What to Pack for a Day at the Parks

In honor of my blog's one year anniversary, I wanted to write a post related to how to plan a Disney vacation. This post will focus on ideas for things to pack for a day at the parks. I'm sure you already had in mind the basics: Phone and theme park tickets. Is that all you need to remember? Absolutely not! Let's dive in a little more to some of the things I suggest bringing with you to the parks.

Disney Gift Cards - Please see my Disney Gift Cards post for more information why I think they are so awesome to invest in!

Crossbody Purse or Drawstring Bagpack - I prefer medium or small sized crossbody purses vs. handheld purses because it's more comfortable to be hands free while exploring the parks. You'll likely be holding your phone or camera in one hand and your spouse/lover/friend/kid in the other hand! I also like drawstring bagpacks because they're lightweight.

If you are staying at a Disney property resort, you can have your souvenirs delivered to your hotel. You just pick it up from the bell hop and best of all there's no additional charge! The only speculation is that it usually won't be ready for pick up until the following day. You're not out of luck if you aren't staying at a Disney property resort! You can request packages to be ready for pick up at the Newspaper Stand at the front entrance of the parks.

Speaking of shopping, if you see something you like - don't assume that you'll be able to find it at World of Disney or at another location. That might be your only chance to buy it!

Comfortable Shoes and a FitBit or Similar Device (if you have a pedometer!) - You'd think this would be a no brainer, but I had to have these on my list! Walking is a wonderful workout, and you'll be doing a lot of it while at the parks (What a great way to burn off that Dole Whip Float, right? LOL). It's kind of fun seeing how much walking you did at the end of the day by checking your pedometer.

Chapstick, Lotion, Sunscreen, Sunglasses - Just some ideas for a more comfortable visit.

Light Jacket - Disneyland and Disney World are typically warm, but depending on when you go it can get chilly in the mornings and in the evenings. If you're a water ride junkie or concerned about the possibility of it raining during your trip, I suggest hitting up Wal-Mart or Target to buy some inexpensive ponchos.

Point & Shoot Camera - I've relied heavily on my phone to take all my pictures. Running out of space became a concern for me, so I decided to invest in an inexpensive point & shoot camera. I chose this Samsung model and I'm happy with it. The front LCD screen and wireless capabilities are what sold me on this phone.

If you don't want to bring a camera or use your phone to take pictures, you could also purchase a Memory Maker plan at Disneyland and at Disney World. Cast members take pictures with their professional cameras and the pictures automatically sync up online and you can view the pictures on an app. I think it's pretty neat, but expensive. At Disneyland, you have to pay $39 per day. If you have an annual pass, it is an included perk. $39 per day is expensive! I'd much rather ask a cast member to take our pictures. At Disney World, if you purchase Memory Maker at least 3 days in advance it's $149. What's neat about Disney World's version is that you can have unlimited pictures within a 14 day period. So if you'll be at Disney World for a longer trip, I think the fee is justifiable.

Portable Battery Charger - This is one of the best inventions ever! It's important to make sure your equipment stays juiced up so you can capture all of your perfect Kodak moments and so you can keep in touch with everyone. We went to Disneyland on the 24 hour day last year and it was crazy seeing people sitting on the restroom floor tethered to an electrical outlet. Don't be one of those people, LOL! You can find inexpensive portable battery chargers on Amazon. I would suggest getting one that has at least 6,000 mAh. One of my favorite tricks to make your phone charge faster is to put it on Airplane Mode while charging. One of my previous portable chargers only had 3,750 mAh and it was good for only one full charge for my iPhone 6.

Ziploc Bag(s) - These are great to make sure your valuables (phone, cash, cards, etc.) stay dry on water rides!

Mini Portable Blanket - I've seen some neat pocket sized ones. This works great if you are like me and like to secure a good spot for parades and/or fireworks. Standing and waiting for an hour can be rough, sitting on the ground can at least ease the stress of standing and walking all day. I personally don't like sitting on the ground bare. Another idea - you can also sit on a Disney shopping bag!

Water Bottles and/or Snacks - My husband and I like to go to a grocery store before we check into our hotel. We like to stock up on bottled water and snacks for the duration of our trip. Bottled water in the parks can be costly... If I remember correctly, each bottle is about $3 each! You could ask for free cups of water at any Quick Service dining location, but then of course you'd likely have to wait in line. Who knows? You may be waiting in an hour line for a ride and get really thirsty!

As far as snacks go, I personally LOVE indulging in Disney food! Since I don't get to enjoy it as often as I'd like to, it's worth it to me to splurge on food while on vacation. If you want to save money, you can bring in your own snacks and food. One thing I also want to mention is that you can't bring glass into the parks, the only exception would be for baby food.

Alright, guys! Here is my list! What are some items you like to make sure you have with you for a day at the theme parks? I'd love to hear your ideas.