Are you planning a trip to Disney anytime soon? Here’s a list of what to pack as well as some tips to help make your experience as enjoyable and stress free as possible.

 

There is definitely a lot to consider when planning a trip to Walt Disney World. And if you haven’t been in a long time (especially since 2020), some of the systems/technology has changed and there is a lot to learn before you get there. There is also a lot of strategy that you have to put into maximizing your trip and trying to get as much done as possible while trying to minimize your wait times in lines.

 

Prior to this trip, it had been at least a decade since I had been to Disney World. And truthfully, I was a bit reluctant about going in the first place. In addition to not being aligned with Disney’s values these days, my middle child is only three, and not quite tall enough to go on all the rides. So I wasn’t ready to rush into it.

 

However, after several conversations with my husband he finally convinced me. Especially since their cousins were going and other extended family (we had a party of fifteen!), it was really a once in a lifetime opportunity to create some memories for the girls.

 

DIY Planning or Have Your Trip Planned for You

 

As a busy mom of three, I did not have the time to do all the research and plan every little detail, so I was excited that our group was getting help from a family friend who also plans Disney Trips for people. She really took all the stress out of planning and was also available to help us while we were there at the parks! Occasionally there was a glitch with our fast passes/magic bands and we would just text her and she would help us iron things out. It was truly a blessing to know that you have someone to help when you need it.

 

If you’re interested in having someone help plan your trip, feel free to contact and follow Kate on IG at:

@enchanted_vacations_

 

 

 

 

Packing for Your Trip

 

There’s nothing like planning a trip and trying to pack light, but also be prepared for all the things! We did not drive to Florida, and we had a bus that drove us from the airport to the Art of Animation resort where we stayed, so we did not worry about packing car seats or strollers.

 

We did rent strollers directly from the park for the four days we were there. The parks’ strollers are bright red and a little janky, but they did the job and the kids were able to take naps in them whenever they were worn out from the day’s activities. There are outside stroller rentals, that can provide more comfortable/better quality strollers, but we did not take the time to look into, or compare the cost difference between the two. I know some stroller services will deliver to you, but I did not want to have to deal with lugging around a stroller to and from parks when you can just pick one up inside.

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT TO PACK

 

 

It’s sometimes tough to reach a balance between trying to be as minimal as possible while being prepared for all the things, but it is possible! In addition to packing one outfit for each day you’re there (plus a couple extra changes in case of an accident), here’s a general list of things to pack for your trip:

 

• Sunscreen
• First Aid Kit (with blister care)
• Collapsable Water Bottles/Filtered Water Bottle (Plastic Preferred. Keep reading for more details.)
• Snacks
• Portable Charger
• Magic Band (More expensive there)
• Disposable Ponchos
• Hand Sanitizer/Wet Wipes
• Sweater/Extra Socks (wet rides)/Change of clothes
• Comfortable shoes (possibly an extra pair if you get wet on rides)
• Autograph Book
• Glow Sticks/Bubble Wand

 

 

Snag it now here:

 

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Trying to pack as efficiently as possible can be a bit of a task, especially when you have to prepare for everything! Do you tend to pack your bags and then when you get to your location you feel completely lost and can’t find anything? If this sounds familiar, I highly recommend getting some packing cubes! They make packing for me and my girls a breeze. They also made it easier to find things and keep things organized while we were on vacation.

 

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The list above is not exclusive. Of course you need to pack an outfit for each day, swimsuits, pj’s toiletries, etc. Also, depending on your plans you might need to pack some additional items. For example, we took our girls to the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique, an experience where you can dress up as your favorite princess, and get your hair and makeup done in Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom.

 

You can purchase a dress at the Botique as part of your experience while you’re there, but we opted to bring our own dresses to save a few bucks (I think the cheapest dress there started at $60). There are plenty of places to buy gorgeous princess dresses online that are not the full Disney price that you will pay while you’re there, so consider it! The Botique did have some amazing princess dresses that you can’t find anywhere else though, so be prepared to have your kids begging for a new dress while you’re waiting for your hair appointment! Lol.

 

 

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Some additional things to consider packing are things like puddle jumpers/additional pool items like goggles, etc. if you’re going to be spending time at the pool. We did pack a puddle jumper last minute (and had to jump on my suitcase a little to get it all to fit) for my youngest for swimming in the pools at our resort, but the pools there had extra life jackets for kids that were available, so that was something we could have excluded. Be sure to check with your hotel to make sure they have them available where you are staying.

 

 

IF YOU’RE TAKING A BACKPACK IN THE PARK

 

When you’re heading through the gates at Disney parks you also have to walk through metal detectors. If you’re bringing in a bag and the metal detector goes off, you’re going to have to get in a whole other line to be searched as well. Sometimes the search lines go quick, but sometimes they can take a while as well. To make your access into the park as easy as possible here are some tips:

 

• Try not to bring in anything metal (extra batteries, water bottles, cameras, etc. will set it off).
• If you do have to bring in some metal, keep it all together so it’s easy for the security guard to go through.

 

I made the mistake of having metal water bottles for my kids (and my first aid kit), so we had to go through security every day! My digital camera also set off the metal detectors too. I ended up barely using my digital camera since my phone takes good pictures and is more convenient. Also being busy doing kid stuff, I didn’t have time to try to take cool pictures, or zoom into details, etc.

 

Next time, I definitely will ditch the camera and bring these COLLAPSABLE WATER BOTTLES instead. They are so much more compact and great for traveling! Also, if you’re grossed out by drinking tap water (I need my filtered water people!) you might want to consider water bottles that have a built in purifier as well!

 

I was totally grossed out by all the tap water I drank while traveling for this trip (I drink close to a gallon of water a day), but I definitely didn’t want to throw away money on water bottles either when I could be spending that money on food and overpriced toys for my kids! Okay, so in addition to collapsable bottles, I’ve just decided I will need at least one bottle with a purifier, or some travel water purifier system as well. In Magic Kingdom some of the tap water tasted a bit funky so just beware!

 

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DISNEY EXTRAS YOU NEED 

 

We surprised the Disney Trip to our kids as a Christmas Gift for 2022. My oldest is just starting to read, so as a gift I bought them each their own suitcase and packed it with the matching family Disney shirts, Minnie Ears, an autograph book, a Mini Disney themed Backpack, and an extra Minnie themed fanny pack that I thought was adorable (and that we could twin with).

 

 

 

Disney mini backpacks are definitely a thing. I remember getting one myself at Magic Kingdom for the 25th Anniversary. And although they are much cuter now (and good quality leather), they’re also a bit pricy too! I’m definitely glad I got the kids one off Amazon before getting there. They love their purses, and got to wear them in the airport as well. I packed them up with snacks, toys and other things to keep them busy. They definitely felt like big girls with their own bag that they were in charge of.

 

Backpacks and other extras, like bubble wands, glow sticks, etc. are definitely not necessities, but they make the trip more fun. Also, your kids will most likely beg for these items when they see them at the park, so might as well save a few bucks on the front end and buy them up front!

 

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One thing I will definitely pack next time are glow sticks. I really wanted to get my kids some glow sticks when we watched the firework show at Magic Kingdom (mostly so they could have the same experience as I did as a kid), but I could not find a vendor anywhere selling them! I even left our group and took a walk down Main Street to buy the kids some T-Shirts while we waited for the show to start and there was no one around (even after dark). Mind blown about that, but lesson learned!

 

 

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THE SCENERY

 

While the rides are fun and the food is great, my favorite thing about going to Disney World is the scenery! Disney does such a great job with landscaping, topiaries, and just transforming the parks into all the continents and different countries. It is truly amazing and hard to truly appreciate when you’re rushing in between rides, shows, and all the other things to do.

 

I did manage to snap a few pictures of scenes that I thought were beautiful. Of course the pictures don’t even do it justice, but I’m saving them for future painting inspiration. And while we had TOO MANY cute pictures of the kids, I choose to keep those private, so I’m sharing the one of Will and I that we managed to get taken of just the two of us. Lol.

 

 

 

ADDITIONAL THINGS YOU MIGHT NEED TO PACK FOR DISNEY

 

Ummm, can we say themed outfits?! While I didn’t go crazy with themed outfits (my mother in law hooked the kids up with cute Disney themed outfits at Christmas to match their cousin), I did buy some matching shirts to twin with my littles for one day in the park. I also packed a “jungle/tropical themed” linen shirt that I found at Marshalls a while back. Other than that, I was wearing athleisure to absorb all the sweat from chasing kids around all day!

 

There are so many cute outfits you can find for Disney to fit your personality style. The possibilities are really endless!

 

 

Here are some Disney pieces I’m loving for kids:

 

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Travel Insurance

 

Disney is a big trip, so you might want to consider travel insurance in case someone gets sick, or in case of natural disaster. I have used travel insurance before (when I got sick and couldn’t make a trip to Chicago) and definitely think it is a great thing to have as a backup. 

 

When deciding if you need insurance, it is best to weigh the pros and cons of the amount you’re spending on the trip vs. the cost of insurance, etc. 

 

Hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know if you found this post helpful. Also, feel free to leave a comment to tell me what your favorite things about Disney are, or if there is something I forgot to include in my packing list. I love hearing from you!

 

 

And if you want to see what I’m up to (and probably cooking) from day to day, be sure to follow me on IG @ShipsHQ I would love for you to come say hello and hear your thoughts on this post!