My husband and I make our way to Disneyland about once a month. It’s a lot. I know. San Diego is close enough proximity for us to have Annual Passes and easily squeeze in the minimum number of trips to justify the cost of the passes. In case you are wondering, six trips a year brings the Signature Pass to value.
Given that we visit so frequently, we decided a backpack designated for our trips would be worth it. We dug our way through TJMaxx, Ross, and Burlington Coat Factory to find the perfect backpack. We needed one with multiple pockets and bottle holders on both sides of the bag. We landed on this great Swiss Gear backpack for about $25.00.
We keep the bag packed at all times with the essentials. We typically leave for Anaheim around 6:00AM so not having to pack the bag every time we want to go is convenient and sanity saving.
So what “essentials” do we have packed? Check out below…
- Protein Bars – Or your favorite snack bars. Some families pack full meals and snacks for Disneyland. We plan for our meals in the park but what you can’t plan for are unusually long wait times in line. When hunger strikes while running about, it’s nice to have a healthy and satiating snacks to reach for.
- Sunscreen – Protect yourself against the harsh California (or Florida) sun by keeping sunscreen in your bag and reapplying throughout the day. Keep stored in a plastic baggy to avoid unfortunate disasters.
- Hand Sanitizer – Simply put, because people are gross.
- Kleenex
- Lotion – I find the soap in the park to be really harsh on my hands and I’m always grateful to have lotion on hand. Keep stored in a plastic baggy to avoid unfortunate disasters.
- Travel Charger – We take a lot of videos and pictures while in the park. We keep a few small travel chargers in our bag to save our phones and charge them during meals.
- Change – We keep change on the off chance we want to squish some pennies. It doesn’t happen very often but you never know.
I use a make-up bag to hold small items within the backpack.
- Advil – You never know when headaches or pains will hit. It’s nice to have Advil, or the painkiller of your choice, on hand.
- Tide ToGo Pen – I’m such a klutz sometimes. This has saved a shirt or two.
- Chapstick (and/or lipstick)
- Bobby Pins and Hairties – The weather can change in an instant. Having the tools to manage a hair redo can be a lifesaver.
- Cash – We keep $5 cash in the pouch just in case we find a quick need for a little bit of cash. This is an old habit from my college days that I don’t think will ever die.
Finally, we keep bandaids and ointment in a plastic baggy. I have yet to get any major cuts while enjoying the parks, but the bandaids have saved my heels from some angry shoes.
There are other items we add day-of our trips, such as:
- Annual Passes / Tickets
- Jackets / sweatshirts
- Water Bottles
- Sunglasses
If you have children, I’m sure you will pack much, much more. However, this is a great jumping off point to get your backpacks started. Every family is different so make sure you keep important items on hand.
What else would you include in your Disney backpack?Â
