, stick around until the end of the article for our FREE Disney Day Bag printable checklist to ensure that not one single Disney essential is left behind.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through a link.

Disney day bag items
Our Disney day bag item!

Disney Day Bag: Packing Basics

First-things-first is that I do recommend that you bring a backpack of Disney essentials 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 should disperse its weight evenly across your back, especially if you’ll be carrying it 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 be reused as a carry-on or a standard backpack once you’re home is a budget-friendly choice.

Additional planning tip: Conveniently, every ride at the Disney theme parks allows backpacks to be brought onto the ride.

This is much different than when visiting Universal Studio Orlando theme parks that require backpacks to be placed inside of lockers prior to boarding most rides.

Disney Day Bag Essentials Checklist

Here is an overview of the absolute must-haves to take with you when you spend the day at Walt Disney World!

  • Safety and sanitation essentials
  • Weather-related items
  • Pantry items
  • Disney World touring items
  • Electronics
  • Miscellaneous

Additional planning tip: Having a travel agent to help plan your Disney vacation is more beneficial than ever right now.

Consider booking through a travel agent in order to take the guessing work out of ticketing, reservations, closures, and the ever-changing safety policies.

Heat, rain, and sun are all factors that will affect your Disney experience at any time during the year.

We’ve dedicated an entire article on how to deal with the Florida heat and humidity in order to still enjoy your vacation.

During the months of November through March, chilly mornings and cool evenings are also something to consider.

For these reasons, bring along the following:

  • Rain ponchos and/or a travel-size umbrella
  • Spray misters
  • Hand-held fan
  • UV protection hat
  • Sunscreen
  • Sunglasses (Find our favorites here!)
  • Sweatshirt or light jacket
Disney day bag rain ponchos
Don’t forget rain ponchos in your day bag!

Rain ponchos and/or a travel-size umbrella

In Florida, there are pop-up showers almost every single day.

We’ve been to Orlando when there was only a 20% chance of rain forecasted and it unpredictably poured twice.

Lucky for us we had brought our own rain ponchos and could comfortably continue to tour the park in the rain.

Hundreds of others did so while getting drenched as the park’s gift shops sold out of rain ponchos within minutes.

Don’t delay, get an 8 or 12 pack of disposable rain ponchos to bring along with you.

Additional planning tip: Rain ponchos are also great to put on in order to stay dry on rides like Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom!

Spray misters

If you are going to Disney in the summer months, I suggest that you bring along a misting fan or misting water bottle.

When waiting in lines for rides the Florida heat and humidity can be downright overwhelming.

Save yourself the agony by spritzing 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!

Personal Items

You can pretty much count on needing all of the following personal items at least once during any family vacation.

It goes without saying, that each of these items are also 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
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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.
  • Portable snacks and meal items. 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 it’s 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!

Be sure to remember:

  • Your Magic Bands or theme park tickets. (Purchase them ahead of time.)
  • Lanyard. For easy access to your park tickets, keep them in an easy-to-access waterproof lanyard.
  • Park maps. You can pick these up at the parks if you haven’t printed any off ahead of time.
  • 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 and Disney Genie while you’re in the parks, as well as and look at your pictures if you’re using Disney PhotoPass.
  • Smartphone apps. There are many additional iPhone apps that will help you easily navigate your Disney vacation.
  • A fitness band or watch to keep track of your steps!
  • Portable charger. 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 app is going to drain your battery. Thankfully, this portable battery charger is one of the smallest and lightest you will find and charges your phone in a flash!
Disney World Essentials featured by top US family travel blog, Travel wit a Plan: image of a portable battery charger for purchase

Disney World Essentials: Miscellaneous

  • Autograph book and Sharpie 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.
Disney World Essentials featured by top US family travel blog, Travel wit a Plan: image of a Disney autograph book for purchase
  • 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.
  • 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.

Backpacks and purses can be placed safely inside without the 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 homemade snack mixes and other 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.

Disney Day Bag 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 on any Disney vacation.

You can download and print our Disney Day Bag Checklist to ensure that nothing gets left behind!

Click here for our Disney Day Bag Packing Checklist from top US family travel blog, Travel With A Plan!

If you enjoyed learning about what to bring in your Disney day bag, continue planning your Disney World vacation here!

Disney World Touring Plans:

Disney World Ride Tips:

Disney World Planning Tips:

Disney World Cost:

"If you like it, Pin it!" quote
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Get our complete list of Disney World essentials that NEED to go in your Disney park bag!  Complete with a Disney Day Bag Printable Checklist, we'll make sure you don't forget anything needed for a long day of touring Disney!  #Disneydaybag #Disneydaybagpackinglist #Disneydaybagchecklist #Disneydaybaglist #Disneydaybagbackpacks #Disneydaybagforkids #DisneyWorlddaybag
Click here for the Disney World essentials you won't want to forget in your Disney park bag from top US family travel blog, Travel With A Plan!

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9 Comments

  1. 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.

    1. Thanks for reading! Yes, it is so helpful to consult what it is that we really need to bring along with our kiddos!

  2. 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!

    1. Thanks! I love that you can bring backpacks on the rides at Disney without having to check out a locker like at Universal 🙂