Disney Trip Planning: What to Take Into the Parks With You
I want to talk about planning for your days inside each park, not about initial trip planning.
This is a guide on typical items that you want/need to take into the parks with you each day.
This guide requires a backpack, or a large bag like a messenger bag.
The first thing that you need to think about, especially in this Florida heat is hydration. This Florida heat can be brutal so you need to drink lots of water. I usually pack 2 bottles of water per person in our party. Never throw away your empties as there are plenty of water fountains around the park to refill and it saves you money to use on other things like souvenirs.
Second thing to think about is snacks, if you're like me, you like to do copious amounts of snaking through out the day and if you stop every time you want one, it takes up your time and money. I pack small snack items, like crackers, Pringle's chips, Lunchables, etc. You want to pack things that won't perish and if you do pack Lunchables then you want to make sure that you eat them before they do perish.
Third thing, and this goes back to Florida's weather and this is actually a two parter as well. You want to make sure you pack sunscreen and an umbrella. Florida's weather can be unpredictable, especially during the summer. So make sure you have sunscreen to keep from getting burnt and an umbrella to keep from keeping completely soaking wet, I know you're thinking well in this heat you might want to get soaking wet and that can be true but if it's at the end of the day as you are leaving and it comes pouring down, you don't want to ride back to your hotel, whether it's in your vehicle or one of the Disney buses, soaking wet and in the cold A/C. Another acceptable alternative to an umbrella is a poncho.
Fourth item, again this is a multi-parter since it all has to do with power. Make sure you pack your cell phone charger, extra batteries for your camera, and extra memory cards for your camera. In this day and age of smart phones, the one thing that can ruin a special moment is when you are taking a picture of you or your loved ones with your smart phone and it dies! So keep your phone charger with you at all times, there are numerous areas through out the parks where you can stop for a few minutes and charge your phone. This tip also goes with having a digital camera.
Fifth item, and this mainly is for people that have kids. Make sure you pack your children's autograph books for when they meet their favorite characters. This can literally ruin any child's day at the park.
Sixth and final item, this is if you have enough room for them but pack an extra change of clothes. Say you might have forgot your umbrella or poncho and you got soaking wet from a bad thunderstorm, if you have a fresh change of clothes then all you have to do is change.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and hopefully this can be of some help to you. Feel free to comment and add things that you think would make this list even better.
