©Portable phone charger - If you don't already have one, they are well worth the very small investment. You will use your phone a lot while you are in the parks. Using your phone for pictures, checking wait times and keeping in touch with one another in the park will drain your battery quickly. My battery usually drains by late morning! You can charge on the go and you don't have to look for a table near an outlet when you stop for lunch or waste your precious park time at a charging station.
©Comfortable shoes - As you know, you will walk a lot during your Disney trip. More than you could imagine. Like 10 miles per day. Any amount that you spend will be worth it. Your feet will hurt - it's just a matter of how much they hurt. I've found that Croc flip flops work the best for me. My son wears regular Crocs. Whatever works for you, bring two pairs if you can. Sometimes alternating your shoes will prevent blisters.
©First aid items - Speaking of blisters and pain, you'll want to bring some sort of blister bandage and some sort of pain killer. My general rule of thumb when I'm packing my first aid bag: is it possible that I'll need this - YES - then pack it! Travel sizes are great - buy them once and refill them with your larger supply. I bring pain reliever, nighttime pain reliever, any type of BandAid you can think of, tummy medicine and Benedryl. Not all gift shops carry first aid items and they can sometimes be hard to find and are much more expensive than they would be at Target or Walgreens.
©Rain gear - Chances are, it will rain while you are at Disney World (probably not at Disneyland). Ziplock bags will save your electronics (phone, camera, phone charger) if you are caught in a downpour. We also put our electronics in Ziplocks when we go on water rides - better safe than sorry! In addition, you will not regret purchasing rain ponchos before you leave. Umbrellas can be cumbersome while navigating the parks and if you're sitting in a theater venue, sometimes they won't let you use an umbrella at all. The poncho really covers all. You'll want to bring several cheap ones and toss them when you're done using them or bring a few of the pricier ponchos (maybe like $4-$5 each). They are around $8 in the parks, so you'll be happy you planned ahead.
©Beverages/Food - You can have groceries sent to your resort via Garden Grocer or Amazon, but I'm a fan of bringing my own in my checked bag. We bring SmartWater and Diet Coke, which saves us about $50 right there for our daily bottle of water (which you can refill) and my morning caffeine. There are single-serve coffee machines in the Moderate and Deluxe rooms, so you're covered if that's what you're looking for.
I'm all about saving time, money and steps when we go to Disney World and Disneyland. I have learned the hard way on many of these tips.
All of these items fit easily in a backpack or small bag. I use a small Kate Spade crossbody and it works just fine.
I would love to share my Disney travel expertise with you! Connect with me to help plan your Disney vacation:
Rebecca Mitchell
Authorized Disney Travel Agent
FTM Travel
www.ftmtravel.com
